Common questions about clonazepam

Clonazepam belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines.

It works by increasing levels of a calming chemical, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), in your brain.

Depending on your health condition, this can relieve anxiety, stop seizures or fits or relax tense muscles. It can also help relieve muscle spasms or symptoms of restless legs syndrome.

How quickly clonazepam works will depend on what condition you're taking it for.

For seizures, fits and involuntary muscle spasms, it might take a few days to a week for clonazepam to work fully. This is because your dose will be increased gradually until you're taking the right amount.

For panic disorder and restless legs syndrome, clonazepam should take around 1 hour to start working.

Clonazepam will help you feel calmer and it can reduce your feelings of anxiety.

It can also make you feel sleepy and relaxed and might make you feel confused when you first start taking it.

This will usually get better as you get used to taking the medicine.

It's important not to drive, ride a bike or use tools or machinery if you feel sleepy or confused.

Clonazepam is not likely to be addictive if you take it for a short time (2 to 4 weeks).

If you've been taking it for longer than 2 to 4 weeks, your doctor will reduce your dose gradually if they want you to stop taking it.

You're more likely to get addicted if you've ever had problems with alcohol or drugs.

Speak to your doctor if you've had problems with alcohol or recreational drugs. They may want to try you on a different medicine.

If your doctor recommends you stop taking clonazepam and you've been taking it for more than 2 to 4 weeks, they will reduce your dose gradually.

This allows your body to get used to being without the medicine and reduces the chance of side effects when you stop taking it.

If you stop taking it suddenly, you may get some side effects, such as:

• confusion
• seizures or fits
• depression
• feeling nervous or irritable
• sweating
• diarrhoea

You're less likely to get these side effects if you reduce your dose gradually.

For panic disorder, depending on your symptoms, you may need a medicine to treat your physical symptoms, as well as your psychological ones.

If you and your doctor think it might be helpful, you may be prescribed a type of antidepressant called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) such as sertraline, paroxetine or escitalopram.

There are also different types of talking therapies for panic disorder, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and counselling.

For involuntary muscle spasms, there are other medicines available that can help. You can discuss the different options with your doctor. They can help you decide which medicine is best for you.

For epilepsy, treatment options include a range of different anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), a special diet (ketogenic diet) and surgery. These may not be suitable for everyone.

You can discuss the different options with your specialist. They can help you decide which may be best for you.

For restless legs syndrome, there are other medicines that can help regulate the levels of dopamine or iron in your body.

If restless legs syndrome is caused by iron deficiency anaemia, iron supplements may be all that's needed to treat the symptoms.

Speak to your doctor about which medicine is best for you.

Clonazepam will not affect any type of contraception, including the combined pill and emergency contraception.

Do not drive a car or ride a bike if clonazepam makes you feel sleepy, dizzy or light-headed, clumsy or unable to concentrate or make decisions.

This may be more likely when you first start taking clonazepam, but could happen at any time, for example, when starting another medicine.

It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive.

Even if your ability to drive is not affected, the police have the right to request a saliva sample to check how much clonazepam is in your body.

Talk to a doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking clonazepam. GOV.UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving.

Do not drink alcohol while taking clonazepam. Alcohol can increase the side effects of clonazepam.

It can make you go into a very deep sleep. This can be dangerous. There's a risk you may not be able to breathe properly and you may have difficulty waking up, or even go into a coma.

It's best to avoid drinks such as coffee, tea, cola and energy drinks, and not to eat too much chocolate, because these contain caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant and may reduce the calming effects of clonazepam.

Do not drink alcohol while taking clonazepam. Alcohol can increase the effects of clonazepam and make you go into a very deep sleep. There's a risk you will not be able to breathe properly and you may have difficulty waking up. This can be dangerous.

Using cannabis, heroin or methadone with clonazepam will increase the drowsy effects of clonazepam.

It can make you go into a very deep sleep. There's a risk you will not be able to breathe properly, and you may have difficulty waking up. This can be dangerous.

Using cocaine or other stimulants such as MDMA (ecstasy) and amphetamines with clonazepam can also make you drowsy.

Talk to a doctor if you think you might use recreational drugs while taking clonazepam.

You can find out more about the side effects of recreational drugs on the Frank website.

If you have panic disorder, there are some things you can try to help, including:

• reading a self-help book for anxiety based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) (ask your doctor to recommend one)
• trying complementary therapies such as massage and aromatherapy, or activities such as yoga or pilates, to help you relax
• learning breathing techniques to help ease symptoms
• exercising regularly to reduce stress and tension

It may help to find out more about how to deal with panic attacks.

If you have restless legs syndrome, there are some lifestyle changes that can help, including:

• quitting smoking
• exercising regularly (but avoid exercising close to bedtime)
• good sleep habits, such as going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, not napping during the day, and taking time to relax before going to bed
• avoiding medicines that trigger the symptoms or make them worse (if you think a medicine is causing your symptoms, keep taking it and make an appointment to see a doctor)