How Long Does It Take For Clonazepam To Work?

How long does it take for Clonazepam to work? Here`s a question that may interest you if experience panic disorders or depression.

What Is Clonazepam?

Clonazepam, also known as Klonopin, is a well known drug which has long been used in the U.S., South America, Canada, Australia and Europe. Basically, this drug is nothing else than a benzodiazepine derivative and is a potent anxiolytic and anticonvulsant drug. This kind of medication affects the human brain from a chemical point of view. As a benzodiazepine drug, clonazepam is usually prescribed by the doctor for a few major mental conditions, such as mental stress, panic disorder, seizures or depression. This particular medication is used for treating other disease processes as well.

How Long Does It Take for Clonazepam to Work?

Clonazepam should begin working in less than 60 minutes. The peak of its efficiency lasts around 8 to 10 hours. Individual biology will vary, which will mean it might be efficient for up to 8 hours in certain people, while in other ones for more than 10 hours.

How Long Do the Effects of Klonopin Last?

The half life of the drug is quite long (depending on the person involved, around 20 to 80 hours), thus the medication will in the system for a longer period of time than other benzodiazepines. However, most people who use it with prescription will claim that the effect vary around 6 to 8 hours.

Can Overdose of Clonazepam Cause Death?

A clonazepam overdose might be caused by an intentional or accidental act of taking more than the recommended dose. Such an overdose might occur in anyone, no matter the age, who has access to this drug and administers too much of it.

People may frequently abuse this particular medication with alcohol or other drugs, and when this happens, other dangerous interactions may occur which can end in severe harm. When someone overdoses only with clonazepam, it`s almost never fatal.

Symptoms of a clonazepam overdose include:

• Extreme drowsiness.
• Slow reflexes.
• Coma.
• Confusion.
• Coordination issues.
• Loss of consciousness on short term.
• Muscle weakness.

Can You Take Clonazepam while Pregnant?

This medication should only be used while expecting a baby only if the benefits are greater than the risks to the baby. FDA comments that the baby born from a mother who took clonazepam might be at risk for withdrawal signs. The patient needs to be warned of the possible risks to the baby and guided to stop the medication before becoming pregnant. There`ve been various reports of feeding and respiratory difficulties, hypothermia, and neonatal flaccidity in babies born from mothers who`ve been taking this drug late in pregnancy.

Clonazepam Nursing Warnings

A decision need to be made to either stop taking the medication or discontinue breastfeeding, taking into consideration the necessity of the medication to the mother. The drug is excreted into breast milk and the effects in the breastfed baby are still unknown.

Indications

• Infant and child epilepsy.
• Adult epilepsy and focal seizures.
• Sleepwalking.
• Psychomotor agitation.
• Manic phase of cyclomytia.
• Muscle hypertonicity.
• Panic disorder.
• Insomnia (especially regarding patients who experienced organic brain injuries).
• Phobia syndromes and paroxysmal fear (18+ years old patients).

The dose of clonazepam should be followed according to the doctor`s prescription.

Administration

The doses should be increased gradually.

Initially:

• Infants & children (up to 10 years) 0.01 – 0.03 mg/kg/day.
• Children (over 10 years) & adults: 1 – 2 mg/day.

Maintenance:

• Infants & children (up to 10 years) 0.05 – 0.1 mg/kg/day.
• Children (between 10 – 16 years): 1.5 – 3 mg/day.
• Adults: 2 – 4 mg/day.

The daily dose should be administered in the evening in one single attempt.

Contraindications

• Newborns, especially premature babies.
• Breastfeeding.
• Pregnancy.
• Coma.
• Myasthenia gravis.
• Serious chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Severe depression.
• Acute respiratory failure.
• Intoxication with acute alcohol.
• Acute attack of dark-angle glaucoma.
• Drug hypersensitivity.
• Disturbances of consciousness.

There`re a few restrictions when talking about clonazepam. If a patient suffers of serious liver diseases, kidney illnesses, bronchitis, bronchial asthma or mental disorders, then he isn`t allowed to take this drug. This medication can be taken only after being consulted by an experienced doctor.

Side Effects

• Fatigue.
• Urinary incontinence.
• Sleepiness.
• Respiratory depression.
• Visual & coordination disorders.
• Sleepiness.
• Muscular hypotonia.
• Behavioral disorders.
• Infants or small children might increase the bronchial or salivary secretion amounts.

Being an anti-anxiety medication, clonazepam increases the GABA effects. GABA represents a neurotransmitter which suppresses the activity of the human brain. It`s noted that an excessive brain activity might lead to anxiety and lots of mental disorders. Generally, this drug is used to treat all these mental disorders.

Warnings

Prolonged treatment with clonazepam in children need to take into consideration the probability of some unwanted side effects on their mental and physical development, which may not occur for several years.

The treatment`s duration leads to a weakening of the drug.

During treatment and for at least 3 days after treatment, patients are forbidden to drink alcohol.

This medication affects the speed of psychomotor reactions, which need to be taken into account when it comes to persons engaged in potentially dangerous activities, which require attention and speed of reaction.

• Caution in patients with liver or kidney illnesses.
• Caution when associated with: alcohol, hydantoin, barbiturates.

Drug Interactions

The following need to be taken into consideration when combined with clonazepam.

• Sodium valproate.
• Cimetidine.
• Lithium carbonate.
• Muscle relaxants.
• Phenytoin.
• Caffeine.
• Ethanol & drugs.
• Phenelzine.
• Lamotrigine.
• Desipramine.
• Primidone.
• Toremifene.
• Nicotine.