Patient/caregiver was educated on the side effects of using clonazepam as follows:
Respiratory depression
- Clonazepam, especially when taken in high doses, can lead to depression of respiratory center in the brain and difficulty breathing. Severe cases might also lead to emergency situations, such as, respiratory arrest and can result in serious debility and death.
- Avoid taking clonazepam along with any other drugs carrying the potential for causing central nervous system and respiratory depression, such as, OTC cough syrups or narcotic pain medications, as the individual influence of these medications on respirations can get added up, thus leading to severe respiratory depression and can even be fatal.
- Individuals with history of breathing issues, such as, asthma and COPD, must exercise extra precaution in watching out for any compromised breathing function.
- Report any episode of exacerbation of SOB and breathing difficulty to your physician appropriately, for any change in plan of care to be considered.
Gastrointestinal side effects
- Clonazepam use can result in common general constitutional symptoms such as, nausea and vomiting. Clonazepam use can also result in compromised appetite occasionally. Taking clonazepam after having a meal or a snack can help avoid having unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms with the medication.
- Clonazepam can also induce extreme dry mouth and constipation. Sucking on a sugar free hard candy can help with symptomatic relief of dry mouth. Proper hydration measures and compliance with daily fluid intake recommendations can help with relief from constipation. If you experience any further bothersome constipation, report it to your physician for a recommendation on laxative/stool softener use. Observing compliance with fiber intake recommendations in the diet can also help with preventing episodes of constipation with the medication.
