Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking clonazepam as follows:
- Do not share clonazepam pills with family and friends. Clonazepam intake can be habit-forming and carries an abuse potential. The risk for addiction and abuse can be even higher, especially in individuals with history of substance abuse. Keep a regular track of the number of pills left in your pillbox, to prevent a chance for abuse. Count your pills every day, especially if you have friends and family members around, with history of drug abuse. Clonazepam must be used with extreme caution or avoided in individuals with drug abuse history. Report any abuse of medication to your physician immediately and seek intervention.
- Do not take clonazepam along with alcohol, opioid pain medications, such as, hydrocodone and codeine, antipsychotic medications, antidepressant medications, anti-seizure medications, muscle relaxants, antihistamines, OTC cough syrups, and any other medications that carry a risk for depression of the central nervous system and the respiratory center, resulting in episodes of dizziness, confusion, difficulty breathing, and respiratory arrest. The individual influence of these medications on respirations and central nervous system can get added up, thus leading to severe respiratory depression, confusion, coma, and can even be fatal. Clonazepam must be used with extra caution in individuals with history of breathing issues, such as, asthma and COPD, to prevent development of any episodes of severe SOB and respiratory arrest. Clonazepam, especially when taken in high doses, can also lead to depression of respiratory center in the brain and difficulty breathing. Any exacerbation of shortness of breath, following clonazepam intake, must be reported to the physician, for any change in plan of care to be made.
- Individuals develop tolerance to the dose of clonazepam with diminished therapeutic response over time. Report to your physician regarding any blunting of therapeutic response, with poorly controlled anxiety episodes, seizures, muscle cramps, nervousness, irritability, restlessness, and insomnia. Your physician could consider a change in the plan of care to provide the desired therapeutic relief.
- Clonazepam use, especially on empty stomach, can result in common general constitutional symptoms such as, nausea and vomiting. Taking dose of clonazepam with a glass of water, after having some food or a snack can help avoid having unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms with the medication.
