Patient/caregiver was educated on the side effects of using klonopin as follows:
General allergic reactions
- Klonopin use can result in general allergic reactions, such as, skin rashes, hives, and itching.
- Some patients can present with symptoms of severe allergic and anaphylactic response with klonopin, such as, difficulty breathing, swelling of face, lips, throat, and tongue, with consequent difficulty breathing. Seek emergency medical help for such findings, especially with difficulty breathing, for any appropriate measures to be considered.
Tolerance
- Individuals develop tolerance to the dose of klonopin with diminished therapeutic response over time. Report to your physician regarding any blunting of therapeutic response, with diminishing control or reverting of 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.
- Increasing the dose of klonopin to derive the same therapeutic benefit can increase the risk for addiction.
- The risk for addiction is even more in individuals with history of substance/drug abuse, as the craving for the desired effect in these individuals will be high.
Withdrawal syndrome
- Tapering the dose gradually over a period of time is the preferred way to quit klonopin.
- Sudden withdrawal from klonopin, after using for prolonged period of time, may lead to rebound of anxiety, insomnia, muscle spasms, and seizure symptoms.
