Clonazepam

Clonazepam (marketed by Roche under the trade-names Klonopin in the United States and Rivotril in Europe, South America, Canada, and Australia) is a drug which is a benzodiazepine derivative. It is a highly potent anticonvulsant, amnestic and anxiolytic.

Pharmacology
Like other benzodiazepines, clonazepam is believed to act by simulating the action of GABA on the central nervous system. Because of strong anxiolytic properties and euphoric side-effects it is said to be among the class of 'highly potent' benzodiazepines. Although benzodiazepines are invaluable in the treatment of anxiety disorders, they have some potential for mis-use and may cause dependence or addiction. The sedative effects of clonazepam are relatively weak, compared to its strong anxiolytic and anticonvulsant effects. One milligram of clonazepam is approximately equivalent to twenty milligrams of diazepam. 

Indications
Clonazepam is commonly prescribed for:
 * Epilepsy
 * Anxiety disorder. Due to the chronic nature of anxiety, long-term low-dose benzodiazepine treatment may be necessary for some patients; this continuation of treatment should not be considered abuse or addiction.
 * Panic attacks
 * Restless leg syndrome (RLS)
 * Initial treatment of mania, together with firstline-drugs such as lithium, haloperidol or risperidone
 * Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (off-label use)
 * Chronic fatigue syndrome
 * Night terrors
 * Tourette Syndrome - Clonazepam has shown to be helpful in reducing and dealing with the physical motor tics associated with TS, though is still considered an off-label usage by many.
 * Schizophrenia - Clonazepam has been prescribed in order to alleviate the side effects of certain antipsychotic agents used in the treatment of Schizophrenia.

Clonazepam is rarely used as a treatment for insomnia, because its sedative effects are relatively weak compared to other benzodiazepines.

Availability
Clonazepam was approved in the United States as a generic medication in 1997 and is now manufactured and marketed by several companies.

Clonazepam is available in the U.S. as tablets (0.5, 1.0, and 2mg), orally-disintegrating tablets (wafers) (0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2 mg), liquid solution (2.5mg per ml) and for injection (1mg per ml)

Side effects
Common:
 * Drowsiness
 * Impaired motor function
 * Impaired coordination
 * Impaired balance
 * Dizziness
 * Anterograde amnesia (common with higher doses)

Rare:
 * Paradoxical Disinhibition (Most frequently in children, the elderly, and in persons with developmental disabilities)
 * Rage
 * Excitement
 * Irritability
 * Impulsivity
 * Some users report hangover-like symptoms of being drowsy, having a headache, being sluggish, and irritable after waking up if the medication is taken before sleep. This is likely the result of the medication's long half-life which continues to affect the user after they wake up as well as its disruption of the REM cycle.

Withdrawal-related:
 * Anxiety, irritability, insomnia
 * Panic attacks, tremor
 * Seizures similar to delirium tremens (With long-term use of excessive doses)

Use of alcohol or other CNS depressants while taking clonazepam greatly intensifies the effects (and side effects) of the drug. Side effects of the drug itself are generally benign, but sudden withdrawal after long-term use can cause severe, even fatal symptoms.

Interactions
Similar to Diazepam.

Overdose
An individual who has consumed too much clonazepam will display one or more of the following symptoms:
 * Somnolence (difficulty staying awake)
 * Mental confusion
 * Hypotension
 * Impaired motor functions
 * Impaired reflexes
 * Impaired coordination
 * Impaired balance
 * Dizziness
 * Coma

Unless combined with other drugs, deep coma or other manifestations of severe central nervous system depression are rare, and the mortality rate associated with poisoning is very low. As with other benzodiazepines, overdose symptoms of clonazepam may be reversed with flumazenil (Anexate®).

Abuse Potential
Benzodiazapines such as Clonazepam are sometimes used recreationally, most commonly as a secondary drug to increase the pleasure resulting in a primary drug, or possibly to lessen or prevent some of that drug's negative side effects. It should be noted that relatively few cases of addiction arise from legitimate use of benzodiazepines. 

Up to 30% of individuals treated on a long-term basis develop a form of dependence known as "low-dose-dependence". These patients do not develop a tolerance, and do not need increasingly large doses to experience the euphoric side effects of the drug.