Clonazepam 2mg
Doctors prescribe it for epilepsy, restless legs or sleep tremors, panic disorders, social phobia, certain types of nerve pain, muscle cramps and in critically ill people to sleep. Epilepsy Symptoms Epilepsy (epilepsy) is a disorder of the brain, which causes a kind of short circuit in the brain. This happens in attacks. The brain is then disrupted, for example, resulting in muscle twitching or loss of consciousness. Absences (‘petit mal’ attacks) can also occur. You are absent for a few seconds without the muscles cramping. This form of epilepsy mainly occurs in children. Cause Epilepsy can have all kinds of causes, for example a lack of oxygen during birth, meningitis, an accident, a stroke and (rarely) a brain tumor. However, the cause is usually unknown and there is a predisposition. The disease can develop at any age, but it usually starts in childhood.
Therapy
There are different types of anti-epileptic drugs. In the treatment of epilepsy, your doctor usually follows a schedule in which anti-epileptic drugs are tried in a fixed order. Clonazepam 2MG is tried when other drugs have insufficient effect. Compared to other epilepsy drugs, it has quite a few side effects. It is also used with other anti-epileptic medicines. Clonazepam 2MG is also used during an epileptic attack. If it lasts longer than five minutes, it must be stopped quickly. This can be done with clonazepam drops or injection. That’s why some people have drops of clonazepam on hand. These must be absorbed into the blood through the cheek pouch.
Clonazepam can then be administered by people close to you. Clonazepam is sometimes used in newborn children with seizures. The doctor often starts treatment with phenobarbital. If phenobarbital isn’t working properly, the doctor can use clonazapam. How Clonazepam works, affects stimuli in the brain that can trigger epileptic seizures. If it is used to prevent epileptic seizures, it will be clear within a few weeks whether it works sufficiently. You notice this because epileptic attacks occur less often and are less severe or disappear completely. Clonazepam in injection works immediately, the effect lasts for two to three hours.
Clonazepam 2MG as drops for the cheek pouch works within half an hour. Panic disorder Symptoms Panic attacks also cause physical symptoms, such as sweating, tremors, dizziness, nausea, limp legs, chest pain and palpitations. The attacks can give the feeling of dying or going mad.
In a panic disorder, people have unusually strong panic attacks. The attacks rule their lives. Just the thought of a panic attack can lead to panic. People try to avoid situations in which a panic attack occurs.
Sometimes it is no longer possible to go to work or go outside (fear of the street) for fear of a new attack. Treatment If the complaints occur extremely often and are very severe, they can greatly reduce your well-being and that of the people in your environment.
The treatment of panic disorder consists of behavioral therapy, often combined with an antidepressant, such as fluvoxamine, paroxetine, clomipramine or imipramine. Clonazepam 2MG is sometimes given at the beginning of treatment with one of these antidepressants. It takes a few weeks before these have sufficient effect. In the meantime, clonazepam will reduce the number of panic attacks. Occasionally the antidepressants do not work sufficiently after a few weeks. Then the doctor sometimes prescribes Clonazepam 2MG instead.
Effect Clonazepam has a calming effect and reduces anxiety. This makes you less likely to panic. It works within half an hour to one hour after taking it. This effect lasts for eight to twelve hours. Social phobia Symptoms In social phobia people have an extreme and unhealthy fear of criticism from others. One suffers from physical symptoms such as tremors, sweating, flushing and palpitations. Everyone suffers from this to a minor extent. Treatment If the complaints are extremely common, your doctor may opt for continuous treatment with a drug from the antidepressant group, in addition to discussions with a psychiatrist or psychologist (behavioral therapy). If this has insufficient effect, the doctor can prescribe clonazepam. Effect Clonazepam has a calming effect and reduces anxiety.
This makes you react less violently to situations that are socially threatening to you.
It works within half an hour after taking it. The effect lasts for eight to twelve hours.
Nerve Pain Symptoms
With nerve pain you will feel severe pain shocks with very sharp, stabbing or constant burning pain. The pain is continuous or can come on with just a light touch.
Cause
The cause of nerve pain lies with the sensory nerves. These send ‘messages’ about touches and injuries to the brain. Damaged or irritated nerves send these messages incorrectly. As a result, your brain feels intense pain, without any injury. Damage or irritation of a sensory nerve can be caused, for example, by diabetes mellitus (diabetes). Treatment Because the cause of the pain in nerve pain lies with the sensory nerve involved, ordinary painkillers usually have little effect. Clonazepam can help with nerve pain caused by diabetes. It is often combined with other drugs for nerve pain, namely tricyclic antidepressants.
How Clonazepam works affects the transmission of electrical stimuli in the brain. The analgesic effect does not start immediately, but sets in after a few weeks. Restless legs Symptoms Restless legs have a tingling, itching, tingling or painful feeling in the legs, especially in the calves. Sometimes also in thighs, feet, hands and / or arms. You usually have an uncontrollable tendency to move this part of the body. When you move, the feeling disappears. The complaints usually occur at rest and therefore often during bedtime. It makes falling asleep difficult. Restless legs are often accompanied by sleep shocks. These are sudden leg movements that occur during sleep. This can wake up or sleep restlessly. One can also suffer from sleep shocks, without the itchy, itchy feeling of restless legs. The cause of these complaints is unknown. Treatment The condition is usually not serious, but can lead to a lack of sleep. In some cases, a warm shower before going to sleep or muscle relaxation exercises can reduce the symptoms. It often helps not to use caffeine (so no coffee, tea, cola, chocolate) or to stand or sit upright for a shorter period of time during the day. If the symptoms are severe, doctors sometimes prescribe clonazepam. Effect The muscle relaxing effect of clonazepam starts within half to one hour after ingestion. The effect lasts for six to twelve hours. If you mainly suffer from nocturnal leg cramps, one dose before going to sleep is sufficient. Muscle cramps Muscle spasms are involuntary contractions of the muscles. They can arise, among other things, as a side effect of certain pain-relieving drugs (morphine-like drugs). Clonazepam can be used to reduce these muscle cramps. The muscle relaxing effect starts within half to one hour after ingestion. The effect lasts for six to twelve hours. Insomnia Application in critically ill people Clonazepam is also used in people who are seriously ill or dying. It is given when they are very anxious, agitated, confused or in a lot of pain. They are artificially kept asleep by this drug. This drug is then usually administered via an IV or injection. The muscle relaxing effect starts within half to one hour after ingestion. The effect lasts for six to twelve hours. Insomnia Application in critically ill people Clonazepam is also used in people who are seriously ill or dying. It is given when they are very anxious, agitated, confused or in a lot of pain. They are artificially kept asleep by this drug. This drug is then usually administered via an IV or injection. The muscle relaxing effect starts within half to one hour after ingestion. The effect lasts for six to twelve hours. Insomnia Application in critically ill people Clonazepam is also used in people who are seriously ill or dying. It is given when they are very anxious, agitated, confused or in a lot of pain. They are artificially kept asleep by this drug. This drug is then usually administered via an IV or injection.
The main side effects are the following. Sometimes, especially the first weeks of use. If you only take this medicine in the evening: rarely the next day
- Drowsiness, fatigue and, less often, sleepiness. This reduces your ability to react and concentrate, which increases the risk of accidents. Accidents can occur, for example, in traffic, when climbing a ladder, operating equipment or during surveillance and control activities. But you are also more likely to fall if you have to get out of bed at night to go to the toilet.
Rarely, especially the first days of use. If you only take this medicine in the evening: very rarely, also the next day
- Impaired coordination. This may make you clumsy in your movements and have difficulty speaking (articulating) clearly. After an injection, this side effect can last for several days.
- Muscle weakness, feeling of weakness in muscles. This side effect can cause other complaints, such as: Blurred or double vision, due to a temporary effect on the eye muscles. Urinary incontinence or difficulty in passing urine. These side effects are caused by insufficient control of the bladder muscle. Snoring due to the weakening of the uvula. During your sleep, have you ever had problems that your breath stops for a while (sleep apnea)? You may be more affected by this medicine. Contact your doctor if you notice this. Fall, mainly because this drug also decreases coordination. Especially the elderly and people with muscle diseases have a chance of this. People with myasthenia gravis (a serious muscle disease) may be more prone to this disease. Consult your doctor if symptoms worsen (such as general muscle weakness, double vision,
- Slower thinking, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, less alert and confusion. These complaints may increase if you use this medicine for a longer period of time.
- Decrease in feelings. This drug not only flattens emotions such as fear and tension, but also positive ones, such as happiness and satisfaction. Your involvement and empathy for others can also diminish.
Rarely
- Gastrointestinal disorders, such as nausea, constipation and diarrhea, dry mouth or extra saliva, difficulty swallowing. Changed appetite: more or less appetite. This also changes body weight.
- Headache and dizziness. These side effects usually go away after some time as you get used to the drug.
- Sweating and palpitations.
- Dry eyes. Especially people with contact lenses can suffer from dry eyes.
- Rash and itching. Usually this is harmless, but (very rarely) the symptoms can be serious. If the rash looks unusual, if it affects you, or if you also develop a fever or blisters, see your doctor.
- Reduced efficacy against epilepsy. The drug may not work as well after a few weeks
- Dependence. You may experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking it. The chance of this is very small with short-term use. People who use this medicine for longer than two months in a row have a high chance of this. Therefore, always taper off gradually if you have been taking this medicine for more than two months.
Very rarely
- Vivid dreams or nightmares, usually in the early morning.
- Unrest and irritability. So opposite symptoms than you would expect from this drug. Delusions and hallucinations can also occur. Children and the elderly are especially sensitive to these side effects. Consult the doctor in case of these symptoms. A lower dose or a different drug may be needed.
- Memory loss of events that occur while you are taking this drug. For example, night events.
- Depressed feelings can be revealed.
- Less sex drive, impotence. This will recover when you stop taking the drug. Contact your doctor if you are affected.
- Premature development of sex characteristics in children not yet expected to be in puberty. Consult your doctor in case of symptoms such as hair growth under armpits, pubic hair, breast development in girls. This will usually recover when you stop taking this medicine.
- Deficiency of platelets. Consult your doctor if you have unexplained bruises or nosebleeds.
Consult your doctor if you experience too much of any of the above side effects, or if you experience any other side effects that you are concerned about. In epilepsy, you can expect that the side effects usually diminish once you get used to the drug. They will usually outweigh the risks associated with seizures. If it does bother you a lot, talk to your doctor.
Look for the correct dosage on the label of the pharmacy. How?
- Swallow the tablets with half a glass of water.
- Count out the drops on a spoon. Then possibly mix with some water, tea or fruit juice and drink it. In some cases, the doctor indicates to use the drops in an epilepsy attack. The liquid must then be absorbed into the blood via the cheek mucosa. For this, the doctor’s instruction must be followed.
- Injections are administered by a doctor or nurse.
When?
Epilepsy, nerve pain and muscle cramps In the beginning it is best to take the tablets or drops two to three times a day. Later it is often possible to take the medicine once or twice a day. A once-a-day dose is best taken in the evening before going to sleep. You will have the least problems with daytime drowsiness.
Epilepsy attack or febrile seizures
In an epileptic seizure, you should use this medicine if the seizure lasts longer than five minutes. In case of a febrile seizure, you should use this medication as soon as possible.
Panic disorder and social phobia
Divide the tablets evenly throughout the day. So at two to three times a day every twelve or eight hours. Do you only use this medicine in special cases, such as fear of flying? Then take it an hour in advance.
Restless legs
Only take the tablets or drops if you have complaints. If the complaints mainly occur at night, you can take one dose at night. In case of complaints during the day, you can take one dose in the morning. How long? Epilepsy and nerve pain You will probably need to take this medicine for a long time. After a few weeks to months, your doctor will check with you whether it is sufficiently effective. Choir fits or epilepsy attackThe attack will usually stop once you use this medicine. In an epilepsy attack, it is sometimes necessary to use this medicine again. If the attack does not stop, you have to go to the hospital. You will be treated further in the hospital. Panic disorder or social phobia After three months it should be clear whether this medicine is working well for you. The treatment often takes six months to a year. Then you should taper the dose for three months. Restless legs. Sometimes long-term use is necessary. If you use this medicine every night, you do run the risk of ‘withdrawal insomnia’. Your body expects the narcotic effect of this drug to help you fall asleep. Muscle cramps from painkillers Use this medicine for as long as you are taking the painkiller.
- If you are taking this medicine 3 times a day. Will it be more than 2 hours before you normally take the next dose? Then take the forgotten dose. Will it take less than 2 hours? Skip the dose you missed.
- If you use this medicine twice a day. Will it be more than 4 hours before you normally take the next dose? Then take the forgotten dose. Does it take less than 4 hours? Skip the dose you missed.
- If you use this medicine once a day. Will it be more than 8 hours before you normally take the next dose? Then take the forgotten dose. Does it take less than 8 hours? Skip the dose you missed.
Panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, or nerve pain There is no harm in missing a dose. However, if you have been taking it for several weeks you will have gotten used to it and you may experience withdrawal symptoms if you forget to take the tablet. Restless legs There is no harm in missing a dose. Some people get used to the narcotic effect. Then you run the risk of ‘withdrawal insomnia’. Your body expects the effect of the drug to fall asleep. It is therefore possible that it is more difficult for you to fall asleep if you forget.
Does this medicine interact with other medications? This drug interacts with other drugs. The text below only lists the active ingredients of these drugs, not the brand names. You can check whether your medicine contains one of these active substances in your package leaflet under the heading ‘composition’. The drugs with which the main interactions occur are the following.
- Other drugs that reduce reaction time. These medicines often have a yellow warning sticker on the packaging. The effects on responsiveness and coordination capacity are mutually reinforcing. Do not drive if you are taking any medication in addition to clonazepam that decreases reaction time.
- Medicines used for HIV infection: atazanavir, darunavir, fosamprenavir, indinavir, lopinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir and tipranavir. The amount of clonazepam in the blood can be increased by these drugs. This makes the effect and side effects stronger. Consult your doctor if you have been prescribed this combination.
Not sure if any of the above interactions are of interest to you? Please contact your pharmacist or doctor.
Can I just stop with this medicine? If you have only used this medicine for a few days in a row, you can stop all at once. In general, there will be no withdrawal symptoms. Have you used it for a long time? Then the following information is important to you: When used against epilepsy You cannot just stop. Always do this in consultation with the doctor. This is because the dosage must be reduced to prevent epileptic seizures. This phasing out can take several months. If you need to stop because of hypersensitivity or serious side effects, your doctor will take this into account. In that case, too, the dosage must be gradually reduced
When used against restless legs and sleep tremors Have you used this medicine before going to sleep for more than two weeks in a row and then suddenly stop using it? Then you run the risk of ‘withdrawal insomnia’. Your body expects the effect of the sedative to help you fall asleep. In the beginning you may therefore have difficulty falling asleep.
When used against panic attacks, social phobia, nerve pain and muscle cramps due to painkillers
- After a few weeks to months of use, you should taper off slowly. If you stop suddenly, you may have withdrawal symptoms within a few days. For example palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, a rushed feeling, muscle cramps, tremors and hypersensitivity to light, sound and touch.
- Did you use this medicine for anxiety and tension complaints? These withdrawal symptoms are difficult to distinguish from this. It then seems as if the complaints for which you originally received this medicine are coming back. Do not start again with the drug, but try to get rid of your complaints in a different way. Otherwise you run the risk of ending up in a vicious circle.
- If you reduce the dose for a few weeks to months, you will have no or less withdrawal symptoms. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice on a good tapering schedule. Sometimes it is better to switch to a different sedative first, which is easier to taper off.
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