Klonopin (clonazepam) is in a class of anxiolytic (antianxiety and antipanic) medications called benzodiazepines. It works by decreasing abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Doctors prescribe this drug to treat seizures and panic attacks. Off-label use (meaning not indicated on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved packaging) includes restless legs syndrome, sleepwalking, and social phobia in adults.

Klonopin has been prescribed for a number of neurological conditions, such as epilepsy and anxiety, since the 1950s and 1960s. Klonopin was originally brought to market in 1975 to treat epileptic seizures.

Dosage FAQs

Drug Interactions of Klonopin   

Like many anxiolytic medications, this drug has several important interactions of which to be aware, including:

Possible Side Effects

Klonopin's side effects may be different depending on the condition it is being used to treat. It may cause the following reactions:

Withdrawing from Klonopin

You should not stop taking this medication abruptly. In order to reduce the withdrawal symptoms you should gradually taper down the dose based on a safe plan formulated with your doctor. Possible symptoms of withdrawal include:

Chemistry of Klonopin

Klonopin is a derivative of nitrazepam and has a molecular mass of 315.715. It has an additional chlorine added to the structure of nitrazepam and is therefore a chloro-nitrobenzodiazepine. It has a light yellow color, a crystalline structure, and a faint odor. Klonopin is insoluble in water, slightly soluble in alcohol, sparingly soluble in acetone and chloroform, and slightly soluble in ether.

References:

  1. Rudolph U, Mohler H: GABA-based therapeutic approaches: GABA A receptor subtype functions. Current Opinion in Pharmacology 2006;6:18.
  2. Sanger DJ. The pharmacology and mechanism of action of new generation, nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic agents. CNS Drugs 2004;18(Suppl 1):9.
  3. Chouinard G: Issues in the clinical use of benzodiazepines: Potency, withdrawal, and rebound. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 2004;65(Suppl 5):7.
  4. Clayton T et al: An updated unified pharmacophore model of the benzodiazepine binding site on gamma-aminobutyric acid(a) receptors: Correlation with comparative models. Current Medicinal Chemistry 2007;14:2755.
  5. Cloos JM, Ferreira V: Current use of benzodiazepines in anxiety disorders. Current Opinion in Psychiatry 2009;22:90.

Page content reviewed by James Pendleton, ND.