Clonazepam can slow or stop your breathing, especially if you have recently used an opioid medication, alcohol, or other drugs that can slow your breathing.
MISUSE OF CLONAZEPAM CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it. Never share clonazepam with another person. Selling or giving away this medicine is against the law.
Some people have thoughts about suicide while taking clonazepam. Stay alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor.
Do not stop using this medicine suddenly, or you could have increased seizures or unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
Before taking this medicine
You should not take clonazepam if you have:
narrow-angle glaucoma;
severe liver disease; or
a history of allergic reaction to any benzodiazepine (alprazolam, diazepam, lorazepam, Ativan, Restoril, Tranxene, Valium, Versed, Xanax, and others).
To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:
kidney or liver disease;
breathing problems;
depression, mood problems, or suicidal thoughts or behavior; or
porphyria (a genetic enzyme disorder that causes symptoms affecting the skin or nervous system).
Some people have thoughts about suicide when taking seizure medication. Your doctor should check your progress at regular visits. Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms.
If you use clonazepam while you are pregnant, your baby could become dependent on the drug. This can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the baby after it is born. Babies born dependent on habit-forming medicine may need medical treatment for several weeks.
Do not start or stop taking seizure medication during pregnancy without your doctor's advice. Having a seizure during pregnancy could harm both mother and baby. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant.
If you are pregnant, your name may be listed on a pregnancy registry to track the effects of clonazepam on the baby.
It may not be safe to breastfeed while using this medicine. Ask your doctor about any risk.
Do not give this medicine to a child without medical advice. Clonazepam is not approved to treat panic disorder in anyone younger than 18 years old.
