Klonopin Addiction

What is Klonopin?

Klonopin is the prescription brand name for the drug clonazepam. Klonopin, an anti-anxiety medication, is used to treat panic disorder and seizures and acts as a tranquilizer, slowing the function of the central nervous system. Klonopin is classified as a benzodiazepine. When someone takes Klonopin, the drug binds to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors and increases the effects of the acid. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, so the use of Klonopin slows brain activity and causes people to feel relaxed.

Klonopin is often the first-line treatment for acute seizure disorders. However, the drug should not be a long-term solution for treating panic disorders and seizures. This is because tolerance to Klonopin develops relatively quickly, which means the drug becomes less effective as the body becomes accustomed to the presence of the substance in the same dosage. Klonopin is also used to treat anxiety disorders aside from panic disorders, although it’s not approved for other anxiety disorder treatment. Klonopin can be used to treat alcohol withdrawal syndrome and certain muscle disorders.

The most common side effects of Klonopin are sedation, motor impairment, confusion, loss of libido and cognitive impairments. Use of benzodiazepines like Klonopin can also make certain mental health conditions, like depression, worse.

Is Klonopin Addictive?

Klonopin has the potential to be addictive when abused or even used as prescribed. Using Klonopin often results in a euphoric feeling, one that can be desirable and lead to continued use of the drug. Along with being addictive, Klonopin can lead to physical dependence. Klonopin dependence means a person will have withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly stop using the substance. Klonopin dependence can develop quickly. For some people, it can occur after a few weeks of taking the medication.

While the opioid epidemic has been a focus in the United States in recent years, benzodiazepines are becoming more scrutinized because of their potential to be addictive. Benzodiazepines, which also include medicines like Xanax and Valium, are among the most prescribed medications in the United States. Unfortunately, even many doctors and medical professionals don’t understand how addictive benzodiazepines are. To prevent the risk of addiction, medical guidelines indicate benzos like Klonopin shouldn’t be prescribed for more than a few weeks at a time. However, some doctors still prescribe them as a long-term treatment solution.

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The recreational use of sedative-hypnotics, including benzodiazepines, has resulted in many emergency department visits because of drug overdoses and toxicity. It’s also common for people to use other substances simultaneously to Klonopin if they’re using the drug recreationally. For example, combining opioids and benzodiazepines is common, as is combining alcohol and benzos. Pairing these substances increases the likelihood of a dangerous or fatal overdose.

If someone is prescribed Klonopin, they can take steps to lower their risk of becoming addicted. Someone who has been prescribed Klonopin should take the drug exactly as instructed.

Klonopin is a Schedule IV controlled substance in the United States. This indicates the substance has a potential for abuse. Other Schedule IV drugs, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), include alprazolam, which is Xanax, and diazepam, which is Valium.

Klonopin Addiction Statistics

According to statistics gathered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 32 percent of hospital emergency room visits involving a benzodiazepine led to a severe medical outcome, which includes hospitalization and death. Research shows that older patients using benzodiazepines are at a higher risk of detrimental health outcomes. Approximately 70 percent of emergency room visits involving people ages 65 and older that had combined benzos with alcohol and opioids had serious outcomes. Klonopin is the third-most prescribed benzodiazepine in the United States, according to the DEA. It’s also the second-most diverted benzo, which means that the drug is commonly sold or distributed illegally.

Research from 2017 conducted by the Florida Medical Examiner’s Commission found that, contrary to popular belief, opioid painkillers aren’t the deadliest prescription drugs in the state. Instead, benzodiazepines are. In Florida, Xanax was responsible for more deaths than oxycodone in 2017.