Alcohol is a depressant. Klonopin is an anti-anxiety medication that can also be used to treat seizures. The two substances taken together can cause serious side effects, including breathing problems and impaired judgment. However, the combination of alcohol and Klonopin may not affect everyone in the same way–it’s important to understand how this drug interaction could impact your state of mind before drinking alcohol or taking any other prescription medication with klonopin.
The drug Klonopin was discovered in the 1970s. It is used to treat seizures and anxiety caused by withdrawal from drugs or alcohol. When a person who is addicted to either alcohol or drugs, withdraws from these addictions his body starts to adjust to not having those substances by creating physical and psychological symptoms of withdrawal.
Klonopin addiction is a serious problem that should be treated by a professional. Klonopin is a benzodiazepine that is used to treat anxiety disorders. It’s important to seek help if you’re addicted to Klonopin, as it can be very dangerous to stop taking it abruptly.
What Is Klonopin and What Does It Do
Klonopin is a benzodiazepine that belongs to the class of anti-anxiety medications. It works by increasing the activity of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in your brain and central nervous system (CNS) which reduces neuronal excitability. It is prescribed for short-term use only and should be tapered off slowly when it is discontinued. Some common Klonopin side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, muscle weakness/tiredness, blurred vision or double vision, memory problems or trouble concentrating (short term), loss of coordination/balance problems; feeling unsteady while walking; clumsiness or shakiness inside; lightheadedness when you suddenly sit up or stand from lying down position; and dry mouth. A low dose of Klonopin (0.25 mg) is also used to treat insomnia and facilitate sleep, while a high dose (2- 4 mg ) may induce sleepiness by stimulating gamma-aminobutyric acid production in your brain which can cause tolerance and dependency on the drug.
How to Take Klonopin
Klonopin is a medication used to treat panic and anxiety disorders. It’s also prescribed for people who have seizures, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, or chronic pain. Klonopin can be taken in pill form or as an injection. This blog post will cover the basics of taking Klonopin and offer some advice on how to avoid any potential side effects when you’re starting out with this treatment.
Klonopin is a medication that doctors prescribe for people who are having problems with anxiety and/or panic attacks. This drug comes in pill form and can be swallowed; while some pills need to be taken with a full glass of water, Klonopin tablets can be swallowed whole without having to drink anything. This medication should not be taken if you have a history of glaucoma, as this condition might become aggravated by Klonopin. If you have any other chronic health problems (such as kidney disease), talk with your doctor about how this drug might affect you.
This medication should only be taken in the amount that your physician specifies; do not take more Klonopin than your doctor prescribes, as doing so could lead to serious side effects. If you need to have surgery while using Klonopin, let your surgeon know ahead of time–this medication might cause you to feel drowsy, and it could interfere with your anesthesia. Klonopin should not be used by women who are pregnant or people breastfeeding; this drug can pass through the breast milk and harm an infant. The elderly may be more sensitive to side effects of this medication than younger adults; if your family member is over the age of 65, make sure they know this.
If you’ve been prescribed Klonopin to treat panic attacks or anxiety, be aware that it may take a little while before you notice an improvement in your symptoms. This medicine usually takes effect within a week after beginning treatment; in some cases, it may take longer than that. Once this medication has been effective for you, it’s important to keep taking Klonopin as your doctor prescribes it. Stopping your treatment too soon may cause withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches and nausea.
Side Effects of Klonopin
Klonopin is a drug that can be prescribed for panic disorder, seizures, and anxiety. It may cause side effects including agitation, confusion, dizziness or drowsiness, difficulty concentrating or speaking clearly, dry mouth, and increased thirst. If you experience any of these symptoms after taking Klonopin please call your doctor right away. These side effects are not life-threatening but should still be treated as soon as possible to prevent them from getting worse.
Do not drink alcohol while using Klonopin. The side effects that you experience from this drug may become more severe and should be discussed with your doctor as soon as possible after taking this drug. If you begin to notice changes in your moods, unusual thoughts, or suicidal thoughts please speak to a professional immediately.
Alcoholic Beverages and How They Affect Klonopin Use
The effects of alcohol on Klonopin use are varied and depend largely on the dosage, frequency, and timing. Klonopin is a benzodiazepine that is used to treat seizures, panic disorders, anxiety disorders, and insomnia. Withdrawal symptoms from this drug can be severe so it’s important for those taking Klonopin to know how their body reacts when they drink alcohol.
The first thing you should know about mixing these two substances together is that drinking too much alcohol while taking Klonopin will cause an overdose as well as withdrawal symptoms or other adverse reactions. Alcohol will also have different effects depending on the time of day it’s taken with Klonopin which we’ll discuss below:
Alcohol Taken in The Morning
The effects of alcohol on Klonopin use are most severe when it’s taken with this drug in the morning. If you have even one drink while taking your daily dose of benzodiazepine, you will experience substantially higher blood concentrations than if no alcohol is present. This means that more of the medication is crossing the blood-brain barrier and is being absorbed by the body. This can be a very dangerous situation because benzodiazepines are central nervous system depressants, which means that they slow down brain function. In this case, Klonopin slows down breathing while at the same time alcohol triggers respiratory depression. Because of these combined effects, you are likely to experience severe respiratory depression or death.
The safest time for you to drink alcohol while taking Klonopin is at night because your body will have had time to metabolize most of the medication so there will be less in your system. Also, during the evening hours, your tolerance for this drug will have increased due to the onset of your insomnia, which means that you may not feel the effects of a single drink as strongly.
Alcohol Taken in The Late Evening
If you take your daily dosage of Klonopin with alcohol in the evening, it will be absorbed at a very slow rate by your body. This is because Klonopin stays active for up to 24 hours, which means that your body is still processing the medication when the alcohol enters your system. This can cause increased drowsiness, confusion, and even memory lapses or blackouts. While these symptoms are unpleasant they are less likely to be life-threatening than if alcohol is taken with Klonopin in the morning.
Alcohol Taken Late at Night
Drinking alcohol with Klonopin in the nighttime hours is also a bad idea. However, this is because more of your daily dose of your medication will be burned off while you sleep and less will be active in your body when the alcohol enters. This means that you may not feel any effects from a single drink and that is a very dangerous situation. It’s possible to experience an overdose in this case if you drink too much without even knowing it. There are better times of the day to enjoy alcohol with Klonopin such as at night when your insomnia is already kicking in and your tolerance for benzodiazepines has increased.
Must Read: Klonopin Withdrawal Symptoms
The Risks of Drinking Alcohol While Taking Klonopin
Many people don’t realize that alcohol can make the side effects of Klonopin worse. Even in small amounts, drinking alcohol while taking Klonopin can lead to severe drowsiness and dizziness, depression, anxiety, impaired judgment or thinking ability (e.g., problems with memory or concentration), slowed reflexes or poor coordination, slurred speech, lack of energy, nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, etc. If you are currently taking this medication for any reason it’s important to be aware of these potential risks so you can avoid them if possible. It’s also important to remember that benzodiazepines are central nervous system depressants which slow brain function. On their own this can lead to drowsiness, impaired coordination, and diminished mental performance. Mixing Klonopin with alcohol makes these side effects even worse which can be dangerous if you’re behind the wheel or responsible for taking care of others.
The combination of Klonopin and alcohol can also cause life-threatening respiratory depression which is characterized by slowed or shallow breathing that can lead to eventual loss of consciousness and even death. This occurs because benzodiazepines like clonazepam slow down brain function but at the same time alcohol lowers the rate and depth of breathing. Taking both of these substances together magnifies this effect to the point that it becomes dangerous, especially if you’re not drinking enough fluids to compensate for all the lost liquids caused by vomiting and diarrhea.
While Klonopin is very effective when taken correctly in moderate doses, mixing it with alcohol (even in small amounts) can lead to alcohol poisoning which can be extremely dangerous, especially when you don’t realize it’s happening.
The next time you plan on drinking with Benzos like Klonopin in the mix, take some time to weigh out how much alcohol and clonazepam is safe to drink together. Using a standard 8 ounce glass, fill up the glass with water and then drop a shot glass into that glass. The shot glass is roughly the same size as a standard 1.5-milliliter tablet of Klonopin. When you’re pouring out your drinks to match this ratio, remember that if you drink much more than one or two shots in an hour you’ve probably consumed too much alcohol and should either slow your pace or switch to a non-alcoholic beverage.
Bars and Clubs
This is an obvious no-no but it needs to be mentioned for those who’ve never taken Klonopin before. Even if you don’t drink anything at all, the smoke from cigarettes and cigars can make you feel drowsy and may even trigger a blackout. Mixing this with Klonopin can be incredibly dangerous because you lose coordination, memory, muscle control, etc. Slipping on spilled drinks or tripping over the dancefloor are also common problems when you’re under the influence of alcohol and benzodiazepines together.
At parties, bars, clubs, etc. you can’t always control what people around you are doing and they may be more willing to drink than you think. Drinking while taking Klonopin is never a good idea but mixing it with other substances like alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, crystal meth, etc. can make the side effects of clonazepam much worse such as lowered inhibitions, increased risk of accidents, slurred speech, etc.
If you’re going to be drinking with others who are taking benzodiazepines don’t drink more than your share and definitely not more alcohol than they are so you can pace yourself throughout the night. It’s easy for one person to accidentally drink too much or get behind on their water intake which can have serious consequences.
In the end, it’s worth noting that many people who abuse prescription medications get them from their friends and family members. If you notice a friend or loved one drinking alcohol with benzodiazepines like Klonopin in the mix, take steps to prevent an accident from taking place even if they don’t listen to you at first.
Other Drugs that Interact with Klonopin, Such as Other Benzos or Opiates
Because of its sedative and tranquilizing effects, it is important to know which drugs can interact with Klonopin in order to avoid any negative side effects. Certain medications may increase the risk for a Klonopin overdose or decrease the effectiveness of treatment if they are taken together. It is also important to remember that certain over-the-counter products such as cold medicine, allergy medication, and herbal supplements can have adverse interactions when combined with benzodiazepines like Klonopin.
Conclusion
As you can see, mixing Klonopin and alcohol is never a good idea. It’s important to be mindful of the symptoms of addiction so that if they arise in your own life or someone else’s, it will be easy to help them get professional treatment as soon as possible.
Ref: Harmful interaction of mixing alcohol and klonopin
