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Clonazepam
Diagnosis & Treatment > Seizure Medications > Clonazepam > Common side effects of clonazepam
 

Common side effects of clonazepam

The most common side effects of clonazepam are neurotoxic and dose-related. They include:

  • tiredness
  • dizziness
  • unsteadiness
  • impaired attention and memory
  • irritability
  • hyperactivity (in children)
  • drooling (in children)
  • depression (usually in adults)
  • nausea
  • loss of appetite

Up to half of patients treated for seizures with clonazepam experience drowsiness and about 30% have problems with coordination. In some cases, these problems diminish with time. About 25% have behavior problems such as hyperactivity in children.

Side effects may be lessened by:

  • reducing the total daily dosage
  • splitting the total daily dosage into more frequent doses
  • shifting more of the total daily dosage to bedtime, especially for patients with nocturnal or early-morning seizures

Patients who have just started taking clonazepam (or who have just started taking a larger amount) should be cautioned about possible sedation and to avoid activities that require full vigilance until the effects of the drug are fully apparent.

No one should stop taking clonazepam or change the amount they take or when they take it without their doctor's guidance.

Reviewed by Steven C. Schachter M.D., April 2005