Klonopin

What is Klonopin?

Klonopin is a prescription drug under the benzodiazepine class. This is commonly used to prevent and cure seizures and panic attacks. Its calming or depressing effect in the brain and body comes from the stimulation of the GABA neurotransmitter which slows down nerve activities in the central nervous system.

This medication drug is quickly and completely absorbed by the system after oral ingestion. The therapeutic effect of this drug starts 1 to 4 hours after oral intake. Majority of its components are completely metabolized inside the body, with less than 2% flushed out in the urine.

What does Klonopin look like?

This prescription drug is available in the market as scored tablets with a K-shaped puncture containing 0.5mg of clonazepam and unscored tablets with a K-shaped puncture containing 1mg or 2mg of clonazepam. The chemical substance of this drug is a light yellow crystalline powder with a molecular weight of 315.72.

Here is a summary chart for the physical form of the tablet.

What are the other names of Klonopin?

This drug has a brand name “Klonopin” while its generic name is “Clonazepam”.

What are the street names?

The drug is known in the streets by different names, depending on the area or what it is mixed with.

Here are some street names:

• Clons
• Pin
• K-pins
• Super Valium
• Tranks

What is Klonopin used for?

This prescription drug has been used for both medical and recreational applications.

The medical applications of this drug include:

• It is used to treat Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) or childhood epileptic syndrome, akinetic or slowed body movement and myoclonic seizures.
• It is used to prevent and cure panic attacks.

For recreational purposes, this medication is paired with other substances such as alcohol, barbiturates, heroin, cocaine, sedatives, antidepressants, and other CNS depressants to magnify the effect.

How does Klonopin work?

This prescription drug works on the central nervous system, particularly on the GABA receptor site. In this receptor site, it stimulates the production of the GABA neurotransmitter which slows down the nerve activity of the brain. This depressing or calming action helps prevent and cure seizures and panic attacks.

How strong is Klonopin?

Despite the fact that this prescription drug has less addictive potential compared to Schedule III controlled substances, still, it poses serious side-effects. To get the right medicinal effect from this prescription drug, one has to get a customized prescription from a doctor or physician.

The therapeutic effect of this drug works 1 to 4 hours after oral ingestion. Majority of its chemical components are metabolized in the body, with less than 2% flushed out in the urine. Several clinical studies have reported a 30% patient recovery from seizure disorders using this drug for a 3-month medication. Further, its therapeutic strength is able to treat DSM-IV category panic attacks within 6-9 weeks of medication.

Meanwhile, abuse of this medication can lead to several extreme adverse effects such as ataxia or low body coordination, coma, hysteria, heart and lung failure.

How long does Klonopin stay in your system, blood, urine, saliva, hair?

The average half-life of this drug is 30 to 40 hours which means it takes approximately 1-2 days for 50% of it to get flushed out from the body.

• Blood test: 5-6 days
• Urine test: 5-6 days
• Saliva test: 5-6 days
• Hair test: up to 4 months

How does one get addicted to Klonopin?

Addiction to this prescription drug occurs when one intakes more than what is prescribed by the medical personnel in order to get rapid results. The person starts to get dependent on this drug if he takes more than 20mg daily for a longer duration than what is prescribed by the medical personnel. Further, people who have a history of alcoholism and substance abuse have a higher chance of developing addiction with this prescription drug.

How does Klonopin use affect the brain and the body?

The main function of this prescription drug is the relaxation of the brain and body. The drug targets the GABA receptor sites in the brain and stimulates the secretion of the GABA neurotransmitter which slows down the nerve activities inside the brain. A slow down in the brain’s neural activity also induces relaxation on all parts of the body.

What are the short and long-term effects of Klonopin?

Aside from relaxing the brain and body of the patient, there are other short-term and long-term effects associated with the use of this drug.

Short-term effects:

• Drowsiness
• Confusion
• Unsteadiness
• Slight memory loss
• Degraded motor functions
• Allergic reactions

Long-term effects:

• Respiratory complications such as rhinorrhea or nasal congestion, chest congestion, short breathing
• Dermatologic diseases such as alopecia, skin rashes, and facial edema
• Ataxia or low coordination and unsteadiness of the body
• Asthenia or low body strength
• Vertigo
• Dysarthria or difficulty in speaking
• Anemia and leukopenia

Why is Klonopin dangerous?

This prescription drug is dangerous for two reasons: (1) higher detrimental effects along with higher doses and (2) interactions with other substances. This drug is dangerous even on the first intake because of its high addiction potential which leads to tolerance and dependence.

Aside from that, this the brain depressant effects of this drug is magnified when combined with other neural depressants such as alcohol, antipsychotics, barbiturates, sedatives, narcotics, analgesics, antihistamines, anticonvulsants and anesthetics. Moreover, this drug causes fetal damage for pregnant women and is not suitable for nursing mothers. In addition, this drug was the second-most misused benzodiazepine medication last 2011.

What causes Klonopin overdose?

Most cases of this drug overdose happen due to excessive intake together with other substances such as prescription opioids, alcohol, heroin or cocaine. Drug dependents do this for recreational purposes and experience the euphoric effect from these substances.

What are the signs of an overdose?

Here are some of the common signs and symptoms of an overdose.

• Increased aggression
• Slight memory loss
• Confusion
• Uncontrolled body movements
• Inability to speak properly
• Loss of consciousness

How do you treat Klonopin overdose?

The severity of the overdose depends on the patient’s present health condition, the presence of other abused substances, and the duration of overdose. Below are some of the treatments you can apply to alleviate overdose symptoms.

• Periodic monitoring of vital signs
• Administration of IV fluids
• Low blood pressure can be medicated using levarterenol or metaraminol
• Ensure sufficient breathing of the patient
• Washing out of the stomach
• Let the patient ingest activated charcoal to absorb some of the substances inside the body.
• The patient can take flumazenil or romazicon to counteract the effect of the prescription drug.

What are the withdrawal symptoms from Klonopin?

This prescription drug has a long-acting effect and withdrawal symptoms can manifest for around 2 to 7 days after the last dose. A person who overdoses with this medication and suddenly stops may manifest epileptic syndrome. Below are some of the evident withdrawal signs and symptoms:

• Very fast breathing action
• Difficulty in sleeping
• Muscle spasms
• Appetite suppression
• Sudden weight loss
• Uncontrolled sweating
• Irritability
• inability to focus
• frequent headaches

How can you treat Klonopin addiction?

Abuse of this drug is treatable. Treatment must be done step-by-step for complete recovery. You can consider the following steps for your treatment process:

• Consult your medical personnel or clinician for a comprehensive guideline in order to recover from drug dependence.
• Below are some of the drug medications to treat substance addiction:
  o Flumazenil: This counteracts the effects of most benzodiazepine substances.
  o Activated charcoal: It’s used to absorb some of the amounts of the drug inside the body.
  o Phenobarbital: This drug is under the class known as “barbiturates”. It is used to minimize seizures and anxiety.
  o Buspirone (Buspar): It is an anxiolytic drug for it stimulates the production of serotonin in the brain.
  o Tegretol (Carbamazepine): This calms the brain and reduces anxiety.
  o Tofranil (Imipramine): This drug is under the tricyclic antidepressant group. It is used to cure depression and anxiety as a result of the addiction.
• Reward System: A contingency management plan where sets of rewards will be given to the patients who avoid using this substance.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A treatment process seeking to determine the variables causing drug abuse, risk reduction methods, and enhancing coping mechanism.
• Recovery Group: A community-based plan which allows the patient to meet other victims and have a sharing about their experiences and success.