Klonopin (Clonazepam) Overdose

Klonopin (clonazepam) is a medication used to treat insomnia and anxiety. It belongs to the benzodiazepine class of drugs and is very similar to other benzodiazepines such as Valium or Xanax. In addition to treating anxiety and insomnia Klonopin has been found to have anticonvulsant properties making it effective in treating and preventing seizures in epileptic patients. Due to its ability to produce euphoria in some users Klonopin is often abused. Abuse or accidentally taking too much Klonopin will result in an overdose. A Klonopin overdose is extremely dangerous and may result in respiratory depression leading to a coma and in rare cases death.

Klonopin (clonazepam) overdose amount

There is no set amount of Klonopin that will lead to an overdose as it depends on many factors including the weight of the individual taking it, contents of the stomach, and the individuals body chemistry. The best way to avoid an overdose is to understand that under no circumstances should you take more Klonopin then told to by your doctor. This being said some symptoms of an overdose will become apparent in certain individuals at doses as low as 5mg. Doses of 5mg of Klonopin are not high enough for there to be any risk of serious side effects. Most likely if you take 5mg of Klonopin you will have difficulty staying awake. The LD50 for humans of Klonopin is incredibly high. This means it is almost impossible to take enough Klonopin for it to kill you from toxicity. The risk of overdosing on Klonopin is mainly from its effect of inducing respiratory depression. This risk is even more pronounced when Klonopin is mixed with other downer medications.

Klonopin (clonazepam) overdose symptoms

The most common side effect experienced by those who have overdosed on Klonopin is extreme sedation and difficulty staying awake. This can especially be a problem if the overdose takes place in a public place or away from home as the user may pass out in an unfamiliar location or fall down and sustain injuries. Also accompanying the sedation of a Klonopin overdose is mental confusion. The mental confusion induced by a Klonopin overdose can be very frightening to the one experiencing it. Those who overdose on Klonopin often suffer from amnesia not remembering their name or how they got to the location that they are at. This can result in fear and aggression. Overdosing on Klonopin also leads to nausea and vomiting for many users. Loss of motor function is also very commonly experienced during a Klonopin overdose. In rare cases overdosing on Klonopin will lead to a coma and possibly death. The chances of Klonopin resulting in a coma or death are increased if combined with another downer such as alcohol.

Klonopin (clonazepam) overdose treatment

A Klonopin overdose patient is usually monitored very closely to check for respiratory depression. Intravenous fluids are also administered to replenish any amount of fluids lost and to help flush the Klonopin out of the blood stream. Flumazenil is also given to the patient because it competes with Klonopin at the GABA-A receptor site helping to lessen the effects of Klonopin upon the body. The stomach of an overdose victim is also always pumped to remove any Klonopin that has not yet been absorbed by the body.