How to use Clonazepam? (Klonopin, Rivotril) - Doctor Explains

In this video we will cover everything you need to know about Clonazepam, also known as Rivotril. This video is part of a video series on mental health problems. So for more mental health related videos check out this playlist:

Generic name: Clonazepam.
Brand names: Klonopin and Rivotril.
Available as tablet, drops or injection.

How to use it?
Tablet: Swallow the tablets with half a glass of water.
Drops: put the number of drops you need to take on a spoon. Mix them with something to drink and drink it.
Injection: If you want to use it as an injection. Your doctor or nurse will administrate it.

Duration of use?
It is often discouraged to use Clonazepam for more than several weeks straight. As this can increase your risk for becoming dependent on this drug. Which means that you will get withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking it.

When to use it?
Clonazepam is part of a group of drugs called Benzodiazepine. It can be used to decrease symptoms of several medical conditions:
- Epilepsia
- Panic disorder
- social phobia
- And muscle cramps

What is the correct dosage?
The precise dose will depend on your specific indication of use, the side effect you might experience and the severity of your symptoms.Therefore always use the precise amount and frequency your doctor prescribed you.

- When treating epilepsy in Adults the initial oral dose is 1-2 mg/day. This can be slowly increased up to a maintenance dose of 2-4 mg/day. The maximum dose would be 20mg/day.

What are common the side-effects?
- Uncommon (affects 10 to 30 in 100 people): Drowsiness and fatigue.
- Rare (affects 1 to 10 people in 100): Slurred speech, difficulty concentrating, slowed thinking, memory problems, impaired coordination, double vision, muscle weakness, balance problems and dizziness.
- Very rare (affects less than 1 in 100 people): Nausea, diarrhoea, headache, incontinence, difficulty breathing, rash, itching, impotence, seizures and bruising.

Safety:
First of all be careful to combine clonazepam with alcohol. As this might increase it’s side effects.
In addition, it can be dangerous to drive while using this drug. As it can cause you to become drowsy, sleepy and/or dizzy. If you experiencing any of these side effects than please do not drive.
Furthermore, clonazepam can have interactions with other drugs your are taking. always discuss this with your prescribing doctor.

Pregnancy and Lactation:
Research shows that use of clonazepam could be dangerous. However, there are some exceptions. Therefore always discuss this with your personal doctor.

- Disclaimer: this video and the comments are meant purely informational! This is not medical advice! If you are looking for medical advice always contact your own doctor. -

I want to give special thanks to my sponsors on Patreon:
- Sebastian Houwing: Investor

Literature:
1: Farmacotherapeutisch Kompas. (2021). Clonazepam.

Music:
1. Verified Picasso, Fish Room
2. Patrick Patrikos, Good Times
3: Patrick Patrikios, Rockville
4: Patrick Patrikios, Grut

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[Hjgfrfjufdetivjiu]

Love the positive Attitude toward this drug. So many people think it’s a horrible drug but it’s been a life saver for me.

[DennisMartinovich-osev]

Everything everyone else said, saved my life.

[christophergros]

This medicine is a god send for me. I suffer from crippling anxiety and this just helps me calm TF down

[AM_Radio]

I wouldn't be here today without Klonopin. I been taking it daily for 15+- years as prescribed. Never needed an increase and my memory is great.

[brian]

Thank you doctor. This was very informative. I am on 0.5 mg BID. For my panic disorder and it is working great.

[laranitasantana]

2 mg or 4 mg a day is a lot. I've been taking just 0.5 mg at night for the last 4 years. And that helps me sleep very comfortable. Next day I wake up alert and rested

[RichardKoenigsberg]

EXCELLENT DRUG FOR REDUCING ANXIETY. I strongly recommend using it as a SUBSTITUTE FOR SLEEPING PILLS, since anxiety is usually the cause of being unable to sleep.

[Ferrari_Sanchez.]

I suffer from agoraphobia with panic disorder . My body and mind paralyzes as soon as I feel panic confused as well and yeah I have been on Klonopin for a very long time now it works very well

[chubbydinosaur]

Thank you! I'll talk to my doctor again about Rivotril then. He prescribed it to me yesterday because I couldn't relax anymore, as soon as I'd lay down I'd start dancing and twitching like a centipede on a hot stovetop. I was so exhausted and in so much pain. Yesterday morning I took 5 drops just for the sake of taking a nap on the couch, but when my body let loose I actually started crocheting and reading a book because I COULD JUST DO IT! I could just grab those things and do it! I thought I started hating reading when it's actually exhausting to me to hold the book still 😭 last night around 9pm I took the full 10 drops he told me to and it was like black magic! I was laying in bed like a normal person! And I slept almost 12 hours, guess I had some catching up to do lol, but I felt so rested and relaxed this morning. Gosh I didn't know life could be like that! I thought everyone felt that miserable, tense and twitchy and I was just a whiny weeny. Can't wait to do ballet and yoga without coiling up like hot plastic 😂

[deborahhatcher]

That 20mg dose that has to be for people that have epileptic seizures literally ever 30 min, may God bless them people, that's terrible...

[chrism.]

Klonopin has managed my post surgical nerve pain for 19 years even though ones out there say klonopin has no role in treating nerve pain. Now I am being forced to taper the dosage down, and am starting to feel more episodes of the nerve pain.

[MisterDoctorE]

I have taken this for some years now, great drug. All this time I have never gone over 0.5mg, I skip days now and then. I have no side effects at all. I think I would be dead without it.
I know this is the only drug that helps me, so no way I will abuse it and lose it.

[westsidekasper]

It helps my chronic pain tention and the cravings to drink beer I just don’t know the complications of taking it for a long time

[justkeepfishingt]

People should know that when you do not have this medication like in a emergency situation. The side effects are crazy literally thank God my mom left this pill. I know what she went through.

[nikolajroos]

their are no easy way but be active as possible since brain creates new recetors every time you run execise.

[The_Gallowglass]

My doctor told me to take it once per day as needed, for a panic attack. I've had this pill bottle for 2 months and used 10 out of 15. I don't use it every day, normally I just use it at home at night, especially before sleep, but only if I have bad anxiety symptoms.

I hadn't taken it for 3 or 4 days because I had been feeling better in general, but started getting withdrawal symptoms. Severe migraine, headache, nasal congestion and inflammation, unfocused, hard to think straight, body felt completely restless, hot throughout my body, itching, muscle spasms, even worse insomnia than I ever had before, even on a day that I woke up at 9 am and went to bed at midnight, having worked all day long. I was tired but couldn't sleep. I thought it must be the clonazepam, so I took one last night, just to see if it would help me sleep/get rid of the symptoms and it did. Seems, even with such low doses once a day, intermittently, I have become dependent. Going to try and ween off of it, but god damn are the withdrawal symptoms horrible.

[eddiestack]

Question after taking this pill over 37 years my cns and body pressure are all effected now feel this heavy wet softening in soft tissue of my head MRI is normal what could I be feeling getting softened every day?

[stevestarr]

Hello Dr Hermanns and have a question. I take 2mg Clonazepam a day and feeling the need for more. My Dr recently prescribed Trazadonen PRN for sleep and is hoping it helps with anxiety which it slightly does. Should I rely on this combo or up thr Clonazepam 1mg?

[HantHabtii]

It helps me get thru my withdrawals and to sleep at nights.

[aiwwakk]

RIVOTRIL is best. Helps me for sudden anxiety attacks, I take it on an SOS basis.