Long-term Effects of Clonazepam

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Long-term Effects of Clonazepam

Question:

What are the long-term effects of clonazepam?

Answer:

Clonazepam is one of a group of anti-anxiety medications called benzodiazepines. That class of drugs has been in use for almost 50 years. Clonazepam itself has been on the market since about 1975.

Benzodiazepines are comparatively safe drugs. Some people do take them "long-term" — and they can be quite useful.

For the most part, side effects are mild. At lower doses, the most common problem is drowsiness or fatigue. At higher doses, clonazepam can cause confusion, memory problems or trouble with walking — all of these are a bigger problem for older people. Doses should be adjusted with these effects in mind. Also, do not drive or operate machinery if you feel sedated.

With long-term treatment, a person can develop physical dependency and even withdrawal symptoms after stopping clonazepam suddenly. This is a real risk, but any danger or discomfort can be avoided by maintaining the dosage.

A concern for people taking benzodiazepines is addiction. Addiction, however, is different from physical dependency. Addiction implies a number of additional factors, for example, craving or organizing your life around taking the drug.

Although clonazepam can be the object of an addiction, most people taking benzodiazepines for anxiety do not become addicted. They do rely on the medication, but in the same way that someone with high blood pressure needs to take antihypertensive medication.

Put in other words: Relying on a helpful medication is not addiction.

Let's say you have anxiety and you feel much better taking clonazepam every day. You have virtually no side effects. You do not feel sedated. You sleep comfortably and you are alert during the day. You have occasional mild periods of anxiety, but the symptoms feel manageable, as if your anxiety level came back to a relatively "normal" range.

Many people in this situation can take clonazepam daily for years without difficulty.

Each person's situation is different, so discuss the long-term use of clonazepam with your doctor. But clonazepam can be a reasonable drug to take indefinitely, whether you take it only as you need or as a regular daily dose.

Michael Craig Miller, M.D., is editor-in-chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Miller has an active clinical practice and has been on staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for more than 25 years.

Last updated:	July 20, 2009