Librium vs. Klonopin

Librium (chlordiazepoxide) and Klonopin (clonazepam) are benzodiazepines used to treat anxiety disorders.

Librium is also used to treat alcohol withdrawal.

Klonopin is also used to treat seizure disorders.

Side effects of Librium and Klonopin that are similar include drowsiness, dizziness, constipation, blurred vision, or headache.

Side effects of Librium that are different from Klonopin include tiredness, nausea, vomiting, swelling, skin rash, or irregular menstrual periods.

Side effects of Klonopin that are different from Librium include weakness, unsteadiness, depression, loss of orientation, sleep disturbances, problems with thinking or memory, slurred speech, dry mouth, sore gums, runny nose, loss of appetite, or diarrhea.

Both Librium and Klonopin may interact with alcohol, barbiturates, narcotics, or antidepressants.

Librium may also interact with blood thinners, MAO inhibitors, or medicines to treat psychiatric disorders.

Klonopin may also interact with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing (sleeping pills, prescription cough medicines, muscle relaxers, or medicines for anxiety or seizures).

Do not stop using Librium or Klonopin suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Common side effects of Librium include:

• drowsiness,
• tiredness,
• dizziness,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• constipation,
• blurred vision,
• swelling,
• skin rash,
• irregular menstrual periods, or
• headache.

Tell your doctor if you have side effects of Librium including:

• confusion,
• depression,
• hyperactivity,
• hallucinations,
• slurred speech,
• trouble walking,
• facial or muscle twitching,
• sleep disturbances,
• trouble urinating,
• changes in sex drive, or
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Side effects of Klonopin include

• drowsiness,
• dizziness,
• weakness,
• unsteadiness,
• depression,
• loss of orientation,
• headache,
• sleep disturbances,
• problems with thinking or memory,
• slurred speech,
• dry mouth,
• sore gums,
• runny nose,
• loss of appetite,
• diarrhea,
• constipation, and
• blurred vision.

Librium (chlordiazepoxide) is a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety disorders or alcohol withdrawal.

Klonopin is a prescription medicine used alone or with other medicines to treat:

• certain types of seizure disorders (epilepsy) in adults and children
• panic disorder with or without fear of open spaces (agoraphobia) in adults

It is not known if Klonopin is safe or effective in treating panic disorder in children younger than 18 years old.

Klonopin is a federal controlled substance (C-IV) because it can be abused or lead to dependence.

Klonopin is a benzodiazepine medicine. Benzodiazepines can cause severe drowsiness, breathing problems (respiratory depression), coma, and death when taken with opioid medicines. Klonopin can make you sleepy or dizzy and can slow your thinking and motor skills. This may get better over time.

Librium may interact with barbiturates, blood thinners, MAO inhibitors, medicine to treat psychiatric disorders, narcotics, or antidepressants. Tell your doctor all medications you use.

Klonopin may interact with cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, medicine for depression or anxiety, antibiotics, antifungal medicines, antidepressants, and barbiturates.

Klonopin may also interact with propantheline, MAO inhibitors, or medicines to treat psychiatric disorders.

Do not stop using Klonopin without first talking to your doctor, even if you feel fine. You may have increased seizures or unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if you stop using Klonopin suddenly.

Librium (chlordiazepoxide) is administered orally. For optimal results, dose, frequency of administration, and duration of therapy should be individualized according to patient response. To facilitate this, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 2 mg tablets are available.

The usual range is 2 to 6 mg/day given in divided doses, the largest dose being taken before bedtime, but the daily dosage may vary from 1 to 10 mg/day.

For anxiety, most patients require an initial dose of 2 to 3 mg/day given two or three times a day.

For insomnia due to anxiety or transient situational stress, a single daily dose of 2 to 4 mg may be given, usually at bedtime.

For elderly or debilitated patients, an initial dosage of 1 to 2 mg/day in divided doses is recommended, to be adjusted as needed and tolerated.

The dosage of Librium (chlordiazepoxide) should be increased gradually when needed to help avoid adverse effects. When higher dosage is indicated, the evening dose should be increased before the daytime doses.

Klonopin topping Klonopin suddenly can cause serious problems. Stopping Klonopin suddenly can cause seizures that will not stop (status epilepticus).

Klonopin can cause abuse and dependence.

Do not stop taking Klonopin all of a sudden. Stopping Klonopin suddenly can cause seizures that do not stop, hearing or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations), shaking, and stomach and muscle cramps.

Talk to your healthcare provider about slowly stopping Klonopin to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Physical dependence is not the same as drug addiction. Your healthcare provider can tell you more about the differences between physical dependence and drug addiction.

Take Klonopin exactly as your healthcare provider tells you. If you take Klonopin for seizures, your healthcare provider may change the dose until you are taking the right amount of medicine to control your symptoms.

Klonopin is available as a tablet.

Do not stop taking Klonopin without first talking to your healthcare provider. Stopping Klonopin suddenly can cause serious problems.

Klonopin tablets should be taken with water and swallowed whole.

If you take too much Klonopin, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center right away.