Valium vs. Klonopin

• Are Valium and Klonopin the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Valium?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Klonopin?
• What Is Valium?
• What Is Klonopin?
• What Drugs Interact with Valium?
• What Drugs Interact with Klonopin?
• How Should Valium Be Taken?
• How Should Klonopin Be Taken?

Valium (diazepam) and Klonopin (clonazepam) are benzodiazepines prescribed for the treatment of anxiety and seizure disorders.

Valium is also used to treat muscle spasms and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

Side effects of Valium and Klonopin that are similar include drowsiness, dizziness, constipation, loss of balance unsteadiness, problems with thinking or memory, muscle weakness, dry mouth, slurred speech, and blurred or double vision.

Side effects of Valium that are different from Klonopin include tired feeling, spinning sensation, fatigue, restlessness, irritability, nausea, drooling, skin rash, itching, or loss of interest in sex.

Side effects of Klonopin that are different from Valium include depression, loss of orientation, headache, sleep disturbances, sore gums, runny nose, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.

Both Valium and Klonopin may interact with alcohol and other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing (such as sleeping pills, narcotic pain medicines, prescription cough medicines, muscle relaxers, barbiturates, or medicines for anxiety, depression, or seizures).

Valium may also interact with grapefruit and grapefruit juice, cimetidine, ketoconazole, and omeprazole.

Do not stop using Valium or Klonopin suddenly, or you could have increased seizures or unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Common side effects of Valium include:

• drowsiness,
• tired feeling,
• dizziness,
• spinning sensation,
• fatigue,
• constipation,
• ataxia (loss of balance),
• memory problems,
• restlessness,
• irritability,
• muscle weakness,
• nausea,
• drooling,
• dry mouth,
• slurred speech,
• blurred or double vision,
• skin rash,
• itching, or
• loss of interest in sex.

Common 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.

Valium is indicated for the management of anxiety disorders or for the short-term relief of the symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety or tension associated with the stress of everyday life usually does not require treatment with an anxiolytic.

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.

Centrally Acting Agents

If Valium is to be combined with other centrally acting agents, careful consideration should be given to the pharmacology of the agents employed particularly with compounds that may potentiate or be potentiated by the action of Valium, such as phenothiazines, antipsychotics, anxiolytics/sedatives, hypnotics, anticonvulsants, narcotic analgesics, anesthetics, sedative antihistamines, narcotics, barbiturates, MAO inhibitors and other antidepressants.

Alcohol

Concomitant use with alcohol is not recommended due to enhancement of the sedative effect.

Antacids

Diazepam peak concentrations are 30% lower when antacids are administered concurrently. However, there is no effect on the extent of absorption. The lower peak concentrations appear due to a slower rate of absorption, with the time required to achieve peak concentrations on average 20 - 25 minutes greater in the presence of antacids. However, this difference was not statistically significant.

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.

Take Valium exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. Your healthcare provider will tell you how much Valium to take and when to take it.

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

If you take too much Valium, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.

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.