How Can You Safely Detox from Clonazepam with Medical Support?

Benzodiazepines can be highly effective at helping people treat things like anxiety, panic disorders, and seizures. Still, they’re all too easily misused and abused, and patients can quickly become addicted to these medications. Some people will find themselves suffering from clonazepam withdrawal symptoms if they quit suddenly or try to reduce their dosage on their own, and the symptoms and overall feelings they experience can quickly drive them back to using the drug again. Los Angeles drug detox programs can help people safely detox from clonazepam and learn to live without this drug again.

Table of Contents

What Is Clonazepam?
What Are the Dangers of Quitting Clonazepam Cold Turkey?
What Does a Medically Supervised Clonazepam Detox Look Like?
What our customers are saying
How Long Does It Take to Detox from Clonazepam?
Key Takeaways on Clonazepam Withdrawal
Resources

What Is Clonazepam?

Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine that is prescribed as a treatment to control certain types of seizures or to relieve panic attacks and manage panic disorders. The drug works by decreasing certain kinds of electrical activity in the brain, calming users, reducing their anxiety, and causing them to feel drowsy.

Sold under the brand name Klonopin, it increases the activity of a brain neurotransmitter, quickly making the user feel calm. However, it’s a powerful medication that has a high potential for abuse and misuse, as well as dependence and even addiction. That’s why it’s a closely monitored substance that is most often only prescribed as a short-term treatment. Most often, it’s not a first-choice medication because of these risks of abuse and addiction.

Clonazepam can cause many side effects, including:

• Drowsiness
• Dizziness, unsteadiness, and coordination problems
• Difficulty concentrating or remembering things
• Muscle/joint pain
• Sex drive changes
• Blurry vision
• Increased saliva in the mouth
• More frequent urination

Serious side effects can also happen, such as rashes or hives, swelling of the mouth or throat, and difficulty breathing.

What Are the Dangers of Quitting Clonazepam Cold Turkey?

Because the medication is considered to be addictive, with a high potential for abuse or misuse, people who use this drug are at a high risk of suffering distressing and uncomfortable clonazepam withdrawal symptoms if they try to quit on their own all at once.

Withdrawal symptoms can include:

• Anxiety or depression
• Feeling irritated
• Mood swings
• Tremors
• Headaches
• Nausea or vomiting
• Rapid heartbeat
• Seizures
• Sweating

In addition, people can feel confused, exhausted, and even start to experience thoughts of suicide. Withdrawal symptoms begin soon after the last dose was taken, and symptoms can peak after a couple of weeks but linger for weeks or months after that without treatment or professional assistance.

Because these withdrawal symptoms can be distressing and the person is at high risk of the return of their anxiety or panic disorder they were trying to treat in the first place without this medication—people must get professional help with detoxing from clonazepam so they can avoid and manage withdrawal symptoms and get back on their feet.

What Does a Medically Supervised Clonazepam Detox Look Like?

Clonazepam withdrawal symptoms can be quite severe for a couple of weeks, and lingering effects can remain for many more weeks or months after that. That’s why a medical drug detox program can be an excellent choice for people to safely and more comfortably get through this process and get used to living without the drug anymore.

Drug detox programs provide several levels of support for people in their early days of recovering from drug abuse or addiction, including:

• Round-the-clock medical monitoring to ensure they’re safe and comfortable.
• Medications to help them relax and feel better, or to help them avoid withdrawal symptoms.
• In some cases, medication is used to replace the drug they’re detoxing from for a temporary period until they stabilize.

In addition to these critical medical interventions, patients in a drug detox program can focus on feeling better and getting physically stable while also having help with coming up with a comprehensive treatment plan to address all aspects of their addiction. After getting through the short drug detox period, they’ll next work on their mental and physical components of drug use and addiction in a drug rehab program. They’ll also gain access to support networks and other addiction treatment specialists who will help them work toward recovery.

What our customers are saying

How Long Does It Take to Detox from Clonazepam?

People who are realizing they need professional help to deal with addiction or drug dependence often want to know what to expect during drug detox treatment, especially how long this crucial process will take. The general timeline for clonazepam withdrawal is considered to happen in three phases, with withdrawal starting just one to three days after the drug was last taken. During this early stage, which only lasts for a few days, patients will likely feel like they’re “rebounding” with the anxiety or panic they were trying to treat with the drug in the first place. They’re also likely to experience insomnia or difficulty sleeping.

The worst of withdrawal symptoms typically peak about two weeks after the last use of the drug, with patients experiencing psychological distress, drug cravings, and physical side effects like fatigue, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and rapid heartbeat. Even after getting through that, people can have lingering withdrawal symptoms for several weeks, months, or even multiple years after they stop using clonazepam.

Instead of quitting cold turkey and trying to just knuckle their way through these distressing weeks or months, it’s advised to get professional help from a drug detox center. During their treatment, they can get medical support, monitoring, and medications that can help them feel better and avoid or minimize withdrawal symptoms. Patients will be much more physically stable and feel better after just a matter of days or a couple of weeks. They’ll be ready to focus on addressing all aspects of their addiction in the months ahead with a comprehensive drug rehab program.

Key Takeaways on Clonazepam Withdrawal

• Clonazepam can be an effective short-term treatment for certain types of seizures and panic disorders.
• However, this benzodiazepine has a high potential for misuse, abuse, dependence, and addiction.
• Quitting this drug suddenly can cause distressing clonazepam withdrawal symptoms that can linger for weeks or months.
• Drug detox programs can help patients get through the early days of no longer using this drug while avoiding the worst of withdrawal symptoms.
• With comprehensive drug addiction treatment, people can successfully quit clonazepam and achieve long-lasting recovery.

Clonazepam is a highly addictive drug, and people can suddenly find themselves mentally and physically dependent on this benzodiazepine. However, drug rehab programs that begin with a drug detox treatment period can help patients get through withdrawal symptoms and learn how to be happier and healthier without this medication. Call the team at Muse Addiction Treatment Center today at 800-426-1818 to learn how we can help.

Resources

• MedlinePlus – Clonazepam
• WebMD – Clonazepam (Klonopin) – Uses, Side Effects, and More
• National Library of Medicine – Clonazepam