Legacy Healing Center Blog

Are you or is someone you love suffering from Klonopin addiction? Find out how drug treatment programs can help.  

If you or a loved one is dealing with a klonopin addiction, know you are not alone. Klonopin, sometimes called clonazepam, falls under a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines, which can be highly addictive.

This medication is typically prescribed as an anti-anxiety or anticonvulsant medication. It may surprise you to learn that Klonopin is the third most commonly prescribed benzodiazepine in America, just behind Xanax and Ativan.

In fact, upwards of 27 million prescriptions a year are written, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.  

Some people mistakenly believe Klonopin addiction only happens because someone is taking too much of the drug and not taking it as prescribed, but this is not always the case.

However, someone using the medication as recommended by a doctor for a short period of time can find themselves becoming tolerant to the drug and becoming dependent on it.  

Klonopin Side Effects and How It Works

Most people will feel the effects of Klonopin within 60 minutes of taking the oral form of the medication. Because Klonopin works on the central nervous system, it is common to feel like the body becomes more relaxed and movements or reflexes become slower.

Effects from this medicine can last between 6 and 24 hours and may also include feelings of euphoria, calmness, slowed thoughts, drowsiness, quicker onset of sleep, and longer sleep durations.  

While these are the most common effects of the drugs, it is important to know other Klonopin side effects, which can be negative in some cases. Misusing or abusing Klonopin can have devastating and even harmful effects on an individual.

Some Klonopin side effects to be aware of include: 

• Central nervous system depression 
• Trouble breathing, slow breathing, or respiratory difficulty 
• Seizures 
• Allergic reactions, hives, or rashes 
• Thoughts or suicide or harming yourself 
• Pounding heartbeat or feeling like your chest is fluttering 
• Unusual eye movements 

How Klonopin Addiction Develops

You may be wondering if someone is taking Klonopin the way his or her doctor prescribed, how could a Klonopin addiction occur?

Over time, the user’s body will adjust to GABA (a neurotransmitter in the brain) that Klonopin produces. In order to produce the same calming effects on the body, the user will need to take more of the substance than they did before.

This leads to the body not functioning as well as it should be unless a certain level of the medication is present. And, once dependency on the medication has occurred, an individual can experience Klonopin withdrawal symptoms when drug levels in the body begin to dip.  

Klonopin addiction is typically influenced by several things; you have to consider how long an individual has been using the drug, what dose they are on, and how often they take the medication.

Usually, the higher the dose someone takes and the more often they take it, the more likely they are to develop a dependency issue or addiction.  

To help overcome Klonopin addiction and Klonopin withdrawal symptoms, a drug rehabilitation and detox center should be considered. Detoxing under the care of medical professionals means certain withdrawal symptoms can be decreased through the use of other medications, and someone’s vital signs, safety, and comfort will be continuously watched over.  

If you or someone you love is addicted to benzodiazepines, reach out to an addiction representative at Legacy Healing Center. We offer a variety of drug treatment programs depending on your personal needs.

Getting on the road to recovery is just a phone call away – take that first step today by calling 888-597-3547.