Klonopin Wafer

Klonopin Wafer 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

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor about the medicines you take including prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, and nutritional supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take any of the following:

• amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone)
• certain antibiotics such as clarithromycin (Biaxin) and erythromycin (Erythrocin, E-mycin),
• antidepressants
• certain antifungal medications such as itraconazole (Sporanox) and ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• antihistamines
• certain calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac) and verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan)
• cimetidine (Tagamet)
• HIV protease inhibitors including indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), and ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra)
• medications for anxiety, colds or allergies, mental illness, or pain
• other medications for seizures such as carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton), phenytoin (Dilantin), or valproic acid (Depakene, Depakote)
• muscle relaxants
• nefazodone
• rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)
• sedatives
• certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluvoxamine (Luvox)
• other sleeping pills
• tranquilizers

Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.

Tell your doctor what herbal products you are taking, especially St. John's wort.

Klonopin Wafer can cause serious side effects, including:

• Klonopin Wafer can slow your thinking and motor skills
  • Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how Klonopin Wafer affects you.
  • Do not drink alcohol or take other drugs that may make you sleepy or dizzy while taking Klonopin Wafer until you talk to your healthcare provider. When taken with alcohol or drugs that cause sleepiness or dizziness, Klonopin Wafer may make your sleepiness or dizziness worse.
• Like other antiepileptic drugs, Klonopin Wafer may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a very small number of people, about 1 in 500.
  • Call a healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you:
    • thoughts about suicide or dying
    • attempt to commit suicide
    • new or worse depression
    • panic attacks
    • trouble sleeping (insomnia)
    • new or worse irritability
    • acting aggressive, being angry, or violent
    • acting on dangerous impulses
    • an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania)
    • other unusual changes in behavior or mood
  • How can I watch for early symptoms of suicidal thoughts and actions?
    • Pay attention to any changes, especially sudden changes, in mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings.
    • Keep all follow-up visits with your healthcare provider as scheduled.
    • Call your healthcare provider between visits as needed, especially if you are worried about symptoms.
    • Suicidal thoughts or actions can be caused by things other than medicines. If you have suicidal thoughts or actions, your healthcare provider may check for other causes.
    • Do not stop Klonopin Wafer without first talking to a healthcare provider.
    • Stopping Klonopin Wafer suddenly can cause serious problems. Stopping clonazepam suddenly can cause seizures that will not stop (status epilepticus).
• Klonopin Wafer may harm your unborn or developing baby.
  • If you take Klonopin Wafer during pregnancy, your baby is at risk for serious birth defects. These defects can happen as early as in the first month of pregnancy, even before you know you are pregnant. Birth defects may occur even in children born to women who are not taking any medicines and do not have other risk factors.
  • Children born to mothers receiving benzodiazepine medications (including clonazepam) late in pregnancy may be at some risk of experiencing breathing problems, feeding problems, hypothermia, and withdrawal symptoms.
  • Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant while taking Klonopin Wafer. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will take Klonopin Wafer while you are pregnant.
  • If you become pregnant while taking Klonopin Wafer, talk to your healthcare provider about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry. You can register by calling 1-888-233-2334. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy.
  • Klonopin Wafer can pass into breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you take Klonopin Wafer. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will take Klonopin Wafer or breastfeed. You should not do both.
• Klonopin Wafer can cause abuse and dependence.
  • Do not stop taking Klonopin Wafer all of a sudden. Stopping Klonopin Wafer 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 doctor about slowly stopping Klonopin Wafer to avoid getting sick with 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.

Klonopin Wafer is a federally controlled substance (C-IV) because it can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep Klonopin Wafer in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse. Selling or giving away clonazepam may harm others, and is against the law. Tell your doctor if you have ever abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines or street drugs.

Do not take Klonopin Wafer if you:

• are allergic to benzodiazepines
• have significant liver disease
• have an eye disease called acute narrow angle glaucoma

• Take Klonopin Wafer exactly as your doctor tells you. Klonopin Wafer as an orally disintegrating tablet.
• Do not stop taking Klonopin Wafer without first talking to your doctor. Stopping Klonopin Wafer suddenly can cause serious problems.
• Klonopin Wafer can be taken with or without water.
  • Do not open the pouch until you are ready to take Klonopin Wafer.
  • After opening the pouch, peel back the foil on the blister pack.
  • Do not push the wafer through the foil.
  • After opening the blister pack, with dry hands, take the disintegrating tablet and place it in your mouth.
  • The disintegrating tablet will melt quickly. It can be taken with or without water.
• If you take too much Klonopin Wafer, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center right away.

• It is used to treat seizures.
• It is used to treat panic attacks.
• It may be given to you for other reasons. Talk with the doctor.

• If you have an allergy to clonazepam or any other part of this medicine.
• If you are allergic to any drugs like this one, any other drugs, foods, or other substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had, like rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other signs.
• If you have any of these health problems: Glaucoma or liver disease.
• If you are breast-feeding. Do not breast-feed while you take Klonopin Wafer.

This is not a list of all drugs or health problems that interact with this medicine.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take Klonopin Wafer with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

• If your symptoms or health problems do not get better or if they become worse, call your doctor.
• Do not share your drugs with others and do not take anyone else's drugs.
• Keep a list of all your drugs (prescription, natural products, vitamins, OTC) with you. Give this list to your doctor.
• Talk with the doctor before starting any new drug, including prescription or OTC, natural products, or vitamins.
• This medicine comes with an extra patient fact sheet called a Medication Guide. Read it with care. Read it again each time this medicine is refilled. If you have any questions about Klonopin Wafer, please talk with the doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
• If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this medicine or any other medicine. Only the healthcare provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right for a specific patient. This information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about Klonopin Wafer. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to this medicine. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from the healthcare provider. You must talk with the healthcare provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using Klonopin Wafer.

Review Date: October 4, 2017

Applies to clonazepam: oral solution, oral tablet, oral tablet disintegrating

Along with its needed effects, clonazepam (the active ingredient contained in Klonopin Wafer) may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking clonazepam:

• Body aches or pain
• chills
• cough
• difficulty breathing
• discouragement
• dizziness
• ear congestion
• feeling sad or empty
• fever
• headache
• irritability
• lack of appetite
• loss of interest or pleasure
• loss of voice
• nasal congestion
• poor coordination
• runny nose
• shakiness and unsteady walk
• sleepiness or unusual drowsiness
• sneezing
• sore throat
• tiredness
• trouble concentrating
• trouble sleeping
• unsteadiness, trembling, or other problems with muscle control or coordination
• unusual tiredness or weakness

• Being forgetful
• bladder pain
• bloody or cloudy urine
• change in speech
• diarrhea
• difficult, burning, or painful urination
• frequent urge to urinate
• general feeling of discomfort or illness
• joint pain
• loss of appetite
• lower back or side pain
• mood or mental changes
• muscle aches and pains
• nausea
• nervousness
• problems in urination or increase in the amount of urine
• shivering
• slurred speech
• sore throat
• sweating
• trouble speaking
• vomiting

• Burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
• changes in skin color
• chest pain or discomfort
• cold sweats
• colds
• confusion
• cough or hoarseness
• difficulty with sleeping
• dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
• excessive dreaming
• excessive muscle tone
• excitement
• falling
• fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse
• feeling mad
• feeling of unreality
• flu-like symptoms
• headache, severe and throbbing
• lack of feeling or emotion
• lack or loss of self-control
• muscle stiffness
• muscle tension or tightness
• nightmares
• pain, inflammation, or swelling in the calves, shoulders, or hands
• pain or swelling in the arms or legs without any injury
• pain, tenderness, or swelling of the foot or leg
• partial or slight paralysis
• scaling
• sense of detachment from self or body
• shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet
• skin rash
• swelling around the eyes
• swelling of the face, ankle, foot, or knees
• thoughts of killing oneself changes in behavior
• tightness in the chest
• trembling or shaking of the hands or feet
• uncaring
• vision changes

• Abdominal pain or fullness
• anxiety
• black, tarry stools
• bleeding gums
• blood in the urine or stools
• change in consciousness
• chest congestion
• difficulty with coordination
• double vision
• drowsiness
• dry mouth
• feeling that others are watching you or controlling your behavior
• feeling that others can hear your thoughts
• feeling, seeing, or hearing things that are not there
• hyperventilation
• irregular, fast, slow, or shallow breathing
• irregular, twisting uncontrolled movement of the face, hands, arms, or legs
• loss of interest or pleasure
• loss of memory
• loss of strength or energy
• loss of voice
• muscle weakness
• pale or blue lips, fingernails, or skin
• pinpoint red spots on the skin
• problems with memory
• restlessness
• severe mood or mental changes
• sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
• swollen glands
• troubled breathing with exertion
• uncontrolled eye movements
• unusual behavior
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• unusual weakness
• vivid dreams
• weight loss or gain

Some side effects of clonazepam may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

• Decreased interest in sexual intercourse
• difficulty with swallowing
• dryness or soreness of the throat
• heavy bleeding
• hives
• inability to have or keep an erection
• longer than usual time to ejaculation of semen
• loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
• pain or tenderness around the eyes and cheekbones
• puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
• voice changes

• Acid or sour stomach
• ankle, knee, or great toe joint pain
• belching
• bleeding after defecation
• blistering, burning, crusting, dryness, or flaking of the skin
• bloated
• blurred or loss of vision
• change in color perception
• cracks in the skin at the corners of the mouth
• decrease or change in vision
• difficulty moving
• double vision
• dryness of the eyes
• earache
• excess air or gas in stomach or intestines
• feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings
• feeling of warmth
• frequent bowel movements
• full feeling
• hair loss or thinning of the hair
• halos around lights
• heartburn
• increased watering of the mouth
• indigestion
• irregularities in menstruation
• itching in the genital or other skin areas
• itching, scaling, severe redness, soreness, or swelling of the skin
• joint stiffness or swelling
• leg or muscle cramps
• loss of taste
• night blindness
• nosebleeds
• overbright appearance of lights
• pain in the breasts or pelvic area
• pain in the leg, nape, or back
• passing gas
• red, sore eyes
• redness of the face, neck, arms, and occasionally, upper chest
• redness or swelling in the ear
• sensation of spinning
• smaller amount of semen ejaculated than usual
• sore on the edge of the eyelid
• soreness or redness around the fingernails and toenails
• stomach discomfort, upset, or pain
• thickening of the tongue
• thirst
• tooth disorder
• toothache
• tunnel vision
• twitching of the eyes
• uncomfortable swelling around the anus
• worsening of acne

• Burning feeling in the chest or stomach
• difficulty having a bowel movement (stool)
• increased appetite
• increased hair growth, especially on the face
• increased in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
• increased interest in sexual intercourse
• sore gums
• tenderness in the stomach area