Klonopin is one of the most dangerous and difficult drugs to be addicted to. And doctors are prescribing thousands of pills daily.

What drugs do you think of when you consider the most brutal addictions?

  • Painkillers?
  • Heroin?
  • Meth?
  • Crack?

All of the above are vicious addictions to live with. However, addicts continue to fall victim to a wider variety of pharmaceuticals than before.

When taken in excess, different psychiatric medications produce significant highs in the user. Adderall is a common example of a psychiatric medication used to excess.

However, one medication in particular is tearing through the lives of addicts and their loved ones without a second glance:


They are a wildly popular option for addicts seeking a synthetic high.

Read on to find out more about Klonopin, known as clonazepam in the medical field. In this in-depth blog post, we will address the following questions:

  • What is a Klonopin high like?
  • What is the half-life of Klonopin and how long does the high last for?
  • How do people abuse Klonopin?
  • How do you know when someone is dealing with a Klonopin overdose?
  • What are Klonopin withdrawals like?
  • Are Klonopin side effects severe or tolerable?
  • What is a common psychiatric-prescribed Klonopin dosage?
  • How do I know if my loved one is addicted to Klonopin?
  • How can I find help for someone with a Klonopin addiction?

If you are not familiar with the ins and outs of clonazepam and Klonopin addiction, you will be after reading.

As the recreational use of non prescribed Klonopin continues to soar, learning more about Klonopin has the potential to save a life.

What is Klonopin and What is it Used to Treat?

What is Klonopin and What is it Used to Treat?

Klonopin is the most common brand name of the drug clonazepam, brought to market in 1975. Clonazepam is most often used to treat those who experience severe seizures or panic disorders (such as agoraphobia), as well as a movement disorder called akathisia.

Klonopin is available only through prescription by an approved doctor. Klonopin is a benzodiazepine medication, specifically classified as a tranquilizer.

Medications similar to Klonopin or clonazepam include:

  • Xanax
  • Ativan
  • Topamax
  • Valium
  • Depakene

When taken as prescribed, Klonopin is a beneficial and often life-altering medication. Their calming effects help both those with seizures and anxiety disorders to function as close as possible to normal in their day to day lives.

26.9 million prescriptions for clonazepam were prescribed in 2011, according to a 2013 study conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This statistic shows a significant number of Klonopin and other clonazepam tablets entering the market that year.

Deadly When Misued

As with all psychiatric medications, though, there are downsides. Not everyone uses Klonopin for its life-altering capabilities: they aim only to get high and find some relief from the troubles in their lives.

Doctors are aware of the high potential for Klonopin addiction in those who have already shown signs of substance abuse. Again, clonazepam is similar to drugs like Xanax, Ativan, Valium, and Restoril, incredibly powerful, prescription sedative drugs.

What exactly happens in situations where Klonopin is taken without a prescription or in greater amounts than prescribed?

What are the Potential Downsides of Such a Helpful Medication like Clonazepam

What are the Potential Downsides of Such a Helpful Medication like Clonazepam?

Benzodiazepines in general are a common way for thousands of addicts across the United States to get high every year. Street names for benzodiazepine medications include:

  • Benzos
  • Downers
  • Nerve Pills
  • Tranks

As with any non prescribed medication, complications are always possible. Addicts who abuse benzodiazepines like Klonopin usually take much higher doses than the one recommended by a doctor in a medical setting.

20.4 million Americans ages 12 and older have misused benzodiazepines at some point in their life, according to the National Survey for Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) conducted in 2011.

127 million legal prescriptions of benzodiazepines were prescribed in 2011, including alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), and temazepam (Restoril).

Tranquilizing benzodiazepines are the 6th most misused drug in America, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The only drugs misused more than tranquilizers are:

  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco
  • Marijuana
  • Pain Relievers
  • Cocaine

Additionally, there were 345,691 emergency room visits due in part or entirely to benzodiazepine use in 2010. Of those visits, almost 20 percent of them (or 62,811 total visits) involved some type of clonazepam medication.

With nearly 1 in 5 benzodiazepine hospital visits caused by Klonopin or some other clonazepam medication, clearly there are detrimental effects at play. Klonopin isn’t the entirely safe medication it’s proclaimed to be.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s narcotic classification scale, clonazepam is a Schedule IV drug. Other Schedule IV drugs are:

  • Xanax
  • Librium
  • Valium
  • Ativan
  • Tramadol
  • Soma
  • Restoril
  • Ambien

So why do addicts use Klonopin to get high? What is a Klonopin high like? Surely there must be some sort of benefit to risk all the negatives that come with clonazepam use.

A Klonopin High: Why People Use Clonazepam to Get High

Benzodiazepine medications are second only to painkillers when looking at misused prescription medications. Other types of abused prescription medications include stimulants and sedatives.

Clearly these tranquilizing medications produce some type of effect to keep addicts coming back day after day, month after month, year after year.

But what is it?

What exactly does the Klonopin high do that keeps people so hooked?

Again, Klonopin is a medication used to relieve seizures (particularly in those with epilepsy) and as an anti-anxiety medication for individuals with panic disorders.

Therefore, the name tranquilizer is rather appropriate.

A Klonopin high slows the functioning in the addict’s brain, relieving anxiety, agitation, frustration, and irritation. Oftentimes people high on Klonopin are sleepy and in a supor.

Klonopin highs remove all the user’s cares, providing only the calmest, most carefree state possible.

Little wonder why people escape from the world by using Klonopin to get high, right?

How Do People Who Aren’t Addicts Get Addicted to Klonopin?

But why do seemingly clean-nosed individuals who would never be seen as a drug addict find themselves hooked?

Recall the amount of prescriptions prescribed in 2011: 127 million benzodiazepine prescriptions in general, 26.9 million clonazepam prescriptions alone.

When people use medications like benzodiazepines for extended periods of time, they begin to develop a tolerance to the drugs. As their tolerance grows, oftentimes they must take more of the drugs to receive the same effect.

Some who receive a prescription for clonazepam may realize they like the Klonopin high and begin to take more than they were initially prescribed. These individuals often find themselves hooked to clonazepam before they even see what is happening.

Side Effects of Clonazepam

Side Effects of Clonazepam and Its Impact on Your Body

No drug comes without its side effects. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Advil or Klonopin side effects; all medications run the risk of producing side effects in your body.

Like other side effects, there is no guarantee that every single Klonopin side effect will show will show. However, having an idea of the things that could come along with the high are good to know.

Common Klonopin side effects include:

  • Feeling worn out, sleepy, or tired
  • Decrease in libido
  • Difficulties swallowing
  • Puffiness or swelling of or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
  • Feeling down or depressed
  • Drowsiness and dizziness
  • Minor memory problems
  • Difficulties with balance and coordination

These are all regular side effects that come with Klonopin use. However, if you experience any of the following side effects from Klonopin, call your doctor immediately:

  • New or worse seizures
  • Severe drowsiness or dizziness
  • Shallow, weak, or labored breathing
  • Body aches and pain
  • Abnormal mood swings or sudden changes in behavior
  • Confusion or hallucinations
  • Shakiness or difficulties walking
  • Anger or aggression
  • Thoughts of self harm or suicide
  • Abnormal heartbeat
  • Involuntary eye movements that are out of the ordinary

The packaging that the medication comes in will consist of a full list of side effects. As with all medication, it is best to keep an eye on your body and pay attention to what it’s telling you.

Remaining proactive, especially when starting a new medication, makes a massive difference in your health. Staying on top of your side effects allows you to know when something is out of the ordinary and you can respond immediately.

Common Klonopin Dosages Prescribed by Doctors

Common Klonopin Dosages Prescribed by Doctors

As with most medications, deciding on a Klonopin dose depends heavily on a multitude of factors. Just a few factors doctors take into consideration are:

  • Age
  • Weight
  • Health
  • Diagnosis

For an average adult seeking seizure treatment, a common dose of Klonopin is around 1.5 milligrams per day, divided into three 0.5 doses taken throughout the day.

The maximum Klonopin dosage for seizure patients is around 20 milligrams orally taken throughout the day.

Adults struggling with anxiety or panic disorders usually start at a dose of 0.25 milligrams twice per day and move up to a maintenance dose of 1 milligram per day.

Those with panic disorders should cap at a Klonopin dosage of 4 milligrams per day.

However, outlining Klonopin doses online is difficult as everyone’s body is different. The best way to find out the proper dose for you.

Klonopin Half-Life and How Long it Stays in Your System

Klonopin is a popular option for benzodiazepine users because of its long-lasting effects. The effects of most tranquilizers like Xanax or Valium start after about an hour last around 3 to 4 hours.

On the other hand, effects of Klonopin start after an hour and last anywhere from 6 to 12 hours. The significantly longer high makes for a more popular drug in Klonopin.

What about the Klonopin half-life, though? How long does it take for Klonopin to leave your system?

In order to understand the Klonopin half-life, you must know what the half-life of a medication is. Half-life refers to the amount of time it takes for half of the initial dosage of Klonopin to leave the bloodstream.

For example, if you took 2 milligrams of a medication, the amount of time it takes for 1 milligrams to be left over in your bloodstream refers to the drug’s half-life.

Klonopin half-life, or the half-life of any other drug for that matter, repeatedly breaks down until there is no more medication left in your system.

Klonopin’s half-life is quite long, taking about 30 to 40 hours for the first half of the medication to leave your system. Depending on your Klonopin dose, this means it takes at least a week or two for your system to be cleared entirely of clonazepam.

These lengths of time carry over into the amount of time it will take to pass a drug test. You should expect it to take around 2 weeks for the Klonopin half-life process to finish and clear your body entirely of the clonazepam.

What a Klonopin Overdose Looks Like and What You Can Do

Knowing what to look for in a Klonopin overdose has the potential to save someone’s life.

When someone has a Klonopin overdose, the signs to look for are:

  • Confusion or disorientation
  • Extreme drowsiness
  • Weakness or soreness of muscles
  • Difficulties with coordination or movement
  • Extremely slowed reflexes
  • Brief losses of consciousness or fainting (“nodding out”)
  • Coma

If you are worried someone is overdosing on Klonopin, the best course of action is to immediately call emergency services and get the individual to the emergency room.

It is better to make a mistaken assumption that they are overdosing than to assume it’s just a bad high and realize later it was a Klonopin overdose.

What is it Like to Withdraw from Klonopin?

What is it Like to Withdraw from Klonopin?

When someone takes a medication for a long period of time, they generally experience withdrawal symptoms when they separate from it. Withdrawing from Klonopin is no different.

Since the medication acts as an anti-anxiety medication, the Klonopin addict’s body and brain must learn to handle stress on their own again. Anxiety, nervousness, and agitation are a large part of the Klonopin withdrawal process.

Other side effects of Klonopin withdrawal include:

  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Stomach pain
  • Body tremors
  • Sweating
  • Hallucinations
  • Dizziness
  • Exhaustion
  • Confusion
  • Anxiety
  • Frustration or agitation
  • Depression
  • Seizure
  • Thoughts of self harm
  • Suicidal thoughts

The Klonopin withdrawal process can be difficult, especially when managed alone. If the addict’s addiction is severe enough, seeking help through addiction treatment may prove beneficial.

Detox and inpatient rehab can help manage the symptoms of withdrawing from Klonopin, making the process easier to manage. Treatment provides a safe and secure environment in which to separate entirely from drugs.

After detox and inpatient rehab, attending an intensive outpatient program can help transition you back into your regular life. You can work or go to school during the day and attend treatment at night.

There is no requirement to attend treatment, though; you can get sober without it. However, the assisted support of a sober, addiction recovery-minded environment may provide you the best opportunity.

Regardless, seeking help for your loved one’s Klonopin addiction may be the best thing you ever do for them. While you can’t get them sober, you can point them in the direction where they can get help.