Clobazam how does it work

Determine how clobazam affects you before performing potentially hazardous activities requiring mental alertness and physical coordination such as driving or operating dangerous machinery.

Kidney function: Kidney disease or reduced kidney function may cause this medication to build up in the body, causing side effects. If you have reduced kidney function or kidney disease, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed. People with severely reduced kidney function should not use this medication. Liver function: Liver disease or reduced liver function may cause this medication to build up in the body, causing side effects.

If you have liver problems, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

People with severely reduced liver function should not take this medication. Mental and emotional disorders: Medications to treat seizures have been known to contribute to mood swings, symptoms of depression, aggravation of psychosis and other behavioural changes.

If you have depression or a history of depression, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed. If you experience symptoms of depression such as poor concentration, changes in weight, changes in sleep, decreased interest in activities, or notice them in a family member who is taking this medication, contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Myasthenia gravis: Myasthenia gravis is a condition that causes specific muscle weakness. Clobazam can make symptoms of this illness worse. People with myasthenia gravis should discuss with their doctor how this medication may affect their medical condition, how their medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

Suicidal thoughts and behaviour: Some people taking anti-seizure medications may have suicidal thoughts or behaviour. If this happens to you or you notice this in a family member who is taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately. You should be closely monitored by your doctor for emotional and behaviour changes while taking this medication. Tolerance: Clobazam may lead to tolerance when used for a long period of time.

Tolerance means that your body gets used to the medication so that more medication may be needed to produce the same effect. Your doctor will recommend the dose of clobazam that is most appropriate for you. Do not change your dose or the way you are using the medication on your own. If you find that a dose of clobazam is not providing the same amount of seizure control as before, contact your doctor. Withdrawal: Clobazam can become habit-forming.

Withdrawal symptoms similar to those occurring with other medications of this class have been observed when clobazam was stopped suddenly after it was taken regularly over a period of time. Withdrawal symptoms include:. Reducing the dose gradually can help prevent or decrease these withdrawal symptoms. Do not try to stop the medication or reduce the dose on your own — consult your doctor for help. Pregnancy: Clobazam is not recommended during the first 3 months of pregnancy as it may harm the development of the unborn baby.

In later stages of pregnancy, it should not be used unless the benefits outweigh the risks. If you become pregnant while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately. Breast-feeding: This medication passes into breast milk.

If you are a breast-feeding mother and are taking clobazam, it may affect your baby. Talk to your doctor about whether you should continue breast-feeding, however it is generally recommended that women do not breast-feed while they are taking this medication. Seniors: The drowsiness caused by clobazam may affect seniors even more than others. Ask your doctor what you can do to reduce your risk of falls.

To take the liquid, follow these steps: Before the first use, uncap the bottle and firmly insert the adapter into the neck of the bottle until the adapter top is even with the bottle top.

Do not remove the adapter during the period of time you are using this bottle. Shake the liquid well before each use to mix the medication evenly. To measure your dose, push the plunger of the syringe all the way down and insert the syringe into the adapter of the upright bottle. Then turn the bottle upside down and slowly pull the plunger back until the black ring is in line with your prescribed dose. Remove the syringe from the bottle adapter and slowly squirt the liquid from the syringe into the corner of your mouth.

Place the bottle cap over the adapter after each use. Wash the oral syringe after each use. To wash the syringe, remove the plunger completely, wash the barrel and plunger with soap and water, rinse, and allow to dry. Do not place the syringe parts in the dishwasher. To take the film, follow these steps: Open the foil pouch and remove the film. Be sure that your hands are dry and clean. Place the film on the top of your tongue. Close your mouth and swallow your saliva normally. Do not chew, spit, or talk while the film dissolves.

Do not take with liquids. Wash your hands. Other uses for this medicine. What special precautions should I follow? Before taking clobazam, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to clobazam, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in clobazam tablets, suspension, or film. Ask your pharmacist or check the Medication Guide for a list of the ingredients. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.

Many other medications may also interact with clobazam, so be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, even those that do not appear on this list. If you take clobazam regularly during the last few months of your pregnancy, your baby may experience withdrawal symptoms after birth. Tell your baby's doctor right away if your baby experiences any of the following symptoms: irritability, hyperactivity, abnormal sleep, high-pitched cry, uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body, vomiting, or diarrhea.

If you become pregnant while taking clobazam, call your doctor. Hormonal contraceptives should not be used as your only method of birth control while you are taking clobazam and for 28 days after your final dose. Talk to your doctor about nonhormonal birth control methods that will work for you. If you are breastfeeding while taking clobazam, tell your doctor if your baby is not feeding well or is extremely drowsy. Older adults should receive low doses of clobazam because higher doses may not work better and may cause serious side effects.

Do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how this medication affects you. A small number of adults and children 5 years of age and older about 1 in people who took anticonvulsants, such as clobazam, to treat various conditions during clinical studies became suicidal during their treatment.

Some of these people developed suicidal thoughts and behavior as early as one week after they started taking the medication. You and your doctor will decide whether the risks of taking an anticonvulsant medication are greater than the risks of not taking the medication. You, your family, or your caregiver should call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: panic attacks; agitation or restlessness; new or worsening irritability, anxiety, or depression; acting on dangerous impulses; difficulty falling or staying asleep; aggressive, angry, or violent behavior; mania frenzied, abnormally excited mood ; thinking about harming or killing yourself, or planning or trying to do so; or any other unusual changes in behavior or mood.

Be sure that your family or caregiver knows which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor if you are unable to seek treatment on your own. Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

It's thought to affect neurotransmitters or substances in the brain that affect the way brain cells communicate. It seems to involve or increase activity at GABA receptors on certain brain cells.

The amount peaks or reaches its highest level within 30 minutes to 4 hours after a dose is taken. The majority of the medicine is bound to proteins as it circulates through the bloodstream. The parent or main drug clobazam provides most of the activity in the brain to decrease or stop seizures. Yet the main metabolite can also be active in the brain in smaller amounts. The mean half-life or how long it takes for the body to get rid of half of the drug for clobazam ranges 36 to 42 hours.

The metabolite may last longer in the body, up to 82 hours. The package insert summarizes information from the major studies used by the FDA to approve this drug. These studies have shown that clobazam can decrease the frequency of seizures in people with refractory or uncontrolled seizures but does not completely control them.

The dose of clobazam used was important. People who were given the recommended higher dose had greater improvement in seizures than people who were given a lower dose of clobazam.

The side effects of clobazam are generally mild and usually disappear if the dose is reduced. They may also go away over time as a person gets used to the medicine. The side effects most often reported are:.

If these problems do not go away within several days, or are really bothersome, call the doctor or prescribing health care professional. Sometimes the doctor can help with these side effects by changing the way the medicine is taken.

For example, you may be told to:. No one should stop taking clobazam or change the amount they take or when they take it without their doctor's or prescriber's advice. Be sure to read about the serious side effects so you will be aware of symptoms that might indicate the beginning of a serious reaction to clobazam. These serious problems are very rare but everyone who takes this medicine should at least be aware of them.

People who have just started taking clobazam or who have just started taking a larger amount should be careful during activities that might be dangerous, until they know whether they are having any side effects.

Clobazam and other benzodiazepines are the medicines that are most likely to cause psychological dependence. When someone takes a benzodiazepine at a certain dosage for more than 2 to 4 weeks, the body or specifically, the brain's receptors for the neurotransmitter GABA becomes accustomed to it.

Then if a dose is missed or reduced, a withdrawal process starts, with symptoms such as:. Taking another pill relieves all of these symptoms.

A person may then believe that he or she "needs" the medication. Yet, this is a very dangerous cycle, since long-term use can cause long-lasting changes in the brain's GABA receptors that lead to significant problems such as impaired cognition, decreased motivation, and depression. In this setting, lowering a dose quickly can cause severe symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, and illness, as well as seizures.

Many times, a very gradual lowering of the benzodiazepine often over many months or years can lead to a dramatic improvement in attention, concentration, memory, and mood without worsening the seizures, insomnia, or anxiety for which the medication was originally prescribed. Most people who take clobazam have no side effects or mild side effects that go away in a short time with no lasting harm.

Serious reactions, such as a drug-related skin rash, have been extremely rare. Call your doctor right away if you notice a rash soon after you start taking clobazam. Like many other seizure medicines, clobazam makes some people feel sleepy or uncoordinated. If you've just started taking clobazam or have just had your dosage increased, be careful when doing things that could be dangerous until you know how it will affect you.

Be especially cautious if you tend to be sensitive to medications or if you are taking another medicine that could make you sleepy. One of the great dangers in using medications like clobazam is the tendency to increase the dose if tolerance develops. To a certain extent, this is necessary, but side effects may be increased more than seizure control. If the dose is increased gradually over a long period, subtle changes in mood such as irritability, depression, or decreased motivation or problems such as impaired memory may go unnoticed or be considered natural for that person.

High doses sometimes are prescribed for children and adults, especially those with developmental disabilities. Problems with thinking and behavior may be the result. If the dose has been increased gradually over many months or years, it can be hard to separate the effects of the clobazam or other benzodiazepines from the effects of other medications, seizures, and other neurological and psychological disorders.

An important concern when people with epilepsy take clobazam or other benzodiazepines is the risk that seizures will become more frequent or more severe if the medicine is lowered or stopped. Withdrawal syndrome usually begins as soon as the patient stops taking the medicine and lasts for 8 to 10 days.

The longer the person has been taking clobazam and the higher the dose, the greater the tolerance and therefore the higher the risk of worsening seizure control. Even small, gradual dose reductions can temporarily increase seizure activity, but the long-term decrease in effects like drowsiness and depression often makes the change worthwhile.

On July 10, , an advisory panel was convened by the Food and Drug Administration FDA to review data that the FDA had previously collected from drug studies showing an association between many of the antiepileptic drugs AEDs and suicidal ideation and behavior, which together are called suicidality.

We again urge patients and families to contact their doctor before stopping an epilepsy medication because this may possibly lead to seizures and worsening of mood. Women of child-bearing age should talk to their health care providers about the best form of contraception for them.

A barrier form of contraception should be used by women on clobazam who are taking hormonal birth control. The dose of clobazam may need to be adjusted. Young adults and teenagers are usually advised to start by taking 10 milligrams 1 tablet per day, at night.

After about a week, the doctor may prescribe more tablets to get better control of the seizures. Very few people benefit from taking more than 2 or 3 tablets mg per day, however, and side effects usually become more of a problem at higher doses.