What is the most important information I should know about clobazam?
You may have thoughts about suicide while taking this medicine. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits.
Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
What is clobazam?
Clobazam is a benzodiazepine (ben-zoe-dye-AZE-eh-peen). Clobazam affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with anxiety.
Clobazam is used in combination with other medications to treat seizures caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe form of childhood epilepsy that also causes developmental and behavior problems.
Clobazam may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking clobazam?
You should not take clobazam if you are allergic to it.
To make sure clobazam is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
- liver or kidney disease;
- any type of breathing problem or lung disease;
- a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or behavior;
- a history of drug or alcohol addiction; or
- if you use a narcotic (opioid) medication.
Some young people have thoughts about suicide when first taking clobazam. Your doctor will need to check your progress at regular visits while you are using this medicine. Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms.
It is not known whether clobazam will harm an unborn baby. Clobazam may cause breathing problems, feeding problems, and low body temperature in a newborn. Your baby could also become dependent on the drug. This can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the baby after it is born. Babies born dependent on habit-forming medicine may need medical treatment for several weeks. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are taking clobazam.
Clobazam can make birth control pills less effective. Ask your doctor about using a non-hormone method of birth control (such as a condom, diaphragm, spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while taking clobazam.
Clobazam can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.
Clobazam should not be given to a child younger than 2 years old.
The sedative effects of clobazam may last longer in older adults. Accidental falls are common in elderly patients who take benzodiazepines. Use caution to avoid falling or accidental injury while you are taking clobazam.
How should I take clobazam?
Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
Clobazam may be habit forming. Never share clobazam with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it.
You may crush the clobazam tablet and mix the medicine into a spoonful of applesauce to make swallowing easier. Swallow right away without chewing. Do not save the mixture for later use.
Shake the oral suspension (liquid) well just before you measure a dose. Measure the liquid with a special dose-measuring spoon or medicine cup. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.
Do not stop using clobazam suddenly, even if you feel fine. Stopping suddenly may cause increased seizures or unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Follow your doctor's instructions about tapering your dose.
Use clobazam regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely. Contact your doctor if your seizures get worse or you have them more often while taking clobazam.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Keep track of the amount of medicine used from each new bottle. Clobazam is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if anyone is using your medicine improperly or without a prescription.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of clobazam can be fatal.
What should I avoid while taking clobazam?
This medication may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.
Avoid drinking alcohol. Dangerous side effects could occur.
What are the possible side effects of clobazam?
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
In rare cases, clobazam may cause a severe skin reaction, especially during the first 8 weeks of taking this medicine. Call your doctor right away if you have hives, mouth sores, or a skin rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
- confusion, hallucinations;
- fever, chills, cough with yellow or green mucus, feeling short of breath;
- a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
- weak or shallow breathing;
- pain or burning when you urinate;
- urinating less than usual or not at all; or
-
severe skin reaction --fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.
Common side effects may include:
- drowsiness, tired feeling;
- slurred speech, drooling;
- sleep problems (insomnia);
- dry cough; or
- constipation.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What other drugs will affect clobazam?
Taking clobazam with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can cause dangerous side effects or death. Ask your doctor before taking a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, prescription cough medicine, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.
Other drugs may interact with clobazam, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using.
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist can provide more information about clobazam.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2018 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 2.04. Revision date: 9/28/2016.
