Does Clonazepam Cause Extreme Heavy Headedness And Dizziness?

Posted on Sun, 11 May 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 11 May 2014 Answered on

Fri, 30 May 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Hello sir .

I have suffered from a panic attack on 23-Mar-2014 , and since then i have been taking clonazepam . Following is the timeline of my experiences with the drug

29-mar - 5 april , 0.25 mg 3 times a day --- Felt huge relief but some drowsiness
6 april - 10 april , 0.25 mg 2 times a day --- felt okay(started tapering)
11 april - 20 april , 0.25 mg in morning + 0.125 mg b4 sleep -- felt okay
21 april - 03 may , 0.125 mg in morning + 0.125 mg b4 sleep -- felt okay
From 04 may till now , 0.125 mg b4 sleep ,
Now for the last 2 days , i am having extreme heavy headedness , and dizziness which goes worse while walking , and it all gets really bad in the evening. I planned on leaving clonazepam (as it has been 7 weeks since i am on it) by next week , but even with this dose (.125 mg) i am experiencing symptoms , which i have never experienced before . I am also taking cbt for anxiety for past 7 weeks ..
Is this a withdrawal symptom of clonazepam or just anxiety coming back? What should i do next ?

Answered by Dr. Dr.Raju.A.T (10 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Not withdrawal

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for your query.

Based on your symptoms and systematic way of dose reduction, I strongly consider your symptoms not be due to withdrawal.

I believe its your underlying condition flaring up.

Do continue the medication, (.125 mg) twice daily back. This will provide you relief. You may have to be put on better anti-anxiety drug like Alprazolam or Zolpidem for maintenance. Only after that you can stop Clonazepam.

Hope, I answered your query.

Regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar