Significance

• According to clinical studies published by the Food and Drug Administration on RxList.com, the most common side effects of clonazepam occur in 25 percent to 50 percent of patients using the drug for seizure disorders, compared to between 1 percent and 7 percent of panic disorder patients.
  
  

Common Side Effects

• The most common side effects of clonazepam include drowsiness, depression, dizziness, nervousness, lack of coordination and reduced intellectual abilities.
  
  

Risks

• Some patients develop shortages of certain blood components, including platelets, oxygen-carrying red blood cells and disease-fighting white blood cells while taking clonazepam.
  
  

Warning

• It is possible to experience thoughts of suicide or to exhibit self-harmful behaviors while taking clonazepam. This is most common when use of the drug begins.
  
  

Considerations

• Because clonazepam causes possible birth defects, doctors rarely prescribe the drug for pregnant women. Since it has the potential to cause dizziness and drowsiness, you should not operate a motor vehicle or heavy machinery until you know how clonazepan affects you.