Difference Between Klonopin and Valium

There are a great number of drugs that would sound alike especially if you  look at their generic names. This is one of the most common cause of errors among nurses and doctors in giving medications to patients. Though at times, drugs that have the same endings might have the same functions, it would be wrong to generalize. For example, Acebutol and Propanolol are both beta blockers since they end with ‘ol’, however Stanolol isn’t, despite having an ‘ol’ ending. Stanolol is in fact an anabolic steroid typically used by athletes and body builders.

With Klonopin and Valium, given their brand names, there should be no danger of confusing them. These are two different drugs with different uses. However, if you were given their generic names, now, that would be when the problems start.

Klonopin is the brand name for clonazepam. Clonazepam or Klonopin can be used in order to prevent seizures from happening. This is also used by psychiatric wards in order to treat anxiety in patients. This is the reason why Klonopin is typically used for patients with panic attacks.

Though Klonopin is very effective in controlling anxieties and controlling seizures, it has its own share of side effects. Klonopin is a highly toxic drug to the liver. This simply means that you can’t take Klonopin with any other drug which is also toxic to the liver. For doctors, they typically run some tests to determine if the liver of the patient is doing well before even giving Klonopin. One of the no-no’s in administration of Klonopin is when you are drinking alcohol. Since alcohol is known to do damage on the liver, it could never be paired up with the toxic effect of Klonopin.

Another side effect of Klonopin is the fact that it could cause gingival hyperplasia or the (permanent) swelling of the gums. Though this is a rare occurrence, there are cases that were filed with such.

Valium is the brand name of diazepam. Diazepam or Valium is used for different occasions. It could be used to induce sleep for those who are suffering from insomnia or it could also be used for minor operations combined with other anesthetic drugs because of its sedative effects. This is also not typically combined with alcohol but not for the reason that it is toxic to the liver. Valium is not combined with alcohol since both substances are downers and it could cause a person to have respiratory arrest during the time the person is sleeping. This is a similar scenario when you are overdosing on sleeping pills.

1. Klonopin and Valium’s generic name are similar sounding making it a cause of medication error in health care facilities.
2. Klonopin is the brand name for clonazepam, a drug used to control seizures during pregnancy and to control anxiety attacks for those with panic disorder.
3. Klonopin is not recommended to be used together with alcohol because of the fact that it is toxic to the liver.
4. Valium is the brand name for Diazepam. This drug is typically used for minor operations and for those who have a hard time to go to sleep.
5. Valium is not used together with alcohol because it could cause respiratory arrest rather than toxicity in the liver.