Drug interactions
Clonazepam + Pholcodine
Severity: Moderate
Clonazepam and Pholcodine: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive with sedative properties, and combined with clonazepam it may increase drowsiness and, at higher doses, respiratory depression. The risk is generally lower than with analgesic opioids but is still relevant in vulnerable patients.
What this interaction means in plain words
Clonazepam and Pholcodine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression through GABA-A potentiation and opioid receptor activity.
What to do
Use the lowest effective pholcodine dose for the shortest time and monitor sedation and breathing, particularly in elderly or respiratory-compromised patients.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Clonazepam
- Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates + Clonazepam Contraindicated
- Clonazepam + Sodium oxybate Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Clonazepam Major
- Alprazolam + Clonazepam Major
- Amobarbital + Clonazepam Major
- Belladonna and opium + Clonazepam Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Clonazepam with Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Clonazepam and Pholcodine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive with sedative properties, and combined with clonazepam it may increase drowsiness and, at higher doses, respiratory depression. The risk is generally lower than with analgesic opioids but is still relevant in vulnerable patients.
How serious is the interaction between Clonazepam and Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Use the lowest effective pholcodine dose for the shortest time and monitor sedation and breathing, particularly in elderly or respiratory-compromised patients.
What other medicines interact with Clonazepam?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Clonazepam with, for example, Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates, Sodium oxybate, Alfentanil. The full list is on the Clonazepam page.
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