Clorazepate Dipotassium (Tranxene-SD®)

Intro

Clorazepate is a benzodiazepine (in the same family as valium). It is a sedative that helps the brain not seizure. It is most often used to help cluster seizure patients (more than one seizure in a 24 hour period) have less seizures in a cluster.

Clorazepate is most effective when used solely as an emergency drug. Give the first dose as soon as your pet is awake from the first seizure in a cluster. Then give the medication every 8 hours until your pet has no seizure for 24 hours. When dosed appropriately, this medication will make your pet slightly drunk. If your pet is too drunk (unable to stand or having significant trouble walking), please contact your veterinarian.

When given daily over a long period of time, the body gets used to this medication and it will no longer work. Therefore it is very important to let your veterinarian know if you pet needs this medication for greater than 5 days in a row or more than one treatment course a month. Keep this medication away from pets and small children.

Missed doses and Changing medications

If you miss a dose go ahead and give it as soon as you remember, unless it is close to time for the next dose. If that’s the case, skip the missed dose and resume on schedule at the next dose.

Monitoring and Labwork

A liver panel is recommended in patients before use. No specific long term monitoring for clorazepate is recommended when it is used as a short term therapy.

Side effects

The most common side effect of this medication is sedation. In some patients who are less tolerant or when combined with other medications, this sedation may be excessive. Excessively sedate patients may seem dizzy or have trouble walking. If the sedation is severe, please skip the next dose of the medication and contact your veterinarian to discuss decreasing the dose.

This medication may cause hunger, especially in cats.

Cats in this medication may experience very serious liver problems. While this side effect is not common, it can be fatal. Therefore, this medication should be used with caution in cats.