Onfi (clobazam) is a prescription drug used to treat seizures caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. This drug can interact with alcohol, some supplements, and other medications, such as opioids.
Onfi is used to treat seizures caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in people ages 2 years and older. Onfi is typically taken with other medications for seizure treatment.
An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.
Keep reading to learn about Onfi’s possible interactions. And for more information about Onfi, including details about its uses, see this article.
Before starting Onfi, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Onfi interacts with herbs or vitamins and supplements, see the “Are there other interactions with Onfi?” section below.)
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
The table below lists drugs that may interact with Onfi. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Onfi. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.
| Drug type or drug name | Drug examples | What can happen |
| opioids | • hydrocodone • oxycodone • morphine • tramadol • codeine | can increase the risk of side effects of Onfi and opioids |
| other central nervous system depressants | • opioids • muscle relaxers • medications used for certain mood disorders • insomnia medications • diphenhydramine (Benadryl) | can increase the risk of drowsiness |
| hormonal birth control | • Yaz • Loestrin • NuvaRing • Depo-Provera • Mirena | can decrease the effectiveness of hormonal birth control |
| drugs that affect how Onfi breaks down in your body | • fluconazole (Diflucan) • fluvoxamine (Luvox) • omeprazole (Prilosec) | can increase Onfi side effects |
| drugs affected by how Onfi breaks down in your body | • dextromethorphan (Delsym) | can increase the risk of side effects from these other drugs |
You should not consume alcohol while taking Onfi. Drinking alcohol during treatment with Onfi can increase the amount of Onfi in your body. This may make you more likely to experience certain side effects, such as drowsiness and lack of coordination.
If you have questions about consuming alcohol while taking Onfi, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Onfi.
Interaction with other central nervous system (CNS) depressants
Onfi can interact with other CNS depressants, which are used to treat a variety of conditions including pain and mood disorders. (These are not the only conditions these medications can treat.)
Examples of CNS depressants include:
- opioids, such as hydrocodone (see the “Boxed warnings” section above)
- certain mood medications, such as amitriptyline (Elavil)
- muscle relaxers, such as cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) and baclofen (Lioresal)
- insomnia medications, such as zolpidem (Ambien)
What could happen
Taking Onfi with other CNS depressants can raise your risk of excessive drowsiness and sleepiness.
What you can do
If you take Onfi with other CNS depressants, your doctor may prescribe a dosage of Onfi or the other CNS depressant that’s lower than usual. You should not take a higher dose of either medication than your doctor prescribes.
If you take Onfi and other CNS depressants together, tell your doctor right away if you have symptoms of CNS depression. These may include excessive drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, and muscle weakness.
Your doctor may suggest that you keep naloxone (Narcan) nasal spray nearby. Narcan is an emergency treatment for known or suspected opioid overdose. It helps reverse the effects of opioids such as respiratory depression. You can ask your doctor for a Narcan prescription or request the drug at a pharmacy.
To learn more about Narcan, or about taking Onfi with other CNS depressants, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Interaction with hormonal birth control
Onfi can interact with hormonal birth control (birth control that contains hormones), which is used to prevent pregnancy.
Examples of hormonal birth control include:
- ethinyl estradiol/drospirenone (Yasmin, Yaz)
- ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone acetate (Loestrin)
- etonogestrel/ethinyl estradiol (NuvaRing)
- medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera)
- levonorgestrel (Mirena)
What could happen
Taking Onfi with hormonal birth control can decrease the effectiveness of the birth control. This increases your chance of becoming pregnant.
What you can do
If you’re taking Onfi and hormonal birth control, your doctor may recommend you switch to nonhormonal birth control (that doesn’t contain hormones). Examples of nonhormonal birth control include condoms, diaphragms, and spermicides.
If you have questions about taking Onfi with hormonal birth control, talk with your doctor or a pharmacist.
Interaction with drugs that affect how Onfi breaks down in your body
Taking Onfi with certain medications can affect how Onfi is metabolized (broken down) in your body. This can increase the level of Onfi in your system.
Examples of drugs that affect how Onfi breaks down in your body include:
- fluconazole (Diflucan)
- fluvoxamine (Luvox)
- omeprazole (Prilosec)
What could happen
If you take Onfi with drugs that increase Onfi levels in your system, you may experience more Onfi side effects.
What you can do
Talk with your doctor about all prescription and over-the-counter medications you take before starting Onfi. They can check for possible Onfi interactions. You doctor may decrease your Onfi dosage if you need to take it with drugs that can cause interactions.
Interaction with drugs affected by how Onfi breaks down in your body
Certain drugs can be affected by how Onfi metabolizes (breaks down in your body), causing increased levels of these other medications in your system. An example of such a drug is dextromethorphan (Delsym).
What could happen
Increased drug levels caused by Onfi being broken down in your body can increase the risk of the other drug’s side effects.
What you can do
Talk with your doctor about all prescription and over-the-counter medications you take before starting Onfi so they can check for potential interactions. Your doctor may adjust your Onfi dosage if you need to take it with drugs that interact with Onfi.
Onfi may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for details. Note that the information below does not include all other possible interactions with Onfi.
Does Onfi interact with supplements?
Before starting Onfi, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any herbs or vitamins and supplements you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.
If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Onfi interactions and herbs
There are currently no reports of Onfi interacting with herbs. But this doesn’t mean that interactions with herbs won’t be recognized in the future. For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while taking Onfi.
Onfi interactions and vitamins
There are currently no reports of Onfi interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future. For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while taking Onfi.
Does Onfi interact with food?
There are currently no reports of Onfi interacting with food. If you have questions about eating certain foods during Onfi treatment, talk with your doctor.
Does Onfi interact with vaccines?
There are currently no reports of Onfi interacting with vaccines. If you have questions about getting certain vaccines during Onfi treatment, talk with your doctor.
Does Onfi interact with lab tests?
There are currently no reports of Onfi interacting with lab tests. If you have questions about having certain lab tests during your treatment with Onfi, talk with the healthcare professional ordering the test.
Does Onfi interact with cannabis or CBD?Cannabis (commonly called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have been specifically reported to interact with Onfi. Cannabis products can increase your risk of side effects from Onfi.
Before you start treatment with Onfi, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you use cannabis. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions.
Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.
Certain medical conditions or other health factors may increase the risk of interactions with Onfi. Before starting Onfi, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether this drug is right for you.
Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Onfi include:
Mood changes, thoughts of suicide, or suicidal behaviors: Onfi can increase your risk of worsening depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, and unusual changes in mood or behavior. Before taking Onfi, talk with your doctor about your mental health.
Liver problems: Be sure to talk with your doctor about any liver problems you may have before starting Onfi. They may need to adjust your dose of the drug.
Severe kidney problems: Be sure to talk with your doctor about any severe kidney problems you may have before starting Onfi. They may need to adjust your dose or prescribe a different drug for you.
Pregnancy: It may not be safe to take Onfi during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor before taking Onfi.
If you do take Onfi while pregnant, consider enrolling in the drug’s pregnancy registry. This registry collects details about pregnancy issues reported with Onfi. To learn more, call 888-233-2334 or talk with your doctor.
Breastfeeding: It may not be safe to take Onfi while breastfeeding. The drug passes into breast milk and can cause side effects such as drowsiness in a child who’s breastfed. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor about your options.
Allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Onfi or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe it for you. This is because taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. Talk with your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.
Help is out there
If you or someone you know is in crisis and considering suicide or self-harm, please seek support:
- Call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
- Text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
- Not in the United States? Find a helpline in your country with Befrienders Worldwide.
- Call 911 or your local emergency services number if you feel safe to do so.
If you’re calling on behalf of someone else, stay with them until help arrives. You may remove weapons or substances that can cause harm if you can do so safely.
If you are not in the same household, stay on the phone with them until help arrives.
Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Onfi. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:
- whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis
- other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs (they can also help you fill out a
medication list ) - what to do if you start taking a new drug during your Onfi treatment
It’s also important to understand Onfi’s
If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.
Taking Onfi exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.
Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.