Qlocam contains clobazam, a benzodiazepine used mainly as an add-on treatment for epilepsy, and sometimes for severe anxiety. It comes as 5 mg capsules and 10 mg tablets. It is a Schedule 5 medicine, tolerance and dependence develop with regular use, and it must never be stopped abruptly.

What is Qlocam?

Qlocam is registered in South Africa as Schedule 5 — prescription-only with additional controls:

Product	Contains
Qlocam 5 mg	Clobazam 5 mg capsule
Qlocam 10 mg	Clobazam 10 mg tablet

Clobazam is a benzodiazepine, like diazepam and clonazepam. It enhances the effect of GABA, the brain’s main calming neurotransmitter, making each unit of GABA more effective and so reducing excitability across the nervous system.

Clobazam differs from most benzodiazepines in a way that matters. Most are 1,4-benzodiazepines; clobazam is a 1,5-benzodiazepine, a different arrangement of the molecule. In practice this means it tends to produce less sedation and less impairment of coordination at doses that still control seizures — which is why it is favoured as an add-on in epilepsy, where people need seizure control without being sedated all day.

Less sedating does not mean not sedating, and it does not reduce the dependence potential, which is the same as other benzodiazepines.

Tolerance to the anti-seizure effect is a recognised limitation. In a meaningful proportion of people, clobazam works well initially and then becomes less effective over months. This is expected rather than a failure of the person or the medicine, and it is one reason clobazam is usually an add-on rather than a sole treatment.

What is Qlocam commonly used for?

Epilepsy, as an add-on treatment — its main use, alongside other anti-epileptics for seizures not fully controlled.
Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe childhood epilepsy where clobazam is an established option.
Cluster seizures, or short courses at times of increased seizure risk — such as around menstruation in catamenial epilepsy.
Severe anxiety, short-term, where other treatments are unsuitable.
Anxiety associated with epilepsy, where one medicine can address both.

For epilepsy, treatment is usually long term and consistency matters — missed doses are a common cause of breakthrough seizures.

For anxiety, the intent is short-term. Benzodiazepines work quickly for acute distress, but tolerance to the calming effect develops within weeks and dependence follows regular use. For ongoing anxiety, the treatments that work over the long run are different: antidepressants and psychological therapy. A benzodiazepine is best understood as a bridge, not a destination.

How Qlocam fits into this medicine category

Group	Examples	Typical role
Benzodiazepines	Clobazam (Qlocam), diazepam, clonazepam	Add-on epilepsy, short-term anxiety
Broad-spectrum anti-epileptics	Valproate, lamotrigine, levetiracetam	Most seizure types
Sodium channel blockers	Carbamazepine, phenytoin	Focal and tonic-clonic seizures
Gabapentinoids	Pregabalin	Add-on epilepsy, nerve pain, anxiety
SSRIs	Citalopram, fluoxetine	First-line for ongoing anxiety
Tricyclics	Amitriptyline	Nerve pain, mood, sleep

See the mental health, nerve and neurological medicines hub.

What to check before using Qlocam

Never stop it abruptly. This is the most important instruction. Sudden withdrawal from a benzodiazepine can cause rebound anxiety and insomnia, tremor, sweating, nausea, perceptual disturbance and — critically — seizures, including prolonged seizures that are themselves dangerous. This applies with particular force in epilepsy, where the medicine is controlling seizures in the first place. Stopping is done by tapering slowly under medical guidance, sometimes over months.

Do not combine it with opioids unless a doctor has specifically planned it. Clobazam with codeine, tramadol, morphine or similar substantially raises the risk of severe sedation, suppressed breathing, coma and death.

Do not drink alcohol with it. The same risk applies.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you:

Have breathing problems — sleep apnoea, COPD or severe asthma.
Have liver or kidney disease, which usually means a lower dose.
Are elderly. Older people are markedly more sensitive: confusion, unsteadiness and falls with fractures are real risks.
Have myasthenia gravis.
Have a history of substance or alcohol misuse, or dependence on these medicines.
Have depression, which benzodiazepines can deepen.
Are pregnant, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding. Do not stop on your own — uncontrolled seizures carry their own risks.
Take any other sedating medicine, including sedating antihistamines, sleeping tablets or antipsychotics.
Take other anti-epileptics, particularly stiripentol, valproate, phenytoin or carbamazepine, whose levels can interact.
Take medicines that inhibit liver enzymes, such as some antifungals, HIV medicines or certain antibiotics.
Have poor CYP2C19 metabolism, which raises clobazam levels — relevant if you have had unusual reactions to medicines before.

Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you, and remember effects can persist into the next day.

Possible cautions and when to ask a pharmacist or doctor

Common effects are drowsiness, sedation, unsteadiness, poor coordination, dizziness, dry mouth, constipation, and difficulty concentrating. In children, drooling and behavioural changes are also seen.

Seek medical attention urgently if you notice:

Slow, shallow or difficult breathing, or unusual difficulty rousing someone. Treat this as an emergency, especially where an opioid or alcohol is involved.
Marked confusion or hallucinations, particularly in an older person.
Paradoxical reactions — agitation, restlessness, irritability, aggression or disinhibition instead of calm. This is uncommon but recognised, and more likely in children and older people.
A severe rash, blistering, or sores in the mouth or eyes. Serious skin reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome have been reported with clobazam, mostly in the first eight weeks. Stop and seek immediate medical attention.
New or worsening depression, or thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Anti-epileptics carry a small increased risk.
A fall, or repeated unsteadiness.
Increased seizure frequency, or a change in seizure pattern.
Yellowing of the eyes or skin.

If you find you need it more often, need more for the same effect, or feel unable to manage without it, tell your doctor. Dependence on a prescribed medicine taken as directed is a common and treatable situation — and raising it early makes it considerably easier to resolve than leaving it.

Contact your doctor if seizures are not controlled, if the medicine seems to be working less well than it did, or if side effects are limiting.

Related medicine guides

Frequently asked questions

What is Qlocam 10 mg used for? Mainly as an add-on treatment for epilepsy, alongside other anti-epileptics, and sometimes short-term for severe anxiety. It contains clobazam 10 mg.

What is Qlocam 5 mg used for? The lower strength, often a starting dose or used where a smaller amount is appropriate, such as in older people or children.

Is Qlocam a sleeping tablet? No. It is a benzodiazepine used mainly for epilepsy. It can cause drowsiness but is not intended as a sleeping medicine.

Is it addictive? Physical dependence develops with regular use, as with all benzodiazepines. That is a property of the medicine, not a failing of the person taking it.

Can I stop taking it suddenly? No. Abrupt withdrawal can cause severe symptoms including seizures. Stopping must be tapered under medical guidance.

Why does it seem to work less well than before? Tolerance to the anti-seizure effect develops in some people over months. This is recognised — tell your doctor rather than increasing the dose yourself.

Is it less sedating than other benzodiazepines? It tends to cause less sedation at seizure-controlling doses, which is why it is favoured in epilepsy. It still causes drowsiness and still carries dependence risk.

Can I drink alcohol with it? No. The combination can dangerously suppress breathing.

What Is Qlocam Used For?