Memory flunitrazepam

Nevertheless, the GABAergic properties of benzodiazepines remain their most important clinical application. Over the past 30 years, the most widely used benzodiazepine drug has been diazepam (1.6). It is an anxiolytic, sedative, and muscle relaxant the anxious, depressed person becomes more outgoing and relaxed. There have been many diazepam analogs. Oxazepam (4.177) and lorazepam (4.178) have similar effects. Temazepam (4.179), flunitrazepam (4.180), and flurazepam (4.181) are useful sedative-hypnotics. Clonazepam (4.182) is a clinically useful anticonvulsant. Brotizolam (4.183), a novel benzodiazepine analog, seems to be an effective sedative-hypnotic. Midazolam (4.184) is an imidazolo-benzodiazepine that is water soluble and thus easily injectable. It is a hypnotic sedative with marked amnestic (i.e., memory loss) properties and is used in dentistry, endoscopic procedures, and induction to anesthetics in the elderly and in... 

Gentil V, Gorenstein C, Camargo CHP, et al. Effects of flunitrazepam on memory and their reversal by two antagonists. J Clin Psychopharmacol 1989 9 191-197. 

Wickstrom E, Godtiibssen OB. The effects of quazepam, triazolam, flunitrazepam and placebo, alone and in combination with ethanol, on daytime sleep, memory, mood and performance. Hum Psychopharmacol 1988 3 101-110. 

The chemical agents used by those intent on rape are CHB, short for gamma-hydroxybutyric acid,321 which is a powerful muscle relaxant, ketamine,331 which is used as an anaesthetic, and flunitrazepam,341 which is better known by its trade name Rohypnol and is a powerful antidepressant. They have a variety of street names, such as liquid X, liquid E, and cherry meth for CHB, kit-kat and special K for ketamine, while Rohypnol pills are referred to as roofies, roachies, rope, and roche351 as well as more descriptive names such as circles, forget me pills, and lunch money. These three chemicals will cause a person to become dizzy and then completely unconscious, so much so that when they finally come round many hours later they may find it impossible to recall anything that has happened to them. This amnesia seems to be a permanent loss of memory although some of the victims have flashbacks in the days following the rape. 

A 69-year-old man developed acute benzodiazepine withdrawal delirium following a short course of flunitrazepam after an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was not an alcohol-or drug-abuser and he had not previously taken benzodiazepines. Six days after withdrawal of flunitrazepam he became agitated and confused, and had visual hallucinations, disorganized thinking, insomnia, increased psychomotor activity, disorientation in time and place, and memory impairment. Tachycardia and significant anxiety were also noted. He fulfilled the DSM IV criteria for withdrawal syndrome and delirium, and had spontaneous remission of symptoms within 48 hours. 

To avoid problems with memory, only take flunitrazepam If planning to have a full nighf s sleep... 

There was no difference between zolpidem and flunitrazepam for any of the variables the drugs were significantly better than placebo baseline for all the sleep elBcacy variables. The results of this study indicate that zolpidem is as effective as flunitrazepam in inducing and maintaining sleep, but it does not induce a sense of weakness in the morning and does not impair memory (73). 

Flunitrazepam is a potent hypnotic benzodiazepine potentially of use both as a hypnotic and for induction of anaesthesia. The principal side effects reported so far are drowsiness in waking, and dysmnesia affecting short-term memory. It has powerful effects on sleep EEG recordings and the sleep induced, and the authors state that flunitrazepam does not induce physiological sleep (22 ). An effect on memory was regularly noted when flunitrazepam was used for anaesthesia (45 ). The role of this compound has yet to be determined. 

---