flunitrazepam flunitrazepam flunitrazepam, also known as rohypnol among other names, is a benzodiazepine used to treat severe insomnia and assist with anesthesia. as with other hypnotics, flunitrazepam has been advised to be prescribed only for short-term use or by those with chronic insomnia on an occasional basis. flunitrazepamclinical datapronunciation/ˌfluːnɪˈtræzɪpæm/ trade namesrohypnolpregnancycategory au: c routes ofadministrationoraldrug classbenzodiazepineatc coden05cd03 (who) legal statuslegal status au: s8 (controlled drug) ca: schedule i de: anlage iii (special prescription form required) uk: class c us: schedule iv (schedule i trafficking penalties, however) un: psychotropic schedule iii pharmacokinetic databioavailability64–77% (by mouth)50% (suppository)metabolismlivermetabolites7-aminoflunitrazepam, desmethylflunitrazepam and 3-hydroxydesmethylflunitrazepamelimination half-life18–26 hoursexcretionkidneyidentifiers iupac name 5-(2-fluorophenyl)-1-methyl-7-nitro-1h-benzodiazepin-2(3h)-one cas number1622-62-4 ypubchem cid3380iuphar/bps4193drugbankdb01544 ychemspider3263 yunii620x0222fqkeggd01230 ychebichebi:31622chemblchembl13280 ycomptox dashboard (epa)dtxsid7023065 echa infocard100.015.089 chemical and physical dataformulac16h12fn3o3molar mass313.288 g·mol−13d model (jsmol)interactive image smiles cn1c(=o)cn=c(c2ccccc2f)c2cc((=o))ccc21 inchi inchi=1s/c16h12fn3o3/c1-19-14-7-6-10(20(22)23)8-12(14)16(18-9-15(19)21)11-4-2-3-5-13(11)17/h2-8h,9h2,1h3 ykey:pptyjkaxvccbdu-uhfffaoysa-n y (verify) it was patented in 1962 and came into medical use in 1974. flunitrazepam, nicknamed "roofies" or "floonies", is widely known for its use as a date rape drug. use rohypnol 1 mg tablets. in countries where this drug is used, it is used for treatment of severe cases of sleeping problems, and in some countries as a preanesthetic agent. these were also the uses for which it was originally studied. it has also been administered as a concurrent dose for patients that are taking ketamine. rohypnol lowers the side effects of the anesthetic (ketamine), resulting in less confusion in awakening states, less negative influence on pulse rate, and fewer fluctuations in blood pressure. adverse effects adverse effects of flunitrazepam include dependency, both physical and psychological; reduced sleep quality resulting in somnolence; and overdose, resulting in excessive sedation, impairment of balance and speech, respiratory depression or coma, and possibly death. because of the latter, flunitrazepam is commonly used in suicide. when used in late pregnancy, it might cause hypotonia of the fetus. dependence flunitrazepam, as with other benzodiazepines, can lead to drug dependence. discontinuation may result in benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome, characterised by seizures, psychosis, insomnia, and anxiety. rebound insomnia, worse than baseline insomnia, typically occurs after discontinuation of flunitrazepam even from short-term single nightly dose therapy. paradoxical effects flunitrazepam may cause a paradoxical reaction in some individuals, including anxiety, aggressiveness, agitation, confusion, disinhibition, loss of impulse control, talkativeness, violent behavior, and even convulsions. paradoxical adverse effects may even lead to criminal behaviour. hypotonia