Flunitrazepam
Pronunciation:flyoo-neye-TRAYZ-eh-pam
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number:1622-62-4
Formal Names:Rohypnol
Informal Names:Candy, Circles, Darkene, Date Rape Drug, Drop Drug, Dulcitas,
Forget Me Drug, Forget Pills, La Rocha, La Roche, Lunch Money Drug, Mexican
Valium, Mind Erasers, Pappas, Pastas, Peanuts, Pingus, Potatoes, Remember All,
Reynol, Reynolds, Rib, Roaches, Roachies, Roach-2, Roapies, Robinol, Robutal,
Rochas, Rochas Dos, Roche, Roche Dos, Roches, Rochies, Rohibinol, Roofenol,
Roofies, Ropanol, Ropers, Ropes, Rophies, Rophs, Rophy, Ropies, Roples, Ro-
Shay, Row-Shay, R05-4200, R-25, R-2, Rubies, Ruffies, Ruffles, Trip & Fall,
Whiteys, Wolfies
Type:Depressant (benzodiazepine class).Seepage 21
Federal Schedule Listing:Schedule IV (DEA no. 2763), but Schedule I in many
state schedules
USA Availability:Prescription where legal
Uses.This quick-acting and long-lasting drug is widely used around the
world for legitimate medical purposes. Flunitrazepam is prescribed to treat
insomnia and anxiety, to relax muscles, to stop convulsions, and to calm peo-
ple. In the 1990s it was Western Europe’s most commonly prescribed calming
and sleep-inducing medicine. The drug is administered to treatalcoholwith-
drawal syndrome, and experimental use in treating depression has found flu-
nitrazepam promising. Some unauthorized use of the drug is believed to be
for self-medication of depression and low self-esteem. The drug has special-
ized usefulness in surgery as a medication given prior to administration of
anesthesia, and its tendency to reduce pressure inside the eyeball can avert
the rise caused by the anesthetic succinylcholine (important if patients are at
risk for glaucoma). In hospice care where doses can be higher and more fre-
quent than normal, flunitrazepam has reduced nausea and vomiting from can-
cer chemotherapy.
Actions are similar to those ofdiazepam, but flunitrazepam is 7 to 10 times
stronger. Nonetheless, compared to other benzodiazepine class drugs an over-
dose of flunitrazepam does not seem more poisonous, nor does flunitrazepam
appear more prone to cause medical crises.
Drawbacks.The drug may cause euphoria, raise self-esteem, and give a