Pharmacology of Flunitrazepam

[Memantine]

Can somebody explain the pharmacology of the benzodiazepine Flunitrazepam compared to other benzodiazepines? What subunits of the GABA-A receptor are involved and in what brain areas are they expressed?

I have read that it works primarily as a hypnotic rather than a sedative, anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, or skeletal muscle relaxant.

 

[bingey]

The difference between sedative and hypnotic is just semantics.

anyways I think it hits the a1 and a5 subreceptors specifically but thats just a guess.

 

[serotonin2A]

The difference between sedative and hypnotic is just semantics.

I'm not sure if that is entirely true. Sedatives produce calm and anxiolytic effects, whereas hypnotics induce sleep. There is certainly a good deal of overlap in that many drugs produce both effects. But that isn't always the case. Chloral hydrate induces sleep but I don't recall it being all that relaxing.

Additionally, for drugs that induce both sedation and hypnotic effects, higher doses are usually required to produce hypnotic effects.

 

[Kdem]

https://wiki.tripsit.me/wiki/GABA_Receptors_and_Subunits_Info

It is really not that special. The drug just has a reputation. Chemically, closely related to clonazepam and nitrazepam.
Compared to nitrazepam, the drug has a different distribution which causes much less of a hangover.

Flunitrazepam has all properties associated with benzodiazepines, but the only indication is insomnia. It just wouldn't make sense as a muscle relaxant or anxiolytic.

 

[farmacista]

often the difference between hypnotic and sedative is only the shorter half life (and faster onset) of hypnotics as for barbiturates