Clonazepam

A benzodiazepine used to treat various seizures, including myotonic or atonic seizures, photosensitive epilepsy, and absence seizures, although tolerance may develop. The agent has also been indicated for treating panic disorder. The mechanism of action appears to involve the enhancement of gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor responses.

Since being first patented in 1960 and then released for sale from Roche in the US in 1975, clonazepam has experienced a storied history in the treatment of the aforementioned medical conditions. Now available as a generic medication, the agent continues to see exceptionally high use as millions of prescriptions are written for the medication internationally every year. Unfortunately, however, like most benzodiazepines, clonazepam use has also been associated with recreational use and drug abuse.

Clonazepam is indicated as monotherapy or as an adjunct in the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (petit mal variant), akinetic, and myoclonic seizures. Furthermore, clonazepam may also be of some value in patients with absence spells (petit mal) who have failed to respond to succinimides. Additionally, clonazepam is also indicated for the treatment of panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia, as defined in the DSM-V.

Alternatively, some regional prescribing information note that clonazepam is indicated for all clinical forms of epileptic disease and seizures in adults, especially absence seizures (petit mal) including atypical absence; primary or secondarily generalised tonic-clonic (grand mal), tonic or clonic seizures; partial (focal) seizures with elementary or complex symptomatology; various forms of myoclonic seizures, myoclonus and associated abnormal movements. Such regional label data also has clonazepam indicated for most types of epilepsy in infants and children, especially absences (petit mal), myoclonic seizures and tonic-clonic fits, whether due to primary generalized epilepsy or to secondary generalization of partial epilepsy.