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Showing posts with label Klonopin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Klonopin. Show all posts

Wednesday 2 April 2014

Clonazepam Dosage and Effectiveness in Autism


Much research is based on experiments with mice rather than humans, for obvious reasons.  This was the case with Dr Catterall’s recent successful trials of a long established drug called Clonazepam, in two mouse models of autism.

Well, it turns out that his findings are applicable to humans.

With a dosage of around 1mcg/kg (that is micrograms per kilo) twice a day, the same kind of positive behavioural/cognitive changes Catterall found in mice are indeed evident in some humans.

The question remains as to the long term effect of using this drug; in very much higher doses, there are negative consequences.


Comparison with dosage for other conditions

·        As a treatment for seizures, the maximum dosage in children for 0.2 mg/kg/day

·        As a treatment for panic/anxiety the typical adult dose is 1mg with maximum of 4 mg

·        For bipolar disorder in adults the maximum dose is a hefty 20 mg

Clonazepam use in the above conditions is associated with both tolerance (gradually needing a higher dosage to maintain effectiveness) and being habit forming (addictive).

The autism dose appears to be just one hundredth of the maximum pediatric anti-seizure dose and is perhaps too low to cause problems. 
 
Increase in Serotonin
Not only does Clonazepam affect the neurotransmitter GABA, but it has a known secondary effect on serotonin, the “happy hormone”, which appears to be low in the autistic brain.

In the US the trade name is Klonopin and it appears to be called “K-pin” among those who abuse it, for the happy effect.
In most of the rest of the world it is called Rivotril.

 
Just how dangerous is Danger Mouse?  (in tiny doses)
Nobody knows.