Flubromazolam overdose: A review of a new designer benzodiazepine and the role of flumazenil

Designer products, a term referring to analogs of known chemical compounds with no established medical use, represent an easily accessible alternative to prescription-only products. During the past decade, designer benzodiazepines have become widely available on the online forums. Although these agents offer individuals an inexpensive and accessible alternative to prescription-only products, they are not without risk. Because of the lack of federally enforced quality standards, these designer products come with an intrinsic risk of unpredictable and potentially toxic adverse effects. This article presents a 36-year-old male with prolonged bradycardia resulting from the use of flubromazolam, a designer benzodiazepine purchased from the Internet. A PubMed search was conducted for flubromazolam, designer benzodiazepine, and flumazenil. This article will summarize the available literature regarding flubromazolam and the role of flumazenil in managing these overdoses.