Five patients meeting the DSM-III-R criteria for social phobia, without any other psychiatric diagnosis, were treated with clonazepam, a high potency benzodiazepine. All patients improved markedly within four weeks. By the end of the eighth week of treatment, a marked improvement of their symptoms was reported. The adverse effects were minimal at an average dose of 3 mg per day. The authors suggest that clonazepam is a safe and effective medication in the treatment of social phobia. Moreover, clonazepam is easier to use as compared to other drugs which are used (atenolol, phenelzine, alprazolam).
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