Elimination of brotizolam in elderly patients after multiple doses

Plasma brotizolam levels were measured in 5 elderly patients given 0.25 mg daily. The half-life of brotizolam elimination was 6.0 h after a single dose and 6.9 h after continuous administration for 3 weeks. The brotizolam concentration in plasma 2 h after the dose was 3.5 and 3.4 ng/ml, respectively, on the first and last days of the study. Brotizolam levels measured several times during the study 10 h after dosing were between 1.2 and 1.8 ng/ml. Thus, administration of brotizolam 0.25 mg/d to elderly patients for 3 weeks led neither to its accumulation nor to faster elimination. The half-life of brotizolam elimination in elderly patients was in the upper range of that found in young volunteers.