What is Clonazepam? Anti-anxiety medication Liam Payne had in hotel room before death

The anti-anxiety medication Clonazepam was among the medications found in singer Liam Payne’s hotel room before he died.

The One Direction singer died of multiple traumatic injuries caused by falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, local police said on Thursday.

He was pronounced dead on Wednesday after emergency services responded to a hotel manager’s call about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”.

A preliminary autopsy indicated that Payne had suffered “internal and external” hemorrhages and multiple traumatic injuries, according to the report seen by multiple outlets. Officials said Payne’s plunge from the third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel was what caused his fatal injuries.

A toxicology report is still pending but police found over the counter medication and Clonazepam in his room.

Clonazepam, sold under the brand-name Klonopin, is a benzodiazepine drug prescribed to treat anxiety disorders, and other conditions such as bioplar mania episodes and epileptic seizures.

The medication works by increasing the levels of a calming chemical in the brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), according to the NHS.

Benzodiazepines are a type of sedative medication. This means they slow down the body and brain’s functions. They can be used to help with anxiety and insomnia

More than 1.3 million people were prescribed benzodiazepines including Clonazepam in the UK in 2023.

According to the Office for National Statistics, deaths from benzodiazepine poisoning have more than double in both men and women since 2000.

Common side effects of Clonazepam include lethargy, fatigue, sedation, drowsiness, as well as impaired coordination and balance, and dizziness).

However, in rare cases it can prompt disinhibited behaviour such as excitement, rage, and impulsive behaviour, according to the US National Library of Medicine.