Lunesta (Eszopiclone)

Lunesta (Eszopiclone) is a new sleep aid with three special benefits:

It does not lose its effectiveness over time.
It is approved for long-term use.
It helps you sleep with fewer interruptions.

What can Lunesta do for my Sleep Problem?
Sleep problems vary from person to person. Some people can't fall asleep for hours, spending half the night tossing and turning. Others fall asleep right away but then wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep. Whatever your specific sleep problems are, they can affect the quality of your life the next day. If you find you're feeling drowsy, irritable or are even having trouble concentrating while at work or at home, your sleeplessness may be insomnia.

How does it work?
In the simplest terms, insomnia is the result of your brain's "awake chemicals" being more active than its "sleep chemicals." Awake chemicals include adrenaline and noradrenaline - all the things that get you revved up. As for sleep chemicals, the most important is an amino acid called Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA). GABA slows down brain activity so that your mind and body can relax, enabling you to fall asleep and stay asleep. At bedtime, good sleepers are able to naturally lower their levels of "awake chemicals" and raise their levels of GABA, which allows them to sleep without a problem. Unfortunately, if you have insomnia, you aren't able to make this chemical shift as easily. The main issue is that your GABA doesn't work efficiently. So the "awake chemicals" overpower the brain, making it extremely difficult to get quality sleep.
Just one Lunesta tablet nightly helps your body work more like that of a good sleeper. It enhances GABA activity, helping you to fall asleep quickly, stay asleep through the night with fewer interruptions, and wake up feeling refreshed.

What is the correct dose?
The dose should be individualized. The recommended starting dose for most non-elderly adults is 2 mg immediately before bedtime. Dosing can be initiated at or raised to 3 mg if clinically indicated, since 3 mg is more effective for sleep maintenance. The recommended starting dose for elderly patients whose primary complaint is difficulty falling asleep is 1 mg immediately before bedtime. In these patients, the dose may be increased to 2 mg if clinically indicated. For elderly patients whose primary complaint is difficulty staying asleep, the recommended dose is 2 mg immediately before bedtime.

What happens if I miss a dose?
Since Lunesta is usually taken only if you need it to help you sleep, missing a dose will not cause any problems. Take the missed dose only if you can be sure that you will get 8 full hours of sleep after the dose. If you do not sleep 8 full hours, you may experience carryover effects after you wake up.

What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention. Symptoms of a Lunesta/Eszopiclone overdose may include sleepiness, confusion, dizziness, difficult or slow breathing, and unconsciousness.

What should I avoid while taking Lunesta?
Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Lunesta will cause drowsiness and may cause dizziness. If you experience drowsiness or dizziness, avoid these activities. The dose should be taken just before bedtime. You may experience some carryover effects the next day. Do not drink alcohol while taking Lunesta/Eszopiclone. Avoid other sedatives, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers, including over-the-counter preparations. They should not be used while you are taking Lunesta unless your doctor directs otherwise. Taking this sleep aid with or immediately after a heavy, high-fat meal results in slower absorption and reduces the effect on sleep latency.

What about alcohol?
Alcohol will increase drowsiness and may increase dizziness, which could be dangerous.

What are the side effects?
Headache, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, anxiety, confusion, depression, dizziness, hallucinations, decreased libido, nervousness, respiratory infection, rash, unpleasant taste, dysmenorrhea, gynecomastia.

What other precautions should I know about?
A problem that may occur when any sleep medicine is stopped is known as "rebound insomnia." This means that a person may have more trouble sleeping the first few nights after the medicine is stopped than before starting the medicine. If you should experience rebound insomnia, do not get discouraged. This problem usually goes away on its own after 1 or 2 nights. Lunesta/Eszopiclone may be habit forming. Stopping this medication suddenly can cause withdrawal effects if you have taken it continuously for several weeks.