Insomnia drug zolpidem is more bad than good, say drug experts

William Atkins
Tuesday, 12 August 2008 02:38

Science - Health

The drug zopiclone is similar to zolpidem and, thus, is also under scrutiny by authorities.

It is sold in Europe and Canada under the trade names of Imovane and Zimovane and in the United States under the trade name Lunesta.

In Canada, the United States, and many European countries, any drug containing zopiclone is considered illegal to possess without a valid prescription.

Also included within the NPS news release was the statement: "There is no convincing evidence that the benefit-harm profile of zolpidem or zopiclone is more favourable than that of short-acting benzodiazepines (such as temazepam). Tolerance, dependence, withdrawal symptoms and morning sedation have also been reported with zolpidem and zopiclone." [The Australian: “Sleeping pill risks found to outweigh benefits”]

The conclusion of The Australian article, possibly, gives one of the real problems with the two drugs.

It states, “Psychologist Sarah Blunden, who runs the sleep clinic at the University of South Australia's Centre for Sleep Research, said studies had shown ‘many times over’ that psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy were ‘more effective long-term than any sleep medication’."

Dr. Blunden, who is associated with the Centre for Applied Behavior Science at the University of South Australia, adds, "The difficulty with any pill, not just Stilnox, is that the risk of dependency is related to the fact that stopping them abruptly can lead to 'rebound sleep problems' -- meaning the sleep can be worse than it was in the first place, because your body has got used to the pill.”

She concludes (and, possibly, where the trouble lies), "The problem is that with our lifestyles, Western society expects a quick fix."

If such drugs containing the ingredient zolpidem or zopiclone are consumed, according to drug experts, the pills “… should ideally not be taken for more than two weeks running.” [The Australian]