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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
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Sleep Disorders |
Uses of ambien01/03/2007 02:28PM |
Is there going to be a generic ambien soon? Is there any long term bad side effects of the anbien. Do the new no narcotic sleep aids work as well as abmien?
Insomnia is a very common in modern society with an estimated 1/3 of Americans suffering from insomnia at any one point in time. Fortunately, the majority of cases are short-term and resolve within weeks, rarely requiring prolonged therapy. However, up to 20 million Americans complain of problems with chronic insomnia that may significantly effect their lives, so you are not alone.
Ambien was the first of a newer generation of sleep aids or sedatives that became available in the last 10-15 years. This new class of sedatives [including zolpidem (ambien), zaleplon (sonata), and eszopiclone (lunesta)] works on specific benzodiazepine receptors in the brain to help promote sleepiness. They are all controlled substances, but do not contain narcotics. Because of their different mechanism of action, they are felt to be safer and have fewer side effects than tradition benzodiazepines (such as valium, ativan, restoril, etc.).
However, all medications carry some side effects and these drugs do as well, though there is significant variability in terms of how each individual tolerates them. While the list of side effects for these medications is too long to describe here (for a complete list, you can check the manufacturers website or the package insert), the more common side effects include:
- sleepiness
- headaches
- dizziness
- confusion
- eating at night (ambien)
- unpleasant test (lunesta)
- amnesia
Whether or not an individual experiences one or any of these side effects will depend on a number of factors, including
- age
- how well medicines are processed
- other medical conditions
- other medicines being taken
- individual susceptibility to side effects
Most of these medications have not been studied long-term (i.e. > 1 year) to determine if there are any long-term consequences to taking them.
Ambien was approved by the FDA in 1992 and just this fall, the manufacturer of ambien received an extension on the patent. This patent extension is due to expire in early 2007. Once patent protection expires on a medication, this usually means that FDA approved generic formulations will be available soon thereafter. However, I have not yet heard if generic forms of ambien will be marketed this year.
There are generic forms of many medications available for order on-line, but the consumer should be cautioned that these are not FDA approved and there is no guarantee about the quality (or even presence) of the medication. As an example, the FDA studied one Canadian on-line source of generic ambien in 2004 and, while finding that ambien was indeed present, the dose was, on average, 140% of the dose stated. In other words, the amount of ambien in each pill varied considerably and was, on average, an excess dose. In this author’s opinion, on-line purchasing of non-FDA approved medications is risky, carries potential health risk to the consumer, and is not advised.
As insomnia is a complex problem with many potential underlying causes. Evaluation by a Sleep Specialist is a good idea. Most cases of chronic insomnia can be managed without the use of sleep-inducing medications. Often times, behavioral therapy can be very effective for patients whose insomnia is the result of a poor sleep environment, poor sleep habits or psychological conditions. Some of the techniques used for behavioral treatment of insomnia include stimulus control therapy and sleep restriction. If interested, you should discuss these techniques with your physician. Improving “Sleep Hygiene” can make a dramatic impact in some cases. For more information see this NetWellness original feature, Rules of Sleep Hygiene.
To learn more about insomnia or other sleep disorders, please visit the American Academy of Sleep Medicine website. In addition to information, the website contains a list of Sleep Centers across the country so that you may locate one near you. The American Insomnia Association website also provides information and links to support groups for those with this condition.
Good luck and here's to good sleep!
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