Scientific name: Eszopiclone
Brand Name: Lunesta What is Lunesta used for? Lunesta is used for treatment of Insomnia. Lunesta acts as sleep inducer and it causes relaxation. Lunesta is commonly known as sedative or sleep medicine. It works by affecting the chemicals in brain which may affect your sleep. How should I use Lunesta? Use Lunesta as prescribed by your physician. If you have any doubt about its usage, consult your doctor. Use adequate water while taking Lunesta. Intake of Lunesta may make you drowsy- which may lead to you being falling and hurting yourself. Always take Lunesta just before going to bed. It is advisable that you take Lunesta some time after your meals, if you take fatty meals. This will give better results. However, there is no restriction like take after meals or take empty stomach for use of Lunesta. Swallow the whole tablet. Never crush the tablet or chew it. Make sure you have at least 8 hours sleep after you take Lunesta. Never overdose. If you are taking Lunesta for prolonged period, a week, two or more, do not stop it suddenly. Sudden stoppage of Lunesta may develop withdrawal symptoms. Always consult you physician before starting and stopping use of Lunesta. If you are using Lunesta, avoid hazardous activities, driving and operating machinery. There is possibility of you hurting yourself as you get drowsiness after taking Lunesta. Never consume alcohol when you are using Lunesta. Alcohol can enhance drowsiness you get from use of Lunesta. Always consult your doctor before taking Lunesta if you are taking other medicines like tranquilizers, sedatives and sleeping pills. You should consult your physician before starting Lunesta if you have: - Liver disorders - Respiratory diseases, like asthma, emphysema or bronchitis. - Symptoms of depression. If you have one of the above ailments and are undergoing treatment for the same, your doctor may lower your dose of Lunesta. Your physician will closely monitor the effects of Lunesta when taken with other medicines. No proven results are available to confirm whether Lunesta harms the unborn baby or not. It is advisable that you consult your physician before starting Lunesta, if you are pregnant. Researches have proved that Lunesta passes in the breast milk. Avoid taking this medicine if you breast-feed your baby. Consult you physician before starting use of Lunesta if you are nursing baby. Elderly people (above 65 years) have greater chance of experimenting side effects of Lunesta. It is suggested that Lunesta should be used for these people after consulting you doctor. How can I store Lunesta? You can store Lunesta at normal room temperature. However, make sure that storing place is free from moisture and away from direct heat. What happens if I miss a dose? Usually, Lunesta is prescribed to patients having sleep problems. If you miss a dose you will not face any problem except that you may not get sleep. If you miss a dose you can take the missed dose whenever you remember it. However, you should ensure that you get at least 8 hours sleep after taking it. If you dont get sufficient sleep after taking Lunesta, you may feel drowsy when you awake. What if I overdose Lunesta? Always avoid overdose of Lunesta. If you suspect the overdose or experience symptoms of overdose: Consult your physician immediately for clinical management. Dizziness, unconsciousness, sleepiness, breathing problems, confusion, etc are some of the symptoms of Lunesta overdose. What are the possible side effects of Lunesta? You may experience allergic reactions like - Swollen lips, hives, face or tongue - Breathing problems - Choking of throat - Clumsiness, dizziness or drowsiness during day time - Abnormal behavior- such as more aggressiveness - Confused or strange behavior - Loss of memory - Depression Above side effects are serious in nature. If you experience these side effects, stop taking Lunesta and consult your physician. Apart from above side effects, there are some other side effects. These are not serious. However, you must consult your physician if you face these side effects. You may have unpleasant mouth taste Drowsiness Headache Lunesta may appear to be habit forming. As such may experience withdrawal symptoms as a result of sudden stoppage of this medicine. If you experience any other side effect, apart from enlisted above, you should consult you doctor. How Lunesta interact with other medicines? Lunesta is metabolized in the body and hence may affect other drugs. This may result in increase or decrease of medicine level in blood. It is advisable that you consult your doctor before start using Lunesta. If you are taking other medicines such as muscle relaxants, sedatives, antidepressants, antihistamines or consuming alcohol. When you are using Lunesta, this may lead to increase in drowsiness. Some other drugs may also react to the use of Lunesta. Consult your doctor on this aspect and tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicine for treating other ailments. Other important information Lunesta is basically used to treat insomnia. However, it can be used to treat other diseases also. Lunesta may cause amnesia. It could be cause of memory loss. Generally, this symptom is observed during journeys. You will notice this symptom only if you wake up before influence of medicine is gone. You may get sleeping problems for couple of nights after stopping usage of Lunesta. You may face problem of rebound insomnia after stopping usage of Lunesta. This is a temporary phase and you get regular sleep after one or two nights. |
