It is called Stilnox or Zolpidem: this drug is a hypnotic, that is to say a sleeping pill, used in the treatment of insomnia. It is related to the benzodiazepine family. Zolpidem is only available on prescription, the validity of which is limited to twenty-eight days.
A risk of addiction
In practice, the dosage is one tablet (10 mg) to be swallowed in the evening at bedtime. In people over 65 and people with respiratory or hepatic insufficiency, the dosage is reduced to half a tablet, or 5 mg.
Zolpidem exposes you to a risk of dependence and a withdrawal syndrome. This is why the duration of treatment should be as short as possible. And before stopping treatment, the doses must be gradually reduced and spaced out. This sleeping pill should also not be combined with alcohol or other sedatives such as tranquilizers, certain cough medicines, opioid-based drugs, antidepressants or neuroleptics.
Headaches, weakness, double vision…
This medicine has potential side effects: fatigue, muscle weakness, feeling of drunkenness, headache, drowsiness during the day, movement coordination disorders, nightmares, sleepwalking, rashes, low libido, digestive disorders, double vision … In some people, it is also the cause of anxiety, agitation, confusion, aggressiveness, hallucinations or even anterograde amnesia, i.e. memory loss regarding events occurring during treatment. These latter effects necessitate discontinuation of treatment.
Watch out for falls
As Zolpidem carries a risk of drowsiness and muscle relaxation which can promote falls, it should be used with great caution in seniors.
The danger associated with falls is all the greater in the elderly who need to get up at night. Waking up at night after taking the drug can also lead to memory problems.
On the other hand, due to the risk of drowsiness it entails, Zolpidem may have an influence on the ability to drive vehicles. To reduce the risk, it is advisable to sleep at least eight hours between taking the tablet and driving a car.
Finally, if sleep disorders persist despite treatment, do not increase the dose without advice: talk to your doctor.
Read also :
⋙ 4 precautions to take with Stilnox, this powerful sleeping pill
⋙ 10 solutions to sleep better
⋙ Insomnia: the tip of the weighted blanket to sleep better