Insomnia: New Drug

Recently the FDA approved a new drug called zolpidem tartrate sublingual. These tablets are to be used as needed to treat insomnia. Not just your typical "can't sleep" insomnia, but insomnia that is characterized by waking in the middle of the night, which is then followed by some trouble going back to sleep. Now, why does this matter? After all, it's just another pill, right? Wrong. This is the first time that the FDA has approved a drug for this kind of insomnia! That's right, there has never been another drug that has been approved for it until now.

Intermezzo (the nickname for the drug) should not be used lightly. Standard warning says it should only be used when the person has at least 4 hours of bedtime left... if you only have two hours left, do not take it. This is a potent drug and you will not wake up in time unless you give it enough time to wear off. As with the vast majority of prescriptions and over the counter drugs, it shouldn't be taken with alcohol and currently not after you have consumed alcohol... we would like you to actually wake up without having major damage to your nervous system done. You shouldn't take it with any other sleep aid, otherwise you run the risk of brain damage or even death. It's better to just let it take it's course... and you should also speak with your doctor before even taking sleeping pills you find at any store. Your doctor should be updated on these things because you never know what could happen to your body if you do not speak with the professionals about it.

A little more about Insomnia...

Insomnia is actually a fairly common, if not impractical, condition that causes a person to have trouble falling asleep, or remaining asleep during the night. Of course, like anything, insomnia can range from mild to severe symptoms, but that depends on how often it affects the patient and for how long it has been happening for. For example; One night of not being able to sleep properly could very easily be indigestion, too much noise, restlessness from a busy day, or your body is not prepared for the REM cycle... it does not mean you have a severe case. Though, should it occur more then three times a week, you may want to discuss it with your doctor. The earlier you catch it, the easier you can rest at night and not worry about the effects it has on your body. This unpleasant condition can, and almost always, cause excessive daytime sleepiness and lack of energy. It can also make you feel anxious, depressed, "zoned out"or even irritable. Individuals with sleeping problems may have trouble on things like; focusing on tasks (typing that important report for work), paying attention (basic instructions on how to do your job well), learning, and remembering (Was that speed limit 35 or 55?).

Some basic information about this drug-

Intermezzo was studied in two clinical trials. These trials involved more than three-hundred and seventy patients. According to the studies, subjects taking the drug ended up having a shorter time falling back to sleep after they awoke when compared to people who were taking the placebo. No drug is perfect and none are truly symptom free, though some people may never experience side effects from most drugs, with this one the most commonly reported side effects in the two clinical trials were headache, nausea, and fatigue. Though many would agree they would rather have a slight headache than be exhausted at work. Unfortunately those are not the only warnings you should know. Like any other sleep medicine, Intermezzo can cause some serious side effects, including, but not limited to; people getting out of their beds while not fully awake and doing something that you do not know you are doing and/or do not remember having done such an activity. Some of the reported activities (while under the influence of sleep medicines) can be just about anything from driving a car, preparing food, eating food, having sexual intercourse, talking on the phone/computer, and even sleep walking. All of which is without knowing at the time or even remembering later. It would be a lot like waking up after a drunken night and finding a cake on the table that you had baked in the middle of the night. Though the odds of the activity increase if the one who is on the drug has consumed alcohol or taken other medicines that can cause sleepiness...

Intermezzo is, and probably alway will be, a federally controlled substance, simply because it can be abused or lead to dependence to it if not used properly. Talk to your doctor to get more information.

Thanks for reading!