Overview

Zolpidem is utilized in treating insomnia (trouble sleeping). It’s part of the category of central nervous system (CNS) depressants that reduce the nerve system. Zolpidem can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep all night long. Most of the time, sleeping pills should be only used for brief periods like 1 or 2 days and not for more than one or two weeks.

This medication is only available on prescription from your physician.

Proper Use

This medicine should be taken only as prescribed by your physician. Do not take more than it, don’t take it for longer periods of time, and do not use it for more periods of time than the prescription your doctor gave you. If you take too much, the drug may turn into a habit (causing physical or mental dependence).

A Medication Guide should accompany this medication. Take the time to read and follow the instructions attentively.Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

Take Zolpidem before going to sleep, when you’re in a state of relaxation or if you’re struggling to fall asleep. This medication works quickly to make you sleepy.

Suck your extended-release tablet entire. Do not break or crush it.

Don’t take this medication if your schedule isn’t allowing you to enjoy a whole night’s rest (7 or 8 hours). If you get up earlier than this day, you might feel sleepy and have memory issues, as these effects from the medication aren’t yet able to fully wear off.

Use this medicine with a full stomach.

Don’t take this medicine after you’ve consumed in the same night or prior to bedtime.

Dosing

The dosage of this medication can differ to different people. Follow the doctor’s instructions or the instructions in the prescription. This information is only the most common doses of this medication. If your dose differs, you should not alter it until your doctor advises you to change it.

Your strength medication determines the quantity of medicine you are taking. In addition, the number of doses you will take every day, the interval between doses, and the duration of time that you are taking medicine will depend on the medical condition you’re treating with the medication.

• To treat insomnia :
• For oral dosage forms (extended-release tablets):
  • • Adults–6.25 milligrams (mg) (for women) or 6.25 or 12.5 mg (for males) every day, before bedtime. Your physician can alter your dose as necessary. Be sure not to exceed 12.5 mg daily. You should take only one dose every night, as required.
    • Older adults–6.25 mg daily at night.
  • Children are not advised to use the product.
• For oral dosage form (tablets):
  • • Adults – 5 milligrams (mg) for women, and 5 or 10 mg for men , once every day before bedtime. Your doctor can alter your dosage as necessary. But, you should not exceed 10 mg daily. Only take 1 dose per evening as you need.
    • Adults over 55 mg once per time at night.
  • Children should not use this product.

Missed Dose

If you cannot take the dose of this medication, do not take the missed dose and return to the regular schedule of dosing. Don’t duplicate doses.

Take this medication only if you’re unable to sleep. There is no need to maintain a routine for taking the medication.

Use & Storage

Place the medicine in a tightly sealed container that is kept at room temperature and away from moisture, heat, and bright light. Be sure to keep the medicine from getting frozen.

Keep your items out of reach of children.

Avoid keeping outdated medicines or medications that are no longer needed.

Consult your physician to tell you how to dispose of any medication you don’t make use of.

Before Using

When deciding whether to take any medicine, the dangers of using the medication must be evaluated against the benefits it will bring. It is a choice you and your physician will take. In this case, it is essential to take the following into taken into consideration:

Allergies

Inform your doctor if you have ever experienced a peculiar or allergic reaction to this medication or any other medication. Be sure to inform your doctor about any different kinds of allergies like dyes, foods, preservatives, or animals. For products that are not prescription-only, you must review the label or package ingredients with care.

Pediatric

The use of Zolpidem is not recommended for children. Safety and effectiveness have not been proven.

Geriatric

Studies that are appropriate up to now haven’t revealed specific geriatric issues that could hinder the effectiveness of using zolpidem for older people. However, older patients are more susceptible to the side effects of this drug (eg, confusion, dizziness, confusion, and even falling) in comparison to younger adults.

Breastfeeding

There aren’t enough studies on women to determine the risks to babies when taking this medication while breastfeeding. Be sure to weigh the potential benefits against the risks associated with using this medication during nursing.

Drug Interactions

While certain medications should not be taken together, In other instances, two medicines can be combined even though there is a chance of interaction. Your doctor might want to alter the dosage or make other precautions required in these situations. If you are taking this medication, it is crucial to let your doctor know that you are currently taking one or more of the listed drugs below. These interactions have been determined based on their potential impact and may not be all-inclusive.

Utilizing this medicine in conjunction with any of the following medications is not advised. Your doctor could decide not to treat you with this medicine or modify one of the other medications you are taking.

• Calcium Oxybate
• Magnesium Oxybate
• Potassium Oxybate
• Sodium Oxybate

Combining this medication in conjunction with the following drugs is generally not advised but could be necessary for certain situations. If two medicines are prescribed in conjunction, the doctor could alter the dosage or frequency you take one or both of the medications.

Utilizing this medicine in conjunction with one of the following drugs could cause an increased risk of some side effects. However, taking both medications could be the best option for you. If you are prescribed both medications in combination, your physician could alter the dosage or frequency of use of one or both medications.

• Bupropion
• Desipramine
• Fluvoxamine
• Rifampin
• Sertraline
• St John’s Wort
• Venlafaxine

Other Interactions

Certain medications shouldn’t be used during or in conjunction with having food items or eating particular kinds of food as interactions could happen. Smoking or drinking alcohol in conjunction together with certain medications can create interactions. The following interactions have been chosen because of their potential importance and may not be all-inclusive.

The use of this medicine in conjunction with any following is generally not advised. However, it may be required in some instances. If you take it with other medications, your doctor could alter the dosage or frequency you take this medication or provide you with specific instructions regarding the use of alcohol, food, or tobacco.

• Ethanol

Other Medical Problems

The presence of any other medical conditions could affect the usage of this medicine. Be sure to inform your doctor if there are any other medical issues, including:

• History of alcohol abuse, or
• Dependence or abuse of drugs and history of addiction Zolpidem can occur.
• Depression or the history of depression or
• The lung disease (eg, COPD) or any other breathing issues or
• Mental illness, or a history of
• Myasthenia Gravis (muscle disorder) or
• Sleep Apnea (breathing problems while you sleep)–Use with care. This can cause the conditions to worsen.
• Kidney diseases or
• Liver disease – Use with care. The effects could be enhanced due to the slower elimination of the medication out of the body.
• Severe liver disease–Use should be avoided by patients suffering from this disease. It may increase the chance of developing the condition known as encephalopathy (brain illness).

Precautions

It is vital to have your doctor monitor your progress regularly to ensure the medication is working as it should and to ensure there are no adverse side effects.

The use of this medicine in the last three months of pregnancy may cause harm to your baby. Consult your physician immediately if your child is blue or pale-colored lips, fingernails, skin problems, difficulty or troubled breathing or excessive tiredness, or a limp. Contact your doctor immediately when you’re pregnant or think you may be pregnant taking this medicine.

If you suspect that you’ll take the medication zolpidem for more than 7-10 days, you should talk to your physician about it. Sleepiness that lasts for longer than this might indicate a different medical issue.

Zolpidem could cause severe allergies such as anaphylaxis and angioedema that could be life-threatening and require urgent medical care. Consult your physician immediately in case you notice an itch, itching, hives as well as difficulty breathing or swallowing or swelling in your face, hands, mouth, or throat when you take this medication.

The medicine could cause you to perform actions when you’re asleep that you will not be able to remember the next day. You could drive a car, do slumber walking, have a sexual encounter, make phone calls, or cook and eat food when you’re asleep or are not fully awake. Inform your physician immediately if you discover that any of these have occurred.

The medicine can increase your effects from alcohol and other CNS depressants (medicines that cause you to be sleepy and less attentive). A few examples of CNS depressants include antihistamines, medication for hay fever or different allergies or colds, sedatives such as tranquilizers or sleeping medication or prescribing pain medication or narcotics medications for seizures, barbiturates, relaxants, or anesthetics. This includes certain dental drugs. Talk to your physician before taking any of these mentioned above while taking this medication.

The medicine can cause people, particularly those who are older who are drowsy, to feel lightheaded, dizzy, or unstable, and less attentive than usually, and could lead to falling. Although the medication zolpidem is taken before bed, it can cause people to feel sleepy or less alert when they awake. Also, this medicine could cause double vision, other problems with vision, or even severe injuries (eg hip fractures, serious bleeding within the skull). Don’t drive or engage in any activity that could pose a risk until you know how this medicine affects you..

If you notice unusual or strange thoughts or behaviors when using Zolpidem take care to talk to your physician. The changes observed for people taking this medication are similar to those experienced by those who drink alcohol and later behave in a way that is not normal. Other changes can be more extreme and unusual like confusion, worsening depression or hallucinations (seeing, hearing, seeing, or experiencing things that aren’t there), suicidal ideas, and unusual nervousness, excitement, or anger.

Do not alter the dosage or stop taking it without consulting your physician. Your doctor might advise you to decrease the dosage gradually you’re taking before taking a complete stop. A sudden stoppage of the medicine could result in withdrawal-related negative side adverse effects.

If you believe the person you know might have taken an excessive dose of this medication, seek immediate help. In an overdose, the drug zolpidem or drinking alcohol or other CNS depressants along with the drug could cause serious breathing issues and even unconsciousness. The symptoms of an overdose are the following symptoms: extreme drowsiness, extreme nausea or vomiting, tense and breathing problems.

Don’t take other prescriptions without discussing them with your physician. This includes prescription and other nonprescription (over-the-counter OTC) medications and herbs (eg, St. John’s wort) or vitamin supplements.

Read more about commonly asked questions about zolpidem: Zolpidem Belbien FAQ’s