Zolpidem
About
Zolpidem belongs to a class of drugs called 'sedative-hypnotics' primarily used in the short-term treatment of insomnia. Insomnia is a disorder of sleep that causes difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep. It may be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) in nature due to various complications like stress, anxiety, and breathing problems.
Zolpidem contains Zolpidem which works by increasing the activity of GABA, which is a chemical messenger in the brain acting as a natural nerve-calming agent, thereby inducing sleep. Thus, Zolpidem relaxes muscles, reduces anxiety, and helps to fall asleep.
Take Zolpidem as prescribed. Your doctor will advise you how often you take Zolpidem based on your medical condition. Some people may experience dizziness, diarrhoea, drowsiness, headache, nausea, vomiting, nose or throat infections, tiredness, stomach pain, double vision, and back pain. Most of these side effects of Zolpidem do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.
If you are known to be allergic to Zolpidem or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. If you notice that the effect of tablets is not as well as at the beginning of the treatment, please consult a doctor as you might have developed tolerance to Zolpidem and dose adjustment may be required. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it is advised to consult a doctor before using Zolpidem. If you have kidney, liver, or breathing problems, severe muscle weakness, sleep apnoea (a serious condition where breathing stops and repeatedly starts in sleep), and if you have a history of depression or mental illness, please inform your doctor before taking Zolpidem.
Uses of Zolpidem
Medicinal Benefits
Zolpidem is a sleeping pill used in the short-term treatment of insomnia (difficulty in falling or staying asleep). Zolpidem increases the activity of GABA (a chemical messenger in brain that acts as natural nerve-calming agent) that is involved in inducing sleep. Thus, Zolpidem relaxes muscles, reduces anxiety and helps to fall asleep. Appropriate life style changes are recommended along with Zolpidem to improve the quality of sleep.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Zolpidem
- Dizziness
- Diarrhoea
- Drowsiness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Nose or throat infections
- Tiredness
- Stomach pain
- Double vision
- Back pain
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
If you notice that the tablets are not working as well as they did at the beginning of the treatment, please consult a doctor as you might have developed tolerance to Zolpidem and dose adjustment may be required. Zolpidem is a category C pregnancy drug and is not recommended for use during pregnancy as it may cause adverse effects on the baby after birth. If you are a breastfeeding mother, it is advised to consult a doctor before using Zolpidem. If you have kidney, liver, or breathing problems, severe muscle weakness, sleep apnoea (a severe condition in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly in sleep), and if you have a history of depression or mental illness, please inform your doctor before taking Zolpidem. Maintain a time gap of a minimum of 8 hours between taking Zolpidem and driving to reduce the risk of increased adverse effects.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interaction: Zolpidem may have interaction with high blood pressure-lowering medicines (metoprolol), opioid pain killers (hydrocodone, oxycodone, naloxone, tramadol), antidepressants (sertraline, desipramine, fluoxetine, venlafaxine, bupropion, fluvoxamine, escitalopram, amitriptyline, citalopram, duloxetine, mirtazapine), antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, rifampicin), antifungal drugs (ketoconazole), anti-anxiety drugs (alprazolam, clonazepam, lorazepam), antiallergics/antihistamines (diphenhydramine, hydroxyzine), muscle relaxants (cyclobenzaprine), and antiepileptic drugs (gabapentin, pregabalin).
Drug-Food Interaction: Zolpidem may interact with caffeine, St John’s wort (herbal medicine for treating depression), and may reduce the effectiveness of Zolpidem. Also, avoid alcohol intake as it may increase the risk of dependence, psychomotor impairment (slowdown of thought process and reduced physical movements), sleepwalking, or sleep-driving.
Drug-Disease Interaction: Do not take Zolpidem if you have severe liver disease, breathing problems, sleep apnoea (sudden stopping of breathing during sleep), severe muscle weakness, kidney problems, and any history of depression or mental illness.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeAvoid consumption of alcohol with Zolpidem as it may increase the risk of dependence, psychomotor impairment (slowdown of thought process and reduced physical movements), sleep walking or sleep driving.
Pregnancy
unsafeZolpidem is a Category C pregnancy drug and is not recommended for use during pregnancy as it may cause adverse effects in baby after birth.
Breast Feeding
unsafeAvoid breastfeeding while taking Zolpidem as it may be excreted in breast milk.
Driving
unsafeYou may experience dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, decreased alertness, blurred or double vision especially the day after taking Zolpidem. Therefore, avoid driving if you feel drowsy or dizzy after taking Zolpidem.
Liver
cautionTake Zolpidem with caution, especially if you have a history of Liver diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required. Zolpidem is not recommended for severe liver disease patients.
Kidney
cautionTake Zolpidem with caution, especially if you have a history of Kidney diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required.
Children
unsafeZolpidem is not recommended for children below 18 years of age.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Do regular exercise during day time.
- Do not take nap during day time. Set regular timings to go to bed and wake up.
- Relax yourself at least 1 hour before bedtime by taking a bath with warm water, listening to music or reading a book.
- Make the bedroom dark and quiet and ensure that your pillows and mattresses are comfortable.
- Avoid watching tv, using mobiles or laptops just before bedtime.
- Limit caffeine intake including tea, coffee, hot chocolate, cola and energy drinks as it may reduce the effectiveness of Zolpidem.
- Avoid consumption of alcohol as it may increase risk of psychomotor impairment (slowdown of thought process and reduced physical movements), dependence, sleep walking or sleep driving.
Special Advise
- You are advised to take Zolpidem on empty stomach as taking Zolpidem with food may reduce the effect of Zolpidem.
- If you are depressed or have had depression in the past, please inform your doctor before taking Zolpidem as it may increase self-harming or suicidal thoughts.
- If you notice any behavioral side effects such as delusions (false belief), nightmares, irritability, restlessness, aggressiveness, or hallucinations (hear, feel or see things that are actually not present), please contact your doctor.
- If you are allergic to any sugars, inform your doctor as Zolpidem contains lactose.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Insomnia: It is a disorder of sleep associated with problems in falling asleep or staying asleep. It may be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) in nature. Acute insomnia may last from one night to few weeks and occurs due to stress or changes in life. Chronic insomnia may last from more than 3 nights per week to more than 3 months. Insomnia is mostly caused due to depression, stress, anxiety, jet lag, shift work, uncomfortable beds, chronic illness, caffeine, nicotine or alcohol intake or due to certain medicines. It may be treated using sleeping pills, behaviour therapy, changes in sleep habits, identifying and treating chronic conditions.
FAQs
No, you are not recommended to take Zolpidem with hydrocodone or other opioid pain killers such as oxycodone, naloxone and tramadol as co-administration of these medicines with Zolpidem may increase the risk of difficulty in breathing, drowsiness, coma and even death. However, before using Zolpidem with any other medicines, you are advised to contact your doctor so that the dose may adjusted to use safely.
You are recommended to take Zolpidem just before bedtime as it helps to sleep quickly and improve the quality of sleep. If you forget to take Zolpidem at night, do not take it in the day time as it may cause drowsiness, confusion and dizziness.
No, Zolpidem is not recommended for depression patients as it may worsen the condition and increase self-harming or suicidal thoughts. Therefore, if you are suffering from depression or have history of depression, please inform your doctor before taking Zolpidem.
No, Zolpidem is not recommended for use during pregnancy especially in the third trimester and during delivery as it may cause adverse effects such as breathing problems, low body temperature, floppy muscle and withdrawal symptoms in baby after birth due to physical dependence.
Yes, Zolpidem may cause dependence (mental and physical effects caused due to compulsion of taking Zolpidem) if used in high doses and for prolonged time. This risk of dependency on Zolpidem increases in patients who have a history of drug or alcohol abuse.
