Eszopiclone

Eszopiclone is a prescription medication used to treat Insomnia.

• Eszopiclone is available under the following different brand names: Lunesta

Adult dosage

Tablet: Schedule IV

• 1mg
• 2mg
• 3mg

Insomnia

Adult dosage

• Starting dose: 1 mg orally in the evening
• The dose may be increased to 2-3 mg in the evening if clinically indicated

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows: 

• See “Dosages”.

Common side effects of Eszopiclone include:

• day-time drowsiness, 
• dizziness, 
• “hangover” feeling, 
• headache, 
• anxiety, 
• dry mouth, 
• unusual or unpleasant taste in the mouth, 
• rash, 
• cold or flu symptoms, 
• fever, 
• body aches, 
• sore throat, 
• cough, and
• runny or stuffy nose  

Serious side effects of Eszopiclone include:

• hives, 
• nausea, 
• vomiting, 
• difficulty breathing, 
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, 
• sleepwalking, driving, or making phone calls, 
• anxiety, 
• depression, 
• aggression, 
• agitation, 
• memory problems, 
• unusual thoughts or behavior, 
• thoughts of self-harm, 
• confusion, and
• hallucinations

Rare side effects of Eszopiclone include:

• none

If your medical doctor is using this medicine to treat your pain, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them.  Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist first

• Eszopiclone has severe interactions with the following drugs:
  • calcium/magnesium/potassium/sodium oxybates
  • sodium oxybate
• Eszopiclone has serious interactions with at least 32 other drugs.
• Eszopiclone has moderate interactions with at least 60 other drugs.
• Eszopiclone has minor interactions with no other drugs.

This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Visit the RxList Drug Interaction Checker for any drugs interactions. Therefore, before using this drug, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the drugs you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your physician if you have health questions or concerns.

Contraindications

• Documented hypersensitivity.
• Patients who have experienced complex sleep behaviors after receiving therapy

Effects of drug abuse

• None

Short-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Eszopiclone?”

Long-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Eszopiclone?”

Cautions

• Take immediately before going to bed - taking earlier may cause memory loss, hallucinations, dizziness, lightheadedness
• Can impair daytime function in some patients at the higher doses (2 mg or 3 mg), even when used as prescribed; monitor for next day next-day psychomotor impairment
• Take only when able to have a full night of sleep (7-8 hours); coadministration with other sedative-hypnotics at bedtime or taking eszopiclone in the middle of the night is not recommended because of risk for next-day psychomotor impairment
• May cause CNS depression and impair physical and mental abilities
• May worsen clinical depression
• Use minimum dose that will effectively treat patient; prescribe the smallest quantity consistent with good patient care
• May cause abnormal thinking & bizarre behavior
• May impair ability to drive or operate heavy machinery
• Caution in history of drug or substance abuse, respiratory diseases, hepatic impairment
• Amnesia may occur
• Failure of sleep disturbance to resolve after 7-10 days may indicate psychiatric and/or medical illness
• Abrupt discontinuation or rapid dose decreases may lead to withdrawal symptoms
• Therapy can cause drowsiness and a decreased level of consciousness; patients, particularly the elderly, are at higher risk of falls

Complex sleep behavior

• Behaviors including sleep-walking, sleep-driving, and engaging in other activities while not fully awake may occur following first or any subsequent use of the drug
• Other complex sleep behaviors (e.g., preparing and eating food, making phone calls, or having sex) also reported
• Patients can be seriously injured or injure others during complex sleep behaviors
• Patients usually do not remember events
• Post-marketing reports have shown that complex sleep behaviors may occur with drugs alone at recommended dosages, with or without the concomitant use of alcohol or other CNS depressants
• Concomitant administration with other CNS depressants may increase the risk of sleep-related episodes
• Discontinue treatment in patients reporting any sleep-related activities

Pregnancy and Lactation

• Available pharmacovigilance data with use in pregnant women are insufficient to identify the drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes
• There are no data on presence in either human or animal milk, effects on the breastfed infant, or milk production; developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for therapy and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed infant from therapy or underlying maternal condition