[owl2020]

I was reading Judith Davidson's book “Sink Into Sleep” when I came across the statement that “…some studies of z drugs like eszopiclone show that effectiveness may be maintained, even after 6 months of use.” The trade name of this sleeping drug is Lunesta. Davidson, by the way, is an advocate for a form of CBT called “sleep therapy”, and is not a supporter of use of sleeping pills on a long term basis.

Still this statement surprised me since I thought all sleeping pills lost effectiveness after several weeks of continual use (although I understand that certain anti-depressant/sleeping pills can last longer). I was wondering how good these studies were and how true the claim is. Is anyone familiar with this medication through use or “expertise” on the subject and if so, can you comment on the effectiveness of Lunesta.

[owl2020]

Apparently the 6 month effectiveness study of Lunesta was sponsored by the drug company, although that does not necessarily mean the findings are not true. I looked at user comments for this sleeping pill on Drugs,com and found quite a few who claimed it was effective after 6 months. I t seemed either it worked well for a long period or it didn't do much at all. One user did say it started to lose effectiveness after 7 months, but even that is good compared to most other sleeping pills.

Also on a related topic the FDA has gone along with it's advisory panel and approved the new sleeping pill suvorexant for use at a 10 milligram level (can be raised to 15-20 milligrams when needed) in early July. This drug is different in that it blocks the action of orexins, which keep people awake. The manufacturer said no additional clinical studies were needed but a manufacturing study would be needed for production at the lower 10 milligram level. The company indicated it would work “expeditiously” with the FDA to get the drug into production

[Martin Reed]

I would suggest that regardless of the drug, nobody should be on a sleeping pill for that long.

—

If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

[owl2020]

I agree that long term dependency on a sleeping pill is not a good idea. However, it still is intersting to know to what extent some people can use Lunesta for years with no problem, as some people on Drugs.com claim they are doing. The predominant side effect appears to be a bad taste in the mouth. Of course, what we don't know is the percentage of people who have used Lunesta who have been able to use it long term without it losing it's effectiveness. It is clear from the comments on Drugs.com that Lunesta does not work for everyone. So are we talking about only 5% of users being able to use it long term or are we talking about 30-40%? That is why I hope people who have used it or have some knowledge of it will comment. When claims are made about a sleeping pill's effectiveness you want to know how true it is in reality.

[Author]

Posts