Like other drugs, Lunesta too has side effects. Some of the side effects are serious and some are less serious and common in nature. This article will provide information about both serious and less serious side effects of Lunesta. However, you must consult your doctor if you experience any type of side effect. You may experience any other side effects other than those enlisted below. Visit your physician immediately to get medical attention. Following are the serious side effects of Lunesta: Unconsciousness
Breathing problems
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Confusion or difficulty in coordination
Lightheadedness
Swelling of face organs like lips, tongue, hives or face
Loss of memory
Abnormal behavior like more aggressiveness
Choking of throat Some less serious side effects which are common in nature - are headache, unpleasant mouth taste. To avoid these side effects use Lunesta cautiously. Always consult your physician before starting and stopping use of Lunesta. Detailed illustration of side effects Memory problem due to Lunesta: Though Lunesta is recommended by FDA for long term use, it has similar side effects like other sleeping medicines. Memory problem caused by Lunesta is also known as amnesia. You may face difficulty in remembering things when undergoing treatment of insomnia with Lunesta. This problem usually develops when you did not get sufficient sleep after taking Lunesta. It is recommended that you should have at least 8 hours sleep after taking medicine. However, if you had sufficient sleep and still face this problem, you must consult your doctor. Your doctor may either ask you to stop taking Lunesta or reduce the dose. Tolerance to Lunesta: Tolerance to medicine is a common problem faced by everybody whenever one uses the medicine for the first time. It is more so in case of sedative (Sleeping medicines). Your body gets accommodated to a particular medicine after prolonged use of such medicine. This results in reducing effectiveness of medicine for treating your ailment. Researches have proved that Lunesta does not bear this property of tolerance and can be used for longer periods of treatment. However, it is expected that you need not to take Lunesta for longer time. Some unlucky person may have insomnia for longer periods and require continued treatment with Lunesta. Dont worry; your doctor can continue your treatment with Lunesta. Problem of Dependence on Lunesta Prolonged use of sleeping medicines like Lunesta and some other medicines such as Sonata and Ambien may develop dependence symptoms. Dependence is nothing but you body gets used to the particular medicine and you may get difficulty in having normal sleep without taking these medicines. Sudden stoppage of such medicines may develop withdrawal symptoms. As such you experience difficulty in getting sleep. Lunesta is not considered as addictive medicine. However, it may have withdrawal symptoms like other medicines. Your doctor will make necessary dose adjustment gradually lowering dose before stopping it. Personality changes due to use of Lunesta Lunesta, like other sleep aids may cause personality changes. However, clinical trials, carried out in clinics, do not prove this. But the possibility of occurrence of these changes can not be ruled out. You may observe the following changes: More aggressiveness.
Confusion or inability to coordinate.
Other people may feel your agitated state.
Worsening condition of depression.
You may have hallucinations.
You may get suicidal thoughts. Withdrawal symptoms If you are using Lunesta for prolonged period and stop it all of sudden, you may develop withdrawal symptoms. Following are the common withdrawal symptoms: Excessive sweating
Seizures(in rare cases)
Cramps in abdominal muscles
Vomiting
You may face the problem of rebound insomnia, as a result of sudden stoppage of medicine. To overcome these withdrawal symptoms, gradually reduce you Lunesta intake in consultation with your doctor. What ever may be the side effect serious, less serious or unknown consult your doctor immediately for medical management. |
