Zolpidem

Zolpidem can be prescribed for patients that have problem falling and staying asleep. This medication is intended for short-term treatment and is most efficient when taken as recommended. You are not supposed to take zolpidem unless you are ready to dedicate some 7-8 hours to sleeping. If you take this medicine and have to get up after some three or four hours, you may experience drowsiness and memory problems for the rest of the day. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have or used to have any of the following health conditions that may affect the success of your treatment: lung disease, sleep apnea, myasthenia gravis, suicidal thoughts, mental illness, kidney disease, a history of drug or alcohol addiction, liver disease, and depression. You may need a dose adjustment, of your doctor will have to monitor you carefully for side effects. Report any other health conditions you have ever been diagnosed with to make sure your treatment is going as planned and you are benefitting from it. Zolpidem is FDA pregnancy category C. This category is used for drugs that may be harmful for your unborn or nursing baby, although there is no consistent data on that. Make sure you report the fact of being pregnant to your health care provider before taking zolpidem. Do not start breastfeeding if you are using this drug or intend to do it in the nearest future, as it has been reported to pass into breast milk. Make sure you take this drug for as long as recommended and never exceed the dose prescribed, as the following overdose symptoms may occur: coma, lightheadedness, confusion, shallow breathing, fainting, and sleepiness. An overdose of this medicine can be fatal, so make sure you report the fact of having taken too much of zolpidem to your local emergency center. If this medicine does not work for you during a week and you keep taking it every day, call your health care provider to see if some changes need to be made to your treatment schedule. You may be recommended to take this medicine as needed or regularly, but if you are taking it on the regular basis - it’s not intended for long-term treatment. Usually the period of 2 weeks is enough to feel the beneficial effects of zolpidem and later be able to do without it. In case you intend to take any medicines along with zolpidem, make sure your health care provider is aware of that, as zolpidem can cause some serious drug interactions.