Zolpidem: Properties And Side Effects

Zolpidem, sold under the name Stilnoct, for example, is used to treat temporary sleep disorders such as insomnia. It is a fast-acting nonbenzodiazepine, a sedative that is useful for people who have difficulty falling asleep or who wake up many times during the night.

Many readers may already be familiar with this subject. Zolpidem is one of the most widely prescribed drugs for short-term insomnia. “Short-term” in this sense means that a person uses this medicine for only a couple of days, for a maximum of one month, otherwise the person will experience detoxification.

The U.S. Air Force will give this drug to its pilots for sleep after missions. This drug is effective, fast, and does not contain a bad “hangover” after use, unlike benzodiazepines.

But the mere fact that zolpidem is not a benzodiazepine and does not act as a muscle relaxant does not mean that it is not a completely harmless substance. It’s actually really addictive if used for too long. 

Zolpidem: what is it for?

As we mentioned, doctors prescribe zolpidem for short-term insomnia. It works in the same way as benzodiazepines, by acting on our gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The difference is that at the molecular level, these are two different compounds. Zolpidem also has no effect on our nuclear extension.

• Interestingly, this drug changes the structure of sleep (including the structure of REM sleep and other stages of sleep) less than other drugs.
• Doctors  also prescribe zolpidem to treat restless legs syndrome. This drug is also effective in the elderly.

Zolpidem is part of a group called T drugs. Other drugs in this group include zopiclone and zaleplon, which are similar to benzodiazepines and are excellent for treating insomnia.

How should zolpidem be used?

Like all medicines, zolpidem should only be used as prescribed by your doctor. The doctor is the person who decides if you should take this sedative and for how long. It can improve sleep quality, but it should only be taken for about four weeks.

This medicine works quickly, so you should be ready to sleep for about 7-8 hours. When taking the medicine, the person should not drive a car or do anything else that requires full concentration. If a person wakes up two or three hours after taking the drug, they may have problems with coordination, alertness, memory, and fatigue.

Side effects of zolpidem

These T drugs are effective, and zolpidem is the most commonly prescribed drug. But it’s important to remember that this drug can be really addictive if taken too much. It has a really high tolerance and is metabolized in the liver really fast,  and because zolpidem is a sedative, we need to be careful with what other drugs or substances we take so they don’t interact in a negative way.

If we take zolpidem regularly, we may experience some of these side effects:

• Anterograde memory loss

• Sleepiness
• Visual hallucinations
• Dry mouth
• Coordination problems
• Intestinal problems (diarrhea or constipation)
• Tremor in the limbs
• Ring in your ears
• Joint pain
• Heavy menstrual bleeding
• Headaches
• Sleepwalking

It is also important to note that  older people are more sensitive to the effects of sedatives. Older people need to be really careful when following their doctor’s instructions. If they use zolpidem for longer than recommended, they may be at a higher risk of suffering negative cognitive effects.

The use of zolpidem also makes it more difficult to drive  and increases the risk of accidents. This is no coincidence. Most sedatives slow down the reaction time and reduce our ability to coordinate, so once again we want to remind you that this medicine should not be taken more than what your doctor has prescribed, and this should never exceed a period of four weeks.

Before concluding this article, we would like to point out that this drug may react with other drugs, substances, or even vitamin supplements (whether they are natural or not). So always follow your doctor’s instructions  and watch for any unexpected side effects. If you experience side effects, contact your doctor immediately.