Get Informed: Lunesta
Active Ingredient(s)
Eszopiclone
What does it do?
This product is used in the treatment of insomnia. It is a non-benzodiazepine that is thought to work on the brain to promote muscle relaxation and sedation.
- Last Text Update:
- 2009-Nov-21 1:44 AM
- Last Data Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 6:52 PM
Other Names
- Lunesta
- Eszopiclone
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- C
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 15 Dec 2004
- Est US Patients*
- 1,235,000
- Generic Available
- No
- OTC Available
- No
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Lunesta or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Recent alerts for Lunesta
There have been no alerts regarding Lunesta during the past year.
Lunesta Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
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What is Lunesta used for?
iGuard.org is currently tracking more than 7,200 patients that use Lunesta (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Insomnia | 97% | 
|
| Other | 3% | 
|
How well does Lunesta work?
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 7,200 users taking Lunesta (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 86%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Lunesta outweigh the bad things.
- 23%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Lunesta.
Common Side Effects of Lunesta
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 7,200 users taking Lunesta (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
50% of patients experience side-effects on Lunesta
< 1% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Lunesta
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Altered Taste/Smell
-
Grogginess/Confusion
-
Fatigue
-
Dryness
-
Sleep Problems
-
Memory/Speech Problems
-
Vivid Dreams
-
Dizziness
-
Drowsiness
-
Headache
-
= 10%
Global Patient Feedback for Lunesta (Eszopiclone) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I took Lunesta for over a year every night. Started out with doc's permission/rec because I was having a very serious trauma in my life and no sleeping at all. They worked great for me. No weird tastes,no groggy, no side effects at all. I'd just be asleep in 15 minutes. This never happened to me before even prior to the crisis. I used it routinedly for over 1 year and then my doc got concerned I was addicted and wanted me off. I didn't really want to stop because I;ve never slept this well in my whole life, but I am very skeptical of drugs and the fact that we don't know what these are doing to us very long term, so I reluctantly agreed. It was hard to get off them, not in the sense that I experienced any side effects like anxiety or pain or sweats or exhaustion or craving, but I just couldnt fall asleep. I would lay up till 4 a.m. or 5.am and finally got to sleep, A few times I got sick of this and succumbed back to taking sometimes..Finally last April with the help of LOTS of outdoors time, I got off of them and started being tired on my own, and sleeping eell--very proud. By now, the crisis was past. lunesta helped me greatly though a grieving process.
But I am still tempted to take them sometimes. They are so powerful with, for me, no downsides--that we can see. i'd still love to know what they will do long term. is it worse than drinking a beer or wine once in a while to take one? It's real useful for when I HAVE to get up early and i know I can't go to sleep early (i just never have been able to). they MAKE me go.
44 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-25 06:13:46
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
The clinical studies performed for Lunesta's approval by the FDA studied the use of Lunesta for up to 6 months iof use. Since Lunesta is a relatively new drug, there is no way to know what long term effects are. If there are many reported issues with a certain drug, the FDA and researchers will further evaluate the issue and make recommendations. iGuard continues to monitor for these events for FDA approved medication and will email and post a safety alert when new safety information is published for Lunesta. In the mean time, as long as you are taking the recommended dosage, it is unlikely that occasional use of Lunesta will cause any problems for you.
Posted: 2009-09-27 10:40:19
Question/Comment:
Hearing loss/problems anyone? I just started taking 2 mg/night Lunesta. I slept well but after my 2nd night on it I woke up with absolutely no hearing in my right ear.
My hearing seems to have more or less returned, but I'm really reluctant to risk taking it again.
40 year old Male
Posted: 2009-03-26 22:48:01
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Ringing in the ear and inflammation of ear has been reported with Lunesta use, but it is not common - it has been reported in less than 1 in 100 patients taking Lunesta during clinical trials.. Currently there has not been reports of hearing loss, but it a good idea to discuss this side effect with your doctor to see if he or she wants you to continue this medication.
Posted: 2009-04-03 10:31:17
Answer/Reply:
I take Lunesta and have for many years. I am in my early 50's and for the last year I have noticed significant hearing loss. The ENT says I need a hearing aid. I will get a second opinion. I wonder if long term use does cause loss of hearing.
55 year old Female
Posted: 2009-06-22 16:14:26
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Side effects involving the ear/hearing have been infrequently reported with Lunesta. Less than 1% of patients taking Lunesta have reported one of the following: ear ringing or outer ear inflammation or inner ear inflammation. Since there are so few reports and there could be other causes, it is difficult to tell if Lunesta is causing these symptoms in these patient reports. If your symptoms persist or worsen, please further discuss them with your doctor.
Posted: 2009-06-23 22:29:18
Question/Comment:
I have been taking 2 mg of Lunesta at bedtime for over a year. I just started taking it less and using sublingual melatonin to help me sleep. I did not experience any withdrawel effects from backing off the Lunesta and still use it a couple of times a week. I like this drug because there is never a hangover affect like with ambien or any wacky dreams associated with its use. I sleep well when I take it but can wake up if one of my dogs needs to go outside in the middle of the night. I take Lunesta with 4 mg of Zanaflex for muscle spasms and also Vicodin for pain in my neck and lower back. Although all these drugs have a sedative effect, I am always able to wake up if I need to.
55 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-10 07:11:59
Question/Comment:
I had great difficulty when I was taking Ambien so my doctor agreed to let me try Lunesta. I am so thankful for the change. There is no hang-over feeling the next day and I sleep soundly with no wierd dreams like I would have while on Ambien. I have been on Lunesta for two years now and would not want to use anything else! In response to the question about the odd after taste, I have not experienced any after taste at all.
53 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-09 20:29:41
Question/Comment:
Alert to everyone using Lunesta: While this drug may be a wonderful sleep aid (despite the unpleasant taste); please note that it is highly addictive (most doctors do not yet know this)! 3 mg. of Lunesta is = to 10 mg. of Valium, and most patients are not informed of this. I took Lunesta for a full year, came off "cold turkey" per my doctor's orders, and then experienced migraines, near seizures, muscle tremors, and panic attacks for the first time in my life. While Lunesta is a "non-narcotic," it acts just like a benzodiazepine. Please research it prior to using it every day. (In looking back, I wish I had only taken it a couple of times per week, instead of every night for a solid year. Once you've reached the one year mark, it's a true addiction. Most people don't realize this until they stop taking it.) Tapering is required for one's safety. 8 months later, (after cutting up the pill into small pieces and gradually taking less and less, I am finally off of it). I was originally only on 2 mg. per night. Please visit http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual for more information on how it works and how to taper. Hang in there!
34 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-07 13:10:44
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Patient Comments about
Lunesta