Halcion Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Halcion Tablet (generic name: triazolam) is a prescription benzodiazepine used for the short-term treatment of insomnia, usually for 7 to 10 days. It is a controlled substance because it can be misused or lead to dependence. Halcion works on the brain and nervous system to help you fall asleep faster, sleep longer, and wake up less during the night.

What is Halcion Tablet

Halcion is a prescription medicine that belongs to a group of drugs called benzodiazepines. It is a controlled substance because it can be misused or lead to dependence.

Halcion Tablet uses

• Short-term treatment of insomnia (trouble falling asleep, waking up often during the night, or waking up too early), usually for 7 to 10 days

Benefits of Halcion Tablet

• Helps treat short-term insomnia.
• May help you fall asleep faster.
• May reduce difficulty falling asleep.
• May improve sleep when insomnia is present.
• May support better rest.

How Halcion Tablet works

Halcion works on the brain and nervous system to help you sleep. In sleep studies, it shortened the time it took to fall asleep, lengthened sleep, and reduced nighttime waking.

Halcion Tablet dosage

Take exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. Take it right before you get into bed, or after you are in bed if you are having trouble falling asleep. Do not take with or right after a meal. Only take it when you can stay in bed for a full night (7 to 8 hours) before you need to be active again. Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while taking this medicine. Do not use it to prevent jet lag while flying. Do not take for longer than 7 to 10 nights in a row unless your doctor tells you to. Do not stop taking it suddenly without talking to your doctor first. Call your doctor if your insomnia is not better within 7 to 10 days of treatment.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet

Side effects of Halcion Tablet

Common

• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Light-headedness
• Difficulty with coordination
• Headache
• "Pins and needles" feeling on the skin

Serious

• Increased daytime anxiety
• Abnormal thoughts and behavior (more aggressive or outgoing behavior than normal, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, worsening depression, suicidal thoughts or actions)
• Memory loss, including "traveler's amnesia"
• Severe allergic reactions (swelling of tongue or throat, trouble breathing, throat closing, nausea, vomiting)
• Doing activities like sleep-driving, eating, talking on the phone, or sleep-walking while not fully awake and not remembering it afterward
• Severe drowsiness, slowed or shallow breathing, breathing stopping, coma, and death, especially when combined with opioids, alcohol, or other depressants
• Physical dependence and withdrawal reactions, including seizures, unusual movements, severe mental or nervous system changes, depression, hallucinations, and suicidal thoughts or actions

Warnings and precautions

• Taking this medicine with opioids, alcohol, or other substances that depress the central nervous system can cause severe drowsiness, breathing problems, coma, and death.
• There is a risk of abuse, misuse, and addiction with this medicine, which can lead to overdose and serious side effects including coma and death, even when taken as prescribed.
• This medicine can cause physical dependence and withdrawal. Do not stop taking it suddenly, as this can cause serious and life-threatening symptoms.
• After taking this medicine, you may get out of bed and do activities like driving, eating, or talking on the phone without being fully awake, and not remember doing them.
• This medicine is not approved for use in anyone younger than 18 years old, and it is not known to be safe or effective for use longer than 2 to 3 weeks.
• Do not combine this medicine with certain antifungal medicines, the antidepressant nefazodone, or HIV protease inhibitors, as these can dangerously increase drug levels.
• Elderly patients have a higher risk of dose-related side effects, including greater sedation and impaired coordination.
• Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant. It may harm the unborn baby, especially causing sedation or withdrawal symptoms in the baby if taken late in pregnancy. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant or think you might be pregnant.
• It is not known if this medicine passes into breast milk, but animal studies suggest it may. It is not recommended for nursing mothers. Breastfeeding during treatment may cause the baby to be sleepy, have feeding problems, or gain less weight.
• Tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, as usual precautions should be taken in patients with impaired kidney function.
• Tell your doctor if you have liver disease, as usual precautions should be taken in patients with impaired liver function. A death from liver failure has been reported in a patient also taking diuretic drugs.
• Do not drink alcohol while taking this medicine. Combining it with alcohol can cause dangerous side effects or death.
• Do not drive, operate machinery, or do anything that requires alertness until you know how this medicine affects you. You may still feel drowsy the next day.

Storage

• Store at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C)
• Protect from light
• Keep out of the reach of children
• Do not use after the expiration date on the bottle
• Store away from moisture, heat, and light
• Keep your medicine in a place where no one can use it improperly

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have shallow or slowed breathing, breathing that stops, or excessive sleepiness.
• Call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away if you have serious side effects such as delirium, paranoia, suicidal thoughts or actions, seizures, or difficulty breathing.
• Get medical help right away if you have signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling of the tongue or throat, trouble breathing, or throat closing.
• Call your healthcare provider right away if you learn you did an activity like sleep-driving, eating, or talking on the phone after taking this medicine without remembering it.
• If you take too much of this medicine, get emergency treatment right away.
• Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any thoughts of suicide or dying, or if your depression worsens.

Alternatives

• Ramelteon
• Zaleplon
• Temazepam