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

Quick overview

Lunesta Tablet (eszopiclone) is a sedative-hypnotic used for the short-term treatment of insomnia in adults. It is a non-benzodiazepine medicine that works on the brain to help a person fall asleep and stay asleep. Treatment is usually not meant to last more than 7 to 10 days, and the medicine comes with specific instructions for use, dosing by age, and important safety warnings.

What is Lunesta Tablet

Lunesta is a sleep medicine (sedative-hypnotic) used to treat insomnia in adults. It is a non-benzodiazepine medicine that works on the brain to help you fall asleep and stay asleep.

Lunesta Tablet uses

• Short-term treatment of insomnia, usually not more than 7 to 10 days
• Helps with trouble falling asleep
• Helps with frequent nighttime or early morning awakenings

Benefits of Lunesta Tablet

• Insomnia Support: Used for short-term management of insomnia.
• Sleep-Onset Support: Helps reduce difficulty falling asleep.
• Sleep-Maintenance Support: Can help reduce nighttime awakenings.
• Sleep Duration: May help increase total sleep time.

How Lunesta Tablet works

Lunesta works by increasing the activity of a calming brain chemical called GABA. This slows down brain activity, which helps you relax and fall asleep.

Lunesta Tablet dosage

Take Lunesta right before you get into bed, not before. Only take it if you can devote a full night (about 7 to 8 hours) to sleep before you need to be active again. Do not take it with or right after a meal, since this can slow down how fast it works. Swallow tablets whole; do not break or crush them.

If you miss your bedtime dose, do not take it in the middle of the night — skip it and take your next dose the following night at bedtime. Do not take with alcohol. Elderly patients and those with liver problems are usually started on a lower dose. Call your doctor if your insomnia does not improve within 7 to 10 days of treatment.

Available forms and strengths

• Film-coated oral tablet (1 mg, 2 mg, 3 mg)

Side effects of Lunesta Tablet

Common

• Unpleasant taste in the mouth
• Dry mouth
• Drowsiness, including feeling drowsy the next day
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Symptoms of the common cold
• Nausea, vomiting, or upset stomach
• Diarrhea
• Change in appetite or weight
• Back pain
• Rash or itching
• Nervousness or anxiety
• Abnormal dreams

Serious

• Getting out of bed and doing activities while not fully awake, such as sleep-driving, sleep-walking, preparing and eating food, or having phone calls or sex with no memory of it
• Abnormal thoughts and behavior changes, including increased aggressiveness, confusion, agitation, hallucinations
• Memory loss (amnesia)
• Worsening depression, including suicidal thoughts or actions
• Severe allergic reactions, including swelling of the tongue or throat, trouble breathing, nausea and vomiting
• Falls and fractures, especially in elderly patients
• Withdrawal symptoms if the drug is stopped suddenly, including anxiety and, rarely, severe symptoms like seizures or hallucinations
• Next-day impairment affecting driving and alertness

Warnings and precautions

• Lunesta carries the FDA's most serious type of warning for complex sleep behaviors, such as sleep-driving, sleepwalking, or preparing and eating food while not fully awake, with no memory of the event afterward. These behaviors can cause serious injury or death.
• Using Lunesta with opioid medicines can cause severe drowsiness, slowed or stopped breathing, coma, or death. This combination should only be used when there is no other option.
• Lunesta can lead to abuse, misuse, addiction, physical dependence, and withdrawal reactions, even when taken exactly as prescribed.
• Stopping Lunesta suddenly or lowering the dose too quickly can cause severe or life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. Any changes to how you take this medicine should be guided by your doctor.
• Rare but serious allergic reactions, including swelling of the tongue or throat, can occur and may be life-threatening if the airway becomes blocked.
• If insomnia does not improve after 7 to 10 days of treatment, this may be a sign of another underlying medical or psychiatric condition that needs evaluation.
• Falls and fractures have been reported, especially in older or debilitated patients, due to sedation, dizziness, and unsteady movement.
• It is not known for certain whether Lunesta is safe in pregnancy. It should only be used if the benefit outweighs the possible risk to the baby, and it's not recommended for use during pregnancy generally.
• It is not known whether Lunesta passes into breast milk in humans, but because many drugs do pass into breast milk, caution is advised, and the Canadian source advises against breastfeeding while taking it.
• People with severe kidney problems may need a lower dose of Lunesta.
• People with severe liver disease need a reduced dose and should use Lunesta with caution, since the drug builds up more in the body.
• Do not drink alcohol while taking Lunesta, as this raises the risk of dangerous sedation and unusual sleep behaviors.
• Do not drive or operate machinery after taking Lunesta, including possibly the next day, since the drug can impair alertness and coordination even if you feel awake.

Storage

• Store at room temperature, between 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C)
• Do not use after the expiration date
• Keep out of reach and sight of children

When to see a doctor

• Call your doctor right away if you find out you did any activity (like driving, eating, or making phone calls) after taking Lunesta that you don't remember doing.
• Get emergency medical help if you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling of the tongue or throat, trouble breathing, or nausea and vomiting.
• Seek medical help right away if you have thoughts of harming or killing yourself.
• Contact a doctor, hospital, or poison control center immediately if you think you or someone else has taken too much Lunesta, even if there are no symptoms yet.
• Tell your doctor right away if you experience symptoms of withdrawal after lowering your dose or stopping the medicine, such as confusion, hallucinations, or seizures.

Alternatives

• Suvorexant
• Lemborexant
• Daridorexant