Posted by PaulB on July 5, 2001, at 17:31:48
In reply to Re: Long-Term Use of Ambien, posted by Gerry S. on July 5, 2001, at 10:22:46
> The key issue is not one of habituation or withdrawal (although I disagree with you on that also, see for example, Guidelines for the Rational Use of Benzodiazepines, When and What to Use. Review Article from: Drugs 48 (1):25-40. 1994). Rather, the key issue I was trying to get across is that long-term use of rapidly-eliminated hypnotics can, and often does, cause daytime anxiety (as well as insomnia in the last third of the night).
>
> There have been many studies of long-term use of short-acting hypnotics. It has been well known for 30 years that the consequences of this are daytime anxiety (e.g. for an early study see Morgan K, Oswald I. Anxiety caused by a short-life hypnotic. BMJ 1982; 284: 942). This fact is stated directly in the prescription monograph for Ambien as a warning against using it for more than 30 days (the period covered by the longest ambien studies).PaulB writes:
The newer sleeping pills such as Ambien and Zaleplon have a pharmacological profile that gives them advantages over the benzo's and disadvantages to the benzo's . It is the frequency of 'reinforcement' at the bz omega site that is responsible for tolerance. Would it not be for Ambiens selective bz omega binding properties it would have no superiority over other benzodiazepines that are taken just once a day in the evening to induce sleep. Its superiority lies in the fact that it is selective for bz omega receptors and the benzodiazepines are not, supposedly making it less addictive. However if people are waking up in the night, particularly Ive read with Zaleplon then these drugs hvae much more addictive potential than the classical benzodiazepines such as Clonazepam that will see you sleep through till dawn.
poster:PaulB
thread:68930
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010701/msgs/69086.html