LUNESTA Reviews (ESZOPICLONE)

Average Rating: 2.7 (851 Ratings)

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 SEDATIVES HYPNOTICS    DEA Schedule IV   

 Type: Rx Drug

  

LUNESTA  (ESZOPICLONE):  This medication is used to treat a certain sleep problem (insomnia). It may help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and lessen how often you wake up during the night, so you can get a better night's rest. Eszopiclone belongs to a class of drugs called sedative-hypnotics. It acts on your brain to produce a calming effect. Use of this medication is usually limited to short treatment periods of 1 to 2 weeks or less. If your insomnia continues for a longer time, talk to your doctor to see if you need other treatment.   FDA Approval Date: 2004-12-15 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

  

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Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

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RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR LUNESTACOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 4  insomnia very bitter taste to take, cannot tolerate dairy after taking, bad taste lingers into next morning This drug helps me go to sleep and wake up without being drowsy in the morning but after taking 3 days in a row, it becomes less effective, and I begin to feel drowsy into the next day, so it is very short term remedy for me (2 days in a row max for limited side-effects and max effectiveness). I go "cold turkey" for a couple of weeks after taking for more than 3 to 5 days straight and all drowsiness resolves, but the insomnia returns even worse. The first couple of nights I am off it, I have trouble sleeping and watch crap TV like "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" (my bad - should be reading Faust or Miller or something). F 53 1 years
2 mg 1X day
12/30/2010
 4  Imsomnia When I had an empty stomach, three (one) 1 mg green pills taken at bedtime (11 PM) put me asleep in less than 15 minutes. Slept without dystonia for 8 hours. If I had food in my stomach lunesta did not work. M 57 2 weeks
3 mg 1X day
12/13/2010
 1  Insomnia Prolonged time to fall asleep after taking it (approx. 2 hours). Waking several times in a startled fashion throughout the night and a HORRIBLE (almost unbearable) metallic taste in mouth! I have taken Ambien for quite some time - (medical issues prevent me from sound sleep) My new doctor is uncomfortable with the prolonged use so he suggested Lunesta. I'm switching doctors if this guy won't give me Ambien back because the metallic taste in my mouth from one night of Lunesta is so severe (even after oj this morning and tons of water) that I panicked. I spoke with a friend who is a nurse and she told me to give it 24 hours to get out of my system before having too much concern. This is the worst reaction I've ever experienced to any medicine. My new doctor pushes Lunesta as a "cleaner" sleep aid..... FORGET THAT. It's easier to switch doctors than is to tell an insomniac not to take medicine that helps them and doesn't have severe side effects. Do NOT take this...it is horrible! F 39
3mg 1X day
12/11/2010
 5  Periodic Limb Movement Disorder None! This is a GREAT medication! I don't fall asleep immediately, but I sleep well enough to sleep thru the leg movements. The first night was horrible, but everything after has been wonderful. F 38 21 days
2mg 1X day
12/6/2010
 2  insomnia bad taste, moodiness, suicidal thoughts, brain fog, listless, agressiveness, i started taking lunesta over a year ago but because i didnt want to develop a dependence i only took one a week to get a decent nights sleep. the next nights sleep was iffy but i dealt with it. but my insomnia and the feelings related to NOT sleeping got worse soooo about 6 months ago i read somewhere that it should be taken on a regular basis, so i began taking daily......it didnt keep me asleep, some nights it took over an hour to get to sleep ....then i started having bouts of depression and fatigue, agitation toward people for a week or so then getting a bit better but would return in a few weeks....a couple weeks ago my mood just nose-dived into deep depression, bouts of crying that i cant control , no interest in life in general, had to have husband hide all the guns because i didnt trust myself, strong thoughts of suicide,feeling like my insides were crawling. My dr says my hormone levels were non-existant and that was my problem not depression and that i didnt need an antidepressant (i am crying the whole time she is telling me this)WRONG!....i am so glad i found this site. i am not going crazy or losing my mind. there is a reason i cant remember something someone just said 5 seconds ago and i cant make a complete thought. i am starting tommorrow trying to wean myself off this stuff.... maybe this drug works for some people but obvioulsy not for me. i would rather deal with being sleepy than being dead. THink twice about using this medication. F 48 6 months
3mg 1X day
12/6/2010
 5  Insomnia At first I had the bad taste in my mouth, but my dr. explained to me that it was transient and by day 3, I had no taste at all in my mouth. The orange juice also helped in the morning. I love the way it puts me to sleep and I wake up refresh on the next day. I also got it for free since now they have a coupon program that offer $50 off per month. I printed my at www.lunesta.com Love love love.. I sleep like a baby F 39 30 days
3mg 1X day
11/13/2010
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 4  Could not Sleep after Hysterectomy Loss of memory is getting worse as time goes by. Also I have this constant swelling in my lower throat. It never goes away. DO not drink and take Lunesta, wont work. Also if you eat fatty foods or take it on a full stomache it takes time to dissolve. I go back and forth between Lunesta and Ambien. I have a mjor bladder problem, so I take the Lunesta so I don't get up 25 times at night to pee. Its probably just a band aide to another problem, but whats a girl to do? F 42 4 years
3 1X day
11/2/2010
 4  insomnia Awful metallic taste. Initially blamed it on my dentist as the two things conincided but becasue of the cost of the Lunesta I decided to only take it a few times a week. When it went away then came back I realized it was the drug. After reading a few blogs and some of the suggestions to use a citrus juice to counteract the acidic/metallic taste just didn't add up to me. As a gardener you don't add more acid to an acidic soil, soooo, I decided to try a sip of balsalmic vinegar in the morning and found that it works great. Not 100% perfect but it certainly cuts the taste significantly. It also doesn't tast bad, if you like balsalmic vinegar. Hope some find this helpful. F 62 6 days
3mg 1X day
11/1/2010
 5  Chronic Insomnia Leaves a bitter taste in my mouth but no other side effects. I used to not be able to turn my mind off when I got into bed even if I was exhausted. This made me sleepy enough to fall asleep without the continuous commotion in my head. I still woke up to go to the bathroom but fell back asleep immediately. Felt well rested in morning: able to get two kids ready for school and go to the gym for a workout. After a few weeks I did start to experience some strange dreams but nothing scary. F 45 30 days
1 mg 1X day
10/21/2010
 5  to fall asleep and stay asleep just the metal taste in my mouth It puts me to sleep and I don't wonder or worry about things. I wake up feeling great. F 47 2 months
2 mg x day 2X day
10/14/2010
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 5  sleep None Fantastic stuff, much better than any others plus better than benzos M 54 5 months
30mg 1X day
10/6/2010
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 5  Waking during the night due to pain I must be one of the lucky few; no bad taste at all from this drug and no other side effects at all. I must be one of the lucky few; no bad taste at all from this drug. My doctor prescribed it to see if it would help me stay asleep. I was waking every 2 hours due to bone pain. Lunesta has really helped me stay asleep longer between waking and fall asleep faster if I do have to get up in the night. I make sure to get at least 8 hours sleep and I am not tired the next day. No side effects to mention at all. F 57 3 weeks
3 MG 1X day
10/4/2010
 1  sleep aid Took 3 nights in a row, no help with sleep and no side effects. Then side effects occured 3 days after I took the last dose. Side effect of metal taste in mouth, blurred vision--feels like my brain is swollen. These side effects have lasted 28 days already, not sure how much longer the side effects will last, very dissapointing. I had been taking 5 MG Valium in the evening for 3 months prior to trying Lunesta. I quit the Valium at the same time I quit the 3 day Lunesta trial. The side effects listed could be benzodiazapine withdrawal, both Valium and Lunesta are a benzodiazepine. F 44
2 mg 1X day
9/24/2010
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Patient History
 3  Undiagnosed trouble staying alseep. bad metallic flavor but this seems to go away with usage. Have recently been noticing differing levels of depression and anxiety. The 8 hours of sleep is more like a lucky 4-6. The depression and anxiety have come at a great surprise. I often have to consider my reactions even to simple issues that should not and would not have previously affected me. this is actually why I found this site: I was searching for Lunesta side effects. Even though I have found that the medication has effective sleep inducing qualities, I am becoming very concerned with the effects on my mental state during day-to-day actions. M 41 6 months
3mg 1X day
9/22/2010
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 4  sleep deprivation Taking meds PRN only occasionally. Bitter taste in mouth and I have wondered about my hair thinning. Also, don't like to take it more than one or two days in a row or I feel a little down or anxious during the day (vague and mild). I developed depression and anxiety about lengthy bouts of severe insomnia 1 year ago. The lunesta worked for me and helped me get out of the "loop of sleeplessness and worry." It has really been great. I worry about long term effects on memory, but then I am a "worrier." I use it when I need it, but try to sleep without meds, stay more relaxed at night, and sleep later when I can't get earlier sleep. This is hard to do if you have work responsibilities. I find that I do better with sleep when I don't have to worry about work the next day. Lunesta has been my safety net and lessened my anxiety about not sleeping---knowing that I can if I need to. F 60 1 years
1.5 mg 1X AN
9/3/2010
 4  Anxiety,Panic, PTSD, Fibro No side effects other than slight metallic taste in mouth in am. Not enough to be bothersome. I have had severe tremors inside and very vivid nightmares and have not slept well for last few months with extreme anxiety. Dr. says I may be bi-polar with PTSD Anxiety and panic attacks. Gave me lots of meds and I have had side effects from all. Lunesta gave me a good nights sleep. Then in past week with better sleep my panic and anxiety got better. Still take Klonopin .5 at night and 1 MG in day. But, till I took Lunesta nothing was working. I think I will keep taking till my body feels completely rested and I start healing.I am also going to start eating more healthy. I will keep you posted of any changes, good or bad. F 57 7 days
3 MG 1X day
8/22/2010
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 1  Occasional Insomnia Disgusting flavor in mouth, extreme night sweating This medication is ridiculously expensive ($65 for 30 - 1mg tablets) even with my decent insurance. There is no cheaper generic. Also, the side effects were very bothersome to me. Nothing I ate or drank would get that taste out of my mouth for days. Also, waking up literally drenched in sweat every morning was not worth the few hours of being knocked out, especially since it left me feeling just as tired as before. F 27 1 months
1mg 1X AN
8/7/2010
 2  Insomnia Depression, periods of anxiety, lethargy the next day. Withdrawal from people. Don't start on this stuff. It's not worth it. M 56 6 months
20 1X day
8/4/2010
 3  chronic insomnia Initial euphoria, vivid dreams/nightmares, impaired memory and hangover feeling the next day, bizarre actions under the influence of the drug: emailing old contacts and other strange behaviour during the night with no memory of it upon waking up. Very addictive and has severe withdrawal effects if taken long term. I've been diagnosed with childhood onset primary insomnia and delayed sleep phase syndrome. I can't fall asleep until the early hours of the morning, and even then, I toss and turn for hours unless I take something to knock me out. My doctor prescribed this to me (one 7.5 mg pill at night) when I was a seventeen year old struggling to finish the last year of high school while battling severe sleep deprivation. At first, it was a godsend. I even grew to like the bitter taste. That meant the drug was kicking in and I would soon fall asleep (finally!). Dreams and nightmares became more vivid. It knocked me out, but I would wake up after a few hours, and if it's taken on consecutive nights, the groggy hangover effect the next day is almost as bad as sleep deprivation. Over the years I had to double the dosage. I get hit with random anxiety attacks during the day if I go more than 24 hours without a dose. It can be very, very addictive, particularly if your insomnia is ongoing and your doctor refuses to try other drug interventions, as my doctors have. Often I have to take two or more 7.5 mg tablets at night in order to fall asleep. I'd recommend it for occasional insomnia, not as a long-term treatment for chronic insomnia or other sleep disorders. I've tried to taper off gradually. But I always relapse and take another Lunesta pill after a few days without sleep, and the cycle of drug dependence continues. There has to be a better solution somewhere. F 24 7 years
7.5 mg 1X day
7/26/2010
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 5  chronic insomnia other than the metalic taste in the mouth none. Occasionally it will not work but that is due to eating fatty food prior to taking it. I started taking lunesta when it first came out and the metalic taste in the mouth was not talked about much. have found that the taste gets better with use. I have seen the posts about depression and aggression. this has not been an issue with me I was sleep deprived for around 3 years prior to taking medications for it. I worked night shift for over 20 years and have messed up my body's natural sleep patterns. what everyone needs to remember is drugs work differently on people. I have read posts here about ambien etc. I tried all the other sleep aids. I can take an ambien and 4 hours later I am still wide awake. I still wake up at night even with the lunesta, it is easier to get back to sleep with it. On average I sleep 4 to 5 good hours each night. To some that may not seem like alot but when you have sleep studies that show no REM or deep sleep that 4 to 5 hours is a god send to me. If anyone has any questions I will glady answer them. As far as costs go yes it is expensive and the insurance companies are doing a good job of making it difficult to get this drug. Sepracor the maker of lunesta does have a savings program that can help with $50 of your co-pay each month for a year. Even if that was not available I would continue to find a way to get it. F 48 4 years
3 1X day
7/22/2010
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