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Controversial sleep drug to carry updated warning (sleep sex?)

erosion

Bluelight Crew
Joined
Oct 16, 2003
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Controversial sleep drug to carry updated warning
The Age
November 28, 2007


THE controversial sleeping drug Stilnox will be sold in packs of no greater than 14 tablets and will come with updated warnings about potential bizarre side-effects such as sleep-driving and sleep-sex.

The reduced maximum pack size, down from 21, comes after almost 1000 calls regarding the drug to the Brisbane-based Adverse Medicine Events Line.

Users of the drug, generically known as zolpidem, have complained about strange and potentially dangerous side-effects including sleep-walking over balconies and binge-eating while apparently asleep.

At least two people have died after taking the insomnia medication, including a Sunshine Coast man who took his motorbike out in the middle of the night and crashed.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration said Stilnox packs would include significantly changed Consumer Medicine Information warning of common side-effects such as "rage reactions, worsened insomnia, confusion, agitation, hallucinations and other forms of unwanted behaviour".

It also warns of "sleep-walking, driving motor vehicles, preparing and eating food, making phone calls or having sexual intercourse" while asleep and on the drug.

"People experiencing these effects have had no memory of the events," the warning states.

A drug reactions hotline fielded 500 calls from Stilnox users who reported odd behaviours after popping a pill.

One patient gained 23kg over seven months after eating from the refrigerator while asleep. Another patient woke up with a paintbrush in her hand after painting the front door.

Pharmacist Geraldine Moses welcomed the changes.

"I think it's a good thing but a huge problem we have is that people don't read the product information leaflets," she said, speaking on behalf of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's Queensland branch.

"Every pharmacist has got a story of at least one of their Stilnox patients having a reaction. Most pharmacists think that the average experience of this drug is without a problem, it's just that when there has been a problem it's often dramatic and frightening."

On its website, the TGA said it remained concerned about reports of adverse reactions.

It warned the reactions could occur among both first-time and regular users, at prescribed doses and without the consumption of alcohol.

Australians wanting to report adverse reactions to the drug should phone 1300 134 237.

Zolpidem is sold in Australia under the brand-names Dormizol, Zolpibell, Zolpixdem, Somidem and Stildem.

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Huh? So both of the participants were under the influence of zolpidem?
 
I just picked up my (newly prescribed) Ambien today. I've tried it before, worked great, no strangeness, and my insomnia is fucking serious business. But sleep sex? WTF?
 
Maaaaan I love good ole Ambien..... Its been a friend of mine for many years%)
 
Hah im gonna dose up before bed tonight and see if I wake up satisfying more than my hand.
 
The grateful dead tapestry above my bed was definitely swirling around and shit right before passed out last night (10mg ambien, 1.5mg lorazepam). Wow.
 
stilnox 14 tablets

what a joke the tga are out of there minds its helps a lot of people sleep
and some cant handle it . its cured my insomnia some people take it
then drink alochol and act like idiots and the drug gets blamed
so instead of telling and warning when you take it you should be
in bed .not walking around drinking and driving and now they wanna make
only 14 pack grow up seriously , there are worse prescription pills
then stilnox .
why don't tga do something about ssri and there horrible side effects
or take them of the market .
 
i have no idea what stilnox is, but my boyfriend took ambien once and we had the best kinky vampire roleplay sex ever... totally unexpected in the middle of the night out of nowhere he's biting my neck and gettin all freaky... he doesn't remember any of it either. i sure do~! (and encourage him to take it more often, lol)
 
I woke up in a different bedroom in my house after taking 15mg ambien and some alcohol. There's no telling what else I did, but I woke up in a room where I never sleep. Strange. That really kinda scared me.
 
didn't some guy recently beat a rape charge with this excuse?
 
Zolpidem is a mysterious substance. Never tried it myself, but there were actually a couple kids (18-19 year olds) that I was in rehab with that were there primarily for abusing Ambien. One girl had crashed her car, her mom's car, and her boyfriend's car in the span of 2 days while in a blackout.
My girlfriend took half the recommended dose her doctor prescribed and had a major freakout (bad trip-like behavior).

Crazy.
 
I don't remember if it was Xanax or Ambien, but one of my friends was jokeing with me about my bf and I having fun one night...yeah apparently stuff happened and I didn't remember any of it. Kinda a strange deal.
Strange maybe, but it happens all the time with alcohol. And especially with alcohol + benzo's. :|
 
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