American Journal of Human Genetics. 46 (3): 533–8. PMC 1683634. PMID 2309703. == External links ==
Eszopiclone, sold under the brand-name Lunesta among others such as Night Calm in Egypt, is a medication used in the treatment of insomnia. Evidence supports slight to moderate benefit up to six months. It is taken orally.Common side effects include headache, dry mouth, nausea, and dizziness. Severe side effects may include suicidal thoughts, unhealthy non-medical use, hallucinations, and angioedema. Greater care is recommended in those with liver problems and older people. Rapid decreasing of the dose may result in withdrawal. Eszopiclone is classified as a nonbenzodiazepine sedative hypnotic and as a cyclopyrrolone. It is the S-stereoisomer of zopiclone. It works by interacting with the GABA receptors.Approved for medical use in the United States in 2004, eszopiclone is available as generic medication. In 2019, it was the 223rd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 2 million prescriptions. Eszopiclone is not sold in the European Union, as in 2009 the European Medicines Agency (EMA) ruled that it was too similar to zopiclone to be considered a new patentable product. Medical uses
A 2018 Cochrane review found that it produced moderate improvement in sleep onset and maintenance. The authors suggest that where preferred non-pharmacological treatment strategies have been exhausted, eszopiclone provides an efficient treatment for insomnia.