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.
Non-medical use
A study of non-medical use potential of eszopiclone found that in persons with a known history of non-medical benzodiazepine use, eszopiclone at doses of 6 and 12 mg produced effects similar to those of diazepam 20 mg. The study found that at these doses which are two or more times greater than the maximum recommended doses, a dose-related increase in reports of amnesia, sedation, sleepiness, and hallucinations was observed for both eszopiclone (Lunesta) as well as for diazepam (Valium). Overdose
According to the U.S. Prescribing Information, overdoses of eszopiclone up to 90 times the recommended dose have been reported in which the patient fully recovered. According to the May 2014 edition of the official U.S. Prescribing Information, fatalities have been reported only in cases in which eszopiclone was combined with other drugs or alcohol.Poison control centers reported that between 2005 and 2006 there were 525 total eszopiclone overdoses recorded in the state of Texas, the majority of which were intentional suicide attempts.If consumed within the last hour, eszopiclone overdose can be treated with the administration of activated charcoal or via gastric lavage. Interactions
There is an increased risk of central nervous system depression when eszopiclone is taken together with other CNS depressant agents, including antipsychotics, sedative hypnotics (like barbiturates or benzodiazepines), antihistamines, opioids, phenothiazines, and some antidepressants. There is also increased risk of central nervous system depression with other medications that inhibit the metabolic activities of the CYP3A4 enzyme system of the liver. Medications that inhibit this enzyme system include nelfinavir, ritonavir, ketoconazole, itraconazole and clarithromycin.