All About Lunesta

What are Lunesta’s side effects?

Like most drugs, Lunesta may cause mild to serious side effects. Side effects may vary slightly depending on the dose you’re prescribed. The lists below contain some of the more common side effects Lunesta may cause but don’t include all possible side effects.

Keep in mind that side effects of a drug can depend on:

• your age
• other health conditions you have
• other medications you take

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Lunesta. They can also suggest ways to help reduce or manage them.

Mild side effects

Following is a list of some of the mild side effects Lunesta can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Lunesta’s prescribing information.

Mild side effects of Lunesta that have been reported include:

• a bad taste in your mouth or dry mouth
• changes in your sense of smell
• gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or indigestion (upset stomach)
• headache
• respiratory or viral infections, such as the common cold
• skin rash
• dizziness
• sleepiness
• nervousness
• weight changes (gain or loss)

Mild side effects of many drugs may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Lunesta can occur, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from Lunesta, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.

Serious side effects of Lunesta that have been reported include:

• anxiety
• memory loss
• changes in thoughts or actions, such as hallucinations or agitation
• new or worsening depression
• feeling sleepy or not fully awake the day after your dose*
• boxed warning: risk of abnormal activities when you’re not fully awake†

* This risk is increased if you’re prescribed a higher dose or take certain other drugs while taking Lunesta. Because of this risk, you should avoid driving the morning after you take a dose.
† For more information, see the “What should be considered before taking Lunesta?” section.

Allergic reaction

According to Lunesta studies, this drug can cause an allergic reaction in some people.

What might help

If you have mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may suggest a treatment to manage your symptoms and can determine whether you should keep taking Lunesta.

If you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or difficulty breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms could be life threatening and require immediate medical care.

If your doctor confirms you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to Lunesta, they may have you switch to a different treatment.

What is Lunesta’s dosage?

Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Lunesta that’s right for you. Below are commonly used dosages, but always take the dosage your doctor prescribes.

Form and strengths

Lunesta is available as an oral tablet in three strengths:

• 1 milligram (mg)
• 2 mg
• 3 mg

Recommended dosages

You should only take a dose of Lunesta if you’ll be able to rest for at least 7 to 8 hours. This reduces the risk of feeling less alert than normal the morning after. You’ll take your dose right before you go to bed. Avoiding a heavy or high fat meal around the time you go to bed will help Lunesta work better.

For the treatment of insomnia, your doctor will likely prescribe a starting dose of 1 mg. Based on how you respond to the drug, they may increase your dosage to 2 mg nightly. The maximum dose is 3 mg nightly. But the risk of some side effects may be higher with larger doses. Lunesta dosages over 3 mg nightly are not recommended.

If you’re ages 65 years or older or have severe liver problems, the maximum dosage is 2 mg nightly. Your doctor may prescribe a lower dosage in other situations as well.

If you’re not sleeping better after 7 to 10 days of starting Lunesta, tell your doctor, as your insomnia may be caused by something else.

Questions about taking Lunesta

Below are some common questions about taking Lunesta.

• Can Lunesta be chewed, crushed, or split? Lunesta’s prescribing information doesn’t say whether the drug may be chewed, crushed, or split. You should swallow Lunesta tablets whole. If you have trouble swallowing pills, check out this article or ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
• Should I take Lunesta with food? You should not take Lunesta with or shortly after a heavy or high fat meal. If you do, it may take the drug longer to work.
• Is there a best time of day to take Lunesta? Lunesta should be taken right before you go to bed.
• What if I miss a dose of Lunesta? If you forget to take Lunesta right before you go to bed, you may need to skip it. If you don’t have at least 7 to 8 hours to rest when you remember you skipped your dose, don’t take it that night. And don’t take two doses the next night to make up for the missed dose. Doing so could increase your risk of side effects.
• Will I need to take Lunesta long term? Maybe. Lunesta helped treat insomnia for up to 6 months in studies. It’s unlikely you’ll experience long-term side effects, but you may have withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking Lunesta suddenly. See the “What are some frequently asked questions about Lunesta?” section to learn more.
• How long does Lunesta take to work? Lunesta begins to work right after you take it. The drug should make you feel sleepy within an hour of taking a dose. Your doctor will check whether Lunesta is working to treat your condition throughout your treatment.

Overdose

Do not take more Lunesta than your doctor prescribes, as this can lead to harmful effects.

Effects of overdose

Symptoms caused by a Lunesta overdose can include feeling incredibly sleepy.

In rare cases, an overdose of Lunesta may lead to coma or even death. This risk is increased if you:

• take a higher dose than you’re prescribed
• take Lunesta with alcohol or other drugs that impact your brain and spinal cord

What to do in case you take too much Lunesta

Call your doctor if you think you’ve taken too much Lunesta. You can also call 800-222-1222 to reach America’s Poison Centers or use its online resource. But if you have severe symptoms, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency room.

What are some frequently asked questions about Lunesta?

Find answers to some commonly asked questions about Lunesta.

Is there a risk of withdrawal with Lunesta?

Lunesta is a controlled substance. This means it has an approved medical use but may be misused for other purposes. It also means government agencies, doctors, and pharmacists pay close attention to how the drug is prescribed and used.

However, as a Schedule IV drug, Lunesta has a lower risk of physical dependence than many other controlled substances. (Dependence is when your body gets used to a drug and needs it for you to function as usual.) Your risk of dependence with Lunesta is higher if you have mental health problems or have misused drugs or alcohol in the past. Your risk also increases if you take a higher dose of Lunesta or take it for longer periods of time.

Based on its Schedule IV status, Lunesta also has a lower risk of addiction than other controlled substances. Addiction is when a drug is taken even if it’s causing harmful effects.

If you suddenly stop taking Lunesta, you may experience withdrawal symptoms. (These are side effects that can occur when you stop taking a drug your body has become dependent on.)

Examples of withdrawal symptoms listed in Lunesta’s studies include:

• nausea
• indigestion (upset stomach)
• anxiety
• unusual dreams

Talk with your doctor before stopping Lunesta. They may lower your dosage slowly over time to help reduce your risk of withdrawal symptoms. If you do have withdrawal symptoms after stopping Lunesta, talk with your doctor. They can recommend ways to ease these symptoms.

Can I take Lunesta for anxiety? Can I take Lunesta with medications for anxiety, such as Xanax?

Anxiety may cause trouble sleeping. Lunesta is not approved to treat anxiety, but it may be helpful in treating insomnia from anxiety.

Xanax (alprazolam) is approved to treat anxiety in adults. But taking Xanax with Lunesta isn’t recommended, as taking these drugs together may increase your risk of serious side effects.

Talk with your doctor to learn more about anxiety treatments that are safe to take with Lunesta.

Can I take Lunesta with gabapentin or trazodone?

Your doctor may prescribe gabapentin for pain from shingles, certain types of seizure, or other conditions. Trazodone is an antidepressant. Both of these drugs can cause you to feel sleepy. Taking gabapentin or trazodone with Lunesta isn’t recommended, as it may increase your risk of serious side effects.

Talk with your doctor to learn more about the safest treatment options for insomnia based on the other medications you take.

What should I know about Lunesta vs. Ambien?

Lunesta and Ambien belong to the same group of drugs and are both used to treat insomnia in adults.

Both drugs come as oral tablets. Ambien is available as immediate-release (IR) and extended-release (ER) tablets. The IR tablet is better for people who have trouble falling asleep. The ER tablet may be more helpful if you have trouble staying asleep.

Lunesta is only available as IR tablets. But Lunesta may help if you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. The doses of each drug are also different.

To learn more about how these drugs compare, see this article.

What should be considered before taking Lunesta?

Below is important information you should consider before taking Lunesta.

Interactions

Taking a drug with certain medications, vaccines, foods, and other things can affect how the drug works. These effects are called interactions. Lunesta can interact with several other medications. It can also interact with certain supplements as well as certain foods.

Before starting Lunesta treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you take. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.

Drug interactions

Below is a list of medications that can interact with Lunesta. This list does not contain all drugs that may interact with Lunesta. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

* Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is an enzyme in the liver that helps to break down certain drugs, including Lunesta.

Lunesta and alcohol

It is not safe to consume alcohol while taking Lunesta. Consuming alcohol while taking Lunesta could increase your risk of serious side effects. These include feeling very sleepy or not fully alert the day after. Due to these risks, do not take Lunesta before going to bed if you’ve consumed alcohol that evening.

Other interactions

Lunesta can interact with other substances, such as:

• Vitamins or supplements: Any vitamin or supplement that makes you sleepy may increase your chance of side effects if you take it with Lunesta. Your doctor will likely recommend that you avoid these types of vitamins and supplements, such as melatonin, during your Lunesta treatment.
  • Lunesta also interacts with St. John’s wort. Your doctor will likely recommend that you avoid taking this supplement during Lunesta treatment.
• Foods: Lunesta interacts with grapefruit and grapefruit juice. Your doctor will likely recommend that you do not consume grapefruit products during Lunesta treatment.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

It’s not known whether it’s safe to take Lunesta during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant or to breastfeed, talk with your doctor before starting Lunesta treatment.

Boxed warning

Lunesta has a boxed warning about the risk of performing abnormal activities when you’re not fully awake. This is also called complex sleep behavior. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.

Complex sleep behavior activities that could occur with Lunesta include:

• sleepwalking
• eating
• making phone calls
• driving
• sex

You probably won’t remember doing these activities when you become fully awake.

Performing these activities when you’re not fully alert could cause serious injury to yourself or others. It could also result in death. Due to these risks, your doctor will stop prescribing Lunesta for you if you have one of these episodes.

Other warnings

Lunesta can sometimes cause harmful effects in people with certain conditions. This is known as a drug-condition interaction. Other factors may also affect whether Lunesta is a good treatment option for you. Talk with your doctor about your health history before taking this drug. Be sure to tell them if any of the following factors apply to you:

• substance use disorder
• alcohol use
• liver problems
• lung problems
• mental health problems, such as hallucinations
• new or worsening depression
• suicidal thoughts and actions in people with depression
• previous allergic reaction to Lunesta
• history of abnormal activity after taking Lunesta or similar drugs*
• pregnancy
• breastfeeding

* See the “Boxed warning” section above to learn more.

What is Lunesta used for?

Lunesta is used to help treat insomnia in adults. With insomnia, you may have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. You may experience these problems for shorter or longer amounts of time. If you rest poorly, you may find you’re more irritable or forgetful the next morning.

It’s not fully known how Lunesta works to treat insomnia. It’s thought that the drug attaches to a chemical messenger in your brain called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), increasing GABA levels. This may help you relax, which in turn may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

Similar drugs

Other drugs are available that can treat your condition. If you’d like to explore an alternative to Lunesta, talk with your doctor. They can tell you about other medications that might work well for you.

The following drugs are similar to Lunesta (a sedative-hypnotic):

• other sedative-hypnotics:
  • zolpidem (Ambien, Edluar)
  • zaleplon (Sonata)
• benzodiazepines:
  • temazepam (Restoril)
  • triazolam (Halcion)
• dual orexin receptor antagonists:
  • suvorexant (Belsomra)
  • lemborexant (Dayvigo)
• melatonin receptor agonists, such as ramelteon (Rozerem)
• tricyclic antidepressants, such as doxepin (Silenor)