NeuroTalk Support Groups - FYI: Concerns raised over sleeping pills' side effects

Stilnox and Immovane
Stilnox is Ambien. I remember someone having really bad effects from Ambien here at NeuroTalk.

Quote:

Australian Broadcasting Corporation Online News.
Last Update: Sunday, March 11, 2007. 7:11pm (AEDT)
Concerns raised over sleeping pills' side effects

By Sophie Scott

Doctors have received 25 reports of bizarre behaviour associated with two sleeping tablets, Stilnox and Immovane.

Many patients have contacted the adverse medicines event line in Queensland with their stories.

Doctor Geraldine Moses runs the consumer line where patients report side effects from medicines.

She says she has received 25 reports of strange behaviour in patients taking the sleeping pills, particularly when combined with alcohol.

"The most concerning side effects that we have heard about are the people waking up a few hours after taking the medication in the middle of the night, doing things such as cooking, ironing, driving their car or motorbike," Dr Moses said.

"These are complex things which can be quite dangerous and the following morning they have no recollection of what they've done."

Craig Cavenett from Adelaide took the drug after a few drinks.

He woke up behind the wheel of his car having crashed it.

"I was hoping it was a dream, but then I found the paper work that police had given me the night before and it suddenly dawned on me that it was for real and as I said I was quite distraught," Mr Cavenett said.

The drug manufacturer says side effects are not common.

Federal health authorities say they will investigate the drug.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems...3/s1868795.htm
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I think Immovane, as they've got it in the article, is supposed to be Imovane, but I'm not 100% sure. I've never heard of it before.

I noticed that they said a number of the adverse effects happened when the sleeping medications were taken with alcohol. They just had this on our news here and they interviewed people who had adverse effects and some of the things they'd done were very disturbing. They mentioned someone taking one of these medications on an aeroplane and arriving at their destination in handcuffs. :eek:

Please don't drink alcohol when you're taking any meds.. This is very frightening stuff. I know not all the people with adverse effects drank alcohol with them though, so it will be good to hear more information about these drugs when it's available.