Side effects of sleeping pills

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Sleeping pills or sedatives that induce sleep are commonly used in the treatment of anxiety disorders, insomnia, and poor sleep. However, in addition to the treatment effect, sleeping pills can cause some unwanted side effects, affecting the patient's health. To use drugs safely and effectively, understanding the side effects of sleeping pills is indispensable.

1. Side effects of sleeping pills

When treating insomnia and anxiety disorders with medication, you may experience some of the side effects of sleeping pills. These include common side effects, more complicated side effects (such as Parasomnias) and allergic reactions, even anaphylaxis or dependence on sleeping pills.
1.1 Common side effects of sleeping pills Common side effects of sleeping pills can include: tingling in the palms, arms, feet, legs, trouble balancing, dizziness, Drowsiness during the day, dry mouth. In addition, patients also experience changes in appetite such as appetite or loss of appetite, heartburn, belching, constipation or diarrhea, stomach pain, headache, weakness, mental sluggishness during the day. later, having unusual dreams, ...
In particular, sleeping pills can interfere with normal breathing and can be dangerous in people with certain chronic lung problems such as asthma, emphysema emphysema or other forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

1.2 Parasomnias is a complicated side effect of sleeping pills Some sleeping pills have more complicated side effects, which can cause sleep disorders called Parasomnias. Although rare, but Parasomnias are extremely dangerous because when the patient wakes up, he cannot remember what happened, so it is difficult to detect. More specifically, Parasomnias are abnormal phenomena that occur suddenly during sleep, are uncontrollable movements and behaviors such as sleepwalking, and can include eating, making phone calls, or having sex during sleep state. In particular, driving while not fully awake is a serious side effect of sleeping pills that affects the safety and life of patients.
During treatment, it is very important to be aware of the side effects of sleeping pills. If you notice that the patient has symptoms related to Parasomnias, talk to your doctor right away for a reasonable treatment.
1.3 Allergies can be a serious side effect of sleeping pills Allergies are one of the possible side effects of sleeping pills. If you have a history of allergies to any sleeping pills, talk to your doctor about choosing the right medication. Here are the first signs of an allergy to sleeping pills:
Vision problems such as blurred vision Chest pain, trouble breathing or swallowing Heart pounding Vomiting or nausea Hoarseness, shortness of breath Itching, rash Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue or throat In addition, a very serious acute allergic reaction to a sleeping pill that can be fatal is anaphylaxis. Another side effect of sleeping pills is an allergic reaction that leads to angioedema and severe swelling of the face. If you experience a severe allergic reaction, take the patient to the nearest hospital for immediate emergency care.

1.4 How can you become dependent on sleeping pills? For short-term insomnia, your doctor may prescribe sleeping pills for several weeks. However, after regular use for a longer period of time, some sleeping pills such as benzodiazepines such as zolpidem or eszopiclone can become less effective because the body can no longer tolerate the drug.
In addition, you can also be psychologically dependent on the drug, meaning that going to bed without taking a sleeping pill will make you feel anxious, difficult to sleep. Some studies show that long-term use of sleeping pills can interfere with sleep later in life. Therefore, the best way to avoid developing dependence on sleeping pills is to follow your doctor's instructions and stop taking them when recommended.
MORE: Insomnia and its treatments

2. What should be noted to use sleeping pills safely?

Due to the side effects mentioned above, you should pay attention to the following issues to effectively and safely treat anxiety disorders and insomnia.
2.1 Combining sleeping pills and alcohol, grapefruit juice can be dangerous In fact, mixing alcohol and sleeping pills can increase the sedative effect. However, this combination can cause respiratory arrest and lead to death. Therefore, you should not use alcohol while taking sleeping pills to avoid possible dangerous side effects.
Also, you should not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while taking certain sleeping pills. The reason is because grapefruit increases the absorption of sleeping pills into the blood, thereby increasing the amount of sleeping pills in the body and can cause an overdose.

2.2 What measures are there to limit the side effects of sleeping pills? In addition to avoiding alcohol, grapefruit juice and sleeping pills, to limit the side effects of sleeping pills, you should take sleeping pills right before bedtime, ask relatives to monitor to detect Parasomnias status if any, Stop taking the medicine if advised by your doctor. Read your doctor's instructions on your prescription and leaflet for information about the sleeping pills you're taking.
Being aware of the side effects of sleeping pills mentioned above is very important for timely intervention. Besides, using sleeping pills for a long time is not a useful measure. Therefore, if you have symptoms of insomnia, anxiety disorder, you can go to a reputable medical center or hospital to examine and find out the cause, from which to have appropriate treatment, avoid abuse. medicine.
With many years of experience in examination and treatment, now Vinmec International General Hospital has become one of the leading prestigious health care centers, capable of examining, screening and treating patients. treat many serious diseases. Therefore, when there are abnormal signs of health, patients can go to the doctor to be diagnosed and receive advice on how to use the drug effectively, minimizing unwanted side effects that may be encountered. right.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

Reference source: webmd.com