Lunesta is a brand name of Eszopiclone, a non-Benzodiazepine Sedative-Hypnotic prescribed to treat insomnia. Lunesta pills are circular in shape, white or blue in color, and come in 1 mg, 2 mg, or 3 mg strengths. The drug is designed to be taken orally, but some people snort Lunesta to intensify its effects.
Lunesta helps users fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer by binding to receptors in the brain to slow overactive brain function. This induces powerful sedation and drowsiness. The drug cannot be bought over the counter, but addicted people may find ways to purchase it illegally.
Street names for Lunesta include Sleepers, Zombies, and Sleepeasies. Many Lunesta users incorporate the drug into their nightly routine as a regular sleep aid, which can lead to continued abuse and subsequent addiction. Any use of Lunesta outside of a prescribed dosage is considered abuse. Learn More. Lunesta offers several benefits that motivate people to abuse the drug.
Namely, it provides uninterrupted, deep sleep, which can improve energy levels and cognitive function the following day. Others abuse Lunesta because they enjoy the calm feelings and drowsiness it causes. The symptoms of a Lunesta overdose vary depending on several factors, including how much the user consumed and whether other drugs or alcohol were also taken.
The following symptoms may indicate an overdose:. Looking for a place to start? Reach out to a treatment provider for free today. Make a Call Lunesta is sometimes taken in combination with other drugs.
Some people mix Lunesta with other drugs to enhance the effects of both substances. Many are unaware of how dangerous polydrug use can be. Those who binge drink while taking Lunesta may also have trouble breathing, and their blood pressure can plummet. Patients taking prescription sleep aids on a regular basis were nearly five times as likely as non-users to die over a period of two and a half years, according to the BMJ. There have been over 31 million prescriptions for Lunesta written since the drug hit market in If you are one of the many Americans who are struggling to overcome an addiction to Lunesta, professional help is available.
Please contact a treatment provider to discuss available treatment center options. After graduation, he decided to pursue his passion of writing and editing. All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional. Theresa is also a Certified Professional Life Coach and volunteers at a local mental health facility helping individuals who struggle with homelessness and addiction.
Theresa is a well-rounded clinician with experience working as a Primary Addiction Counselor, Case Manager and Director of Utilization Review in various treatment centers for addiction and mental health in Florida, Minnesota, and Colorado.
Patients usually take Lunesta once every day, directly before bed. Lunesta is intended to be a short-term medication, so a typical Lunesta prescription will last for only several weeks. However, clinical trials have shown that Lunesta may be effective for treating insomnia for an extended period of at least 6 months. If people misuse Lunesta, the effects of the drug can cause dependence and withdrawal.
Since it is illegal to possess Lunesta without a prescription, some drug traffickers sell Lunesta pills to people who cannot acquire them from a pharmacy. Ambien and Sonata also belong to this medication category. GABA is a neurotransmitter which inhibits impulses among neurons and sedates the nervous system. The effects of GABA help a person fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.
In low doses, Lunesta is not likely to inflict any serious health consequences. However, anyone who uses Lunesta may experience some side-effects. The more common side-effects of Lunesta include:. In rare cases, Lunesta can cause people to perform complex activities while asleep. For example, Lunesta patients have made phone calls, cooked meals, and even attempted to drive, all without ever waking up.
Additionally, Lunesta might cause more serious side-effects for some patients. Possible severe side-effects of Lunesta include:. Some Lunesta users may also suffer an allergic reaction to the medication.
An allergic reaction to any prescription drug is a medical emergency. The symptoms of an allergic reaction to Lunesta are swelling in the face, tongue, and throat, difficulty breathing, hives, and vomiting. It is possible to overdose on Lunesta. The risk of overdose is greatest for those who exceed the limits of their prescriptions or who abuse Lunesta for fun or to avoid withdrawal.
There is no documented case of an overdose on Lunesta by itself causing a person to die. However, when a person takes Lunesta with alcohol or another medication which affects the central nervous system, research indicates that the combined effects of the substances can cause a fatal overdose.
Since an overdose on any drug is highly serious, anyone who has a Lunesta prescription should know the symptoms of an overdose. The symptoms of a Lunesta overdose are:.
Clinical studies have shown that the risks of Lunesta addiction are low. A person could possibly experience euphoria, amnesia, and hallucinogens from taking excessively high doses of Lunesta.
For this reason, it is possible to abuse Lunesta as a recreational drug. These effects are similar to those of Ambien and other sedative medications at high doses. They help people fall asleep quickly and stay asleep for a full seven to eight hours.
However, due to the addictive properties of the drug, it is typically only prescribed for short-term use to help a person re-establish a healthy sleep cycle and wean off the use of it. Unfortunately, a person who abuses Lunesta takes more of it, increases the frequency of dosage or takes it in a way other than prescribed may develop addiction or dependence and have a hard time quitting use of it.
This is because a person using Lunesta may come to rely on the drug to fall asleep, believing they cannot seek sleep without it.
When this happens, the person is addicted, or mentally reliant on Lunesta. If a person starts taking the drug more often or increasing dosage without consulting a doctor, they also increase risk physical dependence and withdrawal. Call now to be connected with one of our compassionate treatment specialists. There are a variety of treatment options for sleeping pill abuse and addiction, including inpatient rehab programs and outpatient aftercare.
People addicted to snorting Lunesta may also struggle with dependence on the drug, and should consider an inpatient rehab program with a medically supervised detox component. Within inpatient programs at Vertava Health , a person can access professional help to taper off the use of Lunesta, receive medication to ease withdrawal symptoms and have constant support and medical care to ensure a successful detox.
Then, the person can move on to a formal inpatient program which usually includes counseling, behavioral therapy and medication-assisted treatment MAT. Before choosing a program, an Vertava Health treatment specialist can help a person determine which rehab center will best meet their needs, help them identify issues which need to be addressed and set them up with a counselor who will design a customized program.
This page does not provide medical advice. Don't Wait. Get Help Now Medically reviewed by Dr. Gerardo Sison, Pharm. D Revised on August 16, The Dangers Of Snorting Lunesta Eszopiclone Insufflation When a person snorts Lunesta, putting the drug into the body faster than intended, they increase the chances of adverse effects, including development of addiction and dependence.
What Is Lunesta Eszopiclone?
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