Lunesta, also known as eszopiclone, is a medication that is used as a sleep aid for patients who suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorders. The foods which you eat can affect how oral medications are absorbed by your digestive tract, and consuming a high fat meal can interfere with the absorption of Lunesta.
How Lunesta Works
Insomnia and other sleep problems may occur if your brain has trouble shutting down, which is part of what lets you fall asleep. Lunesta is a hypnotic medication, MedlinePlus explains, which means that it slows down neuronal activity in your brain and helps you fall asleep. Because Lunesta typically works relatively quickly, users are recommended to only take this medication immediately before going to bed or after they have gone to bed but cannot fall asleep.
High Fat Meals and Medications
Consuming meals which are high in fat can reduce the effectiveness of some medications. When you eat a large quantity of fat, your stomach holds onto the food longer to aid digestion. This delays a process known as gastric emptying. If you consume medications along with high fat meals, it can take longer for the medication to reach your small intestine where it can be absorbed. This does not affect the activity of some medications, but it can be problematic for drugs such as Lunesta.
High Fat Meals and Lunesta
According to Drugs.com, ingesting Lunesta along with or immediately after a high fat meal can make the medication less effective. Administration of Lunesta along with high fat or heavy meals lowers the maximum blood concentrations of the medication by 21 percent and also delays the achievement of peak blood levels by one hour. This means that taking Lunesta along with a high fat meal can cause you to not fall asleep as quickly.
Recommendations
If you consume a high fat meal, wait at least one hour before taking Lunesta to give your stomach time to empty. If you have trouble falling asleep after this, the Lunesta may still not be well absorbed by your intestines. If you try to take another dose of Lunesta, you may accidentally overdose, which can cause you to feel sleepy or drowsy the next day. Talk to your doctor if you frequently have trouble falling asleep after taking Lunesta.
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