Lunesta (eszopicione) acts upon the central nervous system as a depressant, hypnotic drug to help you sleep if you suffer from insomnia. A physician must prescribe this Class IV controlled substance because of the possibility for misuse, abuse or addiction. Lunesta can help mitigate insomnia for short-term use. Physicians normally prescribe Lunesta for a seven-to10-day treatment because of long-term side effects and the possibility of addiction. Lunesta can also trigger deadly side effects.
Risk of Accidental Death
The Lunesta website warns users that they may act unconsciously when using Lunesta. You may drive a car or operate machinery without being fully awake, which could result in a fatal accident. The Lunesta website also reports instances of sleepwalking, cooking, making phone calls or having sex. While these latter activities may not be life-threatening, performing activities without being conscious could have disastrous results. You may also have no memory of having performed the actions.
Masking Mental Illness
Lunesta can appear to mitigate a sleep disorder but actually mask a serious medical or mental health problem such as depression, which could lead to suicidal behavior. The RxList website warns that taking Lunesta longer than the seven-to- 10-day recommended treatment period without positive results could be a sign of a more serious, underlying mental health problem such as clinical depression.
Geriatric Confusion, Dizziness
An elderly person who uses Lunesta can experience confusion and dizziness that could lead to a falling accident or wandering into traffic. The Mayo Clinic warns that unsteadiness, clumsiness and mental confusion are more likely to affect the elderly. The website encourages a lower dose for geriatric use to lessen the possibility of such dangerous side effects.
Abnormal Thinking, Behavior
Lunesta can trigger behavioral changes and abnormal thinking that could cause dangerous actions due to hallucinations or suicidal thoughts. The RxList website warns you may lose normal inhibitions and engage in risk-taking, aggressive acts. This behavior could be exaggerated even more if you use alcohol or other drugs at the same time as using Lunesta.
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