Facts about Sleeping Pills
Facts about Sleeping Pills: General Information
Frequently called sedatives, nerve pills or muscle relaxants, sleeping pills are drugs used to reduce anxiety, nervous tension, sleeping problems and muscle tension.
Belonging to a family of drugs called benzodiazepines, most medications used to reduce anxiety and stress, or help with sleeping problems, must be prescribed by a doctor.
Benzodiazepines depress or slow down the central nervous system. They are frequently used for relief of depression, anxiety or sleeping problems which may be caused by life changes such as retirement, reduced financial income, poor health, the loss of loved ones, or physical and social loneliness. As we age, typical changes in sleeping patterns may be interpreted as a sleeping disorder. Less frequently recommended than in the past, sleeping pills are still used more than they should be to relieve these symptoms.
Facts about Sleeping Pills: Effects
Since they treat the symptoms of stress and not the cause, sleeping pills only relieve anxiety and sleeping problems momentary. They may help during an exceptionally stressful time, but they are not meant to be used for more than 8 to 12 days.
Facts about Sleeping Pills: Side Effects
Body’s sensitivity to sleeping pills augments with aging and severe illness. The side effects of these medications are more to be expected in seniors. The property of medication can be more altered in a senior than in a younger individual because drugs stay longer in seniors’ bodies.
The following side effects may be experienced:
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drowsy during the day
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groggy
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confusion and lack of concentration
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forgetful
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dizzy or uncoordinated which can result in a fall or another kind of accident
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irritable
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anxious
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depression
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headache
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nausea
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constipation
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changes in heart rate
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Unlike other medications, the side effects do not fade away with persistent use.
Facts about Sleeping Pills: Dependency
More than ever when used repeatedly for more than a few weeks, all prescription sleeping pills can cause corporeal and psychological addiction. Signs of addiction can be the need to get more of these drugs to get the similar effect, or finding it hard to do with no drugs.
Facts about Sleeping Pills: Withdrawal Symptoms
If a dependence on sleeping pills has developed, withdrawal from these drugs have to be supervised by a health professional to lessen the risk of severe withdrawal symptoms which may be life threatening.
Watch for the following withdrawal symptoms:
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abdominal cramps
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agitation
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anxiety
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diarrhea
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increased heart rate
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irritability
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seizures
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sweating
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tremors
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vomiting