Generic Lunesta

Lunesta is manufactured by Sepracor Inc. It is currently under the protection of a patent that prevents any generic Lunesta from being manufactured in the United States. Yet, if you search the Internet for "generic Lunesta," you may find a number of companies selling it. The fact is, these medicines are fake, substandard, and potentially dangerous. There may be generic Lunesta available from another country, but there is really no way of knowing if you are getting genuine Lunesta or not. You should not buy any generic Lunesta until there is an approved version available.

Indications and usage

LUNESTA is indicated for the treatment of insomnia. In controlled outpatient and sleep laboratory studies, LUNESTA administered at bedtime decreased sleep latency and improved sleep maintenance.
The clinical trials performed in support of efficacy were up to 6 months in duration. The final formal assessments of sleep latency and maintenance were performed at 4 weeks in the 6-week study, at the end of both 2-week studies and at the end of the 6-month study.

Effect Of Food

In healthy adults, administration of a 3 mg dose of eszopiclone after a high-fat meal resulted in no change in AUC, a reduction in mean Cmax of 21%, and delayed tmax by approximately 1 hour. The half-life remained unchanged, approximately 6 hours. The effects of Lunesta on sleep onset may be reduced if it is taken with or immediately after a high-fat/heavy meal.

Recommended Treatment

General symptomatic and supportive measures should be used along with immediate gastric lavage where appropriate. Intravenous fluids should be administered as needed. Flumazenil may be useful. As in all cases of drug overdose, respiration, pulse, blood pressure, and other appropriate signs should be monitored and general supportive measures employed. Hypotension and CNS depression should be monitored and treated by appropriate medical intervention. The value of dialysis in the treatment of overdosage has not been determined.

Some Lunesta Precautions and Warnings

Lunesta can interact with certain medications.

If you drink alcohol, let your healthcare provider know prior to starting Lunesta. In general, people should not use alcohol when taking Lunesta because it can increase the risks of developing Lunesta side effects.

Lunesta can cause drowsiness and other sedating effects. Taking Lunesta with other medications that cause drowsiness can increase the risk of side effects.

Lunesta Interactions Explained

Taking Lunesta with delavirdine can increase the level of Lunesta in your blood, increasing your chance of developing side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking these two medications together.

Taking Lunesta with diclofenac can increase the level of Lunesta in your blood, increasing your chance of developing side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking these two medications together.

Adults 18 years and older

The usual starting dose is 2 milligrams taken immediately before bedtime. If you have trouble staying asleep, the doctor may increase your dosage. If you have severe liver disease, the usual starting dose is 1 milligrams, not to exceed 2 milligrams in one night.
If you are 65 years or older and have trouble falling asleep, the usual starting dose is 1 mg taken immediately before bedtime. Your doctor may increase the dose to 2 mg if you cannot stay asleep.