Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Sedatives and hypnotics should be avoided in people with dementia, [24] according to the medication appropriateness tool for co‐morbid health conditions in dementia criteria. [25] The use of these medications can further impede cognitive function for people with dementia, who are also more sensitive to side effects of medications. [citation ...
Their effects range from moderate sedation to total anesthesia according to the doses indicated. Due to the significant adverse effects (i.e. hallucination , agitation , confusion and hangover) and higher risk of overdose, barbiturates are now mostly replaced by benzodiazepine receptor agonists or other somnifacients in clinical practice for ...
Side effects can differ within the drug class due to differences in metabolism and pharmacology. For example, long-acting benzodiazepines have problems of drug accumulation especially in the elderly or those with liver disease, and shorter-acting benzodiazepines have a higher risk of more severe withdrawal symptoms.
Zolpidem tartrate, a common but potent sedative–hypnotic drug.Used for severe insomnia. Hypnotic (from Greek Hypnos, sleep [1]), or soporific drugs, commonly known as sleeping pills, are a class of (and umbrella term for) psychoactive drugs whose primary function is to induce sleep [2] (or surgical anesthesia [note 1]) and to treat insomnia (sleeplessness).
Sedation scales are used in medical situations in conjunction with a medical history in assessing the applicable degree of sedation in patients in order to avoid under-sedation (the patient risks experiencing pain or distress) and over-sedation (the patient risks side effects such as suppression of breathing, which might lead to death).
Sedation is the side effect people taking lorazepam most frequently report. In a group of around 3,500 people treated for anxiety, the most common side effects complained of from lorazepam were sedation (15.9%), dizziness (6.9%), weakness (4.2%), and unsteadiness (3.4%). Side effects such as sedation and unsteadiness increased with age. [61]
Because of its lack of anticholinergic side effects, trazodone is especially useful in situations in which antimuscarinic effects are particularly problematic (e.g., in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, closed-angle glaucoma, or severe constipation). Trazodone's propensity to cause sedation is a dual-edged sword.
Long-term use of sedative/hypnotics for insomnia lacks an evidence base and has traditionally been discouraged for reasons that include concerns about such potential adverse drug effects as cognitive impairment (anterograde amnesia), daytime sedation, motor incoordination, and increased risk of motor vehicle accidents and falls. In addition ...