These medications are subcategories of sleeping pills, the main function of which is to help people relax and induce sleepiness. Unlike over-the-counter types, the distribution of this type is controlled and given only to individuals who are diagnosed with a sleeping disorder.
These medications are known by several brand, generic, and street names. In the market, they are known mostly by some common brand names such as Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, and Prosom. Likewise, it has some known street names such as candy pills, tranks, A-, sleepers, and zombie pills.
In terms of physical form, these medications are available in the form of capsules, oral sprays, and tablets. The reason why it has the street name “candy pills” is because various brands of these drugs come in several color combinations. When buying one in the pharmacy, one can notice that certain brands have a specific pill identifier. This is done to facilitate easy identification of brand names.
Prescription Sleeping Pills, How They Work
A person’s development of a sleeping disorder is caused by several factors. Some of these influencing factors include stress, depression, mental disease, and unhealthy sleeping behaviors. A combination of these things can progress to a severe sleeping disorder.
The GABA receptor site in the brain is responsible for the stimulation of the production of GABA brain chemicals. These brain chemicals are responsible for reducing the activity of the brain which in turn relaxes the whole body. The nonbenzodiazepine active component of these medications binds on the GABA receptors to enhance the production of GABA brain chemicals.
The overall impact for this scenario is a reduced brain activity which relaxes all muscles in the body. In return, this net effect helps the patient get a smooth and easy way to sleep.
Addiction and Dangers
These substances are classified by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) under Schedule IV controlled substances. These types have a lower addictive potential compared to illicit substances but the inability to determine one’s increased tolerance poses a great risk for the person.
Majority of the brands of these drugs effectively induces sleep and improve a healthier sleeping habit. However, some have a higher potential of building tolerance and dependence when the dosage is not properly monitored. Some brands which have a high risk for dependence include Prosom, Lunesta, Restoril, Sonata, Halcion, Zolpidem, Belsomra, and Ambien.
These substances may not have high addictive potential but most people suffering from sleeping disorders experience an overdose with these drugs. The main reason why there is a high risk for overdose is due to the mindset of the patients that it is not dangerous. In addition, the fast development of tolerance contributes to the high incidence of overdose.
A drug overdose will result in a few observable symptoms. Early detection of an overdose is important to apply the early cure and to avoid complications. To tell if someone has overdosed from these drugs, one can experience some of these symptoms: lethargy, very slow reflexes, difficulty breathing, stomach cramps, and lack of enthusiasm.
Most people undermine the danger of these medications considering it is less addictive. The real danger of these drugs lies in its fast development of tolerance for the user. Consequently, medical personnel commonly would advise a treatment duration of one to two weeks before tolerance builds up. Patients taking these medications oftentimes feel dizzy in the morning because a few residues of the medication are left unused in the body.
Meanwhile, abuse of these substances can lead to both short and long-term health consequences. It is best to understand the possible side effects these drugs before taking them. Some of its short-term side effects include dryness of the oral cavity, a sudden change in eating behavior, dizziness, and a few inflammations in the limbs. While its long-term effects include tremors, unpleasant dreams, sleepwalking, heartburn, and a slight loss of memory.
Furthermore, like other drugs, these medications have a specific duration of staying inside the system of a person. If one plans to go for a drug test, then knowing the average time of flushing out these chemicals from the body is essential. To give some insights, these medications stay in the blood and urine for around one to seven days. While in the saliva and hair, it sits around 3 days and up to 3 months respectively.
Medications and Treatments
The first step to any effective treatment program is the acceptance of the patient for the need for external guidance and help. This ensures an open mind and obedience for any medication and therapy procedures.
Once the symptoms of an overdose are seen, the patient must undergo certain steps to have early medication and prevention. First, one must address if the patient has stable vital signs. This ensures that the situation is manageable and first aid can still be applied. The second thing to be done is flushing out of the patient’s stomach. This allows a huge portion of the chemicals flushed out from the system.
These types of drugs relax the muscles including the lungs and heart of the patient. Consequently, this results in lower blood pressure and slowed breathing action. To counter this effect, maintain proper airways for the patient by allowing a loose garment or clothes. Next, vasopressors can be administered to maintain proper blood pressure in the body.
Other things one can do is to allow the patient to take activated charcoal. This compound has great absorptive properties which can help absorb the number of toxins inside the body. Likewise, one can induce wakefulness to the patient by prescribing flumazenil or romazicon.
Detoxification is the first step towards treatment. It is expected that the patient will exhibit strong withdrawal symptoms which include uncontrolled sweating, low heartbeat, highly irritability, anxiety, and cravings for the substance.
Aside from these medications, specific therapies are also given to patients to supplement and hasten the recovery process. The common therapy methods given to patients include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Recovery Groups, and Reward System.
In the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) intervention, the therapist will assist the patient in identifying unhealthy thoughts which triggers the craving for the substance. After identifying, the therapist will help the patient formulate positive means of coping from these negative thoughts.
In the Reward System intervention, the therapist will reinforce positive behavior with specific rewards, either monetary or non-monetary gifts. This helps build motivation for the patient to develop good habits and gain fast recovery.
Lastly, in the Recovery Group intervention, the patient will be part of a group of people having the same condition. The main focus of this therapy is to enhance social communication skills among members. Likewise, each patient will develop insights from the experiences and success stories from other members.
