Does your restless mind keep you up at night? If the answer is yes, then one of the first medications that might come to mind when speaking with your doctor may include Lunesta. Lunesta, also known through its drug name eszopiclone, is a nonbenzodiazepine sleep aid that was mass-produced in December of 2004 by a pharmaceutical company called Sepracor (now known as Sunovion). This medication was created to help treat sleep problems, such as insomnia, over a short term. Lunesta can help an individual fall asleep faster and longer, while also lessening how often the person wakes up during the night. The overall goal for this sleep aid is to allow the user to get a better night’s rest without having to wake up in the middle of the night. Since
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As with all medications, Lunesta has a physiological effect on the body along with many side effects, and to truly understand how this drug works, this paper will discuss Lunesta’s effect on the body, more specifically, on the brain. Lunesta, is an agonist for the brain’s Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid receptor (GABA). This means that Lunesta, or eszopiclone is able to bind to GABA, allowing this chemical to be more available to the brain. GABA is a natural amino acid in the human brain that works as a neurotransmitter. Its primary role is to relieve stress and exhilarated reactions at the chemical level, and is commonly a factor in feelings of calmness and relaxation meaning that it can help with a good night’s rest. Since eszopiclone makes GABA more available to the brain, the increase in GABA has the ability to make a person feel sleepy. A non-benzodiazepine like Lunesta is extremely fast acting and can take as little as 15 minutes to start working. Several classes of GABA receptors include GABAA, GABAB, and GABAc receptors which are categorized in the central nervous system. Though the distribution of these receptor types, …show more content…
The most common side effects of taking Lunesta include, severe headaches, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, chest pain, dizziness, loss of libido, painful urination, sleepiness throughout the day, drowsiness, and common cold symptoms. However, a major side effect that may also result in negative consequences is impaired motor coordination and memory. According to a study conducted by the FDA, there were an alarming number of people who were unaware of being impaired while on the drug and end up driving their cars or eating meals. The reason being GABA inhibition of neural function which, when activated, impairs memory, stability, and intricate tasks like driving. To clarify, in the central nervous system (spinal cord and brain), neurotransmitters (NT) pass from neuron to neuron. In the peripheral nervous system, nerve signals run from the CNS to the rest of the body and chemical messages pass from neuron to a muscle or cell. Since GABA functions as an inhibitory neurotransmitter; it blocks nerve impulses which result in a decrease in nerve firing causes a person taking Lunesta to be impaired after taking it. Eszopiclone works similarly a benzodiazepine or a barbiturate, in that it acts as a CNS depressant and it produces an onset of different side effects like memory loss, balance, and lack of motor control. The FDA encourages people taking Lunesta
As with all medications, Lunesta has a physiological effect on the body along with many side effects, and to truly understand how this drug works, this paper will discuss Lunesta’s effect on the body, more specifically, on the brain. Lunesta, is an agonist for the brain’s Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid receptor (GABA). This means that Lunesta, or eszopiclone is able to bind to GABA, allowing this chemical to be more available to the brain. GABA is a natural amino acid in the human brain that works as a neurotransmitter. Its primary role is to relieve stress and exhilarated reactions at the chemical level, and is commonly a factor in feelings of calmness and relaxation meaning that it can help with a good night’s rest. Since eszopiclone makes GABA more available to the brain, the increase in GABA has the ability to make a person feel sleepy. A non-benzodiazepine like Lunesta is extremely fast acting and can take as little as 15 minutes to start working. Several classes of GABA receptors include GABAA, GABAB, and GABAc receptors which are categorized in the central nervous system. Though the distribution of these receptor types, …show more content…
The most common side effects of taking Lunesta include, severe headaches, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, chest pain, dizziness, loss of libido, painful urination, sleepiness throughout the day, drowsiness, and common cold symptoms. However, a major side effect that may also result in negative consequences is impaired motor coordination and memory. According to a study conducted by the FDA, there were an alarming number of people who were unaware of being impaired while on the drug and end up driving their cars or eating meals. The reason being GABA inhibition of neural function which, when activated, impairs memory, stability, and intricate tasks like driving. To clarify, in the central nervous system (spinal cord and brain), neurotransmitters (NT) pass from neuron to neuron. In the peripheral nervous system, nerve signals run from the CNS to the rest of the body and chemical messages pass from neuron to a muscle or cell. Since GABA functions as an inhibitory neurotransmitter; it blocks nerve impulses which result in a decrease in nerve firing causes a person taking Lunesta to be impaired after taking it. Eszopiclone works similarly a benzodiazepine or a barbiturate, in that it acts as a CNS depressant and it produces an onset of different side effects like memory loss, balance, and lack of motor control. The FDA encourages people taking Lunesta