Lunesta is a fairly unique prescription sleep aid. It’s in a class of drugs called non-benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotics. They’re often called Z-drugs because many of them have names that start with or include the letter Z. Lunesta is a brand name for a substance called eszopiclone.
One thing that makes this sleeping pill unique is that it’s one of the only sleep medications that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved to be used for more than just a few weeks. Lunesta is thought to be milder and safer than other similar drugs, but can it cause dependence and withdrawal-like other depressants? Learn more about Lunesta withdrawal and treatment.
Is There a Detox Protocol Used for Adderall Withdrawal?
Lunesta is a central nervous system depressant in a class of drugs known to cause potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms. However, Lunesta isn’t exactly the same as alcohol, barbiturates, or even benzodiazepines like Xanax. It’s a Z-drug, which is generally considered to be milder than those other depressants.
However, it’s still a prescription drug that can have some significant effects on your brain and body. Still, there are some signs and symptoms that can let you know if you’re likely to experience withdrawal, and there are some things that can increase your chances of going through withdrawal.
Most sleep medications are only approved for use for a few days or a few weeks. That’s because your body can adapt to them and cause tolerance after a period of consistent use. Tolerance is a consequence of your body’s adaptation to the drug in your system. After a while, tolerance makes you feel diminishing effects over time, so you may need to increase your dosage to feel the same impact. However, Lunesta seems to be resistant to tolerance, which is why the FDA has approved Lunesta for use for up to six months.
Since Lunesta is a fairly mild drug that’s slow to cause tolerance and chemical dependence, you may be more likely to experience withdrawal if you misuse the drug or mix it with other substances. Taking very high doses consistently for a long time could result in uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Other signs of dependence and the risk of withdrawal include:
- Mixing the drug with other depressants
- Using the drug recreationally
- Taking more than you intended
- Using the drug just to avoid uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms
- Feeling insomnia, anxiety, or tremors when you miss a dose
- Trying and failing to quit or cut back
- Cravings to use the drug that are difficult to resist
Is There a Detox Protocol Used for Adderall Withdrawal?
As a central nervous system depressant, Lunesta works with a chemical called gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is tied to rest and relaxation. To help people get to sleep, the drug slows down your nervous system to help you relax. But as your body gets used to it, it may adjust your brain chemistry to achieve a chemical balance. Once your nervous system relies on a depressant to function normally, quitting can result in uncomfortable symptoms when your brain chemistry is thrown out of balance.
Lunesta doesn’t seem to cause your brain to adapt in the same way that other central nervous system depressants can. Still, the FDA warns that it can cause some withdrawal symptoms. Like most sleep aids, quitting Lunesta can lead to a return of your insomnia symptoms. This is called rebounding. Rebounding refers to withdrawal that involves symptoms that a drug was used to treat.
Like other depressants, Lunesta can also cause anxiety. As your nervous system becomes overactive, you can experience anxiety symptoms like racing thoughts, nervousness, and excessive worry. In most cases, anxiety symptoms are temporary, but they can linger for weeks after quitting.
Other Lunesta withdrawal symptoms include:
- Abnormal dreams
- Sleep disturbances
- Nausea
- Upset stomach
Other central nervous system depressants can cause more severe symptoms like tremors, panic, heart palpitations, and seizures, but these symptoms are less likely during withdrawal from Lunesta. Still, if you experience any of these potentially dangerous symptoms after quitting Lunesta, speak to your doctor as soon as possible.
When Do Symptoms Start?
Lunesta withdrawal is usually mild. You may not feel withdrawal symptoms until you try to go to sleep after quitting. You may find it harder to get to sleep the night after quitting, and your sleep may be disturbed by strange dreams or anxiety-related symptoms. Lunesta has a half-life of around six hours, and its effects will probably wear off by the next morning, which is ideal for a sleep aid. If you’ve used the drug for a long time and developed a significant dependence on it, you may feel withdrawal symptoms earlier, but you’re most likely to feel it within the first 24 hours, especially when you try to get some sleep.
How Long Does Withdrawal Last?
Since Lunesta is a fairly short-acting drug, and its effects during withdrawal are mild, you may not experience discomfort for very long. Acute withdrawal symptoms may last for a few days after your last dose. However, if you have chronic anxiety and you’ve been taking Lunesta for several weeks or months, you may have to deal with lingering sleep issues. Ideally, Lunesta can help you through a period of insomnia, and then you can get off the drug when it’s over. However, it’s possible for you to return to insomnia and sleep issues when you stop taking it. In that case, you may have to speak to your doctor to find new ways to address sleeplessness.
Is There a Detox Protocol Used for Adderall Withdrawal?
Central nervous system depressants like Lunesta are known to be the most dangerous drug category during withdrawal. However, Lunesta is unique in that it doesn’t cause your body to adapt to it as much as other depressants and sleep aids do. Since your nervous system doesn’t adapt to it quickly, you may be slow to develop a tolerance to Lunesta. According to the FDA, clinical trials showed no evidence that Lunesta could cause serious withdrawal syndrome.
Still, the FDA warns that Lunesta can cause some uncomfortable symptoms when you stop taking it. It may be possible to experience dangerous symptoms after a long period of misuse, especially if you use the drug alongside other depressants like alcohol, barbiturates, or benzodiazepines. Severe depressant withdrawal symptoms can include seizures, extreme confusion, panic, sweating, heart palpitations, and chest pains. Seizures can lead to serious injuries, especially if you go through them on your own. Seizures can cause you to lose consciousness and convulse, which can lead to serious injuries.
Depressants can also cause a condition called delirium tremens, which is characterized by the sudden onset of confusion, panic, sweating, chest pains, irregular heartbeat, and chest pains. It can sometimes result in serious complications like heart attacks or strokes. However, delirium tremens is more commonly associated with alcohol and barbiturates than it is with modern sleep aids, especially mild drugs like Lunesta.
Despite the fact that Lunesta is generally safer during withdrawal than other depressants, it’s still important for you to speak to your doctor before quitting the drug cold turkey.
What Detox Protocol is Used for Adderall Withdrawal?
If you’ve used Lunesta consistently over weeks or months, quitting may cause some discomfort, even though it isn’t likely to cause life-threatening symptoms. Before quitting cold turkey, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist about getting off the medication. Your doctor can help you adjust your dose, switch your medication, or taper off the drug safely. Tapering involves taking smaller and smaller doses of a drug to let your body adjust its own brain chemistry over time. This can help you avoid uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms, but it can also help you avoid the return of insomnia after you stop taking medication for it. If you have chronic insomnia but you need to get off of Lunesta, you’ll need to work with your doctor to find other options to help you get restful sleep.
People who experience severe chemical dependence or substance used disorders that are related to depressants often need to go through medical detox. Medical detox is also called medically managed intensive inpatient treatment, and it’s the highest level of care in formal addiction treatment. Detox is for people who may experience severe withdrawal symptoms that require medical attention. It can also be ideal for someone that may have medical conditions or complications that can be affected by withdrawal symptoms.
It’s unlikely for Lunesta to require this high level of care, but extreme misuse or mixing of the drug could warrant detox.
What Detox Protocol is Used for Adderall Withdrawal?
If you’ve developed a substance use disorder that involves Lunesta or another depressant, detox may not be all you need to achieve long-lasting sobriety. Detox is an important step in treatment, but it may only be the first step in treating addiction. Addiction treatment involves a multidisciplinary approach to treating substance misuse and underlying issues. Through the course of treatment, biological, psychological, and social issues should be addressed. Ignoring underlying problems like mental health may not allow you to achieve lasting recovery.
There are four main levels of care in treatment, including medical detox. As you progress in treatment, you will move on to less intensive care. High-level needs require more access to medical and clinical care, while low-level needs can go through treatment with more independence.
Through each level of care, you’ll participate in various treatment and therapy options that are tailored to your individual needs. Behavioral therapies are common, especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is used to help create relapse prevention strategies. You may also go through therapies that are intended to address specific needs like past traumas, anxiety disorders, or depression.
