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Article: IS LONG-TERM USE OF SLEEPING PILLS OK?
- Article from:
- The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
- Article date:
- December 19, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2005 The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Yes, at least some kinds.
So far, the only sleeping pill approved by the US Food and Drug
Administration for long-term use is Lunesta, which has been shown to
remain effective for at least six months, unlike some drugs that lose
their effectiveness over time, prompting people to take more and more
of them.
But two other medications that are chemically similar to Lunesta
Ambien and Sonata are probably just as safe to take long term,
researchers said, though they haven't been specifically studied for
that.
All three drugs are selective nonbenzodiazepines, which means they
are chemically different from the benzodiazepines (like Valium),
which were once vastly overprescribed. At normal doses, ...