FDA Recommends Lower Dose for Sleep Aid

Silver Spring, MD— The FDA has announced that the starting dose for the sleep aid eszopiclone (Lunesta) should be halved for all patients. The agency recommended a new starting dose of 1 mg, down from 2 mg, and asked the drug’s manufacturer, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, to update its labeling. The dose can later be increased to 2 or 3 mg, if needed. This action is part of the FDA’s continuing effort to reduce the risk of certain side effects of sleeping pills, such as drowsiness while driving. Last year, the FDA recommended that doses of zolpidem (Ambien) be halved for women.