You would have been bombarded by television commercials and print ads about the wonders of the new sleeping medications.  However, you wouldn’t have been confronted with strong warnings either of their potential risks.



Multiple adverse reports have emerged ever since the introduction of the non-benzodiazepines (NBZ) class of drugs in the 1990s. These include the highly advertised Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata and Remeron. Although the NBZs eventually replaced the older class of drugs as the first line treatment of insomnia, they seem just as likely to cause amnesia and erratic behavior. It appears that reports of sleep-eating and sleep-driving on Ambien are reminiscent of problems nearly 20 years ago with Halcion, which was banned in some countries.

As of last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required manufacturers to not just include strong warnings in the labels but also develop warning guides for distribution with virtually all hypnotic sedative sleeping medications. These Patient Medication Guides are handouts given to patients, families and caregivers when the sleeping medication is dispensed.

“There are a number of prescription sleep aids available that are well-tolerated and effective for many people,” said Steven Galson, M.D., MPH, director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “However, after reviewing the available post-marketing adverse event information for these products, FDA concluded that labeling changes are necessary to inform health care providers and consumers about risks.”

The warnings are about the following potential adverse events:

- Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction).

- Angioedema (severe facial swelling).

- Sleep-driving.

- Preparing and eating food while asleep.

- Making phone calls while asleep.

Allergic reactions can occur as early as the first time the sleeping medication is taken.

The sleeping medications that are the focus of the revised labeling include the following 13 products:

-Ambien/Ambien CR (Sanofi Aventis)

-Butisol Sodium (Medpointe Pharm HLC)

-Carbrital (Parke-Davis)

-Dalmane (Valeant Pharm)

-Doral (Questcor Pharms)

-Halcion (Pharmacia & Upjohn)

-Lunesta (Sepracor)

-Placidyl (Abbott)

-Prosom (Abbott)

-Restoril (Tyco Healthcare)

-Rozerem (Takeda)

-Seconal (Lilly)

-Sonata (King Pharmaceuticals)

The problems that arose were worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for International Drug Monitoring received 867 reports from 24 countries of people encountering amnesia, often coupled with confusion, agitation and other behavior disturbances, while taking the new sleeping medications, like Lunesta and Ambien, through March, 2007.

A graphic artist in New London, Wis., said she thought she was sleeping well on Ambien but woke to find her wrist broken, apparently in a fall while sleepwalking, she wrote in an e-mail exchange. There were others who have gone on eating binges like the case of a woman who gained 23 kilograms over seven months while taking zolpidem. “It was only when she was discovered in front of an open refrigerator while asleep that the problem was resolved,” according to the report.

Others have driven their cars and engaged in other activities that they later cannot remember.  The Wall Street Journal relates one story of a woman who painted her front door in her sleep, and in some cases, people have had serious car accidents and even set fire to their homes while in the seemingly-hypnotic state sometimes caused by the drugs.

Although all sedative-hypnotic sleeping medications have these risks, there may be differences among products in how often they occur. For this reason, FDA has asked that the drug manufacturers conduct clinical studies to investigate the frequency with which sleep-driving and other complex behaviors occur with their respective products.

You will find that the Rocky Mountain National Park is located on land that is beautiful and yet not too welcoming to long term visitors. You will find that many people who have come to the park have left their impression of the park firmly embedded. As with many different parks you will find that Rocky Mountain National Park has a host of activities to enjoy.

You will find what these are when you look at the brochures for the park. You will also be able to find the various sights in the park when you use the park map. The history of this park is a testament to the vision that some people had to ensure that our children have a place where they can visit in peace.

To help you have a great time at this national park you will find many different types of lodgings where you can stay during your visit. Each of these will have amenities which will fit well in your budget. Some of the Rocky Mountain National Park lodgings will have executive style rooms, wet bars, solariums and other facilities.

There are some lodgings which resemble scaled down hotels or luxurious cabins. All in all you will discover that you have a wide choice of different places where you can stay in. The many different lodgings in this national park will provide you with all of the needs that many people look for when they are going on holiday.

Of all of these holiday facilities you will find that the some lodgings are more requested and highly popular than others. You will need to see if these Rocky Mountain National Park lodgings are ones that you will be able to afford. This is vital as you will need to stay in these places while you are in the park. Once you have found the lodging which is most appropriate you will need to check out other facts.

Among the other information you should look up is what sort of amenities you will find. These should include the medical facilities; food, gas for your car and also where you can find help if your car should develop some problems.

You will find that while you can visit this park for an extended sty it is best if you are prepared for staying here. So the next tine that you are looking for a challenge you might want to pay a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park.

gh cancer is not a new problem diagnosed in patients worldwide, the medications that are emerging for improving the quality of life and pain management for people with this problem are constantly being developed. Even though cancers have not been completely cured by these medications in most patients, they are able to live their lives normally for a period of time without this dampening disease. Some patients will risk cancer re-growth within a short period from their treatments that work against these cancers, because the treatments were not strong enough to completely destroy the cells, which are affected by it. Luckily, extensive research is poured into finding a cure for every type of cancer that is known today. Breast cancer is of major concern to both females and males in today’s world. Many females are taking part in clinical trials of new and emerging medications to try slowing or halting breast cancers so that they may be operated upon for removal. Even males are learning that they are at risk for deadly breast cancers and much research is being made into how this can be prevented in males. In all cases involving males, breast cancer proved to be one hundred percent fatal and is difficult to manage. With time, we may be able to simply take some medications to destroy all cancerous cells in the body. Testicular and prostate cancers have become more common with older and younger males alike. These cancers wreak havoc on the sexual organs and cause discomfort in urination and other bodily functions. The only treatment that was known was to simply extract all cancerous parts of the testicle and prostate, usually leaving the male with lower organ control and feelings of inadequacy. New treatments are being developed that may help to heal the damage in the organs as well as destroy cancerous cells in males. The pain could even be subdued with current medication treatments that are available. Many women are starting to realize that they can get tumors and cancerous growths in their uterus as well as the ovaries as well. This can make it impossible to have a child as well as become deadly if not treated promptly after the cancer has been found in these organs. The little options that women have are very limited and may leave them unable to produce children in the future. One of the only things that can be done at this moment is saving eggs for future use in a surrogate mother, but in time, these cancers will be preventable and even curable to allow women to be worry free when they wish to have a baby. This ensures that they will have healthy organs that can provide everything they need to have a baby on their own. Even through tumors are not necessarily a sign of cancer; there is a small chance that any tumor can become cancerous if given enough time to develop far enough. The finding of tumors may prompt the use of chemotherapy that releases large amounts of toxic substances into the body. This may do more harm than good in people with weakened immune systems. Hopefully, the medical world will find ways to screen and treat patients, which are at risk of getting tumors, cancers and all of the illness that ensues. For more information on cancer, visit http://cancermicroblog.com and http://medicinemicroblog.com