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Insomniacs Will Soon Have A New Pill For Sleep

Posting Date: 09/12/2005

Q. I have fibromyalgia and it disturbs my sleep. I take Lunesta for sleep every night (in addition to practicing healthy sleep habits). What is your opinion of the new medication Rozerem?

A. Lunesta (eszopiclone) was hailed as the first sleeping pill to be approved for long-term use. It is being widely advertised on TV and in print. Side effects may include headache, dry mouth, drowsiness, indigestion and an unpleasant taste in the mouth.

Rozerem (ramelteon) is brand new and should start showing up in pharmacies over the next several weeks. It is the first sleeping pill to act on melatonin receptors. While more effective than the natural sleep hormone melatonin for helping people get to sleep, it doesn?t seem to help them sleep longer.

Side effects of Rozerem may include headache, daytime sleepiness, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, worsening insomnia and colds.

Q. My husband had open-heart surgery last spring. Since the surgery, even putting his clothes on makes him so breathless he can barely speak. He is weak and exhausted all the time.

His doctor pooh-poohs the idea this may be due to any of the drugs he's taking. I checked online and found that metoprolol has a warning to contact the doctor immediately if you experience wheezing, shortness of breath or swelling of hands and feet. He has all those symptoms. Can this medication cause these symptoms? If so, what should we do?

A. Metoprolol is a beta blocker that helps prevent the heart from overworking. It can also lower blood pressure.

Some people are sensitive to such medications and develop wheezing or difficulty breathing. This is a serious reaction that deserves immediate medical attention. Your husband should consult a lung expert (pulmonologist) as soon as possible. The swelling of hands and feet is also disturbing and merits a prompt evaluation by a cardiologist.