Inpatient Sleeping Drug Quadrupled Fall Risk; May Boost Risk of Unexpected Sex?

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Aging News & Information

Inpatient Sleeping Drug Quadrupled Fall Risk; May Boost Risk of Unexpected Sex?

Advancing age causes fall risk to rise rapidly but this drug increases risk more than aging

Nov. 19, 2012 - A drug commonly prescribed to help patients sleep in hospitals has been associated with an increased risk of falls, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine. The Food and Drug Administration warns, too, you may even have unplanned sex after taking zolpidem (see box below).

U.S. sleep specialists from the Mayo Clinic found that the risk posed by the drug was greater than the risks posed by factors such as age, cognitive impairment, delirium or insomnia, regardless of the dosage used.

They report that the fall rate among the 4,962 patients who took zolpidem during their hospital stay was more than four times as high as the 11,358 who did not take the drug.

"Ensuring that people get enough sleep during their hospital stay is very important, but it can also prove very challenging," says the Clinic's Chief Patient Safety Officer Dr. Timothy I. Morgenthaler, who specializes in sleep disorders and pulmonary and critical care.

You May End Up Having Unplanned Sex After Taking Zolpidem: FDA

The FDA warns that people taking Zolpidem may end up doing some unintended things like having sex. Here is what they warn:

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Inpatient Sleeping Drug Quadrupled Fall Risk; May Boost Risk of Unexpected Sex?