Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Lunesta will cause drowsiness and may cause dizziness. If you experience drowsiness or dizziness, avoid these activities. Lunesta should be taken just before bedtime. You may experience some carryover effects the next day.

Do not drink alcohol while taking Lunesta. Alcohol will increase drowsiness and may increase dizziness while you are taking Lunesta, which could be dangerous.

Do not stop taking Lunesta suddenly if you have been taking it for more than 1 or 2 weeks. This may cause withdrawal symptoms and make you uncomfortable. Talk to your doctor if you need to stop treatment with Lunesta.

Avoid other sedatives, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers, including over-the-counter preparations. They should not be used while you are taking Lunesta unless your doctor directs otherwise.

Take Lunesta exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.

Take each dose with a full glass of water. Take Lunesta just before you go to bed. It will make you drowsy, and you could fall and hurt yourself if you take your dose before you are ready for sleep.

You can take Lunesta with or without food but for Lunesta to work best, do not take it with or immediately after a high-fat, heavy meal.

Do not crush or chew the tablets. Take each tablet whole.

Take Lunesta only if you are able to get a full night's sleep (8 or more hours) before you must be active again.

Do not take more of this medication than is prescribed for you.

Do not stop taking Lunesta suddenly if you have been taking it for more than 1 or 2 weeks. This may cause withdrawal symptoms and make you uncomfortable. Talk to your doctor if you need to stop treatment with Lunesta.

Store Lunesta at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you have:

• liver disease
• asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, or another respiratory diseases
• depressed or have suicidal thoughts

You may not be able to take Lunesta, or you may require a lower dose or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.

Lunesta may cause memory loss or "amnesia" where a person may not remember what has happened for several hours after taking the medication. Since Lunesta is typically taken just prior to falling asleep for the night, this is generally not a problem. However, this could be a problem if Lunesta is taken while traveling, such as during an airplane flight, and the person wakes up before the effects of the medication are gone. Lunesta should only be taken if you are able to get a full night's sleep (8 or more hours) before you must be active again.

Be aware that you may have more sleeping problems the first night or two after you stop taking Lunesta.

It is unknown whether Lunesta will harm an unborn baby. Do not take Lunesta without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant. Lunesta passes into breast milk and may affect a nursing baby. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

If you are over 65 years of age, you may be more likely to experience side effects from Lunesta. You may require a lower dose of this medication.

Since Lunesta is usually taken only if you need it to help you sleep, missing a dose will not cause any problems. Take the missed dose only if you can be sure that you will get 8 full hours of sleep after the dose. If you do not sleep 8 full hours, you may experience carryover effects from Lunesta after you wake up.

Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction:

• skin rash or hives
• difficulty breathing
• swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat

Contact your doctor if you experience:

• daytime drowsiness, dizziness, or clumsiness
• more outgoing or aggressive behavior than normal
• confusion
• strange behavior
• memory loss problems
• agitation
• worsening of depression
• hallucinations (seeing things)
• new feelings of depression

Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur, such as headache and unpleasant taste. If these become bothersome, contact your doctor.

A problem that may occur when sleep medicines are stopped is known as "rebound insomnia." This means that a person may have more trouble sleeping the first few nights after the medicine is stopped than before starting the medicine. If you should experience rebound insomnia, do not get discouraged. This problem usually goes away on its own after 1 or 2 nights.

Lunesta may be habit forming. Stopping this medication suddenly can cause withdrawal effects if you have taken it continuously for several weeks. Talk to your doctor about the safe use of this medication.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

Many drugs may affect the way that Lunesta is metabolized ("broken down") in the body, leading to higher or lower than expected levels of the medication in the blood. Talk to your doctor before taking any other medicines during treatment with Lunesta.

Lunesta may increase the effects of other drugs that cause drowsiness, including:

• antidepressants
• alcohol
• antihistamines
• sedatives (used to treat insomnia)
• pain relievers
• anxiety medicines
• muscle relaxants

Tell your doctor about all medicines that you are taking, and do not take any medicine unless your doctor approves.

Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Lunesta. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.