Ambien, Zolpidem News

"I just couldn't sleep and I had terrible insomnia, I tried all the natural remedies that people suggest -- the melatonin -- and nothing was working,"Heather Saffer said.

No need to go searching all over for the latest information on new drugs, indications, medication errors and more.

Merck & Co's experimental insomnia drug moved a step closer to U.S. approval on Wednesday after a panel of medical experts said it is effective and safe at lower doses.

An advisory committee within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that Merck's new drug for insomnia and sleep maintenance, named Suvorexant , is quite effective in helping people get to sleep and maintain sleep patterns.

Merck & Co's experimental insomnia drug suvorexant appears generally effective, according to reviewers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but they questioned the company's proposed dosing levels.

People who follow the ancient practice of yoga may be getting an added health boost, with a new study suggesting it can fight high blood pressure -- also known as hypertension.

People who follow the ancient practice of yoga may be getting an added health boost, with a new study suggesting it can fight high blood pressure -- also known as hypertension.

FDA has approved these changes because of the known risk of next-morning impairment with these drugs.

A new fitness craze has taken hold of Nashville. Hydrocyle, also known as underwater spinning, has a serious following at the Downtown YMCA, the only facility in the state that offers the class.

The corporate logo of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is shown in Silver Spring, Maryland, November 4, 2009.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved label changes incorporating lower dosages for sleep medications containing zolpidem, a drug that can continue to affect patients' mental alertness even a day after its use.

Lorcaserin, brand name Belviq , is conditionally approved in the U.S. for chronic weight management in obese or overweight adults when used together with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise.

There's more news about complications that can arise from prescription sleep medication: Side effects from a common prescription sleep aid are sending increasing numbers of people to emergency departments.

Adverse reactions to Ambien and other sleeping pills with the active ingredient Zolpidem rose 220 percent between 2005 and 2010, researchers at the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found.

The call came in early in the morning on a June day in 2008. "911, what's your emergency?" "I can't wake my wife up." "Is she breathing sir?" "No I don't think so". George Bowdoin spent the next 14 minutes on the phone with the 9-1-1 operator taking instructions on how to save his wife of ten years.

There's more news about complications that can arise from prescription sleep medication : Side effects from a common prescription sleep aid are sending increasing numbers of people to emergency departments.

Last week, a study was released with some staggering news about the potential growth of prescription sleeping pills -- Ambien, in particular.

Merck Pharmaceuticals is currently attempting to introduce a new insomnia treatment medication called Suvorexant, which has a very unique mechanism of action that limits the side effects associated with the commonly prescribed sedative hypnotics.

The number of emergency room visits linked to Zolpidem, which is found in sleep medications, has increased from 2005 to 2010, according to a new report.

In the past I have discussed the use of cognitive behavioral strategies for managing insomnia and have touched on some of the potential problems presented by prescription sleeping medication .