Description

Zoltrate is a brand of Zolpidem, a sedative also called a hypnotic. Zolpidem is used to treat a certain sleep problem (insomnia) in adults. It helps you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, so you can get a better night’s sleep. It may also reduce the number of times you wake up during the night. Zolpidem belongs to a class of drugs called sedative-hypnotics. It acts on your brain to produce a calming effect.
The FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) lowered the recommended zolpidem dose for women from 10 mg to 5 mg for immediate-release products and from 12.5 mg to 6.25 mg for extended-release products on January 10, 2013, because new data show that blood levels in some patients may be high enough the morning after use to impair activities that require alertness, including driving. Women appear to be more susceptible to this risk because they eliminate zolpidem from their bodies more slowly than men.

How it works
Zolpidem belongs to a class of drugs called sedatives. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions. Zolpidem increases the activity of GABA.
GABA is a chemical in your body that causes sleepiness. Increasing its activity helps you fall asleep.

Zolpidem warnings
Zolpidem oral tablet comes with several warnings.
Decreased awareness and reaction time warning
If you take zolpidem and don’t get a full night’s sleep, you may have decreased awareness and slower reaction times the next day. This may cause trouble driving. You shouldn’t drive or do other activities that require alertness if you take this drug and don’t get a full night’s sleep.
Abnormal behaviors warning
This drug may cause changes in behavior, such as increased agitation. You may act differently. You may act more outgoing, hallucinate (see or hear things that aren’t real), or feel like you’re watching yourself from outside of your body. You also may sleep-drive or do other activities in your sleep that you can’t remember later.

Withdrawal effects warning
Don’t stop taking this drug without talking to your doctor. If you’ve been taking this medication for a while and stop taking it suddenly, you may have withdrawal.
Symptoms can include muscle cramps, vomiting, sweating, flushing (reddening and warming of your skin), and emotional changes. These can include feelings of nervousness, panic attacks, and uncontrollable crying.
Allergy warning
Zolpidem can cause a severe allergic reaction. Symptoms can include:
• trouble breathing
• swelling of your throat or tongue
If you have an allergic reaction, call your doctor or local poison control center right away. If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Don’t take this drug again if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to it. Taking it again could be fatal (cause death).
Food interaction warning
Eating food with zolpidem may make the drug take longer to work. You should take this drug on an empty stomach.