Associated with discontinuation of
treatment: Approximately 4% of 1,701 patients who received zolpidem at
all doses (1.25 to 90 mg) in U.S. premarketing clinical trials discontinued
treatment because of an adverse reaction. Reactions most commonly associated
with discontinuation from U.S. trials were daytime drowsiness (0.5%), dizziness
(0.4%), headache (0.5%), nausea (0.6%), and vomiting (0.5%).
Approximately 4% of 1,959 patients who received zolpidem at all doses (1 to
50 mg) in similar foreign trials discontinued treatment because of an adverse
reaction. Reactions most commonly associated with discontinuation from these
trials were daytime drowsiness (1.1%), dizziness/vertigo (0.8%), amnesia (0.5%),
nausea (0.5%), headache (0.4%), and falls (0.4%).
Data from a clinical study in which selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
(SSRI)-treated patients were given zolpidem revealed that four of the seven
discontinuations during double-blind treatment with zolpidem (n=95) were
associated with impaired concentration, continuing or aggravated depression, and
manic reaction; one patient treated with placebo (n=97) was discontinued after
an attempted suicide.
Most commonly observed adverse reactions in controlled
trials: During short-term treatment (up to 10 nights) with zolpidem
tartrate tablets at doses up to 10 mg, the most commonly observed adverse
reactions associated with the use of zolpidem and seen at statistically
significant differences from placebo-treated patients were drowsiness (reported
by 2% of zolpidem patients), dizziness (1%), and diarrhea (1%). During
longer-term treatment (28 to 35 nights) with zolpidem at doses up to 10 mg, the
most commonly observed adverse reactions associated with the use of zolpidem and
seen at statistically significant differences from placebo-treated patients were
dizziness (5%) and drugged feelings (3%).
Adverse reactions observed at an incidence of
≥1% in controlled trials: The following
tables enumerate treatment-emergent adverse reactions frequencies that were
observed at an incidence equal to 1% or greater among patients with insomnia who
received zolpidem tartrate and at a greater incidence than placebo in U.S.
placebo-controlled trials. Events reported by investigators were classified
utilizing a modified World Health Organization (WHO) dictionary of preferred
terms for the purpose of establishing event frequencies. The prescriber should
be aware that these figures cannot be used to predict the incidence of side
effects in the course of usual medical practice, in which patient
characteristics and other factors differ from those that prevailed in these
clinical trials. Similarly, the cited frequencies cannot be compared with
figures obtained from other clinical investigators involving related drug
products and uses, since each group of drug trials is conducted under a
different set of conditions. However, the cited figures provide the physician
with a basis for estimating the relative contribution of drug and nondrug
factors to the incidence of side effects in the population studied.
The following table was derived from results of 11 placebo-controlled
short-term U.S. efficacy trials involving zolpidem in doses ranging from 1.25 to
20 mg. The table is limited to data from doses up to and including 10 mg, the
highest dose recommended for use.
Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Experiences in
Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials Lasting up to 10 Nights(Percentage of
patients reporting)
| Zolpidem |
|
| Body System/ | (≤10 mg) | Placebo |
| Adverse Event* | (N=685) | (N=473) |
*Reactions reported by at least 1% of patients treated
with zolpidem tartrate tablets and at a greater frequency than placebo.
|
| Central and Peripheral Nervous System
|
|
|
| Headache | 7 | 6 |
| Drowsiness | 2 | - |
| Dizziness | 1 | - |
| Gastrointestinal System |
|
|
| Diarrhea | 1 | - |
*Reactions reported by at least 1% of patients treated
with zolpidem tartrate tablets and at a greater frequency than placebo.
The following table was derived from results of three placebo-controlled
long-term efficacy trials involving zolpidem tartrate tablets. These trials
involved patients with chronic insomnia who were treated for 28 to 35 nights
with zolpidem at doses of 5, 10, or 15 mg. The table is limited to data from
doses up to and including 10 mg, the highest dose recommended for use. The table
includes only adverse events occurring at an incidence of at least 1% for
zolpidem patients.
Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Experiences in
Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials Lasting up to 35 Nights(Percentage of
patients reporting)
| Zolpidem |
|
| Body System/ | (≤10 mg) | Placebo |
| Adverse Event* | (N=152) | (N=161) |
*Reactions reported by at least 1% of patients treated
with zolpidem tartrate tablets and at a greater frequency than placebo.
|
| Autonomic Nervous System |
|
|
| Dry mouth | 3 | 1 |
| Body as a Whole |
|
|
| Allergy | 4 | 1 |
| Back Pain | 3 | 2 |
| Influenza-like symptoms | 2 | - |
| Chest pain | 1 | - |
| Cardiovascular System |
|
|
| Palpitation | 2 | - |
| Central and Peripheral Nervous System |
|
|
| Drowsiness | 8 | 5 |
| Dizziness | 5 | 1 |
| Lethargy | 3 | 1 |
| Drugged feeling | 3 | - |
| Lightheadedness | 2 | 1 |
| Depression | 2 | 1 |
| Abnormal dreams | 1 | - |
| Amnesia | 1 | - |
| Sleep disorder | 1 | - |
| Gastrointestinal System |
|
|
| Diarrhea | 3 | 2 |
| Abdominal pain | 2 | 2 |
| Constipation | 2 | 1 |
| Respiratory System |
|
|
| Sinusitis | 4 | 2 |
| Pharyngitis | 3 | 1 |
| Skin and Appendages |
|
|
| Rash | 2 | 1 |
*Reactions reported by at least 1% of patients treated
with zolpidem tartrate tablets and at a greater frequency than placebo.
Dose relationship for adverse reactions:
There is evidence from dose comparison trials suggesting a dose
relationship for many of the adverse reactions associated with zolpidem use,
particularly for certain CNS and gastrointestinal adverse events.
Adverse event incidence across the entire preapproval
database: Zolpidem tartrate tablets were administered to 3,660 subjects
in clinical trials throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Treatment-emergent
adverse events associated with clinical trial participation were recorded by
clinical investigators using terminology of their own choosing. To provide a
meaningful estimate of the proportion of individuals experiencing
treatment-emergent adverse events, similar types of untoward events were grouped
into a smaller number of standardized event categories and classified utilizing
a modified World Health Organization (WHO) dictionary of preferred terms.
The frequencies presented, therefore, represent the proportions of the 3,660
individuals exposed to zolpidem, at all doses, who experienced an event of the
type cited on at least one occasion while receiving zolpidem. All reported
treatment-emergent adverse events are included, except those already listed in
the table above of adverse events in placebo-controlled studies, those coding
terms that are so general as to be uninformative, and those events where a drug
cause was remote. It is important to emphasize that, although the events
reported did occur during treatment with zolpidem tartrate tablets, they were
not necessarily caused by it.
Adverse events are further classified within body system categories and
enumerated in order of decreasing frequency using the following definitions:
frequent adverse events are defined as those occurring in greater than 1/100
subjects; infrequent adverse events are those occurring in 1/100 to 1/1,000
patients; rare events are those occurring in less than 1/1,000 patients.
Autonomic nervous system: Infrequent: increased
sweating, pallor, postural hypotension, syncope. Rare: abnormal accommodation,
altered saliva, flushing, glaucoma, hypotension, impotence, increased saliva,
tenesmus.
Body as a whole: Frequent: asthenia. Infrequent:
edema, falling, fatigue, fever, malaise, trauma. Rare: allergic reaction,
allergy aggravated, anaphylactic shock, face edema, hot flashes, increased ESR,
pain, restless legs, rigors, tolerance increased, weight decrease.
Cardiovascular system: Infrequent: cerebrovascular
disorder, hypertension, tachycardia. Rare: angina pectoris, arrhythmia,
arteritis, circulatory failure, extrasystoles, hypertension aggravated,
myocardial infarction, phlebitis, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary edema, varicose
veins, ventricular tachycardia.
Central and peripheral nervous system: Frequent:
ataxia, confusion, euphoria, headache, insomnia, vertigo. Infrequent: agitation,
anxiety, decreased cognition, detached, difficulty concentrating, dysarthria,
emotional lability, hallucination, hypoesthesia, illusion, leg cramps, migraine,
nervousness, paresthesia, sleeping (after daytime dosing), speech disorder,
stupor, tremor. Rare: abnormal gait, abnormal thinking, aggressive reaction,
apathy, appetite increased, decreased libido, delusion, dementia,
depersonalization, dysphasia, feeling strange, hypokinesia, hypotonia, hysteria,
intoxicated feeling, manic reaction, neuralgia, neuritis, neuropathy, neurosis,
panic attacks, paresis, personality disorder, somnambulism, suicide attempts,
tetany, yawning.
Gastrointestinal system: Frequent: dyspepsia,
hiccup, nausea. Infrequent: anorexia, constipation, dysphagia, flatulence,
gastroenteritis, vomiting. Rare: enteritis, eructation, esophagospasm,
gastritis, hemorrhoids, intestinal obstruction, rectal hemorrhage, tooth
caries.
Hematologic and lymphatic system: Rare: anemia,
hyperhemoglobinemia, leukopenia, lymphadenopathy, macrocytic anemia, purpura,
thrombosis.
Immunologic system: Infrequent: infection. Rare:
abscess, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, otitis externa, otitis media.
Liver and biliary system: Infrequent: abnormal
hepatic function, increased SGPT. Rare: bilirubinemia, increased SGOT.
Metabolic and nutritional: Infrequent:
hyperglycemia, thirst. Rare: gout, hypercholesteremia, hyperlipidemia, increased
alkaline phosphatase, increased BUN, periorbital edema.
Musculoskeletal system: Frequent: arthralgia,
myalgia. Infrequent: arthritis. Rare: arthrosis, muscle weakness, sciatica,
tendinitis.
Reproductive system: Infrequent: menstrual
disorder, vaginitis. Rare: breast fibroadenosis, breast neoplasm, breast
pain.
Respiratory system: Frequent: upper respiratory
infection. Infrequent: bronchitis, coughing, dyspnea, rhinitis. Rare:
bronchospasm, epistaxis, hypoxia, laryngitis, pneumonia.
Skin and appendages: Infrequent: pruritus. Rare:
acne, bullous eruption, dermatitis, furunculosis, injection-site inflammation,
photosensitivity reaction, urticaria.
Special senses: Frequent: diplopia, vision
abnormal. Infrequent: eye irritation, eye pain, scleritis, taste perversion,
tinnitus. Rare: conjunctivitis, corneal ulceration, lacrimation abnormal,
parosmia, photopsia.
Urogenital system: Frequent: urinary tract
infection. Infrequent: cystitis, urinary incontinence. Rare: acute renal
failure, dysuria, micturition frequency, nocturia, polyuria, pyelonephritis,
renal pain, urinary retention.