Does Lunesta Cause Weight Gain? Dealing With Sleeping Pills Effects On Health

Sleep disorder issues are rising rapidly around the world due to several reasons such as stress, busy lifestyle and many more. Based on the rapid cases of insomnia, there are many prescribed or OTC sleeping aids available in the market; Lunesta is one of them. Recently, some report shows certain around 1% Lunesta users face one of its rare side effects which is frequent increase their body weight. Gaining weight is a common side effect of using drugs. Well, this blog will help you to understand Lunesta, its side effects, and also know  “does Lunesta cause weight gain?” in detail, so that you get pure clarity before taking it. 

Understanding Lunesta & Its Side Effects

Lunesta(eszopiclone) is a sedative-hypnotic drug that is designed to treat insomnia. It works on the brain’s GABA receptors, whose work is to slow down your nervous system and make you sleep. Lunesta helps people fall asleep much faster and for a longer period of time. Its effectiveness depends on how long it stays in your body. For a longer period of time, taking Lunesta can lead to dependence and sometimes withdrawal process symptoms quite difficult for its consumer. 

Side Effects Of Lunesta 

At one point, people may face the dangerous symptoms of Lunesta weight gain side effects. These signs will show up when the drug is used for a long period of time. Medical assistance became a necessity at that time.

• Long-term use of Lunesta cause stomach problems like increased visceral fat, abdominal pain, and fatty liver.
• Some people might go through severe health problems like Hypothyroidism, which can cause increasing your weight gain and the body always feels frozen. 
• Children using the drug can impact their mental and physical development process, which can affect their growth.
• The serious risks are increased heartbeats, high blood pressure, and fatty liver.
• Your abdomen starts to swell too, causing discomfort and bloating.
• Your vision may be blurred and your eyes may look bigger than usual
• A sudden unmanageable hunger happens and your body starts craving food more than usual.
• The lung also starts retaining water in weight gain, causing breathing problems. 

Why Does Lunesta Cause Weight Gain?

Lunesta increases our metabolism rate, which makes a lot of changes in our lifestyle. Can Lunesta cause weight gain? Yes, it does make you gain weight by increase your appetite and reduce your physical activity. Lunesta increases the metabolic rate by slowing down the nervous system. Sometimes craving for it can make us eat more food. Due to a slower metabolism, your body fails to digest properly, and increases the fat ratio of the body to make your weight gain. Sometimes, unexpected weight gain in the body shows some side effects. Let’s show some of them. 

Can We Stop Taking Lunesta To Avoid Weight Gain?

The body weight gain will gradually start reversing if we stop taking Lunesta. But no matter how safely the medication is stopped, Lunesta withdrawal symptoms will happen when we try to stop taking the dosage, and the weight gain will keep fluctuating. Through Lunesta addiction treatment programs or therapies like CBT, and proper guidance of medication can help us overcome it. So, stopping Lunesta is a solution to weight gain, but it affects your sleeping disorder. because  It impact on you brain cells and later stages of your life, Lunesta may cause Dementia(a memory loss disorder).

Alternatives To Lunesta

Usually two ways we can overcome Lunesta: one is natural and prescribed medicine, and the other is a lifestyle change. Let’s discuss both

Through Naturally

• Take Valerian root, passionflower, lavender, and ashwagandha to improve your sleeping quality.
• Some multivitamins with dairy products can make your sleep time more regular.
• Prefer chamomile tea over white tea for recovery from mild insomnia.

 Alternative medications

• Take  Rozerem (ramelteon), which belongs to the melatonin group is regulate your sleep quality and delay the sleep duration.
• Taking an antidepressant tablet like Prozac, Zoloft and Cymbalta can balance your neurotransmitters to improve your brain cells and relax your mind.

Through changes in lifestyle

Medicine sometimes helps you instantly, but in the long run, your lifestyle is more beneficial.

• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
• Avoid mobile TV screens before going to bed
• Exercise regularly
• Reduce caffeine and late-night eating

These changes can act as some of the best alternatives to Lunesta abuse.

Measures To Avoid Weight Gain

While doctors don’t view weight gain from Lunesta as a dangerous side effect, it can negatively impact your health. Consult your doctor before changing any routine if the weight gain is induced by the medication. After your doctor’s suggestion, start some of the things that can help you control your weight gain.

• Add rich in vegetables and lean protein to your diet.
• Drinking water is better overcome weight gain, because the excess fat in your body can be mixed with water and released from the body through urinating and sweating
• It can slow down the nervous system, which affects the lungs. Do most physical activity like walking, running and cycling to help to increase your metabolism
• Sleep at least 8-9 hours a night for better metabolic rates, without taking sleeping pills. 
• As it takes 30-60 minutes for Lunesta to work, have a good amount of healthy food before taking it.
• Monitor the weight gain regularly during dosage periods, which helps maintain a healthy body.
• Children must take light and healthy bedtime meals to avoid an increase in appetite.
• If weight gain persists, then consulting a doctor is a wise option.

Final Thought

Weight gain is a simple side effect of the medicine. There is no direct substitute for Lunesta that also causes weight gain. Many healthcare professionals prefer Lunesta for insomnia. Rather than avoiding it directly, if you can learn how to make Lunesta better for insomnia, it can improve your sleep quality and control your weight gain. Before taking any medicine, ask your doctor, “Will this  medicine have any other impact on our body or not?”