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Tralla L, Gustavsson S, Söderberg C, Jönsson AK, Kugelberg FC. Fatal Intoxications with Zopiclone-A Cause for Concern? Drug Saf 2024; 47:687-697. [PMID: 38536627 PMCID: PMC11182790 DOI: 10.1007/s40264-024-01424-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Zopiclone, a controlled substance prescribed for insomnia, has become a common toxicological finding in forensic autopsy cases. This study investigated the role and extent of zopiclone use in fatal intoxications in Sweden. METHODS All forensic autopsy cases positive for zopiclone in femoral blood during 2012-2020 were selected. Among these cases, fatalities caused by intoxication according to the cause of death certificates issued by the forensic pathologist were identified. Intoxications where zopiclone contributed to the cause of death were included in the study. The Swedish Prescribed Drug Register was utilized to examine whether the included cases were prescribed zopiclone or not. RESULTS In total 7320 fatal intoxications underwent a forensic autopsy during the study period, 573 of them were caused by zopiclone. Among the zopiclone fatalities, 87% (n = 494) had a prescription for zopiclone, and 8% (n = 43) were monointoxications. Most fatalities, 62% (n = 354) were suicides, and zopiclone was involved in about 17% (n = 354) of all intoxication suicides in Sweden. Women were significantly (p < 0.01) overrepresented in suicides with zopiclone, comprising 56% (n = 291) of fatalities. The median age was 55 years among zopiclone intoxications compared with 44 years amongst all fatal intoxications. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that the toxicity of zopiclone can be lethal both in combination with other substances and on its own. Most individuals dying in fatal zopiclone intoxications were prescribed zopiclone, which potentially indicates that a more restrictive prescribing rate could prevent future intoxication deaths, especially when caring for patients with an increased suicide risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lova Tralla
- Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Sara Gustavsson
- Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Carl Söderberg
- Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anna K Jönsson
- Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Fredrik C Kugelberg
- Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
- Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden.
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Pan B, Ge L, Lai H, Hou L, Tian C, Wang Q, Yang K, Lu Y, Zhu H, Li M, Wang D, Li X, Zhang Y, Gao Y, Liu M, Ding G, Tian J, Yang K. The Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Insomnia Drugs: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of 153 Randomized Trials. Drugs 2023; 83:587-619. [PMID: 36947394 DOI: 10.1007/s40265-023-01859-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pharmacological treatment is common in practice and widely used for the management of insomnia. However, evidence comparing the relative effectiveness, safety, and certainty of evidence among drug classes and individual drugs for insomnia are still lacking. This study aimed to determine the relative effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of drugs for insomnia. METHODS In this systematic review and network meta-analysis we systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsycINFO, and ClinicalTrials.gov, from inception to January 10, 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials that compared insomnia drugs with placebo or an active comparator in adults with insomnia. We conducted random-effects frequentist network meta-analyses to summarize the evidence, and used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to assess the certainty, categorize interventionsand present the findings. RESULTS A total of 148 articles met our eligibility criteria; these included 153 trials which enrolled 46,412 participants and assessed 36 individual drugs from eight drug classes. Compared with placebo, both subjectively and objectively measured total sleep time were significantly improved with non-benzodiazepine (subjective: mean difference [MD] 25.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 15.49-34.64, low certainty; objective: MD 22.34, 95% CI 7.64-37.05, high certainty), antidepressants (subjective: MD 54.40, 95% CI 34.96-75.83, low certainty; objective: MD 35.64, 95% CI 13.05-58.24, high certainty), and orexin receptor antagonists (subjective: MD 21.62, 95% CI 0.84-42.40, high certainty; objective: MD 31.81, 95% CI 2.66-60.95, high certainty); of which doxepin, almorexant, suvorexant, and lemborexant were among the relatively effective drugs with relatively good tolerability and lower risks of any adverse events (AEs). Both subjectively and objectively measured sleep onset latency were significantly shortened with non-benzodiazepines (subjective: MD - 10.12, 95% CI - 13.84 to - 6.40, moderate certainty; objective: MD - 12.11, 95% CI - 19.31 to - 4.90, moderate certainty) and melatonin receptor agonists (subjective: MD - 7.73, 95% CI - 15.21 to - 0.26, high certainty; objective: MD - 7.04, 95% CI - 12.12 to - 1.95, moderate certainty); in particular, zopiclone was among the most effective drugs with a lower risk of any AEs but worse tolerability. Non-benzodiazepines could significantly decrease both subjective and objective measured wake time after sleep onset (subjective: MD - 16.67, 95% CI - 21.79 to - 11.56, moderate certainty; objective: MD - 13.92, 95% CI - 22.71 to - 5.14, moderate certainty). CONCLUSIONS Non-benzodiazepines probably improve total sleep time, sleep onset latency, and wake time after sleep onset. Other insomnia drug classes and individual drugs also showed potential benefits in improving insomnia symptoms. However, the choice of insomnia drugs should be based on the phenotype of insomnia presented, as well as each drug's safety and tolerability. Protocol registration PROSPERO (CRD42019138790).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Pan
- Evidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Long Ge
- Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China.
| | - Honghao Lai
- Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Liangying Hou
- Evidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chen Tian
- Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Kelu Yang
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Academic Centre for Nursing and Midwifery, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yao Lu
- Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Hongfei Zhu
- Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Mengting Li
- Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Deren Wang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiuxia Li
- Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuqing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ya Gao
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Ming Liu
- Evidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Guowu Ding
- Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Jinhui Tian
- Evidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Kehu Yang
- Evidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China.
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Abstract
Benzodiazepine hypnotics, the mainstay of pharmacological treatment for insomnia, have been associated with altered sleep architecture, psychomotor and memory impairment, rebound insomnia, withdrawal effects, tolerance, dependence, abuse potential and respiratory depression. Non-benzodiazepines, such as zolpidem, zopiclone and zaleplon, demonstrate hypnotic efficacy similar to that of benzodiazepines along with excellent safety profiles. Non-benzodiazepines generally cause less disruption of normal sleep architecture than benzodiazepines. Psychomotor and memory impairment may be less problematic with non-benzodiazepines, especially when compared to longer-acting benzodiazepines. Rebound insomnia and withdrawal symptoms occur infrequently upon discontinuation of non-benzodiazepines and may be less common and milder than those seen upon discontinuation of some benzodiazepines. For the long-term treatment of insomnia, which is generally not recommended, zolpidem and zopiclone are particularly good options because they do not develop tolerance rapidly and have a low abuse potential. Limited data indicate that zaleplon has low tolerance and abuse potential, although further experience is needed to determine its long-term efficacy and safety profile. Since non-benzodiazepines produce minimal respiratory depression, they may be safer than benzodiazepines in patients with respiratory disorders. The choice of which hypnotic to use should be based on the patient's primary sleep complaint, health history, adverse effects and cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy Wagner
- Department of Clinical Practices and Therapeutics, Merck-Medco-Managed Care, L.L.C. Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA
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