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What special precautions should I follow?
Ingorml your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially
- Liver diseaseˇX Higher blood levels of Sonata may result, increasing the chance of side effects.
- Alcohol abuse (or
istory of) or
- Drug abuse or dependence (or history of)ˇX Dependence on Sonata may develop
- Breathing problems or
- Mental depressionˇXSonata may make the condition worse
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Symptoms of overdose
An overdose of drugs such as Sonata can be fatal. If you suspect an overdose, seek medical attention immediately.
Symptoms of Sonata overdose may include:
Drowsiness, mental confusion,
grogginess, lack of coordination, flaccid muscles, labored breathing, coma
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What special precautions should I follow?
If you will be taking Sonata for a long time, do not stop taking it without first checking with your doctor. Your doctor may want you to reduce gradually the amount you are taking before stopping comp
letely. Stopping this medicine suddenly may cause withdrawal side effects.
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What side effects can this medication cause?
The most common side effect is:
- Headache
Other common side effects may include:
- Abdominal pain, dizziness, drowsiness, eye pain, memory loss, menstrual pain, nausea, tingling, w
eakness
Less common side effects may include:
- Anxiety, arthritis, back pain, bronchitis, chest pain, colitis, confusion, constipation, depression, decreased sensation, difficulty conce
ntrating, disturbances in sense of smell, dry mouth, ear pain, eye inflammation, feeling of unreality, fever, generally ill feeling, hallucinations, indigestion, itching, joint pain, loss of appetite,
migraine, muscle pain, nervousness, nosebleeds, rash, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to noise, swelling of the hands or feet, taste changes,
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Other Medicines
Avoid alcoholic beverages when taking Sonata; the drug increases alcohol's effect. Also forgo high-fat meals immediately before taking Sonata; they tend to slow or reduce the drug's effect.
- If Sonata is used with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Sonata with the fol
lowing:
- Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
- Cimetidine (Tagamet)
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
- Imipramine (Tofranil)
- Phenobarbital
- Rifampin (Rifadin)
- Thioridazine (M
ellaril)
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Why is this drug prescribed?
Sonata belongs to the group of medicines called central nervous system (CNS) depressants (medicines that make you drowsy or less alert). Sonata is used to treat insomnia (trouble sleeping). In general
, when sleep medicines are used every night for a long time, they may lose their effectiveness. In most cases, sleep medicines should be used only for short periods of time, such as 1 or 2 days, and g
enerally for no longer than 1 or 2 weeks.
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