Dosage of women's sleeping pills halved by FDA
POSTED: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 - 5:20pm
UPDATED: Thursday, January 17, 2013 - 10:20am
BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS (KVEO NEWSCENTER 23) — The FDA says sleeping pill dosages should be cut in half for women. Medications generally affect women more strongly and for longer periods of time, because their metabolisms differ slightly from men's and their bodies are generally smaller, so larger doses mean groggy mornings for women.
"So they cannot think rightly in the morning… They feel drowsy in the morning and that's the problem."
In the Rio Grande Valley people are requesting a higher dosage for sleeping pills.
"Also I have been seeing a lot of patients start in the half dose, which is FDA approved. Right now they ask for more they say, ‘I cannot sleep I have 5mil. I need the 10mil. Dose I have been seeing a trend to increase the dosage of this medication."
"Studies show that women are the primary users of sleeping pills containing Zolpidem by 63%"
Dr. Basiouni gave advice to women who are taking sleeping pills .
"I advise them… it is an 8 hour effect so if you want to take it at 8pm or 9pm…So by 5 in the morning the next day the affect has been decreased in their blood"
Reporting for Brownsville Abigail Camilo, KVEO Newscenter 23.