Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Nov;43(6):729-30.
doi: 10.4103/0253-7613.89838.

Zolpidem withdrawal delirium

Surendra K Mattoo  1 , Navendu Gaur, Partha P Das
Affiliations

Zolpidem withdrawal delirium

Surendra K Mattoo et al. Indian J Pharmacol. 2011 Nov.

Abstract

The Z-category hypnotics are promoted for their relative safety. However, this view is challenged by the emerging clinical evidence in the form of zolpidem related intoxication delirium and seizures, and dependence and complicated withdrawal. We report the case of a zolpidem-naive alcohol-dependent inpatient that, while undergoing alcohol de-addiction, was prescribed zolpidem for insomnia and developed delirium during taper-off. He was successfully detoxified for alcohol, treated for delirium and put on disulfiram prophylaxis. The case highlights the need for being cautious while using zolpidem for insomnia in alcohol dependent subjects.

Keywords: Adverse drug reactions; alcohol dependence; delirium; insomnia; zolpidem.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Zolpidem doses as prescribed and administered
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Toner LC, Tsambiras BM, Catalano G, Catalano MC, Cooper DS. Central nervous system side effects associated with zolpidem treatment. Clin Neuropharmacol. 2000;23:54–8. - PubMed
    1. Victorri-Vigneau C, Dailly E, Veyrac G, Jolliet P. Evidence of zolpidem abuse and dependence: results of the French Centre for Evaluation and Information on Pharmacodependence (CEIP) network survey. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2007;64:198–209. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aggarwal A, Sharma DD. Zolpidem withdrawal delirium: a case report. 2010;22:451-o. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2010;22:451-o.e27–451.e28. - PubMed
    1. Trzepacz PT, Mittal D, Torres R, Kanary K, Norton J, Jimerson N. Validation of the Delirium Rating Scale-revised-98: comparison with the delirium rating scale and the cognitive test for delirium. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2001;13:229–42. - PubMed
    1. Langtry HD, Benfield P. Zolpidem: A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties and therapeutic potential. Drugs. 1990;40:291–313. - PubMed