Description
Eszop (Eszopiclone) 3 mg
Eszop 3 mg contains eszopiclone, a prescription hypnotic medicine used for the symptomatic treatment of insomnia. Eszopiclone is a non-benzodiazepine sleep medicine in the “Z-drug” class. The product is an oral tablet intended for adult use, and the 3 mg strength is the highest commonly marketed tablet strength in official prescribing information.
Active Ingredient and Medicine Class
The verified active ingredient is eszopiclone. It belongs to the class of non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, which act on the central nervous system to promote sleep. Although it is structurally different from benzodiazepines, it produces similar sleep-inducing effects through a selective action at the gamma-aminobutyric acid type A, or GABA-A, receptor complex.
Established Medical Uses
Eszopiclone is established for the treatment of insomnia, including difficulty falling asleep and difficulty staying asleep. Official prescribing information supports its use for adults with insomnia, while regulatory assessment documents also describe its intended role in the management of insomnia symptoms. It is a symptomatic treatment rather than a cure for the underlying cause of sleep disturbance.
How It Works
Eszopiclone enhances inhibitory signalling in the brain by binding to the GABA-A receptor complex at a site associated with sedative-hypnotic activity. This reduces central nervous system arousal and can shorten sleep onset while also helping to reduce awakenings during the night. Its effects are designed to support sleep initiation and maintenance, although individual response can vary.
Important Safety Information
Important safety concerns include next-day impairment, especially with higher exposure, when combined with other central nervous system depressants, or when sleep time is too short. Regulatory information warns about additive sedation with alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, sedating antihistamines, and other medicines that depress the central nervous system. Eszopiclone should be used cautiously in people with respiratory impairment, liver disease, a history of substance misuse, depression, or other psychiatric conditions.
Eszopiclone is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to the medicine or its components. It may also be unsuitable when insomnia is not the primary problem and instead reflects another untreated medical, psychiatric, or sleep disorder. Complex sleep behaviours, such as sleep-walking or other activities done while not fully awake, have been reported with this drug class and require urgent medical attention if they occur.
Possible Side Effects
Common adverse effects reported with eszopiclone include unpleasant taste, drowsiness, dizziness, headache, dry mouth, and next-day sleepiness or reduced alertness. Some patients may also experience abnormal dreams, nausea, or a feeling of being unwell. More serious reactions can include severe allergic reactions, worsening depression, behavioural changes, hallucinations, memory problems, and complex sleep-related behaviours.
Scientific Evidence
Human clinical trials and systematic reviews have found that eszopiclone can improve measures of sleep onset and sleep maintenance compared with placebo in adults with primary insomnia. A systematic review and meta-analysis reported improvements in subjective sleep latency, wake after sleep onset, total sleep time, and sleep quality across randomized trials. Longer placebo-controlled studies also found sustained sleep benefits over weeks of treatment, although adverse effects such as dysgeusia and somnolence were noted in some participants. These findings support efficacy for insomnia symptoms, but they do not mean the medicine is appropriate for every patient or every type of sleep problem.
Medical Information Notice
This page is an educational summary based on sources available at the time of review. It is not a substitute for the official patient information leaflet, product label, or assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.
Medical Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration — LUNESTA (eszopiclone) tablets, prescribing information
- European Medicines Agency — Lunivia (eszopiclone), medicine information and withdrawal question-and-answer document
- Philip I Hair et al. Eszopiclone: a review of its use in the treatment of insomnia. Drugs, 2008. View scientific article
- Wang G et al. Eszopiclone for the treatment of primary insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Sleep Medicine, 2019. View scientific article
