ArticleCanadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien2007
Zopiclone: is it a pharmacologic agent for abuse?
Article in Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exploring Clinical Trials to Manage Firefighters' Sleep Quality: A PRISMA Compliant Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- Eszopiclone for insomnia.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018Pooled it
- Simulated driving performance in healthy adults after night-time administration of 20 mg tasimelteon.Journal of sleep research · 2022Trial
- Positive Airway Pressure Therapy Initiation and Continued Benzodiazepine Use Among Chronic Drug Users.Journal of sleep research · 2026Article
- Medication patterns and potentially inappropriate medication in patients with metastatic breast cancer: results of the BRE-BY-MED study.BMC cancer · 2025Article
- Fatal Intoxications with Zopiclone-A Cause for Concern?Drug safety · 2024Article
- Genetics of sleep medication purchases suggests causality from sleep problems to psychiatric traits.Sleep · 2024Article
- Benzodiazepine-Receptor Agonist Utilization in Outpatients with Anxiety Disorder: A Retrospective Study Based on Electronic Healthcare Data from a Large General Tertiary Hospital.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Insights into patient characteristics and documentation of the use of sedative-hypnotic/anxiolytics in primary care: a retrospective chart review study.BMC primary care · 2022Article
- Comparative effectiveness and safety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for insomnia: an overview of reviews.Systematic reviews · 2019Review
- Dependence, withdrawal and rebound of CNS drugs: an update and regulatory considerations for new drugs development.Brain communications · 2019Review
- Article
- Zopiclone overdose and flumazenil rescue.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2017Article
- Article
- Pharmacoepidemiological characterisation of zolpidem and zopiclone usage.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2013Article
- The clinical and forensic toxicology of Z-drugs.Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology · 2013Review
- Long-term misuse of zopiclone in an alcohol dependent woman with a history of anorexia nervosa: a case report.Journal of medical case reports · 2010Article
- Addictive evidence.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2008Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo determine whether the hypnosedative drug zopiclone could be an agent for abuse. SOURCES OF INFORMATION: Using MEDLINE and PubMed, English-language medical literature was systematically reviewed for reports of direct drug abuse and addiction. A review was also conducted for clinical trials or patient series that discussed issues of addiction or rebound effects. MAIN MESSAGE: Evidence of drug abuse and dependency was found in case reports and small patient series. Dependency symptoms of severe rebound, severe anxiety, tremor, palpitations, tachycardia, and seizures were observed in some patients after withdrawal. Abuse occurred more commonly among patients with previous drug abuse or psychiatric illnesses. Many clinical trials have found evidence of rebound insomnia after recommended dosages were stopped, albeit for a minority of patients. Comparative studies of zopiclone and benzodiazepines or other "Z" drugs are conflicting.
conclusionZopiclone has the potential for being an agent of abuse and addiction. While many have suggested that the addictive potential for this and other "Z" drugs is less than for most benzodiazepines, caution should be taken when prescribing this agent for insomnia. Ideally, prescriptions should be given for a short period of time and within the recommended dosage guidelines.
Indexed as
Identifiers
18077750PMC2231551W1837742065What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.