Sleeping pill causes "inappropriate or strange automatic behaviour"

Mark Frauenfelder 1:15 pm Thu Feb 1, 2007

An Australian sleeping pill called Stilnox (called Ambien in the US and elsewhere) is suspected of provoking unusual behavior in people.

A suspect sleeping pill is causing Australians to paint the front door, binge-eat, and drive while still asleep, a new study reveals.

The Federal Health Department has received 16 separate reports of odd "sleepwalking" behaviour caused by the drug Stilnox, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

A woman taking the drug "woke with a paintbrush in her hand after painting the front door while asleep," the Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee said in a bulletin published yesterday.

The health department also received 104 reports of hallucinations and 62 of amnesia relating to the drug.

Reader comment:

Paul says:

Stilnox, the "Australian sleeping pill" (sounds like our Prime Minister) you posted about on Boing Boing, is zolpidem tartrate; the same drug known in the US as Ambien – there have been reports of similar effects in people taking Ambien, as you may be aware.

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