Belsomra for Insomnia: How Does It Work?

Belsomra is the brand name for the pharmaceutical agent suvorexant. It is FDA-approved to treat insomnia — a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling and staying asleep.

These sleeping pills treat insomnia by modulating a brain chemical known as orexin. Noteworthy, the drug carries potentially significant health risks and must only be used with a doctor’s prescription. Below, let’s learn more about the uses of Belsomra, its dosage, side effects, and other facts.

Have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? Consult a doctor to know how to overcome insomnia.

Indications of Belsomra

The FDA has approved Belsomra for the treatment of insomnia in adults only. As a prescription sleeping pill, Belsomra acts on the brain to improve sleep and reduce wakefulness. You’ll feel drowsy once you take the drug and fall asleep faster. A study comparing Belsomra and placebo indicated that suvorexant users fell asleep six minutes earlier than those who took a placebo. Similarly, Belsomra kept the patients asleep for up to 16 minutes on average more than individuals who ingested the placebo.

How to Use Belsomra

Take the drug by mouth as directed by your doctor, usually within half an hour before bed. You can take it with or without food. Do not use alcohol when taking Belsomra, as this might cause excessive sleepiness and slow, shallow breathing, which is potentially life-threatening.

Belsomra Side Effects

Like any other drug, Belsomra has potential undesired effects. Sleepiness is the most common side effect, but other adverse reactions that might occur with Belsomra use include:

• Lethargy and drowsiness
• Worsening depressive mood
• Behavior changes, including aggression and agitation
• Abnormal thinking and perception: confusion, memory loss, hallucinations
• Impaired coordination and reduced alertness
• Sleep paralysis, in which you are unable to move during sleep transitions
• Breathing problems
• Complex sleeping behaviors such as sleepwalking, sleep driving, and performing other activities that you might not remember upon waking up
• Temporary leg weakness
• Suicidal thoughts

The symptoms of insomnia can be reduced with the right medication. See a doctor to get an individual treatment plan.

Does Belsomra Cause Weight Loss?

The clinical trials identified neither weight gain nor Belsomra-linked weight loss as a side effect. That means you should not be worried about weight changes when using the drug.

Belsomra vs. Ambien

Like Belsomra, Ambien is a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating insomnia. Ambien comprises the active ingredient zolpidem, sold under other brand names, including Edluar and Intermezzo. Both medicines have the potential for abuse and dependence and are categorized as controlled substances.

Although both drugs treat insomnia, they differ in numerous aspects. First, Belsomra is manufactured by Merck, while Sanofi-Aventis makes Ambien. Then, the mechanism of action differs. Suvorexant suppresses wakefulness by inhibiting the orexin pathway, whereas Ambien slows brain activity to help you fall asleep. Zolpidem falls under the drug class of sedative-hypnotics.