It sounds like a science fiction book: waking up behind the steering wheel, sitting there in pajamas with steam billowing out from under the crumpled car hood. The dazed driver looks around, obviously unsure of the location or circumstances. Could be a bestseller.
Or, it may already be one.
You probably won’t catch it on a television commercial, but the Food and Drug Administration ordered the makers of Ambien (a trade name for the drug zolpidem) to alter the warning label to include as a possible side-effect: sleep-driving.
Sleep-driving is a lot like sleepwalking, only a lot more dangerous.
Former US Commerce Secretary John Bryson had difficulties during a trip to California, leading to a series of car accidents and his resignation from the Obama Cabinet. Initially, he was suspected of driving under the influence, but later reports indicated health problems. Ambien is suspected to have played a role. Now, the sleep aid is being considered as the cause of a similar accident Friday morning involving Kerry Kennedy, the ex-wife of NY Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Kennedy was arrested on suspicion of DUI Friday morning after crashing into a highway railing and continuing to drive – even on a flat tire. She stopped at the bottom of an exit ramp, where police found her slumped over the wheel.
Some months ago, a class-action lawsuit against the drug manufacturer led to the changing of the warning label. The insomnia drug works so well that energetic sleepers have not only taken to the streets in sleep-driving episodes, but are also prone to binge sleep-eating.
The binge part includes devouring just about anything in sight – even things like buttered cigarettes and raw eggs: yolks, whites, shells, and all.
Unfortunately, those aren’t the only side known side effects, and the drug is often cited in date rape cases. Others include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Dizziness
Anterograde amnesia
Hallucinations, through all physical senses, of varying intensity
Delusions
Altered thought patterns
Ataxia or poor motor coordination, difficulty maintaining balance
Euphoria and/or dysphoria
Increased appetite
Increased or decreased libido
Amnesia
Impaired judgment and reasoning
Uninhibited extroversion in social or interpersonal settings
Increased impulsivity
When stopped, rebound insomnia may occur
Headaches
Short-term memory loss
This is just a thought, and is based only on personal experience, but – given the number of books out there, both riveting and awesomely bland – couldn’t a good old dull read in dim lighting work just as well and eliminate the gruesome side-effects?
Try a paperback, though. Hardbacks tend to bonk you on the head when you nod off, bringing you right back out of that good sleep.