Patient/caregiver was educated on the precautions to be observed while taking dalmane as follows:
- If your schedule does not permit an eight hour sleep time for the night, you can avoid taking the dose of dalmane. This helps to avoid the risk for confusion and short-term memory loss, during your waking hours the next morning, thus helping to avoid any falls and accidents. Individuals are at risk to perform dangerous activities, such as, driving, without any knowledge or memory of the performance. Report any such behaviors to your physician, for any changes to be considered in plan of care.
- Continue taking dalmane as ordered, for the prescribed length of time, even if your symptoms of insomnia are under control. Discontinuing the medication abruptly, without physician recommendation, can lead to rebound of the insomnia symptoms.
- Avoid drinking alcohol with dalmane. Both alcohol and dalmane depress the nervous system and significantly increase the risk for confusion, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating, when taken together. Their effects on the brain and nervous system can get added up and lead to severe depression of the nervous system, thus compromising safety and resulting in accidents and falls.
- Intake of Dalmane with opioid pain medications, such as, hydrocodone and codeine, antipsychotic medications, antidepressant medications, anti-seizure medications, muscle relaxants, antihistamines, and OTC cough syrups carry risk for severe depression of respirations and breathing difficulty.
