Patient/caregiver was educated on the precautions to be observed while taking restoril as follows:
- Your physician could change the dose of restoril, based on the relief obtained from insomnia or side-effects developed. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments, to have your doctor updated. Be accommodative to the plan of frequent dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
- Try changing the positions very slowly, as sudden change of positions can make the episodes of confusion and dizziness even worse and precipitate accidents and falls. One should stay away from activities, such as, driving, operating heavy machinery, swimming, and other activities needing mental alertness, until they are used to the side effects caused by the restoril.
- Individuals using restoril develop resistance to the dose in due course of time, thus blunting the therapeutic effect. The dose of restoril should probably be enhanced at this point, to derive the same therapeutic benefit, thus increasing the risk for addiction. The risk for addiction is even more in individuals with history of substance/drug abuse, as the craving for the desired effect in these individuals will be high. As restoril intake can be habit forming and carries a potential for addiction, it is usually prescribed for short span of time only, for a maximum of 2 weeks. If symptoms of insomnia are not relieved or further worsen within this time period, notify your doctor on the same, to have your sleep disturbance further investigated into.
- Individuals with history of drug abuse are more likely to abuse restoril. So, if you have any family members with drug abuse history, make sure your medication is not being stolen. Keep a count on your tablets to prevent chance for abuse. Also, do not share your medication with any family members or friends.
