Efficacy and side effects of flurazepam, fosazepam, and nitrazepam as sleeping aids in psychogeriatric patients.
Efficacy and side effects of flurazepam 15 mg, fosazepam 60 mg, and nitrazepam 5 mg were studied in 17 psychogeriatric patients. The drugs were equipotent in maintaining sleep but nitrazepam had more side effects than the other hypnotics, and it induced a rebound insomnia after withdrawal. All hypnotics lost some of their efficacy towards the end of 7 days' administration. Patients with evident cerebrovascular disease were vulnerable to the side effects of the benzodiazepine hypnotics. The side effects did not correlate with the age of a patient. In addition, no correlations were found between the serum levels of fosazepam or its main metabolite and the side effects.
D000368:Aged; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003975:Diazepam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005479:Flurazepam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D001523:Mental Disorders; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009567:Nitrazepam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D009567:Nitrazepam; D005479:Flurazepam; D003975:Diazepam