title: A procedure for withdrawal of sleep medication in elderly women who have been long-term users.
abstract: A program for withdrawal of sedative/hypnotic medication was investigated in elderly women, ages 64 to 91. The sleep cycles of 10 drug withdrawal (DW) and 10 non-drug withdrawal (N-DW) subjects were monitored for a 24-hour period for 5 successive weeks, using a nonintrusive recording procedure. The first 2 baseline weeks were followed by 1 week of half-dose, then 2 weeks of full withdrawal for the DW group. The results indicated no demonstrable effect on sleep, sleep complaints, levels of depression, or daytime sleepiness on the DW group. The conclusion is that the procedure of withdrawal from sleep medication over a 2-week period, combined with the use of a substitute pill to maintain the ritual of nightly pill-taking, is appropriate and effective for long-term elderly users.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Tabloski
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Thoman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017286:Polysomnography; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000451:nursing*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives