[Emmanuel Goldstein]

Originally Posted by multicollinearity

Since the above says the patients were on zolpidem for 3 to 6 years, I wonder if there is an excitable rebound effect after tolerance to the sedative effects is reached? What I mean is something like this - you know how a patient dependent on benzos long-term can have a seizure if they stop taking their benzos suddenly? Well maybe with zolpidem after tolerance has been reached, there is a quick withdrawal effect due to the short half-life - the patient is more arousable and neurologically excitable.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...2005100C132438

This is the story of the 31 year old, and the docs are the ones who did the study. This reads to me that they noticed the effect and then did the research, but that the initial dose of zolpidem did have an effect.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_obje...name_page.html

MIRACLE TREATMENT HERE BY 2009
A BRITISH doctor, Ralph Clauss, has just discovered why Zolpidem has a miraculous effect on coma patients.
The consultant at Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, says: "Louis' case is phenomenal and opens doors for permanent vegetative state patients improving consciousness.
"The drug will not work on all brain damaged patients, though. It depends on the size of the area of their brain that is 'asleep'.
"Zolpidem is most effective on people who have a large area of their brain which is dormant. Patients are prescribed it to help them sleep as it activates receptors in the brain that enhance chemicals involved in inducing sleepiness.
"When brain damage occurs, these receptors change shape. This new shape is then distorted by the drug and causes the nerve cells to resume normal activity again.
Percy Lomax, chief executive of ReGen Therapeutics, the firm patenting Zolpidem to use on patients with brain dormancy in the UK, says:
"This is a major breakthrough and very exciting because you can change people's lives."
"We have tried the drug on other patients in South Africa with varying forms of dormancy and the vast majority have responded well.
"We are now doing trials on 20 of them to see if it can change their brain dormancy with a lesser dosage. We then have two further trial phases.
"If it all goes positively we will be able to register it for use in Britain. It should be on the market by 2008/2009."

[multicollinearity]

Originally Posted by Emmanuel Goldstein

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...2005100C132438

This is the story of the 31 year old, and the docs are the ones who did the study. This reads to me that they noticed the effect and then did the research, but that the initial dose of zolpidem did have an effect.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_obje...name_page.html

MIRACLE TREATMENT HERE BY 2009
A BRITISH doctor, Ralph Clauss, has just discovered why Zolpidem has a miraculous effect on coma patients.
The consultant at Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, says: "Louis' case is phenomenal and opens doors for permanent vegetative state patients improving consciousness.
"The drug will not work on all brain damaged patients, though. It depends on the size of the area of their brain that is 'asleep'.
"Zolpidem is most effective on people who have a large area of their brain which is dormant. Patients are prescribed it to help them sleep as it activates receptors in the brain that enhance chemicals involved in inducing sleepiness.
"When brain damage occurs, these receptors change shape. This new shape is then distorted by the drug and causes the nerve cells to resume normal activity again.
Percy Lomax, chief executive of ReGen Therapeutics, the firm patenting Zolpidem to use on patients with brain dormancy in the UK, says:
"This is a major breakthrough and very exciting because you can change people's lives."
"We have tried the drug on other patients in South Africa with varying forms of dormancy and the vast majority have responded well.
"We are now doing trials on 20 of them to see if it can change their brain dormancy with a lesser dosage. We then have two further trial phases.

"If it all goes positively we will be able to register it for use in Britain. It should be on the market by 2008/2009."

Thank you for posting this! This is so fascinating (and it makes my last theory moot). It sounds like the drug is working like a 'reset button' of sorts.

[amyk_ncsu]

I wonder if they have to keep taking it forever to maintain whatever LOC they can reach, or if they return to the vegetative state if they stop taking it....

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

Originally Posted by multicollinearity

Do you have a Medscape subscription? Maybe I'll search that when I have more time, later. For me, all medical searches start at Medscape.com.

I forgot about medscape!

Dr. Coconcea presented 2 cases of catatonia that were remarkably responsive to the hypnotic agent zolpidem.The first case involved a 65-year-old man with a long history of schizoaffective disorder with severe catatonic episodes that had started showing resistance to benzodiazepines several years previously. In an acute episode, he was unresponsive...

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A 28-year-old male sustained anoxic brain damage following aborted cardiac arrest, and subsequently developed severe muscular rigidity and spasticity involving all extremities.


Read article in its entirety. You may need to register, but is a free site:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/558762