Drug interactions
Esketamine + Zolpidem
Severity: Moderate
Esketamine and Zolpidem: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Zolpidem is a sedative-hypnotic that can add to esketamine sedation, dizziness and impaired coordination, with a risk of complex sleep behaviors.
What this interaction means in plain words
Esketamine and Zolpidem can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Esketamine belongs to Central Nervous System; Zolpidem belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression from GABA-A positive modulation plus NMDA antagonism.
What to do
Avoid zolpidem on the evening before and after esketamine where possible, and monitor sedation after dosing.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Esketamine
Other interactions of Zolpidem
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Esketamine with Zolpidem?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Esketamine and Zolpidem can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Zolpidem is a sedative-hypnotic that can add to esketamine sedation, dizziness and impaired coordination, with a risk of complex sleep behaviors.
How serious is the interaction between Esketamine and Zolpidem?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid zolpidem on the evening before and after esketamine where possible, and monitor sedation after dosing.
What other medicines interact with Esketamine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Esketamine with, for example, Alfentanil, Amobarbital, Belladonna and opium. The full list is on the Esketamine page.
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