Q: I am 32 years old. Last year, my blood pressure suddenly went up due to tension and I consulted a cardiologist. After all the tests like lipid profile, TMT, Echo Doppler study of heart, no heart problem was found. But he prescribed Lonazep .05 / half a tab at night regularly. I took the same for a month and went to the doctor again. He asked me to stop the medicine. But after stopping the drug, I was not able to sleep. I continued the same for another month, and gradually stopped the medicine. But now I have a sleep disorder. I wake up regularly at about 2-3 pm at night and my sleep has become very poor. Is there any counter medicine, which will help me to overcome this situation?

A:Lonazep is the brand name of a medicine called clonazepam. It is actually approved for use in epilepsy to control fits. Even though it can also relieve anxiety but it is not appropriate to use it for this purpose, for which much better and safer medicines are available. For short term treatment of sleeplessness, one can use Zleep-10 (zolpidem) - one tablet to be taken while retiring. Maximum duration of use should not exceed 4 weeks though one should try to give up the medication after 5-7 days once the normal sleep pattern is established.