About

Mogadon is the brand name of a medicine containing the active ingredient Nitrazepam (a benzodiazepine group drug) that is used as a hypnotic and sedative.

Mogadon is mainly used to treat insomnia, such as when you have problems in falling asleep, disturbance while sleeping with frequent awakenings, and when you have very early morning awakenings. In short, Mogadon is best for short term sleeping problems.

When you take Mogadon it not only lengthens the duration of sleep but also cuts the time required to fall asleep.

Mogadon has other uses as well, as for example for treating refractory epilepsies (persistent seizures not responding to medical treatment) and as a long term prophylactic treatment for epilepsy. Mogadon is also used to treat myoclonal seizure (means rapidly alternating jerking or twitching of muscles) and for seizures in children. Mogadon has also been found effective in treating West Syndrome (which is a seizure disorder or epilepsy in infants).

Mogadon is usually available as 5 mg and 10 mg tablets.

Usage

Dosage of Mogadon depends on the condition for which it is being used. Rely on your doctor to diagnose your illness and prescribe Mogadon for you if necessary. Do not try to fix your own dose of Mogadon.

For treating insomnia, the indicative dose of Mogadon could be between 2.5 mg to 10 mg usually taken before going to bed. Do not give Mogadon to children for treatment of insomnia. Discuss with your doctor if you are not sure about this medication. Allow your doctor to set the dose of Mogadon for you. Mogadon could exert a pronounced sedating effect, and hence it is important for your doctor to prescribe an individualized dose for catering to your illness.

Mogadon starts working within one hour of taking the medication and can help you maintain sleep for 4 to 8 hours. Mogadon can be taken with or without food. Do not under any circumstance take two doses of Mogadon at a time to make up for a missed dose.

Mogadon is habit forming and therefore should only be used for short periods of time. Usually your doctor may prescribe a 7-10 day course of Mogadon for you. Prolonged treatment with Mogadon should only be as per your doctor’s directions. However, if you have been taking Mogadon regularly for more than one month, do not stop using it abruptly. Stop this medication through a gradual reduction in dose in consultation with your doctor. This is to avoid withdrawal effects.

Mogadon could be harmful for people not prescribed to take this medication.

For treating Myoclonic seizures your doctor is likely to prescribe Mogadon for you depending on your body weight and certain other factors.

Dose of a medication depends on a person’s needs, his bodyweight, other conditions he may have and other medications he could be taking at that point in time. All this is best decided by your doctor. If your doctor has suggested a dose other than what is listed here, stick to that dosing schedule.

Side Effects

Not everyone experiences the side effects listed below. But if a Mogadon side effect becomes troublesome and affects your way of life, consult your doctor immediately. Your doctor may then choose to stop the medication or alter the dose, or perhaps even switch you to some other medication.

The most common side effects of Mogadon are clumsiness, dizziness, drowsiness and slurred speech

The Less common (rare) side effects are stomach cramps, changes in vision, changes in sexual ability, constipation, diarrhea, dry mouth, headache, increased or watering of mouth, muscle spasm, nausea or vomiting, urination problems, and weakness.

There could be other side effects than what is listed above. So consult your doctor if you find some other worrisome symptoms.

Precaution

Mogadon should not be taken by people allergic to benzodiazepines in general and those suffering from myasthenia gravis, psychosis, sleep apnea and severe liver impairment

Mogadon should not be taken by people suffering from hypotension, as it would worsen the situation.

Caution must be exercised by people with hypothyroidism as Mogadon could accumulate in the body due to weak metabolism.

Do not use Mogadon if you are pregnant or breast feeding.

Do not take Mogadon with alcohol to avoid potentially fatal CNS depressant effects.

Mogadon should not be taken with other centrally acting drugs as sedative effects could increase.

Do not drive or operate machinery after taking Mogadon.

Mogadon could interact with a variety of drugs as for example, anesthetics, Anticonvulsants, Antipsychotic, Cimetidine, Clarithromycin, Erythromycin, Ketoconazole, narcotic-containing medications, and theophylline. This list of medicines that could possibly interact with Mogadon is by no means exhaustive. Therefore tell your doctor the different medicines you may be taking at that time, so that he could decide if Mogadon is indeed safe for you.

As per recent Health Canada advisory, patients should typically not take sleep aid drugs such as Mogadon for more than 7 to 10 days in a row.

Store Mogadon in a dry place at room temperature strictly out of the reach of children