PlainMeds provides educational information only. This is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist.

eszopiclone Side Effects

Also known as: Lunesta

Analysis of 24,883 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2005 to 2025.

Total Reports

24,883

Death-Related

1,650

6.6% of reports

Hospitalizations

4,535

18.2% of reports

Top Indication

Insomnia

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DRUG INEFFECTIVE
4,823
INSOMNIA
3,888
DYSGEUSIA
3,854
NAUSEA
1,382
MIDDLE INSOMNIA
1,213
FATIGUE
1,185
HEADACHE
1,168
SOMNOLENCE
881
DIZZINESS
870
INITIAL INSOMNIA
856
ANXIETY
853
PAIN
808
DIARRHOEA
745
DEPRESSION
712
FALL
653
DYSPNOEA
641
VOMITING
629
COMPLETED SUICIDE
523
OFF LABEL USE
519
MALAISE
510

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 15,412 (65%)
Male 8,046 (34%)
Unknown 130

Age Distribution

0-17 191 (1%)
18-44 3,478 (21%)
45-64 7,295 (44%)
65-74 2,955 (18%)
75+ 2,689 (16%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2005 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 1,650 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
COMPLETED SUICIDE 520
DEATH 348
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 176
CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST 111
CARDIAC ARREST 110
RESPIRATORY ARREST 74
PNEUMONIA 67
DYSPNOEA 64
PAIN 60
VOMITING 59
RESPIRATORY FAILURE 56
OVERDOSE 55
PYREXIA 52
NAUSEA 51
FALL 49
RENAL FAILURE 46
INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE 44
DECREASED APPETITE 41
DIARRHOEA 41
INSOMNIA 41

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 4,535 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
NAUSEA 358
FALL 339
PNEUMONIA 298
PAIN 292
DYSPNOEA 284
FATIGUE 254
ANXIETY 247
VOMITING 235
INSOMNIA 234
DIARRHOEA 219
PYREXIA 218
DEPRESSION 216
HEADACHE 197
DEHYDRATION 182
DIZZINESS 181
ASTHENIA 176
OVERDOSE 164
CHEST PAIN 159
SUICIDE ATTEMPT 157
DECREASED APPETITE 154

Nearby — Related Medications

Compare eszopiclone vs lemborexant →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About eszopiclone Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 24,883 voluntary reports linked to eszopiclone and its brand equivalents (Lunesta), spanning 2005 through 2025. Of those, 1,650 (6.6%) listed death as an outcome and 4,535 (18.2%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Insomnia.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 65% were female and 34% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 7,295 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug ineffective with 4,823 submissions, followed by insomnia and dysgeusia.

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.