Triazolam (Halcion^®, Novodorm^®, Songar^®) belongs to benzodiazepine group of drugs. It is commonly prescribed for insomnia, and its short half-life (approximately 3 hours) makes it ideal for this use because it thereby avoids morning drowsiness. Image is drawn in bkchem and GIMP. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Benzodiazepine tablets The benzodiazepines are a class of drugs with hypnotic, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, amnestic and muscle relaxant properties. ... Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterised by an inability to sleep and/or to remain asleep for a reasonable period during the night. ...

Questions exist about its safety because it has a fairly narrow therapeutic window. Also, some have suggested that it causes hallucinations, amnesia, paranoia and verbal and physical aggression. A hallucination is a false sensory perception in the absence of an external stimulus, as distinct from an illusion, which is a misperception of an external stimulus. ... Amnesia is a condition in which memory is disturbed. ...

Halcion belongs to the Pregnancy Category X of the FDA. This means that it is known to cause birth defects in the unborn baby. On October 2, 1991, the Committee on the Safety of Medicines (CSM) banned sales of Triazolam in the UK after concluding that it had a higher frequency of psychiatric side-effects than other hypnotics (sleeping pills). The United States Food and Drug Administration is the government agency responsible for regulating food, dietary supplements, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, biologics and blood products in the United States. ... A side-effect is any effect other than an intended primary effect. ... Hypnotic can be used to describe the state of hypnosis. ...

External links

• Extensive information about Halcion (http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-h01.html)
• Newsweek August 19, 1991 - Sweet Dreams or Nightmare? Halcion controversy (http://www.injustice.org/nemo/newsfile/nk910819.html)
• Triazolam - Medlineplus.org (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a684004.html)
• Presidential Halcion use (http://www.spedro.com/nf_bush.html)
• Halcion Fact Sheet (http://www.duchs.com/information/Halcion)