A 55-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 5-month history of insomnia. She has difficulty initiating sleep, and her sleep onset latency is normally about 1 hour. The patient's other medical problems include hypertension . He takes lisinopril regularly as prescribed. She avoids consuming alcohol and caffeine before bedtime and has begun to exercise every other afternoon. She also does not watch TV or use her phone shortly before she goes to bed. In addition to nonpharmacologic interventions for insomnia, short-term pharmacologic therapy is being considered. Which of the following medications has the lowest risk of causing adverse effects in this patient?

Question

A 55-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 5-month history of insomnia. She has difficulty initiating sleep, and her sleep onset latency is normally about 1 hour. The patient's other medical problems include hypertension . He takes lisinopril regularly as prescribed. She avoids consuming alcohol and caffeine before bedtime and has begun to exercise every other afternoon. She also does not watch TV or use her phone shortly before she goes to bed. In addition to nonpharmacologic interventions for insomnia, short-term pharmacologic therapy is being considered.  Which of the following medications has the lowest risk of causing adverse effects in this patient?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Benzodiazepines, antihistamines, and sedating antidepressants should be avoided in the treatment of insomnia in elderly patients due to their adverse effects. Ramelteon, a melatonin agonist, has a lower side-effect burden than other sedative-hypnotic agents and is effective in reducing time to sleep onset in the elderly.

A 55-Year-Old Woman Comes to the Physician Because of a 5-Month