Quviviq is a relatively new drug, and there is currently a paucity of independent clinical research to study regarding Quviviq withdrawal and side effects. Documents prepared by the drugmaker describe Quviviq (generic daridorexant) as a “generally well-tolerated” drug that enables a shortened sleep onset and a longer duration of total sleep time. They suggest that compared to similar drugs, Quviviq poses “less risk” for adverse side effects, tolerance, drug dependence, abuse, and withdrawal effects.1
Two separate 2024 studies of the FAERS database (FDA Adverse Event Reporting System) found the most frequently reported side effect of Quviviq and other orexin antagonist drugs to be sleep paralysis, along with nightmares, depression, brain fog, sleep sex, oversleeping, and other sleep disturbances.11,12
The FDA drug label and package insert provide warnings about other risks associated with Quviviq, as listed below.2,3
Quviviq side effects can include:
Suicidality
Worsened depression
Sleep paralysis
Sleep walking, sleep driving, sleep eating etc. and loss of memory of the event
Headache, migraine, head discomfort
Hallucinations while going to sleep or upon waking
Vivid and disturbing perceptions
Nightmares
Next morning and daytime sleepiness
Next day impaired awareness, cognition and motor skills like those required for driving or operating machinery (sometimes called “hangover”)
Dizziness, vertigo
Nausea
Cataplexy (sudden limpness of the muscles or legs without warning, lasting from seconds to hours)
Impaired respiration
15 Years Experience by Professionals Who Understand Your Journey.
Suffering from chronic insomnia is a problem shared by millions here and abroad. Finally there is hope that Quviviq withdrawal and drug free treatment that addresses root causes for insomnia makes better outcomes possible.
Quviviq withdrawal itself can be relatively easy to navigate, though it is best not to try it on your own. But what then? The body and mind are both key players in recovering after chronic insomnia. We have the tools and the compassion here at Alternative to Meds to help you reach your health goals.
Stuck in the nightmare of medicated sleep?
Is it really possible to get adequate & satisfying sleep without pills? Our years long high rate of success has been validated and published by independent researchers. Alternative to Meds Center has been the industry leader for 18 years in treatment for recovery after prescription drug treatment.
Our approach to treatment is a blend of safe, medically monitored drug withdrawal, drug-free protocols and a wealth of therapies to reduce and eliminate symptoms. Our time-tested set of tools and education assists a person to maintain mental wellness for life.
Quviviq Withdrawal — Understanding the Mechanics
Quviviq is a drug surmised to target approximately 70,000 excitatory neurons (orexin peptides) that promote wakefulness, and also have a function in regulating sleep. The theory is that blocking their excitatory signals can promote sleep.
The human brain and central nervous system are intricate and complex structures. These orexin neurons affect not only sleep and wakefulness, they also signal things like reward, cognition, food intake, digestion, physical strength and activity, and others. Quviviq drug marketing highlights the sleep/wake signaling in particular, but in actuality, the mechanics and effects could be much more wide-ranging.4,6-8
Patients are cautioned in the prescribing information that despite the 8 hour half-life, effects can persist well after an approximate 8 hour time frame.
According to the FDA’s label and the package insert 2,3 Quviviq withdrawal effects can include:
Increased onset of sleep time
Increased wakefulness
Decreased duration of sleep time
CNS-depressant effects and sleepiness may persist for several days after discontinuing
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Concerns About Quviviq and Quviviq Withdrawal
If the mother uses this drug during pregnancy, Quviviq withdrawal may affect an unborn and newborn infant as the transport of any drug can occur through the placenta, and through breastfeeding.5,9
Nature has designed the increase and decrease of orexin levels in the human body to follow a timeline starting from the very beginning of life to old age. These neurons express a multitude of signals that promote many aspects of healthy development and affect the entire body. In newborns, orexin levels peak, increasing to highest levels in the 4th month, and then they level off and stabilize.
Fascinating research continues this time line, suggesting that a loss of orexin neurons may account for some sleep and behavioral disruptions and other changes seen in the elderly population. Similar changes can occur after brain trauma, and in cases of narcolepsy.
Research published in the Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Journal has found that changing orexin levels also affect maternal behavior, such as alertness and interest, feeding and lactation, and coping with the changing needs of the infant.10
As these areas of research are only in their beginning stages, Quviviq withdrawal may be one problem to avoid well before and well after pregnancy, and as we age, if at all possible. Non-drug-based alternative insomnia treatments may be a superior option to consider in the treatment of sleep disorders.
Interactions Between Quviviq and Other Substances
Drug interactions are a common problem, especially with the number of prescription and OTC drugs increasing exponentially year over year. To date, there are about 400 drugs known to interact with Quviviq . Grapefruit is a food which you should not take if you are taking Quviviq as it increases the level of Quviviq in the blood, and increases the severity of side effects. Here are some of the most common drugs the FDA recommends you avoid, according to the package insert as they either make the drug too potent, or reduce its potency markedly.2,3,17
Alcohol (additive impairment of motor skills, CNS depression, increases side effects)
Vraylar, Cymbalta, Ativan, Trazodone, Ambien, and many other prescription drugs for insomnia & mental health (increase side effects)
Melatonin (increase side effects)
Piperine, Bioperine (derivative of black pepper that enhances cellular absorption)
Nefazedone (antidepressant that suppresses hormone expression)
Hydrocortisone, other steroids (steroids dampen immune system response)
Cimetidine (an antacid)
Quinidine (heart medication that reduces electrical signaling)
Etoposide, Tamoxifen (drugs used in cancer treatment)
For Quviviq withdrawal, make sure your prescriber or care team know exactly what drugs and other substances you consume so that discontinuation can be coordinated and done in the best and safest sequence.
Chronic Insomnia — A Worldwide Problem
It is perhaps not so surprising that an estimated 20-30% of global populations suffer from chronic insomnia, given the high stress of modern living, family life, economics, the workplace, coupled with chemicals in our food and other sources of toxic contamination. Women suffer from sleep disorders more than men. Millions upon millions of people have been offered sleeping pills as a “solution” and in desperation, given no other options, will start on a course of medication for relief.
Chronic sleep disorders can preclude a number of related health issues, including mental health, cardiac problems, social and job-related dysfunction, and many others.
After Quviviq withdrawal, does a person have to continue to suffer? The answer at Alternative to Meds Center is a resounding “NO!” & There are other gentler, more natural ways to get a balance of restful sleep, and bright daytime awareness. Experts in treating sleep disorders often prefer psychological approaches to treatment such as CBT, which obtains excellent results for many.13-16
We feel immediately bad when sleep is inadequate. Problems can greatly multiply if loss of sleep becomes chronic, affecting judgement and decision making, motor vehicle or other accidents and injuries, obesity, depression, heart issues, chronic pain, and our overall quality of life.18,19
Taking medication to “get to sleep” may be indicated in acute situations, but Quviviq withdrawal followed by non-medicated treatment may allow a longer-term, healthier change for the better.
The Orthomolecular Approach to Quviviq Withdrawal and Better Sleep at Alternative to Meds Center
We have been encouraged to seek out “instant solutions” in this fast-paced world that we live in. However, chronic insomnia is a complex and many-faceted problem that needs thorough assessment and repair. There can be multiple causes of chronic sleep issues, and taking a pill cannot correct everything that needs to be corrected.
That is why at Alternative to Meds we take the time to properly assess, understand, and treat all the contributing factors that led up to the symptoms you are suffering. Quviviq withdrawal can be done safely, with medical monitoring in place. However, that is only the beginning of your recovery.
With the use of extensive lab testing, neurotransmitter repair, diet correction, supplementation, exercise, psychological counseling, neurotoxin removal, and physical therapies for profound relaxation and pain relief, we can design your Quviviq withdrawal program that will allow for actual recovery of quality sleep — not just more drugs to knock you out temporarily.
For the best available help for chronic insomnia and Quviviq withdrawal strategies please contact us for a consultation. We are insurance friendly, and we are here to help you regain not only your sleep, but your quality of life.
1. Nie T, Blair HA. Daridorexant in Insomnia Disorder: A Profile of Its Use. CNS Drugs. 2023 Mar;37(3):267-274. doi: 10.1007/s40263-023-00987-9. Epub 2023 Feb 8. Erratum in: CNS Drugs. 2023 Mar;37(3):291. doi: 10.1007/s40263-023-00994-w. PMID: 36754930; PMCID: PMC10024652. [cited 2024 Dec 12]
6. Chieffi S, Carotenuto M, Monda V, Valenzano A, Villano I, Precenzano F, Tafuri D, Salerno M, Filippi N, Nuccio F, Ruberto M, De Luca V, Cipolloni L, Cibelli G, Mollica MP, Iacono D, Nigro E, Monda M, Messina G, Messina A. ” href=”https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28620314/”>Orexin System: The Key for a Healthy Life. Front Physiol. 2017 May 31;8:357. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00357. PMID: 28620314; PMCID: PMC5450021. [ cited 2024 Dec 12]
7. Young J, Lee E, Lindblad JL, Falk J Orexin Antagonists for Insomnia, published in the Canadian Family Physician Journal, March 2024; 70(30) 183-183 [cited 2024 Dec 12]
10. Rivas M, Ferreira A, Torterolo P, Benedetto L. Hypocretins, sleep, and maternal behavior. Front Behav Neurosci. 2023 Jun 30;17:1184885. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1184885. PMID: 37456808; PMCID: PMC10347526. [cited 2024 Dec 12]
14. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research; Colten HR, Altevogt BM, editors. Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2006. 3, Extent and Health Consequences of Chronic Sleep Loss and Sleep Disorders. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/< [cited 2024 Dec 12]
Originally Published December 13, 2024 by Diane Ridaeus
This content has been reviewed and approved by a licensed physician.
Dr. Samuel Lee
Dr. Samuel Lee is a board-certified psychiatrist, specializing in a spiritually-based mental health discipline and integrative approaches. He graduated with an MD at Loma Linda University School of Medicine and did a residency in psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He has also been an inpatient adult psychiatrist at Kaweah Delta Mental Health Hospital and the primary attending geriatric psychiatrist at the Auerbach Inpatient Psychiatric Jewish Home Hospital. In addition, he served as the general adult outpatient psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente. He is board-certified in psychiatry and neurology and has a B.A. Magna Cum Laude in Religion from Pacific Union College. His specialty is in natural healing techniques that promote the body’s innate ability to heal itself.
Diane is an avid supporter and researcher of natural mental health strategies. Diane received her medical writing and science communication certification through Stanford University and has published over 3 million words on the topics of holistic health, addiction, recovery, and alternative medicine. She has proudly worked with the Alternative to Meds Center since its inception and is grateful for the opportunity to help the founding members develop this world-class center that has helped so many thousands regain natural mental health.
Medical Disclaimer: Nothing on this Website is intended to be taken as medical advice. The information provided on the website is intended to encourage, not replace, direct patient-health professional relationships. Always consult with your doctor before altering your medications. Adding nutritional supplements may alter the effect of medication. Any medication changes should be done only after proper evaluation and under medical supervision.
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Sleep walking, sleep driving, sleep eating etc. and loss of memory of the event
Nature has designed the increase and decrease of orexin levels in the human body to follow a timeline starting from the very beginning of life to old age. These neurons express a multitude of signals that promote many aspects of healthy development and affect the entire body. In newborns, orexin levels peak, increasing to highest levels in the 4th month, and then they level off and stabilize.
It is perhaps not so surprising that an estimated 20-30% of global populations suffer from chronic insomnia, given the high stress of modern living, family life, economics, the workplace, coupled with chemicals in our food and other sources of toxic contamination. Women suffer from sleep disorders more than men. Millions upon millions of people have been offered sleeping pills as a “solution” and in desperation, given no other options, will start on a course of medication for relief.
However, chronic insomnia is a complex and many-faceted problem that needs thorough assessment and repair. There can be multiple causes of chronic sleep issues, and taking a pill cannot correct everything that needs to be corrected.
