Sleeping pill awakens another patient from coma

This is another story of a sleeping pill bringing a patient in a persistent vegetative state back to full consciousness.

This 23-year-old girl was in a coma unable to eat or breathe for herself since falling unconscious in 2001.

She is one of 360 people taking part as a world-wide trial of Zolpidem as a treatment for people in comas. Sixty per cent of patients taking part in the study have started showing signs of life.

The ability to awaken some patients who have been in a persistent vegetative state is a fortunate side effect of the sleep drug Zolpidem.

The sleeping drug Zolpidem is sold as Ambien in this country.

We reported on this fortunate side effect of Zolpidem (Ambien) two different times. Our postings can be found here and here.

The current story from the Telegraph is here.