Does Dayvigo (Lemborexant) Cause Bitter Taste?
No, Dayvigo (lemborexant) has not been documented to cause bitter taste as a side effect in clinical studies or guidelines.
Evidence on Dayvigo and Taste Disturbances
- Unlike other sleep medications such as zopiclone and eszopiclone which are well-documented to cause bitter or metallic taste disturbances in 7-26% of patients, lemborexant (Dayvigo) has not been associated with taste disturbances in clinical trials 1
- In comprehensive reviews of lemborexant's safety profile, the most common side effects reported are somnolence, headaches, and dizziness, with no mentions of bitter taste 2, 3
- Clinical trials evaluating both 5mg and 10mg doses of lemborexant did not identify taste disturbance as a reported adverse effect, even when specifically looking at dose-dependent side effects 3
Comparison with Other Sleep Medications Known to Cause Taste Disturbances
- Zopiclone and eszopiclone (the S-isomer of zopiclone) are consistently associated with unpleasant bitter/metallic taste, with studies showing this occurs in approximately 7-26% of patients 1, 4
- In eszopiclone studies, unpleasant taste has been reported in up to 26.1% of patients versus 5.6% with placebo 1
- The taste disturbance with eszopiclone appears to be dose-related and is more intense in women than men 4
Other Medications Associated with Taste Disturbances
- Azelastine nasal spray is documented to cause bitter taste in 19.7% of patients 5
- Olopatadine nasal spray causes bitter taste in 12.8% of patients 5
- Nefazodone, used for treatment of PTSD-associated nightmares, has been documented to cause bitter taste 5
Clinical Implications
- When selecting medications for insomnia treatment, patients with particular sensitivity to taste disturbances may prefer lemborexant over medications like eszopiclone 1, 2
- Bitter taste from medications can affect compliance, particularly in pediatric populations, though Dayvigo is only approved for adult use 6
- For patients who have experienced taste disturbances with other sleep medications, lemborexant may offer an effective alternative without this particular side effect 2, 7
Monitoring and Management
- While monitoring patients on lemborexant, clinicians should be vigilant for the documented common side effects (somnolence, headaches, dizziness) rather than taste disturbances 3
- If a patient on lemborexant reports taste disturbances, clinicians should consider other potential causes, as this is not a known side effect of the medication 2, 7