Lorazepam vs Zolpidem: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Lorazepam | Zolpidem | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | Benzodiazepine | – |
| Brand names | – | Zolpidem Tartrate |
| FAERS reports | 178,697 | 134,336 |
| Serious | 77% | 69% |
| Death outcome | 25,768 | 15,992 |
| Boxed warning | Yes RISKS FROM CONCOMITANT USE WITH OPIOIDS; ABUSE, MISUSE, AND ADDICTION; and DEPENDENCE AND WITHDRAWAL REACTIONS Concomitant use of benzodiazepines and opioids ma | Yes COMPLEX SLEEP BEHAVIORS Complex sleep behaviors including sleep-walking, sleep-driving, and engaging in other activities while not fully awake may occur followi |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Lorazepam | Zolpidem | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sopor | 1,626 · PRR 16.1 | 670 · PRR 8.2 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
Labeled signals distinctive to Lorazepam
- Drug tolerance decreased — n=250, PRR 11.4 Labeled (related wording)
Labeled signals distinctive to Zolpidem
- Amnesia — n=2,881, PRR 7.2 Labeled adverse reaction
- Somnambulism — n=1,494, PRR 45.6 Labeled adverse reaction
- Impaired driving ability — n=624, PRR 9.0 Labeled (related wording)
- Drug use disorder — n=555, PRR 11.2 Labeled (related wording)
- Affect lability — n=389, PRR 6.5 Labeled (related wording)
- Sleep walking — n=354, PRR 244.0 Labeled (related wording)
- Personality disorder — n=260, PRR 17.0 Labeled adverse reaction
- Adjustment disorder — n=227, PRR 32.7 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Lorazepam or Zolpidem?
Lorazepam has 178,697 FAERS reports and Zolpidem 134,336. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (77% vs 69%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Lorazepam and Zolpidem share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for sopor. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Lorazepam or Zolpidem safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.