The Appearance, Taste, and Concentrations of Zolpidem Dissolved in Still Water and Carbonated Beverages

Abstract

Zolpidem is a sedative that could be used to drug victims, but its suitability to dissolve in drinks is unknown. In this small study, we added either crushed or whole tablets of zolpidem hemitartrate to carbonated beverages or still water to observe how this affected the taste and appearance. Also, concentrations were measured by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry at different time intervals. Two crushed tablets (20 mg) in cider (250 mL) lead to a maximum concentration of 84 mg/L zolpidem base after 30 min, while the corresponding concentration after adding fifteen tablets (150 mg) was 467 mg/L. There was little change in taste, but froth and turbidity were observed when adding high doses to carbonated beverages. Carbonated beverages spiked with 20 mg of crushed zolpidem hemitartrate tablets reached concentrations that could cause impairment. Spiking with 150 mg could possibly be lethal if several mouthfuls were ingested.

Development and validation of a practical analytical method for Zolpidem as a drug facilitated crime tool

“…In a study investigated the solubility of crushed and whole zolpidem tablets in pure water, cider and mineral water, Heide et al used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system and found the results within the LOD value with the linear range of the presented method. It is understood that the analysis method presented, according to these results, can be easily detect zolpidem in different matrices such as food and beverages [13].…”

“…Zolpidem, zopiclone and zaleplone, called Z-drugs, are commonly used as an alternative to benzodiazepines in the treatment of insomnia. Zolpidem is the most preferred Z-drugs by means of its minimal day after side effects [13]. In addition to the treatment of insomnia, it has anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and minor muscle relaxant properties [14].…”

“…Zolpidem does not make any physical or taste changes when it is spiked to beverages or foods. In this aspect, it is hard to notice the taste or smell of the drug by the victim in a drug facilitated crimes [13]. In addition, metabolizing of zolpidem up to 70% within several hours after ingestion is one of the features that makes its determination difficult [21].…”

Improved liquid–liquid extraction by modified magnetic nanoparticles for the detection of eight drugs in human blood by HPLC-MS

“…Nowadays, these drugs seem to have become more widespread than before and sometimes even cause death. 1–5 Blood is the primary biological fluid of choice for toxicology analysts to work in criminal cases; however, other matrices are often tested to either substantiate the concentrations found in blood or in instances of a limited sample. So sample pretreatment, including the extraction and purification of analytes, is one of the most important processes in the determination of trace-level drugs and metabolites in biological samples.…”