A Randomized Controlled Trial of Auricular Acupressure in Treating Estazolam-dependent Insomnia

The doctor will guide patients to adjust medication dosage once a week in the outpatient clinic. When patients experience withdrawal reactions such as worsening insomnia or anxiety symptoms due to drug reduction, they will be returned to the oral dose before the current reduction, and the dosage will be reduced again after evaluation in the next reduction cycle. The treatment for 4 weeks is one course and 1 course of treatment is required totally.

Auricular acupressure is a non-pharmacological therapy that involves applying acupressure on the surface of points in different parts of the ear. One side of the auricular acupoints will be treated first and the tapes will be kept in place for 3 days. On the fourth day, the tapes on the ear will be removed and new tapes will be applied to the opposite side of the ear. The purpose of replacing tapes is to reduce the adverse events (AEs) that may be caused by long-term stimulation unilaterally. In addition, the participants will be informed to press the tapes by themselves for 3 to 5 minutes vertically and appropriately to achieve the sensation, with a duration of 4 to 5 times a day. The treatment will last for 4 weeks, and the follow-up will be done after 1 month.

Based on the estazolam reduction method in the control group, the acupuncturist will place the same skin-colored adhesive tapes without vaccaria on the auricular points, but these tapes will not be pressed during treatment.