sleep medicines

Lion · Post by **Lion** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 7:22 am

I am suffering from severe sleep fragmentation, which is effecting my quality of life.Various options have come up on this forum, like melotinin, trazadone, lunesta, ambien etc. Could the learned members on this forum share their experience with me on their experience on any or all of these medicines. Are they all additive and how serious are the side effects, especially for apnea patients like myself.

KeziasPurr · Post by **KeziasPurr** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 7:53 am

Good morning.

I used to take Melatonin (6mg) with my nightly meds. It helped me fall asleep, but didn't help me stay asleep. There were no side effects and no withdrawal when I quit taking it.

I now take Ambien CR (12.5 mg) and it works a little bit better. It helps me fall asleep within about 30 minutes after taking it. But I still wake during the night about 2 -4 times. In this case, I've heard that all sleep medications are addictive, so I'm sure this one is too. I don't know as I've never tried quitting. As for side effects, I've experienced memory loss and hallucinations. The memory loss effects the things I do after taking it in the evening. So if I go straight to bed it's no big deal. The hallucinations are mild and occur only if I stay up too late after taking it.

Long ago, I used to take Trazadone to sleep. This was the best sleep medication I've ever been on. Unfortunately it made me groggy all the next day. I couldn't function. I had to give it up.

As for LUnesta I've tried that one too. It did absolutely nothing for me. Not even a side effect. Worthless, for me, at least.

I just started Bi-pap therapy a week ago. I'm hoping that once I get used to the machine that it, as well as the ambienCR, will help me sleep through the night without waking.

If I were you, i'd try each one and see how it works for you. None of them have severe side effects. And who knows, you may find one to work for you that doesn't work for anyone else.

Good luck with your sleeping!!!!!!!!!

oldgearhead · Post by **oldgearhead** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:07 am

I have used Lunesta a few times. Works well for the sleeping, but the
side effect of very bad taste added to everything, especially water,
prevents me from using it often. But that's just me, and I get along
fine with one Tylenol PM, to dull the pain of RA and fall asleep.

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:20 am

I think you need to address your 'serious sleep fragmentation' before thinking about drugs. Were you diagnosed with sleep apnea? Was Cpap prescribed? Do you use it? If not, why not? There are many factors involved and if you're not getting enough sleep, or good sleep, you need to investigate the problems, such as the mask not fitting properly (there are so many choices now), the machine pressures being set to the wrong numbers, lack of/or use of a humidifier. And what about other problems entirely, such as some for of anxiety, which your MD should be addressing. No one here is a doctor, but there's an awful lot of very good info. on apnea and the use of various kinds of Cpap.

roster · Post by **roster** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:44 pm

Ditto what Julie said. These issues definitely need to be taken up with your doctor.

I tried several sleep medicines including prescription and otc. Some did not make me sleep and the others had horrible side effects.

Consumer Reports magazine did a good report last year (maybe September issue) that you should read. At this point I am convinced that there is not a single good sleep medicine for long-term use.

trimltd · Post by **trimltd** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 6:50 pm

I have been taking melatonin for about 3 years. 1/4 of 1 mil. 15 minutes before i go to bed. I get great sleep all night long.

Works for me.

Bert

gracie97 · Post by **gracie97** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:34 am

Lion wrote:I am suffering from severe sleep fragmentation, which is effecting my quality of life.Various options have come up on this forum, like melotinin, trazadone, lunesta, ambien etc. Could the learned members on this forum share their experience with me on their experience on any or all of these medicines. Are they all additive and how serious are the side effects, especially for apnea patients like myself.

Of course the emphasis should be on non-drug treatment.

Do you know what is causing your sleep to be so fragmented? Do you have chronic pain? FMS? Delayed sleep phase syndrome? Restless legs?

Some thoughts on drugs mentioned:

1) An evaluation of the effects of pain medication on sleep that I read listed Tylenol as the only one that not only did not diminish sleep quality and even improved it for those whose sleep is disturbed by pain.

2) Melatonin has only two recognized uses: Jet leg and delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPS). There is no need to take large doses: 1/4 mg is supposedly just as good as multiple mg doses. I find it depresses me after a few nights.

3) Some people get hooked on Ambien, some don't. Some experience a lot of dose escalation, others very little. Several of my doctors, including my sleep specialist, believe that it is reasonable to take long term as I have done. I have not had any apparent side effects, sleep test results indicated no ill effect on sleep quality from the modest dose I take, and I've had very little dose escalation. I'm able to go off it with little difficulty in those rare times when I can sleep my natural, DSPS, hours for a while.

4) Small doses of some of the old tricyclic antidepressants (e.g. Elavil) are known to enhance deep sleep. These are often given to people with fibromyalgia who tend to have a lot of alpha intrusion. They can cause weight gain and dry mouth. The active ingredient in Benadryl has also been shown to be effective for alpha intrusion reduction as has trazadone: Both those are also prescribed to people with fibromyalgia.

You might look into avoiding blue light (the blue part of the spectrum) 2-3 hours before bedtime: Some research has indicated that blue light suppresses melatonin production -- but it is all preliminary at this point.

Grace

JeffH · Post by **JeffH** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 3:13 am

trimltd wrote:I have been taking melatonin for about 3 years. 1/4 of 1 mil. 15 minutes before i go to bed. I get great sleep all night long.

Works for me.

Bert

Bert, where do you get that small a dose?

Lion · Post by **Lion** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 7:32 am

I thank all of the noble friends who guided me here on the subject of sleep medicines. In reply to Gracie 97, I would like to state, that I have neither any pain nor suffer from any other medical condition, except apnea. I would like to know, that after trying melotinin, ambien and trizadone, which is the medicine which you are now finally using or whether you are using them on alterntive basis Gracie. I wish to benefit from the experience of this very august forum. Of course,I am trying to vigorously exercise and diepsense with 3 mg of melotinin, but if i leave it i get up at 3 am in the morning and keep waking. So what does the jury says about the benefits of either of these sleep medicines. Should I use malotinin by breaking 3 mg tablets in several pieces because 1/4 mg is not available in the market. yoru guidance will be gratefully acknowledged

SelfSeeker · Post by **SelfSeeker** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 8:16 am

Jeff,

I als have problems getting small doses.

I bought some Melatonin strips made by Jamieson.

Each strip is 3mg, I divide it into 8 pieces to give 0.375 mg.

The strips can be cut to different dosages. I cut a lot at one time and put them into a medicine vial.

http://www.jamiesonvitamins.com/product_item.asp?id=482

JeffH wrote:
trimltd wrote:I have been taking melatonin for about 3 years. 1/4 of 1 mil. 15 minutes before i go to bed. I get great sleep all night long.

Works for me.

Hope this helps.

Bert
Bert, where do you get that small a dose?

KeziasPurr · Post by **KeziasPurr** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 8:19 am

Wow, such small doses of Melatonin. I take 6 full mg's. Is that bad? My p-doc advised me to take it.

SelfSeeker · Post by **SelfSeeker** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 8:21 am

Lion,

Other then the melatonin mentioned, I sometimes use a tea called SleepyTime EXTRA from Celestial Seasonings.

One of the ingrediants is valerian root, which is used as a "natural sleeping aid".

I would caution anyone using sleeping aids, since waking up is the body's response to getting oxygen when apneas of any kind are happening.

If sleeping aids put you in a deeper sleep, would you require a higher pressure if the body relaxes more???

Consult with your doctor.

SelfSeeker · Post by **SelfSeeker** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 8:26 am

KeziasPurr,

I do not know if it is bad.

Question your p-doc.

Do a search (link is on the upper left hand side) on Melatonin. You will find many links in these posts. Maybe that will give you a starting point for info.

I know someone prescribed 3mg. The box of the 3mg said to use it not more then 3 weeks at a time, if I remember correctly.

KeziasPurr wrote:Wow, such small doses of Melatonin. I take 6 full mg's. Is that bad? My p-doc advised me to take it.

Lion · Post by **Lion** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:06 am

Self seeker, i do not find the links for melatonin you cited in your post. can you please cite the links again.

SelfSeeker · Post by **SelfSeeker** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:32 am

Lion,

The Jaimison Melatonin 3 link works, I just tried it.

Here is the link for the Search button (which is at the top left of this page.)

search.php

Click on it.

In the space that says: Search for Keywords:

Type in: Melatonin

Pick and choose any of the topics.

sleep medicines

sleep medicines

melatonin

Re: sleep medicines

Re: melatonin

sleep medicines

Re: melatonin

sleep medicines

Mask	Humidifier

Additional Comments: Equipment isn't correct, S9 ASV w/H5i