Taking prescribed meds the night of study to help me sleep.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:52 am

I have tried to get an answer for days now to a question with no success. I have a scheduled 2 night sleep study coming up later next week and wanted to know if I should take a certain prescribed medication on both nights of my sleep study to help me go to sleep; one is Phenobarbital 100MG tablet which I normally take one at bedtime and if needed to help treat anxiety which I'm under quite a bit of right now with this test about to go down; one Diazepam 10MG tablet.

I first asked my ENT's office last week; the contact there said I needed to ask the guy at the sleep lab; well the guy at the sleep lab hasn't answered any of my emails since October 11, 2007. He's apparently upset with me about something; exactly what I don't know and really could care less. At the very least he should have taken time to answer my question. He's not an M.D.; he's an RPSGT but his lab has 3 doctors on staff; certainly he could have asked any one of them my question and gotten me an answer but he hasn't.

So I called my primary care physician's office yesterday afternoon and his office also told me to contact the sleep lab. I told the lady at my doctor's office I had attempted to do just that. I had also first attempted to contact my ENT's office only to be told by their office to contact the sleep lab as well. The guy at the sleep lab for whatever reason has decided not to answer my question so I felt certain that my own primary care physician's office would. I plan to take my meds with me the night of my study and if I decide to take them that night I'll make sure that the tech on duty that night documents it so it gets into my report. I thought my question was a legitimate one which certainly deserved an answer.

Stevoreno
Biloxi, Mississippi
10/19/07

stevoreno · Post by **stevoreno** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:57 am

I don't know why I'm listed as a guest because I thought I was a registered member of this board.

Stevoreno
Biloxi, Mississippi
10/19/07

jburnham · Post by **jburnham** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:59 am

You probably weren't logged in for your first post, but the website recognizes your IP address and hints that Guest is probably Stevoreno.

I was told to take my insomnia meds (a little bit of gabapentin) for my sleep study. Your meds are in a different league so they might not want you to take them. My sleep Dr advised me on what to do - remember that she/he is the doctor ordering the test and the sleep lab is just "helping" the Dr evaluate you.

stevoreno · Post by **stevoreno** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:37 am

Well my ENT who ordered my test on September 24, 2007 tossed the ball back to me when I first tossed the question to them a few days ago after I hadn't received a reply from the RSPGT at the sleep lab who I had asked the question over a week ago. The last email I had received from the RSPGT at the lab was on October 11, 2007 concerning another related matter.

Since my ENT who had ordered the test for me didn't answer the question I decided to ask my priimary care physician the same question late yesterday who also tossed the ball back to me and said for me to contact the sleep lab who isn't talking to me.

Hopefully I'll get an answer from that jerk at the sleep lab today because I contacted the hospital which is over that lab also late yesterday and told them what was going on. The employee at the hospital who told me she was an assistant to the hospital's C.E.O. told me she'd get me an answer sometime today so I'll just have to wait and see.

Stevoreno
Biloxi, Mississippi
10/19/07

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:14 am

one is Phenobarbital 100MG tablet which I normally take one at bedtime and if needed to help treat anxiety which I'm under quite a bit of right now with this test about to go down; one Diazepam 10MG tablet.

steve
can i ask why you are feeling so anxious about this test? did you have a bad experience the last time?

as i recall from my psg's i was told to avoid alcohol, caffeine, sleep aids etc. but to take meds that i would normally take daily...it seemed silly to me to do things differently than I would on a normal day, since once back home again I'd be doing what I always do; the results seem to me to be skewed if we refrain from things we do all the time...but i don't know much about meds, especially the ones you are referring to

i hope you can get the answers you're looking for, as the lack of response seems to be adding to your anxiety
keep us posted
sharon

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:32 am

Good luck, Stevoreno. I'm sorry you're having so much trouble getting an answer to such an important question. My own, personal opinion, would be if you use those meds on a regular basis for sleep stopping them could cause WORSE sleep than you were having before you started taking them which wouldn't give a true picture of your sleep problems.

On the other hand, taking them as usual might cover up an underlying reason for your sleep problems. It sounds like a bit of a catch-22 for even the sleep doctors to determine which way to go. And that "might" explain the delay in any response to your question.

Neither medication is a 'true' sleep medication but rather also used, and were developed, to treat anxiety, depression and seizures. I would think the sleep doctors would need to know your previous health history to feel any kind of comfort in making a recommendation about their use the night of your sleep studies. It would seem to me that a consultation between the doctor who has scripted these meds and the sleep doctors from the lab might be necessary before any decision can be made. I'm pretty sure that the phenobarb, at least, is usually supposed to be tapered before stopping (but I'm not a doctor so can not swear to that!!!).

I think you are right, tho, unless instructed otherwise I would take them w/me to the sleep study and then the decision will have to be made at that time. If they still side-step the issue the night of the study I guess I'd be inclined to take the meds.

But meanwhile you might want to ask the doctor who scripted these meds if there would be any harm in your skipping ONE dose. And what "might" occur if you do.

stevoreno · Post by **stevoreno** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:45 am

I had a horrible experience back in 1999 when I was tested previously but what gets me are these doctors wanting to pass the buck on answering a legitimate medical question concerning specific prescription drugs and how those drugs might affect me on sleep lab night. I could send an email to a neurologist I saw prior to Hurricane Katrina and ask him because he is also a sleep specialist but why should I bother him because the lab I'm scheduled to go see won't answer my #%&*!!# question.

Yes I am very anxious; moreso than I was last week when this jerk suddenly decided to cease communications with me over something it is alleged that I said to a female member of his staff. I did not want to call the hospital yesterday concerning this matter but my question is a legitimate one and deserves an answer.

If I recall I hadn't received a timely response to a previous email from this same guy who had already instructed me to send him emails if I had any further questions about anything concerning sleep lab rather than bother any of his staff because my questions were of such a highly technical nature that he wanted to be the one to answer any of my questions personally. I guess he had some concerns about members of his staff giving me misinformation and I'll have to admit that some on his staff are not "Jimminey Swift".

After about 5 days and no response to a previous email I had sent to this guy I contacted the office and asked the lady who answered the phone if I could fax a copy of an email to her and would she see to it that her boss got it? I had no idea that I was talking to the "Operations Coordinator" who apparently got her skirt all blown up over my request but as my aunt in Texas says, "Who cares". Now tell me what did I say that would have upset someone? Some people just don't get it nor do they want to be bothered; well they're about to be bothered very soon by someone higher up the chain.

Stevoreno
Biloxi, Mississippi
10/19/07

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:06 am

Steve,

I doubt you did anything to upset the sleep lab guy. I've had some problems with emails when I'm not careful with the title ... then they sometimes end up in someone's junk mail folder and they don't see it.

There's no guarantee that's what happened but it is a possibility.

In my case they told me to take the same meds I always do ... and as a matter of fact I take a range of dosage for my sleeping meds and clonazepam and took the high end of my range for the sleep study so I would sleep. IMHO, if you take any at bed time I'd take them with me and ask when there. If you take them before bedtime and before you get to the sleep lab, AND you haven't gotten an answer, I'd consider taking them (definitely up to you!).

Good luck!
Mindy

OutaSync · Post by **OutaSync** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:45 am

i just had my 2nd sleep study on Tuesday. I took all of my meds as usual and then thy had me fill out a questionaire and on that it asked what I had taken throughout the day and how much.

JeffH · Post by **JeffH** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:46 am

Ever thought about changing sleep labs?

stevoreno · Post by **stevoreno** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:14 am

JeffH wrote:Ever thought about changing sleep labs?

Yes I have but the kind of insurance that I have has kept me from doing so; Medicaid. My ENT had originally referred me to another facility; one which I found out later he co-owned; the lab phoned me a few days after receiving my doctor's fax order because the insurance information on the doctor's order was left blank; I told the employee at sleep lab #1 by phone the day she called what my insurance status was; she politely told me that their lab didn't accept my insurance but they would gladly accept cash; no checks; V, MC, DC, or AMEX or if I would prefer she could fax my orders to another lab which would accept my insurance; I told her to fax away and have a nice day.

Stevoreno
Biloxi, Mississippi
10/19/07

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:30 am

the instructions for medications should have come from the sleep doc not the lab.

if your GP referred you to the sleep lab, they normally refer you to a doctor from that lab who screens you for the PSG, they don't just give you the PSG unless there are indicators you need one.

think they prefer you go without medications if you can so they can access your sleep without the influence of adverse side effects from the medications.

But if you have to take phenobarbital to prevent seizures and the other to control anxiety, no one wants to tell you to stop taking those for fear should you decide to jump off a bridge they don't want the extra liability, the guy that prescribed those drugs should be the one you check with.

I would say if you take those drugs long term every day and you cannot get off them, then I would go through the PSG taking the drugs.

stevoreno · Post by **stevoreno** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 3:07 pm

Snoredog wrote:the instructions for medications should have come from the sleep doc not the lab.

if your GP referred you to the sleep lab, they normally refer you to a doctor from that lab who screens you for the PSG, they don't just give you the PSG unless there are indicators you need one.

think they prefer you go without medications if you can so they can access your sleep without the influence of adverse side effects from the medications.

But if you have to take phenobarbital to prevent seizures and the other to control anxiety, no one wants to tell you to stop taking those for fear should you decide to jump off a bridge they don't want the extra liability, the guy that prescribed those drugs should be the one you check with.

I would say if you take those drugs long term every day and you cannot get off them, then I would go through the PSG taking the drugs.

My PCP was not the one who referred me to the lab; it was my ENT whose office told me yesterday to ask the guy; the RPSGT at the sleep lab. Well I did but the guy at the lab isn't talking. The last contact I had with him was an email I received from him dated Thursday; October 11, 2007. I spoke to the hospital's administration department late yesterday; they told me they'd look into the matter for me but the days are winding down. Wednesday; October 24, 2007 will be here before you know it. What do you mean by the phrase PSG? Explain when you can and thank you for your post.

Stevoreno
Biloxi, Mississippi
10/19/07

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 3:51 pm

Hi Steve,

"PSG" = polysomnogram ... the technical term for the sleep study.

When I'm faced with something like this (taking or not taking meds) I try to put the issue in some perspective. What's the worst that could happen? What's the most likely to happen? The worst would be a postponement of sleep study ... not fun but not quite the end of the world. Most likely, it won't be a problem so I find that worrying about it ends up as wasted energy.

I realize it's not usually easy to look at it this way but with practice it *does* get easier at least some of the time.

Good luck!

Best,
Mindy

Suz-E-Q · Post by **Suz-E-Q** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:24 pm

I was encouraged to take my Ambian....but that was in the morning after I had roled around for 2 hours in the middle of the night.

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