gabapentin increases deep sleep?

[sickwithapnea17]

does anyone feel that gabapentin or other medications help them get deeper restful sleep?

[kona0197]

I was just put on Gabapentin about 2 weeks ago. I have noticed I dream a bit more. I don't know if the drug does this.

[pbriggs]

interesting posts here on this topic:
http://www.drugs.com/comments/gabapenti ... omnia.html

Looks like it is a common drug for pain relief of shingles among other uses (Restless leg syndrome is another use):
http://www.rxlist.com/neurontin-drug.htm

For me - I have REM Sleep Behavior Disorder and take Clonazepam for it.
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/re ... edications

Vitamin D is also know to help with sleep - that is if it is balanced in your system.
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

[jaye8898]

does anyone feel that gabapentin or other drugs help them get deeper restful sleep? I'm not sure they work that well, I seem to have dreams on gabapentin so maybe it increases REM sleep

I used to take it for fibromyalgia pain. Did not help much and did not help me sleep. I take Seroquel for sleep......just 12.5 miligrams (1/2 pill) per night helps me sleep very deeply. I do dream since I started CPap but not excessively!

[lliann]

my question is can these types of drugs suppress our ability to breathe in any way?(adding to apneas?)

[mellabella]

I was tried on gabapentin for both sleep and pain (they thought it might be a two-for-one) and it did nothing for either. For what it's worth, if you're REM deprived, what has worked for increasing REM for me is Prazosin, which increases total REM time and helps consolidate/normalize REM periods (it's not just for nightmares or vets with PTSD, neither of which applies to me--I have UARS and get microarousals/adrenaline spikes when my brain feels my airway collapsing, and Prazosin dampens out that neurochemical arousal, which can fragment or prevent REM sleep).

[jencat824]

I've been on gabapentin so long its hard for me to know if it increases REM. If memory serves, I think I did dream more when I started it. It was brand name Neuron tin, I originally took it for seizures & its still a part of my seizure cocktail. Over the years Drs have commented 'oh that's good for blank' more times than I can count. This is a multifaceted drug, so I think its quite possible that it helps with REM sleep.

[MaxDarkside]

I don't know about deep sleep, but I just started this drug about 2 weeks ago for neuropathic "pain" (moderate flu-like body aches) which it eliminated from the start (ya!) and it *does* make me quite groggy if I take 300 mg in 1 dose, which I do just before bed, and so it does help me sleep in general. From reading the above, it seems there are a broad spectrum of experiences with this drug.

[archangle]

There are a lot of bad side effects from gabapentin. Sometimes, it's worth it.

Read and follow the directions very carefully. Especially the directions about starting and stopping taking the drug.

[sickwithapnea17]

how else does prazosin work? do you feel deeply rested and have more energy and clarity?

interesting pressure settings link
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual
is there an actual manual or can you call phillips to set your asv? I still get chest pains on auto mode but seem to be less tired on it than bpm 8-10 max ipap 18cm. people have told me to increase the min epap to 6cm-8cm

I think the klonopin helps somehow with the asv maybe it reduces these arousal central apnea cycles? without klonopin the asv doesn't work so well and I get chest pains on the phillips auto setting at 18cm ipap even.
I think I get more REM dream sleep on Gabapentin but it doesn't seem to work as well as klonopin, I don't feel particularly deeply rested when taking it with asv.

[ubnoxus]

I used to take it for fibromyalgia pain.

I had the understanding fibro was a female only autoimmune condition?

[sickwithapnea17]

I can't believe how much time I've wasted going to bad sleep doctors and being exhausted. I'm really interested in how prazosin can help. does prazosin give you restful deep sleep and you have better clarity and energy?

[robysue]

interesting pressure settings link
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual
is there an actual manual or can you call phillips to set your asv?

Apnea board can provide you with a copy of the clinical manual for your CPAP, APAP, BiPAP, an ASV machines. But they do NOT provide medical advice about how or what you should do should you decide to change the clinical settings of your machine.

If you called phillips and asked them about how to set up your ASV, they would tell you to talk to your doctor. They would tell you the doctor is the one who is responsible for deciding what therapeutic settings need to be used for treating your particular sleep problem.

I still get chest pains on auto mode but seem to be less tired on it than bpm 8-10 max ipap 18cm. people have told me to increase the min epap to 6cm-8cm

As I've told you several times before, given your extensive list of serious problems with PAP therapy, other sleep issues, and other health issues, you should be talking with your sleep doc about the settings. I have no idea what settings you should be using. And what little data you have posted in the past have indicated that you have had previous CPAP or APAP settings that appropriately treated the OSA, even though you still had a whole range of issues in terms of daytime fatigue and other health issues. I still think you need to work with a doctor instead of self treating.

I think the klonopin helps somehow with the asv maybe it reduces these arousal central apnea cycles? without klonopin the asv doesn't work so well and I get chest pains on the phillips auto setting at 18cm ipap even.
I think I get more REM dream sleep on Gabapentin but it doesn't seem to work as well as klonopin, I don't feel particularly deeply rested when taking it with asv.

Klonopin and Gabapentin are both seriously strong prescription drugs and should only be used under the supervision of a doctor who is very familiar with all of your problems.

Klonopin and Gabapentin are prescribed for very different "on label" medical conditions. Klonopin is a benzodiazepine that is typically prescribed for anxiety, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, periodic limb movement disorder, and seizures. Gabapentin is an anti-epileptic medication and is typically prescribed for seizures, nerve pain, and restless leg syndrome. (Some conditions are treated only by particular brand names of gabapentin.)

Prescribing either of these for treating "arousal central apnea cycles" makes no sense to me. Can you tell us exactly why the doc (or docs) who prescribed these drugs told you to take them???

[robysue]

I can't believe how much time I've wasted going to bad sleep doctors and being exhausted. I'm really interested in how prazosin can help. does prazosin give you restful deep sleep and you have better clarity and energy?

Prazosin is a prescription alpha-adrenergic blocker. As such, Prazosin is used to treat high blood pressure, although a google search does show that Prazosin is sometimes used off-label to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) related nightmares in people without sleep apnea. I can't imagine why a doctor would be prescribed for sleep problems NOT related to PTSD in a person with sleep apnea.

You need to quit searching for a magic "pill" to fix your problems and start working with your doctors to treat the conditions that you have been diagnosed with. Your doctors (all of them) need to be made aware of all of your health issues and you need a comprehensive consultation, not a quick meeting.

[sickwithapnea17]

you don't seem to know that much about these medications robysue, how can you be so confident you aren't a doctor so then why do you give such advice?