sleep medication while using apap?

[Hope1952]

This week my doctor suggested I use the sleep medication he prescribed BEFORE I got my cpap machine (Zolpidem 10 MG) since I'm so frequently being awakened by my machine and apneas. He claimed I will not have more apneas while using the medication. I tried taking a pill two months ago and fell asleep when I sat down "briefly" on the toilet. My husband came looking for me and had a hard time getting me to the bed. I'm nervous that I'll just stop breathing if I'm drugged and on the machine, but it would be nice if it helped me to get over the hump of adjusting to the machine. Should I take the drug or wait until I've tried adjusting my machine? (now that I've learned how to do it)

Do many people use a sleep medication with the cpap/apap? Do you notice any improvement in your sleep or notice higher incidences of apnea?

[Hawthorne]

I have never used sleep medications with cpap or before I was diagnosed.

I know that some people on the forum do take them though. This will bump the thread up so that those with information can answer.

[Learnin as I Go]

I take the same medication you referred to -- generic ambien. My pulmonary doc prescribed it, I think, to help me adjust to the bi-pap machine. She really wanted me to use the machine and was afraid I'd give up. Like you, I was a little worried but I've had no problems. Getting to sleep easily has been key to my using the machine.

Ed

[Hope1952]

I take the same medication you referred to -- generic ambien. My pulmonary doc prescribed it, I think, to help me adjust to the bi-pap machine. She really wanted me to use the machine and was afraid I'd give up. Like you, I was a little worried but I've had no problems. Getting to sleep easily has been key to my using the machine.

Ed

Thank you, Ed. I've always been a light sleeper so I've been wondering if the sleeping pill would help me not notice my machine noise and air fluctuations so much, but I'm resistant to taking drugs (afraid it will become addictive for me to be able to sleep) and afraid that I won't wake up from this one. I also didn't realize the medication was a generic ambien. It's VERY encouraging to hear that this medication has helped you be successful with your machine. I'm going to try it when my husband can watch to make sure I keep breathing.

[Robespierre]

I've used zolpidem along with CPAP with no problem. I used to crack the 10mg tabs in half. I don't need the zolpidem any more because my RLS/PLMD meds were changed to gabapentin, which helps me sleep.

Jim

[Sue Dnym]

Hi Hope,

I, too, have a prescription for 10 mg of Zolpidem aka the generic Ambien. There are two different types of 'ambien', one that helps you fall asleep faster, and one that will help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep. The one I have (and I believe you may, also) is the fall asleep faster only. Please check with your pharmacist, so that if nothing else, you're aware of which type you have.

I was prescribed the med about a year before I went in for a sleep study. I only took it once during that time and had an incident similar to the one you described. It scared me enough that I decided then and there I wouldn't take any more...but things change.

The doctor had suggested a sleep study at that time but I was bullheaded and cancelled my appointment....as I continued to struggle with my lack of sleep, it was always in the back of my mind that perhaps I do have sleep apnea....my biggest fear became 'what if I was taking the sleep med and having these apneas taking place?' Please note, this is before I had my cpap machine. I didn't feel that way after I got my machine because I knew it was assisting me while the ambien helped me to sleep. The two different nights I went in for my overnight sleep study, I was given Ambien to help me sleep and learned more about it at that time, making me feel safer about taking it.

When you have time, please check out the thread I started yesterday (Saturday, the 10th). Here's a link to it:
Newbie Needs Advice about noise

I received some wonderful suggestions for getting adjusted to my machine, and discuss my concerns about using ambien to help me fall asleep. Maybe you'll find something in that thread that will help you adjust to yours, and help you decide if you want to use the ambien/zolpidem to assist you at this time.

Concerns you're having that I didn't discuss in that thread -- When I do take the med, I take it no sooner than 10 minutes or so before I'm ready to crawl into bed. Sometimes I'll lay there until I'm feeling a bit sleepy and then put my mask on, but more often I put it on right away so I don't fall asleep without it and get adjusted to the sound of the machine. I would guess it takes me around 20-30 minutes to fall asleep after taking it.
Also, I only take it if I know I'll have 6 hours before I have to get up in the morning. I've never woken up groggy from it, or feeling whacked out, but the 6 hour thing was something I was told at my overnight sleep study.
I'm still struggling with the noise of the machine, but my sleep deprivation has improved enough where I'm ready to make adjustments without using the ambien/zolpidem and using one of the suggestions from the thread I've linked to has already helped (turning the flex-c +3 down to 1.

edited to add: You may find, with just starting out with your machine, that even with the help of the medication you might need to have the pressures adjusted by your doctor until they feel right for you. Mine were changed 3 times. I like the suggestion in the post before mine, also, about breaking the pill in half. I had checked with my pharmacist to make sure it was ok to do that.

Good luck to you, Hope, as you adjust to your machine. I wish you many nights of restful sleep.

[cpapernewbie]

Hi Sue,

glad that you have tone down your C-Flex to 1. This approach has helped me in the past on top of putting the CAP machine on top of a thick plastic (like computer mouse pad)

You might want to disable this completely to decrease the noise further if needed. However I prefer using A-Flex, this suit me better in inhale & exhale comfort)

Back to sleep medication as topic. I am really shocked to read that some fell asleep while in the toilet. This can be really dangerous..

My suggestion is before ambien and its generic counterpart,try Melatonin. (google this and you will find that this substance is more natural to our body, in fact our body produce this, except that as we grow older, it produce less and less). I normally took hald or less of the 3 mg tablet. The price is very reasonable (about 2 cents each). This melatonin defintely will NOT kncok you down when sitting. It took about 1 hr to feel sleepy with melatonin and it will not make you drowsy

Some members in this forum have used this for years with no ill effect whatsoever. I have used this in the last 2 years on and off according to my need. No addiction effect and no side effect too. My 2 cents

[pb5927317]

Hi Sue,

glad that you have tone down your C-Flex to 1. This approach has helped me in the past on top of putting the CAP machine on top of a thick plastic (like computer mouse pad)

You might want to disable this completely to decrease the noise further if needed. However I prefer using A-Flex, this suit me better in inhale & exhale comfort)

Back to sleep medication as topic. I am really shocked to read that some fell asleep while in the toilet. This can be really dangerous..

My suggestion is before ambien and its generic counterpart,try Melatonin. (google this and you will find that this substance is more natural to our body, in fact our body produce this, except that as we grow older, it produce less and less). I normally took hald or less of the 3 mg tablet. The price is very reasonable (about 2 cents each). This melatonin defintely will NOT kncok you down when sitting. It took about 1 hr to feel sleepy with melatonin and it will not make you drowsy

Some members in this forum have used this for years with no ill effect whatsoever. I have used this in the last 2 years on and off according to my need. No addiction effect and no side effect too. My 2 cents

Sue I agree, Melatonin works great. You dont need anymore then 1mg. What can be really helpful is that I by the sublingal kind that you put under your tongue, it works great!

My sleep doc did zolpidem for me as well when I started. I am glad I did it. If had an empty stomach, it only took about 2 minutes to take effect. I did 5 mg pills and cut them in half......

Melatonin is just alot cheaper....

Also, OrthoMolecular makes a product called Natural ZZZ's that works great as well.

If I take anything to sleep better, my AHI increases some.

[Country4ever]

I use xanax occasionally and I find that my cpap numbers are usually better, because I don't do all the moving around that I usually do.

[Hope1952]

I've used zolpidem along with CPAP with no problem. I used to crack the 10mg tabs in half. I don't need the zolpidem any more because my RLS/PLMD meds were changed to gabapentin, which helps me sleep.

Jim

Thanks, Jim. I will try taking half (or 1/4th) of the tablet and see how that works.

[Hope1952]

Hi Hope,

I, too, have a prescription for 10 mg of Zolpidem aka the generic Ambien.
When you have time, please check out the thread I started yesterday (Saturday, the 10th). Here's a link to it:
Newbie Needs Advice about noise
Good luck to you, Hope, as you adjust to your machine. I wish you many nights of restful sleep.

Thanks for the input, Sue. I started reading your thread which was quite interesting since the noise is bothering me. But I kept getting distracted. There's so much to absorb. I'm just really excited that I feel like I have a chance to be successful using my apap.

[Hope1952]

Hi Sue,

glad that you have tone down your C-Flex to 1. This approach has helped me in the past on top of putting the CAP machine on top of a thick plastic (like computer mouse pad)

You might want to disable this completely to decrease the noise further if needed. However I prefer using A-Flex, this suit me better in inhale & exhale comfort)

Back to sleep medication as topic. I am really shocked to read that some fell asleep while in the toilet. This can be really dangerous..

My suggestion is before ambien and its generic counterpart,try Melatonin. (google this and you will find that this substance is more natural to our body, in fact our body produce this, except that as we grow older, it produce less and less). I normally took hald or less of the 3 mg tablet. The price is very reasonable (about 2 cents each). This melatonin defintely will NOT kncok you down when sitting. It took about 1 hr to feel sleepy with melatonin and it will not make you drowsy

Some members in this forum have used this for years with no ill effect whatsoever. I have used this in the last 2 years on and off according to my need. No addiction effect and no side effect too. My 2 cents

cpapernewbie, I see you have the same machine I do. How is the C-Flex different from the A-Flex setting? If my machine is set on a variable pressure setting, does it matter which "Flex" the machine is on? I have trouble with both noise and lung pain from exhaling.
Thanks!

[Hope1952]

I've used 3 MG Melatonin for several years without the cpap. I noticed I sleep soundly for 4 hours and then awaken refreshed...in the middle of the night. So, I stopped taking it but will keep that on my list as a great idea to try again. Thanks!

[cpapernewbie]

Hope
I am not the forum expert on A-Flex and C-flex. I just get the rough idea that A-flex provides pressure relief/comfort both in exhale and inhale process. C-flex works only on the exhale process. When I started using CPAP, only C-flex is available and after testing it for months, I turned it off. The noise level were reduced and I like it better. My pressure is min 6 max 9 so pressure relief is not really required. However I now sometimes used A-Flex since this helps reduced my leakage number to very minimum.

. I really like the straight CPAP mode with no Flex ( both A and C) for some time since the CPAP is at its minimum noise level in this mode. Very quiet. However after several month - I was unable to tolerate straight CPAP since this suddenly makes my mouth very dry and and sometime air came out from my eye lids

i then switched back to auto mode and the painful dry mouth just disappear

[Hope1952]

Hope
I am not the forum expert on A-Flex and C-flex. I just get the rough idea that A-flex provides pressure relief/comfort both in exhale and inhale process. C-flex works only on the exhale process.

Thank you for the response. I'm going to try adjusting it to different settings and see if I notice an improvement.