Medications that effect sleep list.

[quietmorning]

Just on a hunch, I looked up my heart-rate medication (Atenolol) and found that it effects sleep in big ways. Meletonin seems to counter the effect. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9177549 I've wanted off of it for a while, now - and it will be on my list of things to talk to my new doc about. I am going to research this some more - but at the moment, this seems to answer a LOT of questions. Like, why I tend to wake up every single morning between 3:30am and 4:30am. Why I don't get much deep sleep or rem. . . so I'd like to start a list of medications here on CPAPTALK if we don't already have one compiled. (I did a search on it, and didn't see anything) - and maybe ask the moderators if we can put a sticky on it to keep it up at that top.

What do you think?

Are there any medications that you know for sure effect sleep that you could add to the list?

If we already have such a list, could you please point me to it?



Happy Saturday!

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

I have not seen a list like this before, but I have only been around here a short time compared to some. I think it is a great idea

Happy Saturday, right back at you

John

[Pugsy]

That's going to be one massive list. People don't usually have any idea the possible side effects to their medications in terms of how it might impact sleep as well as how it might also impact how we feel the next day.

SSRIs (pretty much all of them) will impact sleep and how we feel during the day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_ ... _inhibitor
A common reason why people who take them and are on cpap and getting awesome reports but still feel like crap.

My Ultram (tramadol) that I take during the day for pain...comes with a "may cause drowsiness" sticker so one would assume it should help me sleep but if we look at the list of possible side effects insomnia is listed and I drew that lucky little side effect. It's considered a rare side effect but it's there.
It actually wires me up a little. I don't sleep well at all if I take it after 6 PM. So damned if I do and damned if I don't.
Take it and can't sleep....don't take it and can't sleep because of the pain....so had to figure out something else to take at night.

[BlackSpinner]

For me antihistamines, which makes some people sleep, make my sleep worse. But it is sold OTC as sleep medication.....

[49er]

Hi,

My ENT said that Ambien should not be prescribed if you have sleep apnea.

It was listed as something to tell your doctor about if you had it in the precaution section of the pharmacy printout that came with the med.

As an FYI, I quit taking it after one night for other reasons.

Obviously, each person has to talk to his/her doctor and make up their own minds.

49er

[quietmorning]

I tried to send a PM to the moderators to see if they will consider a sticky or if they have any suggestions with this - but that didn't work.

Who are the moderators? How do I find them and send a group message?

[Pugsy]

My ENT said that Ambien should not be prescribed if you have sleep apnea.

And my Sleep Doc was okay giving it to me long term because of the pain situation. Commonly given for help getting to sleep in the sleep lab environment. Minimal impact of sleep architecture or the airway tissues.
Said she would rather give me Ambien than muscle relaxers.

With any medication (even OTC) there is the risk vs rewards thing that needs to be looked at very closely by both the patient and the doctor who is, hopefully, aware of the full medical history.

I took Wellbutrin short term not long after starting cpap therapy...it totally messed up my sleep architecture...weird sleep. Felt awful. I didn't even bother to get it refilled.

[Sir NoddinOff]

Good idea. It would be nice if people could cite sources, preferably medical based. Anecdotal evidence, while interesting, may not be helpful in the long run.

I'd also be interested in seeing which heart meds may cause sleep problems, with or without CPAP. My sleep doctor looked at my list of common heart meds and said nothing on it would cause me sleep problems, but I'm not sure I trust his judgment.

[49er]

I wonder how common my ENT's position is because it seems many sleep doctors don't have a problem prescribing it just like your doesn't.

Unfortunately, doctors many times aren't aware of the patient's whole medical history. Mine certainly wasn't.

But fortunately, after my "fun" with psych meds, I am pretty informed about side effects.

49er

My ENT said that Ambien should not be prescribed if you have sleep apnea.

And my Sleep Doc was okay giving it to me long term because of the pain situation. Commonly given for help getting to sleep in the sleep lab environment. Minimal impact of sleep architecture or the airway tissues.
Said she would rather give me Ambien than muscle relaxers.

With any medication (even OTC) there is the risk vs rewards thing that needs to be looked at very closely by both the patient and the doctor who is, hopefully, aware of the full medical history.

I took Wellbutrin short term not long after starting cpap therapy...it totally messed up my sleep architecture...weird sleep. Felt awful. I didn't even bother to get it refilled.

[49er]

Good idea. I'd be nice if people would cite sources, preferably medical based. Anecdotal evidence, while interesting, may not be helpful in the long run.

I'd also be interested in seeing which heart meds may cause sleep problems, with our without CPAP. My sleep doctor looked at my list of common heart meds and said nothing on it would cause me sleep problems, but I'm not sure I trust his judgment.

Have to disagree SNO about anecdotal evidence not being helpful.

I read a statistic somewhere that 2 to 10% of all side effects are even reported to the FDA. So even if something is legitimate, it may not be taken seriously by doctors until alot of anecdotal evidence emerges.

Also, just because something is in the medical literature doesn't mean it is legitimate as many drug companies write it or a physician has ghost written the article for the drug company. Perfect example is psych med withdrawal issues that are commonly mistaken as a relapse and a need for the medication.

But your point about citing a source is a good one so people can know on what basis a claim is being made.

49er

[quietmorning]

I need to find the moderators - does anyone know who they are or could you point me to them?

This needs to be in document format with one side effecting apnea and one side effecting sleep quality.

This might be better posted in the CPAP Wiki. . . maybe. . .

[Pugsy]

This might be better posted in the CPAP Wiki. . . maybe. . .

I am thinking the Wiki would be a good place once it gets put together and polished.

There are no special "moderators" on the forum per se.
Send an email to Carolyn Goodman if you want ideas on how to present this idea or use the Wiki.
You can see her if you click on the "The Team" at the bottom of the page. The other moderators shown aren't very active I don't think.

[quietmorning]

This might be better posted in the CPAP Wiki. . . maybe. . .

I am thinking the Wiki would be a good place once it gets put together and polished.

There are no special "moderators" on the forum per se.
Send an email to Carolyn Goodman if you want ideas on how to present this idea or use the Wiki.
You can see her if you click on the "The Team" at the bottom of the page. The other moderators shown aren't very active I don't think.

Thanks, Pugsy!

PM to Carolyn sent. Now to just wait and see what the direction is.

[Jay Aitchsee]

You might want to check this thread for additions to your list. I'll bump it up.viewtopic.php?f=1&t=68121&p=633269#p632998
J

[idamtnboy]

I tried to send a PM to the moderators to see if they will consider a sticky or if they have any suggestions with this - but that didn't work.

Who are the moderators? How do I find them and send a group message?

Let's get a list compiled first, clean it up, organize it, then submit a suggestion to Carolyn to make it a sticky. It can be done, but understandably, she will be selective in what goes into the sticky section. My write up in the "Especially for the newly diagnosed" was made a sticky after several members recommended it be made one and I asked her to consider it. In my case the response from the members after the initial posting and discussion is probably what carried the day. So don't give up on the idea, just be patient.