Poll Beware of pills, doctors caution

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 7:13 pm

Rooster, In response to your questions,

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 7:17 pm

Rooster, In response to your questions,

1. I have no aches, pains, etc. I feel that ibuprophen helps me fall asleep faster and sleep better. For all I know, it may be placebo effect. But, I don't care. It seems to help.

2. I have never taken a sleeping pill, so can't comment.

jeepdoctor · Post by **jeepdoctor** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 7:19 pm

The above two answers are mine. I ran Norton One Button Checkup which wiped out all cookies. Then forgot to log in when I came to the forum. sorry.

bsil · Post by **bsil** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:10 pm

I have many other health issues, but thankfully, insomnia is not one of them. But it is interesting how some medications can increase sleep apnea.
In my opinion, anything that relaxes me, makes the apnea worse and requires increased pressures to overcome. If I have a glass of wine or a mixed drink in the evening, I notice much higher pressures the next morning according to Encore Pro. Also, I had what turned out to be a 2 day trial of the anti-depressant, Lexapro...It made my apnea soooo much worse, I felt that I couldn't breathe right. Had to sleep sitting up in the recliner! I will never do that again...from now on its yoga, exercise, etc to work off increased levels of stress. I'm so glad that I have an auto-APAP, so that when my pressure needs change, my machine can keep up with my changing needs and do its job!

krousseau · Post by **krousseau** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:43 pm

I keep a log of when I take Ambien or have a glass of wine or beer (never use the two together). Then when I print out my encore report I make a note on each day's report as to whether I had alcohol, ambien, or nothing.
For ME and only me am I saying this-the results are clear;
Alcohol-even one standard serving-numbers go up & with two servings they are up even more, with FL and SI a lot higher. I am somewhat sensitive to alcohol.
Nothing-sort of my standard numbers-AI 1-1.5, HI 3-4
Ambien-usually AI <1, HI 1-1.8, Ambien use is the only factor I have identified with the nights I have gotten 0's.
One thought is that I "fight" the machine some when I don't take Ambien-but with alcohol I relax too much. Anyone have any other ideas?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 5:37 pm

Snoozing Gonzo, I liked drinking Sleepy time extra in the evening. (Not that I needed it to fall asleep, that was/is not an issue. Staying asleep is.

I stopped drinking it when I found I had OSA.

Did you know that Nytol makes a natural sleeping pill with its main ingrediant as valarian.

Krousseau, I had a small glass of wine today, I will see how it effects the numbers. Mind you, I am upping the lower number anyway.

Snoozing Gonzo wrote:Krousseau, your discussion of the half-life of various drugs is very interesting. I have suggested to some folks that Sleepytime Tea is nice after a stressful day and evening and that Sleepytime Extra (with valarian root -- available at natural food stores) puts me down for quite a while. (I have tried straight valarian root tea - boy, that's some nasty tasting stuff!) I wonder if the half-life of the small dosage of valarian in Sleepytime Extra would be similar to the higher powered synthetic version, valium. For now, I will assume it is similar and add that caution whenever I suggest it.

NateS · Post by **NateS** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:50 am

I refuse to take sleeping pills. I don't trust them and I don't want to take the chance that I might become dependent upon them. I get the impression that many people I know who take sleeping pills have made themselves physically and psychologically dependent on them. Since they are friends, I worry about them.

Regards, Nate

Loreena · Post by **Loreena** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:57 am

NateS wrote:I refuse to take sleeping pills. I don't trust them and I don't want to take the chance that I might become dependent upon them. I get the impression that many people I know who take sleeping pills have made themselves physically and psychologically dependent on them. Since they are friends, I worry about them.

Regards, Nate

I agree. That's why my advice never includes the use of sleeping pills or melatonin (which carries its own risks) . I've figured out practical ways to avoid insomnia and/or waking too early, but sadly, a lot would rather opt for a pill.

49er · Post by **49er** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 11:38 am

Loreena and Nate,

I greatly second your views on pills, particularly after ambien and lunesta taken on a PRN basis to get back to sleep caused breathing pauses while trying to use the mask. And in the past, ambien caused increased centrals and apneas.

And even if I thought meds were a solution, which I don't, it would be stupid for me to pursue that path since alot of my underlying issues with pap therapy haven't been addressed. Current sleep doctors agrees although I was irked when she mentioned that she felt that drug therapy would be needed in the medical record summary report. Another post.

I don't condemn people who chose to take pills because not sleeping as we all know is a horrible situation. They just never worked for me when I was on psych meds for 15 years and they seem to continue to not work. My days of chasing the perfect med are in the past and I am definitely not repeating that mistake again.

49er

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 12:00 pm

As long as you're all aware you're responding to a 2006 note that I think got here today after someone hit a Spam button but the note didn't go away... saw it earlier.

powertrip · Post by **powertrip** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 3:10 pm

I apply a simple rule:

Is the medication older than five years?

For in that time it would have killed as many as it was going to kill. I'm not interested in participating in the post-FDA public trial.

powertrip · Post by **powertrip** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 3:13 pm

Julie wrote:As long as you're all aware you're responding to a 2006 note that I think got here today after someone hit a Spam button but the note didn't go away... saw it earlier.

Be sure your email provider employs "DCC" across all email servers and you need not be the primary spam engine yourself. Most "new" antispam technology is nothing new beyond new marketing.

+ grey listing
+ DCC
+ SPF/DKIM
+ MX RR decoys

that's all you need

NateS · Post by **NateS** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 3:42 pm

powertrip wrote:
Julie wrote:As long as you're all aware you're responding to a 2006 note that I think got here today after someone hit a Spam button but the note didn't go away... saw it earlier.
Be sure your email provider employs "DCC" across all email servers and you need not be the primary spam engine yourself. Most "new" antispam technology is nothing new beyond new marketing.

+ grey listing
+ DCC
+ SPF/DKIM
+ MX RR decoys

that's all you need

I don't understand what your comment has to do with what Julie said. The Spam button she refers to is on the website for use by experienced forum participants. She is not talking about receiving a spam email.

Regards, Nate

SleepyBobR · Post by **SleepyBobR** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:11 pm

Funny how people don't notice the date on the post. I didn't and answered the poll.
FWIW, I never use anything to get to sleep. I usually conk out after only half a page of my book...zzz

NateS · Post by **NateS** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:40 pm

SleepyBobR wrote:Funny how people don't notice the date on the post. I didn't and answered the poll.
FWIW, I never use anything to get to sleep. I usually conk out after only half a page of my book...zzz

In talking with friends, I get the impression that some people have the expectation that it is normal to sleep through the entire night without waking, and that they get themselves into a state of panic if they awake, and work themselves up. I personally think it is normal to wake 3-4-5 times during the night, and then fall back asleep within 10-12 minutes or more. But on the rare occasions when I lie awake for maybe 30-45 minutes without falling back asleep, I get up, fix myself a hot cocoa as a special treat, sip it while I read for a little while and then go back to bed and soon thereafter fall asleep. I'm not saying that would work for everyone, but maybe one ought to try any little ritual like this when needed, before resorting to drugs.

Reading and replying to ancient posts on cpaptalk might help put one back to sleep.

Best wishes, Nate

Poll Beware of pills, doctors caution

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