Lunesta--Woo Hoo!!

Stryker,

I have never used Ambien, but I did find this article on L-tryptophan. The link is below:

What is tryptophan?

Tryptophan is an essential Amino Acid. Tryptophan is a component of many plant and animal proteins, and a normal part of the diet that humans must get from outside sources. It is a precursor (starting material) for serotonin from which our brains make serotonin, which is then used to calm you down and make you sleepy. Tryptophan also helps in niacin (B vitamins) production.

Foods that are considered sources of tryptophan are dairy products, beef, poultry, barley, brown rice, fish, soybeans, and peanuts.

L-tryptophan, in substantial quantities, is a natural sedative. It is normally found in turkey meat, and many people believe it to be the cause of a sleepiness common after a Thanksgiving feast.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE

great topic
i still get up 2-5 times a night. but i just started my treatment about a week ago. does it (gettting up)get better wth treatment or is it one of those things that does not go away ?
now i got to ask the doc about one more thing

Snoozie wrote: BTW, has anyone tried Valerian Root? Natural and works wonders for me, if you can get past the smell, and it didn't stay in my system all day. I can't even take Tylenol PM without being sleepy for 2 days.

Snoozie - I have tried Valerian Root and it works well on me also, but it has to be the liquid form not the pills. I first found out about it when a good friend of mine ran his car over a ledge in Kauai and suffered brain injuries. He lost his short term memory and could not sleep. He couldn't even sit still for thirty seconds! Doctors had him on all sorts of different drugs to try and get him to sleep, but all they did was give him terrible, very vivid, walking nightmares. His wife mentioned the problem to a woman who worked in a health food store and she suggested giving Valerian Root a try. His wife actually boiled up the roots. When I walked in it smelled like there was a large pile of rancid socks somewhere. Out of politeness I didn't say anything but years later I found out it was the boiling of the roots. It completely cleared up the problem wiyh no side effects, and they were able to keep him off all medication. Like I said, it worked good for me the few times that I needed it - once I got past the taste and smell. I think I was putting a full dropper, or dropper and a half, in a large cup of tea about half an hour before bed. -- BT

I have been using Ambien CR which was prescribed by my sleep doc. He told me it is totally useful and does not make apnea worse. He wrote me a script for 30 with a refill for 30. I have approximately 70% central apneas. The Ambien has not really done the job for me as I wake on the average of 10 times per night. My AHI's are great-2.0 last time I had it checked. I am waiting for the software so I can check it myself. I am going to continue to take the Ambien because I sure do get a lot more sleep even with the central events. I am still trying to find which mask to use. I am going between the Comfortlite 2 with taping my mouth or the F&P 431 full face which is just plain not as comfortable (although it's not impossible to wear) which is why I am continuing with the Ambien, also. Good luck to all!! The weekend is finally here!!

I'ver tried 2 mg nightly for a week now and it doesn't help me get to sleep nor stay asleep. I'm going to try 3 mg and see what happens. I was using 10 mg of Ambien but the rebound insomnia just plain sucked. I'd be curious to hear about any successes with New Chapter Tranquilnite.

Even if one person's AHI is not affected by use of sleeping medications-yours may be. The best way to figure out your response to sleeping medication (or anything new) is to monitor your xPAP therapy. Don't base your decisions on one night (unless it is really a BIG difference)-collect data for 5-7 days or even more. Only make one change at a time (don't use a new mask & try a sleeping med the same night). Don't do your experiments on a trip or when you have a cold.

I may not be "addicted" to Ambien-but I sure am "addicted" to sleep! .

Well, I wish I could get some kind of sleep aid. The two tablets of Lunesta worked great except for the bad taste in my mouth but I had to go on county healthcare since we lost our health insurance last year and the county does not prescribe sleep aids. I have since developed a stress fracture in my spine and have a heel spur and pain in the calves of my legs so I need a little something to help me over the edge and get to sleep and stay that way for at least a few hours. The doctor has put me on Naproxin for the heel spur and it doesn't really hurt that much when I'm off my feet but the legs cramps are pretty bad. The doctor doesn't think it has anything to do with my blood circulation since the pulse in my lower legs and feet is pretty strong but he is going to do some kind of Dopler thing just to make sure I don't have any clogged blood vessels in my well. I get the Walmart brand and I usually only have to take one capsule. I don't really know about AHI numbers. I have a straight cpap with no data available except hours used (and that's no help at all) so I go by the way I feel and I usually feel pretty rested and not sleepy during the day. I know that's not the best way to gauge the effectiveness of something but that's all I have to work with. I've searched the internet pretty well and haven't found any seriously adverse affects of long term Benadryl use so I guess I'll have to stick with that for a while anyway. Malatonin didn't work at all for me. In fact, I couldn't get to sleep for quite a while when I took it and then I would wake up two or three times a night and be very restless.

Like that Lunesta Lights Out effect, eh. If you think that's good, try 3 to 6 grams of XyRem -- (sodium oxybate) or even better some Lithium Oxybate.
Lunesta, unfortunately, is still basically a benzo like valium etc. That said, it does seem to work well (powerfully) for many people.
Rozerem (melatonin agonist) packs less knock-out potential and also seems to work well. The good news with both is that they both increase %age of slow wave sleep {unmedicated I get almost none ~ with xyrem I'm just about normal ~ actually a wee bit better than normal ).

Are those prescription only or over the counter drugs? I don't guess I've heard of either one of them. If they're over the counter, I would like to try them. They're probably not though. Just thought I would ask.

<<It was taken off the market for some time though because of one company in japan that had a tainted supply. Apperently people got sick from it. Has anyone heard of L-tryptophan? or tried it to help them sleep?
>>

tryptophan is back on the market. it came back at a premium price 1-2 years ago and is now down in price. i buy 8 oz at at time for $30 from iherb.com (where i buy all of my supplements).

i don't have a sleep disorder (dh does...just beginning the process wtih all of that....that's why i'm here) anyway, but i do have ADHD and an anxiety disorder that I treat very effectively with orthomolecular medicine. For me, that includes tryptophan. I take about 1500 mg at night on an empty stomach - the empty stomach is key if you're taking amino acids straight in hopes of affecting levels of a specific neutrotransmitter.

In this manner, by taking tryptophan, you're affecting serotonin levels.....and serotonin when there are sufficient levels, converts to melatonin. While i never have had an issue with sleep quality, it still is nice:) Better for me though is that it, along with other amino acids and specific vitamins and minerals, completely checks my anxiety which is supercool for me and especially for my kids.


katherine in atl