Switching sleep meds.... from Lunesta to...??? thoughts? - Sleep Disorders Message Board

DKScully · 11-21-2006, 02:58 PM

Hi everyone. I really hope to get responses from some of you on this, because I'm not sure where to turn. My doctor seems to be out of ideas, so when I go to see him next week, I'd like to come in with ideas of my own.

Some background on me:

I've been on anti-depressants for almost three years (Lexapro, currently, and for the past year and a half). However, I had trouble sleeping even before I was on those meds and was taking Tylenol PM (or Simply Sleep) on basically a nightly basis. When I got on the anti-depressants, sleep got even more difficult, and when I told my doctor, I was prescribed my first sleep med, amtriptyline (elavil). When that didn't work, I was switched to Klonapin. And when THAT didn't work, I was switched to Ambien. My psychiatrist had me up to 20 mg of Ambien (the old kind, not the new extended release one), and I am not a large person, so even the pharmacist mentioned that it was a lot. Even with that, I could *usually* fall asleep, but would usually wake up after five hours or so. So, Lunesta came out, and I was switched to that (I'm on 3 mg, I think? whatever the highest dose is). In general, I liked Lunesta, but it didn't put me to sleep like Ambien did.... I just stayed asleep better with it. My doctor told me I could take Simply Sleep WITH the Lunesta, to help me FALL asleep. So I've been doing that and I am building up a tolerance to that as well.

As I mentioned above, I'm going to my doctor next week, and I really don't feel comfortable continuing with Lunesta AND Simply Sleep. Do you think it would be to my benefit, at least, to try something else for at least a while, so my body stops building up that Lunesta tolerance? Maybe the extended release Ambien (do you think that would be better than what I had before?) or the new Rozerem?

I would be incredibly grateful for any thoughts you might have. I'm trying to do as much research as possible. Thanks!

DKScully · 11-23-2006, 07:16 PM

Anyone? Any ideas/experiences with this would be more than appreciated!

SanyBelle · 12-03-2006, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKScully

Maybe the extended release Ambien (do you think that would be better than what I had before?) or the new Rozerem?

Hi DKScully, I am new to sleeping aids so I hope I can help a little bit. I quit smoking 6 months ago and I complained to my GP that I couldn't sleep and he prescrible Ambian CR (the 13mg dose). That was like a godsend, I would fall asleep in about 1/2 hour and sleep for 6 or 7 hours straight. When I went back to him to refill the perscription, he forgot and wrote it up for the regular 10mg Ambian. I notice that I can fall asleep about as fast, but I wake up after 3 or 4 hours. I can go back to sleep, but I don't feel as rested in the morning.... so the CR is definitely much better for me.

I try not to take this every night, but I am having a hard time. I didn't take one last night and tossed and turned until about 4am and I was still up at 7 or 8am.

I am assuming that it is not a good idea to take Ambian every night long term. Have any studies been done on the long term use of these sleeping aids? Thanks and good luck!

DKScully · 12-03-2006, 11:34 AM

Thanks for your response, Kathy!

I went to the doctor on Thursday and we've decided that, for as long as I need to take these sleep medications, we're going to switch meds every time I go in for an appointment with him (every six months or so). This will allow my brain to "reset," in terms of any tolerance I might build up to a particular medication after several months, and then if I go back to Lunesta in a few months, hopefully it will work for me again!

In terms of long-term usage... Honestly, none of these medications have been around long enough for there to be studies on the impact of extremely long-term use. Over time, people definitely do become dependent on any kind of sleep aid, and if you get into a habit of using something every night, stopping it will be a challenge, for sure. It's something I struggle with, for sure, because I am only 26, and I doubt it'll be healthy for me to be on these meds for the rest of my life. But I also know that my quality of life is pretty horrible if I'm not well-rested. So we'll see....