Prescription sleeping pills recommendations?

[uscfan1]

Do any of you need them and if so, which works best for you?

[MEL]

Yep. I use them. I'm taking Ambien 10mg as needed and they do work for me. I tried the Ambien time-released and Lunesta and neither one of them worked.

[johnnyb]

Originally Posted by MEL

Yep. I use them. I'm taking Ambien 10mg as needed and they do work for me. I tried the Ambien time-released and Lunesta and neither one of them worked.

ever have times when the ambien walrus visits?

[uscfan1]

Mel so you take them often or just when needed? I take Benadryl every night but it does not work well. I've taken melatonin, unison, Tylenol pm and every other over the counter sleeping remedy and have built up tolerance to them. I started taken my Ativan to fall asleep. Got so bad I would need between 6 and 8 mg of Ativan to finally doze off...so then my wife found out and took my magic pills...sigh

I was just wondering if you are building up a tolerance to ambien or does it just knock you out. One more thing, how long does it take to work?

Thanks Mel

[FloydTheBarber]

Hell no. Whenever I go through times of difficulty sleeping, I make lifestyle changes.

I stop consuming any and a caffeine.
I make sure I get good exercise in the morning.
Read for an hour before bed rather than watch tv.
Avoid eating anything several hours before bed.

[FlorenceCock]

I actually talked to the VA doctor about getting some Ambien and he told me he really wouldn't recommend it. He said that there was a unpublished report that the VA did about Ambien and that VA doctors were handing out prescriptions for it like candy to returning vets because they couldn't sleep. He said that the report showed that in something like 85+% of the cases the patient became totally dependent on the drug to sleep and could not function without it. That kind of scared me off from it so I never ended up taking it other than the samples I got that day. Just do your research before you start to take anything and know the possible side effects.

[The Yancey]

I have awful problems with insomnia. USCfan1, diphenhydramine is the active ingredient in Unisom, Benadry, etc. It is all the same. Dries me out too much although it is perfect if you can't sleep due to some allergies. My problem isn't going to sleep. It is staying asleep. Not much seems to help. Skelaxin works but leaves me in a fog the next day. I took 0.25mg of Zanax last night along with 10mg of time release melatonin. I slept and am not overly drugged out today. Restoril leaves me drugged. Neither Ambien nor Lunesta keep me asleep. Micro doses of amitriptyline (25mg, about 10% of what I would give depressed patients) work if taken regularly. You get used to the groggy head and the dry mouth. It is particularly good for any accompanying chronic pain. The best approach I use costs nothing and has no side effects: meditation, progressive relaxation, and behavioral changes.

Really the best course of action is to find the reason for your insomnia. Sleep clinics are available everywhere these days. While much of my insomnia is due to fibromialgia that does not eliminate other underlying causes. This is being addressed as part of my overall work up at Mayo. While I am up there next month we will check my overnight O2 levels.

[ShutTheSuccop]

Originally Posted by FloydTheBarber

Hell no. Whenever I go through times of difficulty sleeping, I make lifestyle changes.

I stop consuming any and a caffeine.
I make sure I get good exercise in the morning.
Read for an hour before bed rather than watch tv.
Avoid eating anything several hours before bed.

I honestly think that this is the best place to start...I could not agree anymore with everything in this post.

I think that caffeine in today's society as well as lack of exercise leads to sleeplessness.

[ktguen]

Ever tried melatonin? It's available in the vitamin section and I feel much better taking it because it's natural and much less habit forming. And I don't wake up feeling groggy the next day. And of course you don't need a prescription. Just something to try.

[Cheezy]

They are a crutch. Floyd really has the best advice, with lifestyle changes.

[ColaCock]

My mom takes (or used to) Ambien and that is some scary shit. She will call me at night (apparently after taking it) and have a whole conversation with me. Then, she will call me the next day from work or something and try to tell me the same information...not realizing she already did!

Engine keeps running but no one is behind the wheel!

[ccured]

Originally Posted by ShutTheSuccop

I honestly think that this is the best place to start...I could not agree anymore with everything in this post.

I think that caffeine in today's society as well as lack of exercise leads to sleeplessness.

I disagree. Im admittedly overweight. Drink (guesstimate) two liters of soda a day and dont excercise and i have no problem sleeping at all. I also dont carry stress which i think is the most important thing. My wife doesnt drink soda and excercises everyday but she is a worrier and always stressed and she doesnt think. 95% of the time i make a conscious effort to leave my work at work. I relax and zone out for 30 min to an hour when i get home. Meditation and stress relief is a key imo.
Also if u take ambien hide your keys. Risk of sleep driving is real. I personally know someone who got dui for sleep driving woke up in drunk tank and didnt remember it all.

[FloydTheBarber]

Also- avoid alcohol.

Not everyone who drinks, consumes caffeine, and doesn't exercise have sleeping issues, but if you do have sleeping issues- please try lifestyle changes before trying a pill.

[ShutTheSuccop]

Originally Posted by ccured

I disagree. Im admittedly overweight. Drink (guesstimate) two liters of soda a day and dont excercise and i have no problem sleeping at all. I also dont carry stress which i think is the most important thing. My wife doesnt drink soda and excercises everyday but she is a worrier and always stressed and she doesnt think. 95% of the time i make a conscious effort to leave my work at work. I relax and zone out for 30 min to an hour when i get home. Meditation and stress relief is a key imo.
Also if u take ambien hide your keys. Risk of sleep driving is real. I personally know someone who got dui for sleep driving woke up in drunk tank and didnt remember it all.

You may be right about the stress...however, I still contend that what he spoke of accounts for 90+% of the sleeping problems. People are always looking for a pill for this and a pill for that when lifestyle is the #1 problem. Just because your diet and lack of exercise works for you does not make it the case for everyone. As a dentist I must recommend that you try to cut back on soda...it will catch up with your teeth if it has not already done so

[ccured]

Originally Posted by ShutTheSuccop

You may be right about the stress...however, I still contend that what he spoke of accounts for 90+% of the sleeping problems. People are always looking for a pill for this and a pill for that when lifestyle is the #1 problem. Just because your diet and lack of exercise works for you does not make it the case for everyone. As a dentist I must recommend that you try to cut back on soda...it will catch up with your teeth if it has not already done so

I have been told about my teeth for years. I kicked my smoking habit about two years ago. Just cant give up the soda go for a couple weeks and then drink more than before. I just dont like water. My dad doesnt and my grandmother didnt either. I am 33 never had a cavity, still have my wisdom teeth, no braces, brush once a day, no floss lucky genetics on that one. Dad is 57 never had a cavity either. Is enamel thickness genetic? Also i dont have any kids so i know my stress level is not compared to some.

[Cheezy]

Originally Posted by ccured

I have been told about my teeth for years. I kicked my smoking habit about two years ago. Just cant give up the soda go for a couple weeks and then drink more than before. I just dont like water. My dad doesnt and my grandmother didnt either. I am 33 never had a cavity, still have my wisdom teeth, no braces, brush once a day, no floss lucky genetics on that one. Dad is 57 never had a cavity either. Is enamel thickness genetic? Also i dont have any kids so i know my stress level is not compared to some.

[ShutTheSuccop]

Originally Posted by ccured

I have been told about my teeth for years. I kicked my smoking habit about two years ago. Just cant give up the soda go for a couple weeks and then drink more than before. I just dont like water. My dad doesnt and my grandmother didnt either. I am 33 never had a cavity, still have my wisdom teeth, no braces, brush once a day, no floss lucky genetics on that one. Dad is 57 never had a cavity either. Is enamel thickness genetic? Also i dont have any kids so i know my stress level is not compared to some.

enamel is relatively uniform from people to people with the exception of people with abnormalities interms of growth. There is however a subset of the population that seems to have bacteria in their mouthes that does not lead to decay or gum disease (this subset is less than 5%). Good luck and I hope that your dental health continues as it has thus far!

[FloydTheBarber]

I'm absolutely baffled when people say "I don't like water"

The most key element to human survival is something many people just "don't like"

#FirstWorldProblems

[usc90grad]

Originally Posted by FloydTheBarber

Hell no. Whenever I go through times of difficulty sleeping, I make lifestyle changes.

This.

If you have trouble sleeping, you have issues that need to be addressed. Don't mask the problem with pills.

[Sonofacock]

Cocaine does the trick usually