sleep medications

[gjbuddy]

Hello,

I have a terrible time sleeping. If I wake up at 2am I can't go back to sleep. When this happens my muscles ache more than normal and I actually feel sick. I am still working (as much as possible) and it's hard to do with out sleep. My doctor put me on Trazadone for sleep. I've been taking it a couple of weeks now and I am sleeping much better. A couple of the side effects listed are weakness and sore muscles. I don't need any more of that than I already have! Currently my legs are the only part of my body effected, but I want them to work as long as possible. Just curious to see if anyone on this site has experience with sleep medication. I've tried Melatonin with no luck.

Thanks, GJ

 

[ottawa girl]

I hear ya!

I was taking Ativan ( which was effective) but my pulmo doc at the clinic told me he doesn't like it because of its effects on muscles - he prescribed Trazodone instead - but I haven't tried it yet. I take Benadryl and it works. Cramps wake me up and I invariably disturb my hubby - who needs to get up for work. That's the only reason I take a sleep aid.

You were recently diagnosed - took about 4-5 months after diagnosis for me to be able get back to sleep ... I couldn't turn my brain off!

 

[vickim]

I use the Benadryl. I take 2 about an hour before I go to bed and usually sleep through the night. If I wake up to go potty I take one more and drift back to sleep. I have never tried scripted sleep aids, I am afraid of the side effects.

 

[Santa joe]

I find out so many helpful ideas on this site. My husband is on trazadone and is still having trouble sleeping. I can only imagine what is going trough his mind. I'm going to give Benadryl a try.

 

[ottawa09072013]

I am on Trazadone and it works well... I take it about an hour before I go to bed.

 

[Jeff Long]

GJ,
I occasionally take klonopin and it works wonders for me. Same issues you have, and this little yellow wonder is the best I've tried.

 

[goolia75]

I probably shouldn't be posting in this area because I don't have ALS, but I have had insomnia and sleep problems for many, many years so maybe I can offer some suggestions.

I was on Trazadone for a long time, but it caused me some bad side effects and eventually just quit working altogether.

A good OTC sleep aid is Doxylamine Succinate. It is in many name brand products but you can buy a generic form of it by itself in most stores and it's only a couple of bucks. I actually found this product because I noticed when I took NyQuil for a cold that I slept really good. I started taking it at night when I didn't have a cold, just for the sleep part, which isn't a good idea. So, I found out what the active sedating ingredient in it is (Doxylamine Succinate) and just bought the straight pill of Doxy, rather than the cough syrup which had the other ingredients I didn't need.

The DoxySucc worked for a long time for me, then I started taking Melatonin. That is another very good sleep aid and it's OTC. Your body produces Melatonin naturally so it's considered to be a more gentle, natural sleep aid.

After that stopped working for me (my body builds tolerance quite easily and quickly), I started on Ambien. I take 15 mg/night. It's more powerful and completely knocks me out. I don't like taking strong prescription sleep medications, but sometimes sleep is more important.

 

[sadiemae]

Mirtazapine also is a good one. It also stimulates the appetite

 

[MaxEidswick]

I have problems too. Bed at 22 means up at 0200 -- too early and dead at work. bed at midnight usually gets me to 0400, sill not enough. I can subside on 5-6 hrs, but less is a pita.

don't like drugs, tho.