Sleeping Pills made me keyed up and anxious (depression, addicted, Lunesta)

[questioner2]

I was having some trouble with sleeping and tried a number of sleeping pills you get at the Pharmacy. The worst was the cheap generic ambien. I would spend most of the night in cold sweats and had torn all my sheets and blankets off me and after all kinds of wild dreams I woke up so tired. I felt like I had not slept for a month. Then I felt like I was on caffeine pills and really jittery and nervous.

I found Lunesta the best but got addicted to them and had to take higher and higher doses to fall alsleep.

What are your experieces with sleeping pills?

[groove1]

I actually found Ambien to be very helpful. I take Melatonin now (the vegetarina kind; you don't wanna know what the other stuff is made from). You can buy it any drug store or natural foods store. Actually, I haven't even had to take it for a while now.

[goldenmom7500]

Hi,

I only had bad experiences with over-the-counter sleeping pills. Some may have caused the jitters, not sure, but it was really the heavy-headed depression that was most scary.

So ... the best sleeping pill I ever took was Klonopin. This is in the benzo family, and also in the anti-seizure category. I slept perfectly and woke up happy. I don't even know if it was prescribed for sleep (as opposed to anxiety). But, since benzo's are addictive, they wanted to get me off them once I was back on track.

[nicolepsy]

Originally Posted by groove1

I actually found Ambien to be very helpful. I take Melatonin now (the vegetarina kind; you don't wanna know what the other stuff is made from). You can buy it any drug store or natural foods store. Actually, I haven't even had to take it for a while now.

tell us! what is non-veg melatonin made of? is it made from platypus urine?

[nicolepsy]

my mother takes a benadryl or something like that to fall asleep.

[Wisteria]

goldenmom7500: So ... the best sleeping pill I ever took was Klonopin. This is in the benzo family, and also in the anti-seizure category. I slept perfectly and woke up happy.

questioner2: I felt like I had not slept for a month. Then I felt like I was on caffeine pills and really jittery and nervous.

Hi questioner2. My guess is that you may have a paradoxical (the opposite) effect to certain drugs. I generally can't take any medications that supposedly make you tired -- I become the same way: hyper, agitated, can't sleep, etc. I haven't taken antihistamines for over 20 years because they make me so speedy and jittery, that it's not worth it to me -- I just sleep sitting up if I have a cold.

If you have even taken anything like Klonopin, as goldenmom mentioned, and felt okay, but you have a reverse action to these other medications, I'd guess that your brain chemistry is such that you won't be able to take the typical meds suggested for other people. (I agree that Klonopin or any benzo is great for helping to sleep!)

Paradoxical reactions can be very disturbing -- for me, because I seem to have them a lot, I rarely, if ever, take any medication in a full dose when prescribed. I am so used to having reverse reactions that I don't trust them now -- and it's a good thing I don't, because I could have died once from a medication that was misprescribed for me. I usually start off with a quarter dose one time, then if it's okay, go up to half, and then I add on to 3/4 and then a full dose if I've done okay from the three previous tries. Usually, I can tell pretty quickly how something will react -- but I don't need a full dose to know.

Doctors who do not have paradoxical effects, themselves, often have difficulty understanding why one might be in the minority -- but sometimes people are -- body chemistry differs.

I'm glad I did not take one of those over-the-counter meds like you described, because I had a feeling I might have a reaction like that -- and if it makes most people sleepy, and you were one of the few who it made speedy and alert, then I'd make a bet it would do the same for me.

I wish I had good suggestions for sleep aids, but I don't. Good luck to you.

[groove1]

Originally Posted by nicolepsy

tell us! what is non-veg melatonin made of? is it made from platypus urine?

It is synthesized from cow vomit.

[silverwing]

Poor sleep issues have such an adverse affect on over all health, I would check in your area if there are any Sleep Clinics. Asking for help via a message board is good in the means of support, but a bad place to be asking for a cure.

From one poor sleeper to another - best of luck.

[Wisteria]

I agree -- boards aren't a cure!

I did a sleep study once, and that was useful. Yes, talk to your physician, and if you don't get results from that one, then go for another opinion. Better to have a "real" person help you than lots of posts that might not do a thing.

Good luck and, hopefully, sweet dreams!

[crazyworld]

For myself....1 Tylenol PM...two make me hyper. There is no grogginess and if I have to wake up I do with no problem.