To ask you have you ever taken sleeping tablets (prescribed)

[mumof2sarah]

I'm living on hardly any sleep. And today I had my first Councilling (CBT) session. The lady was amazing and was able to confirm she feels I'm clinically depressed and anxiety. I'm actually away from t feeling very positive and wanting to sort myself out. I'm thinking of going to the drs to see about sleeping tablets to help with that side of it, my question is:

Have you ever taken sleeping tablets? If so what were they? And did you suffer any real side affects?

I know it a very personal thing and you might not like to talk about it but I'd appreciate any feedback.

I also know they are a few people who don't believe in them or have very strong opinions on why you shouldn't take them and I do appreciate the fact everyone is entitled to their opinion on that. But I'm not asking for a "you shouldn't even be thinking of taking that rubbish" etc. Just off people that have/are taking them would be very very much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Yes, I’m prescribed them monthly. Absolutely no side effects. I’ve tried a few and I prefer promazathine hydrochloride (phenagern) as it tends to reset my sleep pattern so I only need to take them once or twice a week xx

Yes. Zopiclone. For about six months during a debilitating depression. I think they’re wonderful. No bad side effects and worked very well. Just my own experience of course.

Yes. I was very drowsy in the mornings but no over side effects. Dp helped me wean myself off them when ready, and now my sleep is much better than it had been for decades. It’s like I rediscovered how to sleep (except tonight, but it has been a slightly bonkers day)

Yep, they are a godsend. I find Zopiclone gives me a hangover, whereas Zolpidem never does. You do have to lie down and prepare to sleep immediately after taking them, though, as they only work during a short window of time. I wake up feeling really well-rested, but alert to start the day.

Yes. Zopiclone.

For about 2 weeks to reset my sleep patterns as I suffer from night terrors.

I think they’re wonderful. No side effects and worked very well. Sadly the doctor won't give me any more but they worked brilliantly.

Yes Zopiclone. I was very reluctant to take them.

For months after my dd died, I had horrific nightmares about her. It got to the point I hadn't slept for months.I also had a newborn at the time.
They did knock me out, DH took care of the baby in the night I never heard her.
I only took them for a short period of time and not every night.
I found counselling helped me more.

I've also taken Zopiclone. I didn't have any side effects and only needed to take it three nights in a row to reset my sleeping pattern after a shock bereavement.

Yes. Zopiclone
No side effects, I have them about once a year, GP gives them over the phone as I have a history of the odd insomnia bout. She gives me 5-7 tablets and that's it until the next year!

I used to be on Zolpiderm Tartrate but haven't had them for a long time.
They were quite gentle but I didn't have long sleep with them.

Years before I was on Temazepam and they were wonderful but aren't prescribed now except for short term.

Hope your therapy works.

I have a prescription for promethazine which helps, but does leave me a bit fuzzy the next day. Lorazepam work best as a sleeping tablet for me, but they are only for a very short term basis.

Yes, Zopiclone. Like others, to reset my sleeping patterns. Hangover free.

However, I was told they were highly addictive and that doctors are only will to prescribe them for short periods of time. Doctors generally don’t like being asked to prescribe sleeping pills, I think it is a red flag for them. That said, I have had 4 or 5 prescriptions for them for short periods over the last 15 years.

I am prescribed Quetiapine. Ive been on it almost 8 years as i have difgiculty getting to sleep. I take a very low dose 1/4 of a 25mg tablet. It has a slight hangover effect but i am used to it and so much better than being awake till 3am.

Yes, Trazadone. It’s an antidepressant at doses of 100mg plus, but at 50mg it’s used for sleep. I liked it because there’s no addictive quality, unlike Ambien.

I have since downgraded myself to using an antihistamine, but my insomnia is hormonally driven, and my attempts to downgrade to herbal supplements and meditation have so far proven fruitless.

Restful sleep is crucial to one’s mental and physical wellbeing, and I would much rather take a pill than run on a sleep deficit (which my sleep doctor considers anything below seven hours per night for more than a few weeks).

I’ve reread your post more thoroughly so have a few more things to add.

First, I am so glad that CBT is already helping you. Being able to walk out and feel like you can take action is great.

I think it would be worth seeing your doctor and explaining that CBT seems to be working and as a result of that you would like to try sleeping pills for a short time. Explain your sleeping difficulties first and then that the idea of sleeping pills came up in or following a CBT session.

Let your doctor recommend a brand for you (better than asking for one - red flag again) with a view to resetting your sleeping patterns. Several other people have referred to it as resetting. Sleeping is a habit or a pattern so once you have a few days of drug assisted sleep it can break your bad habits and you will no longer need the drugs to fall asleep or back to sleep. I do view zopiclone as a bit of a wonder drug. I sleep better just knowing that I have it in the house. For me, knowing it is there alleviates part of the problem with falling asleep as I don’t worry about not sleeping. I know that if it is midnight and I am still awake, I can take it and still wake up on time and function the next day. Therefore I don’t neeed it! Silly, right? I do think that I have probably reached the stage where a placebo will work for me.

Yes, Temazepam, and I've also used OTC antihistamines. Most people on here seem to be against them, but if you have trouble in this area, sometimes a glass of warm milk/white noise etc just doesn't cut it.

Just taking it once or twice to get you out of the cycle of worrying about staying awake - then staying awake - being exhausted during the day - having a (not helpful) nap at the wrong time - being even more worried about staying awake - repeat.

The problem is getting the GP to agree - mine was reluctant. They don't really see insomnia as a problem, and just think you should put up with it. I understand they have to be careful with people becoming addicted, but when you just want 3-4 tablets, once or twice in your whole life, I think they should be more reasonable.

For me, temazepam is my happy place. I spend a couple of hours in contented bliss then sleep like the dead right through.

But, they're v addictive and apparently have links to dementia. My doc prescribes zopiclone. It works, no hangover.

I need quite a hefty dose of temazepam (20mg) but zopiclone I need the smaller dose of.

From the chemist's, sominex is bloody good, but take it early.

I had a breakdown a few years ago. Chronic insomnia. It was bloody awful.

Doctor prescribed me zopiclone. I was also about to starttwo types of counselling. CBT and one more related to my issues at the time.

Zopiclone was brilliant... knocked me out well for the first 2 nights and then ceased to work. I went back to the doctor and he said unfortunately, because the underlying reasons for my sleep problems were psychological, they'd need to be solved psychologically too.

If you find there's not a lot working OP, I can give some pointers if you like? I basically had to train my brain and body to switch off.

Try Valerian tea... you can find it any good health shop. Smells like wet dog but if you can get over that, it's pretty good for drowsiness.

I tried Trazadone, but it affected my coordination quite badly. I put a stop to it when I fell over in the bathroom and couldn't get up. Antihistamines have the same effect on me - but I do have a prexisting condition affecting my coordination. That's probably unlikely to happen to you.

I have Zopiclone now, no real side effects except from feeling really well rested the next day.

I get 5 every 6 months or so as difficulty sleeping is a side effect of another medication I take, so I use them strategically to manage that.

I once had to take it for a whole month (with the agreement of my GP) to cope with a temporary switch to the long acting version of my medication. That's basically the longest you can take it continually, and I definitely noticed tolerance starting to creep in at the end. I suspect I only got that many because it was a temporary situation, and I had a firm plan to not get addicted.

Having said all this, my sleep problems are not psychological, so my other options are very limited. If you're going to take them, I'd advise being very realistic about how likely you are to overuse them, and sticking rigidly to whatever plan you come up with.

Yes, some drowsiness in the mornings, didn’t find them that effective though.

Yes, Temazepan. It was years ago when I was going through repeated IVF cycles/miscarriages etc.

I was literally not sleeping for days at a time and barely functioning.

They completely wiped me out so I only took one on a Friday night to have one good night’s sleep a week. They worked but left me feeling pretty zonked the next morning.

Another one prescribed Trazadone. Nothing else works.

Another Zopiclone here. I was given 14 and used them over a few months. I didnt need them everyday. Only side effect was a slightly metallic taste in my mouth in the morning. If you do take them ensure you have a clear 9-10 hours to sleep otherwise you might find it hard to wake up. In my experience the DR wants assurance you have another responsible adult in the household in case of emergency with DC etc

I’ve suffered with insomnia since childhood and anxiety/clinical depression in adulthood. Only recently after a bad bout I asked a GP for sleeping tabs. She quite happpiy gave me 5 Zopiclone which I took for 3 nights in a row. She told me they are highly addictive and stop working if you take them for too long. I did feel a bit groggy the next day but think I was so sleep deprived it was that.

I did have amitryptiline a long time ago which the recent GP told me isn’t a sleeping tab but that’s what I was given when I asked. That does take longer to work out of your system so I had to delay going to work/ driving til mid morning. I took them for a week.

HTH

Oh and I have taken valerian root tabs, they can help but apparently they can be addictive...

Zopiclone last year briefly during a rough patch. No real side effects but I didn’t find them overly efficient after the first couple of times.