Lunesta and I part ways after 3 years

[Omaha Steve]

I've often let my dear friends here on the DU in on my private life. I started taking Lunesta 3 years ago. I had just been illegally fired and couldn't sleep. I'm having some problems now that may be side effects. I'm not going into details. Marta says they started before I realized it. I started cold turkey last night. I'll be home for a few days hoping I don't suffer some of the withdrawal symptoms others have had. I'll be very much on pins and needles the next few weeks. IF the problems aren't from Lunesta, it's a probable I'm in the early stages of Alzheimer's.

OS

(Edit) P.S. I have sleep apnea. I've been on a cpap machine since 2001.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. ...

:hug:

[Brickbat]

2. You're in my thoughts, Brother.

Hoping the next few weeks go smoothly for you.

[aquart]

3. Cold turkey?

Did you check to see if Lunesta requires slow weaning? (I don't know. I use Benadryl for a sleeping pill.)

Take care.

[bananas]

Good luck. nt

[Jamastiene]

4. Is Lunesta a SSRI?

If it is, you could end up suffering withdrawal symptoms like a heroin addiction. If not, I'm not sure what you should expect. I'm a Zoloft Zombie and intend to stay that way, but my situation is different.

In any case, I wish you nothing but the best of luck that the withdrawal and hope you do not have Alheimer's.

[Catshrink]

5. Best wishes to you

I hope this transition goes smoothly for you.

:grouphug:

[EFerrari]

6. With you, Steve.

Give yourself some time.

Strength to you and Marta.

[Maru Kitteh]

7. As an alternative, think about asking your Doc about trazodone

It's really safe stuff, cheap as hell, often overlooked and for me it works........ well....... like a dream!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trazodone

[Hekate]

20. Traz made me dopey & slightly nauseous so whether I slept better became moot. Glad it works for you

[Maru Kitteh]

24. I had the dizzy/tounge-tied/dumb thing the first two days - after that - nada.

Not that anybody noticed - lol.

[Warpy]

26. Tricyclics and quadricyclics are old drugs with proven track records

when it comes to safety and efficacy. Unfortunately, they also cause weight gain, even at low doses, and have to be carefully considered in people who already have sleep apnea.

Another help is right over the counter, not particularly habit forming, and with few side effects beyond mild hangover in the morning for unlucky people: Benadryl (diphenhydramine). It cures the itch, stops the sneezes, and makes you very sleepy.

[MannyGoldstein]

32. +1 Amazing Stuff

A quarter of the lowest dose knocks me out nicely most of the time. My dad was taking a some heavy-duty stuff, his doc switched him to trazodone, and it works great for him too.

[renate]

8. good luck

The odds are that it's the Lunesta but it must be scary for you as you wait to find out. (P.S. You might want to look into how long those side effects can be expected to last, so you don't freak out if they don't go away as soon as the drug is all out of your system. They might linger for a while after it's gone.)

:hug:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

9. Sorry to hear that. Sleep disruptions can cause alzheimer's like symptoms.

Hope it works out.

[cmd]

10. Have your oxygen level checked

Low blood oxygen causes problems similar to Alzheimers.

[spanone]

11. positive thoughts os

:thumbsup: :hi:

[Mz Pip]

12. Cold turkey?

Is this recommended?

Please please please check with your doctor, if you haven't already.

I remember 20 years ago when I went off a med I had been taking for a year the doctor had me on a gradual reduction plan. It took about a month but there were no negative symptoms.

Good luck to you and may this transition be easy. :hug:

[Arctic Dave]

13. Be careful my friend.

[Shiraz]

23. I was on ambien for a year :

I had some sleep walking episodes where I woke up before leaving the house until one night where I said I was out walking the neighborhood I rang doorbells and crashed a halloween party or so I said. I have no recollection of any of it so who knows, however it scared the hell out of me so I tapered off of it like the directions said. Thank goodness I didn't drive the car. I was on a 1/4 pill for maybe 2 months before going w/out. I now use benedryl. It sucks not being able to sleep, but not remembering what your doing is way worse. Good Luck and I bet it is just the drug.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Steve I'd ask your doctor about

a titrated withdrawal.

(This means not cold turkey)

And if the SE are confusion, and not being able to tell where you are, it may very well be the drug. Just looked it up...

[Walk away]

15. I took it for three months after an accident.

after about six weeks I started to forget things and miss time out of my day. I thought it was depression or the results of the accident but it was just that stupid feeling you get from sleeping medicine.

I stopped CT as well and got back to normal in about four or five months. It really did take that long for the memory lapses to stop completely.

[elehhhhna]

16. are you on cholesterol meds, also?

they too can give you memmory problems. bigtime.

[Omaha Steve]

28. Nope

I'm overweight, but my level is 166.

[still_one]

17. Go through a doctor, you will build up a dependency with Lunesta, and you

should not go off it without medical supervision

Do NOT assume Alzheimer's

You are going through a lot of stress right now, and doing this without medical supervision is not wise

They also have other medicines that will make it easier for you to withdraw

As far as what happened to you at work, now time to reflect, (easier said than done)

If you were illegally fired, what are your options?

As far as your career, consider what you might want to do?

Most important thing is to give yourself some time to recover, and see what programs are available, not only for your career, but also your other issues

Wish you all the best

[Omaha Steve]

29. He put me on valium since I want off ASAP

If it gets bad, I'll check into rehab till the withdrawal symptoms end.

[still_one]

44. good, take care. Just take a day at a time /nt

[abelenkpe]

18. I hope all goes well

and that you don't have Alzheimer's. I've always been wary of sleep aids as I worry I won't be able to wake in case my kids need me in the middle of the nite. Frequent insomnia tho. Have you ever tried Melatonin? My aunt recommended it as it helped her sleep while she was going through chemo. I've never tried it tho.
Anyway, take care and good luck!

[malaise]

19. All the best Omaha Steve

:grouphug:

[Paper Roses]

21. Your Doctor should be able to prescribe something for you that

will help you get some sleep. Lack if sleep is terrible on so many levels.
I tried Lunesta for about 3 nights and did not like the way it made me feel.

For years I have suffered from insomnia. The last two years, depression. I take two meds.

Low doses, both generic from Target. Comes to $10.00 each prescription for 3 month supply.

For the depression,I take Citalopram and for sleep--and restless leg syndrome I take Clonazepam, 1MG

My depression started to manifest itself quite a few years ago during a difficult time with problems relating to my elderly parents. Downhill from there. Loss of two jobs(laid off from both) and then the death of my husband. Traumas like these events have made the sleeplessness bad. I also use a white noise machine and find that soothing. Walmart, about $15.00 Perhaps with the cpap,you are restricted on the meds., I don't know but your doc sure will.

My son-in-law, who is just 43 was just put on that cpap and we're all wondering how he is doing. He seems not to want to talk about it.

At my age, I worry about Alzheimer's too but everyone I know in their 60's thinks the same way. If we forget anything it's "Oh-Oh, must be Alz". Just make notes and paste them everywhere.

I wish you a speedy resolution to your problems.

[Hawkeye-X]

27. Citalopram (Celexa) works wonders for me

with zolpidem tartare (yes, generic Ambien) still works for me. No side effect.

Hawkeye-X

[stevedeshazer]

22. Hang in there, Steve

Sincerely,

Steve

[Canuckistanian]

25. I never thought you and Lunesta belonged together

There. I said it.

[Omaha Steve]

34. LOL

[deaniac21]

30. Ambien CR is the deal.

[midnight]

31. I know everyone is different, but after reading no more sleepless nights,

it was recommended that person's with sleep apnea not be prescribed sleeping pills. So I'm happy to hear you are getting off them. The doctor who co-authored this book with two other doctors, Peter Hauri, was the former director of the mayo clinic for insomnia. I thought Someone here at D.U. posted a very promising post about stem cell research that was found to address Alzheimer's. I will look around and see if I can find it. I hope you and your wife are able to move through this change with lot's of good support.

[one_voice]

33. Ambien...

I took Ambien for a couple years, and I'd get up in the middle of the night and do things, that I wouldn't remember doing the next day.

I'd wake up and start yelling at my husband and go back to sleep and never remember the incident. I was doing all kinds of crazy things that were way out of character for me and not remembering.

I was terrified something was wrong with me...mentally, but it turned out to be the Ambien.

My brother also had problems with Lunesta and Ambien.

I'll never take anything like that again.

I have a neuromuscular disease, so sleeping is often difficult, I usually take Benedryl or NyQuil.

I really hope things improve for you!

[timo]

35. just a suggestion

I dont know all your whole story, but I have a line of sodas that we sell here in Texas one is called Drank, the other is lean, they have a lot of valerian root, melatonin and rose hips, some b vitamins, they are the exact opposite of red bull and monster energy drinks, leans tag line is the slow motion potion, I use them not daily but if I am having trouble falling asleep, they will knock u out and you get a great nights sleep.
The lean has no corn syrup its made with real sugar, so I prefer it!!
good luck

[applegrove]

36. vibes.

[abbeyco]

37. Best wishes on the stoppage

My brother nearly killed himself on Ambien, so I'm a bit a-skeered of all the sleep drugs.

I started taking 5-HTP prior to my last surgery - it's supposed to assist with calming, food cravings and sleep issues. I find with a good cup of decaf hot tea, whatever flavor you like, and 2 pills in the am and 2 in the pm, I've been calm, mellow and sleeping, even with quite a bit of movement pain from my incisions.

You're such a valuable resource to DU, I pray that you find something that helps you! :hug:

[lunasun]

38. It is most likely the drug causing the memory issues

Checked out the drug at askapatient.com & 1st post mentioned memory loss!
If you check out ask a patient .com for Lunesta then check out Levaquin the drug that ruined my life!
The FDA is not addressing these drug side effects; just accepting the checks and cash from Big Pharma

[Omaha Steve]

39. Morning 2 of cold turkey

Sleept good. Strange dreams. Woke up with headache and ears ringing.

Thanks for all the kind words and thoughts in public and private.

OS

[Mopar151]

40. Best of luck!

I started shying away from Ambien, 'cuz I did'nt like the loss of control - my friend the Psychologist reccomended Lunesta, 'til he started having problems with feeling whacked out. There is a lounge thread on Ambien from a couple days ago you might want to read.
The wierd dreams, tho - I get 'em from Zoloft, and the cohlesterol stuff - pot really helps with that, but it's not an option just now.

[a kennedy]

41. prayers and the most positive hopes for you while you get through this.....

:hug: :pals: :fistbump:

[MattBaggins]

42. Ummm What doctor prescribed sleep medicine to someone with sleep apnea?

Isn't that a huge no-no?

[Omaha Steve]

43. Yes it is

After some reading on it, I said I'll take the chance. At the time I could just not get any sleep. It was bad.