Social Anxiety Support

Catlover4100 · 10-31-2009, 12:21 PM

I've had chronic insomnia for nine years, and I've been taking 10mg Ambien for probably about 4 or 5 years. It usually helps me to fall asleep, but I wake up constantly during the night, unable to get back to sleep. I've tried Ambien CR, and it was a little better, but my insurance refuses to pay for it.

My pdoc just gave me a seven day sample of 3mg Lunesta to try, and I took it Thurs. night and last night. It seems to be about the same, as far as effectiveness. I'm not familiar with the chemical makeup of Lunesta, so I'm wondering if I will have to wait for it to "kick in"? Does anyone have experiences with either of these drugs that they'd like to share?

arth67 · 10-31-2009, 01:30 PM

also try a long soak in a hot bath just before bed

jim_morrison · 10-31-2009, 07:00 PM

Lunesta has a longer half life than ambien and as such should help you to stay asleep during the night better than ambien.

TiMeZuP · 10-31-2009, 07:54 PM

Try adding melotonin to your cocktail.

TiMeZuP · 10-31-2009, 07:55 PM

Also is your problem falling asleep or staying asleep?

livingnsilence · 10-31-2009, 08:23 PM

I've been on ambien and ambien cr but due to the short half life and the fact I wake up alot in the night I only get a couple hours of sleep before I wake up and can't fall back to sleep. Lunesta is the same except it lasts about 5 hours before I can't fall back to sleep when I wake up. If you have problems with your insurance not covering things amitriptyline is a cheap medicine that has always worked well for me and for me it's afects last about 8 hours so I usually don't have the problems with not being able to fall back to sleep when I wake up. I would try melotonin and up to 100mg of benadryl first, I don't have any luck with those but a lot of people do. There are also the prescriptions
restoril and remeron but I'm not to sure of there half lives.

Hypnotoad · 11-01-2009, 01:47 PM

I'm on Ambien CR right now, mixed with a small dose of serequel i'm able to fall asleep. I tried Lunesta, but it did absolutly nothing. I never even felt it try to kick in. Don't know if that helps any, just thought I'd post it.

Catlover4100 · 11-01-2009, 06:27 PM

Thanks for the replies everyone. I do take melatonin as well (3mg), along with some herbal supplements. I was on amitriptyline once, but it made me feel suicidal, and I ended up in the psych ward of Buffalo General! So thanks, but I think I'll pass on that one:-)

10-31-2009, 12:21 PM	#1 (permalink)
Catlover4100 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Gasport, NY Gender: Female Age: 17 Posts: 348	Ambien v. Lunesta I've had chronic insomnia for nine years, and I've been taking 10mg Ambien for probably about 4 or 5 years. It usually helps me to fall asleep, but I wake up constantly during the night, unable to get back to sleep. I've tried Ambien CR, and it was a little better, but my insurance refuses to pay for it. My pdoc just gave me a seven day sample of 3mg Lunesta to try, and I took it Thurs. night and last night. It seems to be about the same, as far as effectiveness. I'm not familiar with the chemical makeup of Lunesta, so I'm wondering if I will have to wait for it to "kick in"? Does anyone have experiences with either of these drugs that they'd like to share? __________________ If neurotic is wanting two mutually exclusive things at one and the same time, then I'm neurotic as hell. I'll be flying back and forth between one mutually exclusive thing and another for the rest of my days. ~Sylvia Plath

10-31-2009, 01:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
arth67 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: austral;ia Gender: Male Posts: 217	also try a long soak in a hot bath just before bed __________________ life is not a dress rehursal

10-31-2009, 07:00 PM	#3 (permalink)
jim_morrison Status: SAS Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Australia Gender: Male Age: 23 Posts: 1,026	Lunesta has a longer half life than ambien and as such should help you to stay asleep during the night better than ambien. __________________ Warning: I am not a trained medical professional. Any information provided by me is based on my own personal experiences and research and is not intended to be used as professional medical advice. Please contact a medical professional before taking any action that may be discussed on this board.

11-01-2009, 01:47 PM	#7 (permalink)
Hypnotoad Status: All glory to Hypnotoad Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Murderville, TN Gender: Male Age: 27 Posts: 124	I'm on Ambien CR right now, mixed with a small dose of serequel i'm able to fall asleep. I tried Lunesta, but it did absolutly nothing. I never even felt it try to kick in. Don't know if that helps any, just thought I'd post it. __________________ Our enemies shall be eaten by squirrels. Zoom-Zoom!

11-01-2009, 06:27 PM	#8 (permalink)
Catlover4100 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Gasport, NY Gender: Female Age: 17 Posts: 348	Thanks for the replies everyone. I do take melatonin as well (3mg), along with some herbal supplements. I was on amitriptyline once, but it made me feel suicidal, and I ended up in the psych ward of Buffalo General! So thanks, but I think I'll pass on that one:-) __________________ If neurotic is wanting two mutually exclusive things at one and the same time, then I'm neurotic as hell. I'll be flying back and forth between one mutually exclusive thing and another for the rest of my days. ~Sylvia Plath

10-31-2009, 07:54 PM	#4 (permalink)
TiMeZuP Status: SAS Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 88	Try adding melotonin to your cocktail.

10-31-2009, 07:55 PM	#5 (permalink)
TiMeZuP Status: SAS Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 88	Also is your problem falling asleep or staying asleep?

10-31-2009, 08:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
livingnsilence Status: SAS Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 260	I've been on ambien and ambien cr but due to the short half life and the fact I wake up alot in the night I only get a couple hours of sleep before I wake up and can't fall back to sleep. Lunesta is the same except it lasts about 5 hours before I can't fall back to sleep when I wake up. If you have problems with your insurance not covering things amitriptyline is a cheap medicine that has always worked well for me and for me it's afects last about 8 hours so I usually don't have the problems with not being able to fall back to sleep when I wake up. I would try melotonin and up to 100mg of benadryl first, I don't have any luck with those but a lot of people do. There are also the prescriptions restoril and remeron but I'm not to sure of there half lives.