Does anyone take any sleep meds for chonic insomnia?

I do not have cidp, my 12 y/o does. But I can tell you that he had sleep issues the first 2 years (Oct.3rd will be 3 years) Because he was a child, they did not want to do any sleep meds as they are addictive, as well, some have side effects that increase thoughts of suicide. We were told by the pediatrician to use melatonin found at any store, it did work, however I found out it is not reccommended for anyone under 25 so we stopped. We then tried to be extra vigilant with the obvious, no caffiene, no eating after 6, no stimulation 2 hours before bed (tv or computer) and a benadryl. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not. Stress was a huge factor for Kevin. As the stress has subsided, his sleeping is improving…… slowly………….. Some depression medications help with sleeping, also I think triptofan might come in a pill form at health food store. There is a combination triptofan, melatonin and something else that is supposed to work too. Check on line, or search on the sites engine, this topic is discussed now and again. If all else fails, cook some turkey (triptofan) :p

Good luck!
Dawn Kevies mom

I take Unisom and it works for me with no after effects. It is over the counter. But I live in Canada so not sure if you can get it where you are as some of the drugs are different country to country.

I´ve tried sleep pills (aprazolam) and antidepressants (sarotex),
they make me sleepy but o do not relieve the pain, so I continue with no sleep.
Melotonin is good too, but won´t solve the pains problems.
Righ now I take half a glass of rum and milk and I sleep a little bit more.

Pablo,

My son, Ryan who is 20 takes ambien 5mg it works and he doesn’t get any side effects.

CIDPguy,

I totally sympathize with your insomnia. I have sleep apnea and have to wear a mask every night. I have dealt with it for 12 or 13 years now, and I know I would be dead otherwise.

I also understand your other situation, being trapped. I have stopped driving for safety reasons and have become “trapped” at home. I have my dogs, they are great, but I am stuck at home. I can’t go for walks, I am unable. My scooter is broken, the kids are at college, and my wife has to work to keep us up. I get SS disability, and try to clean house and cook when I can, but I lack human companionship. The wife gets home and needs to rest, etc. etc. etc.

What do you do around the house to keep yourself occupied?

By the way, I am working on meditation as a process to relax, and sleep better. Maybe you could incorporate it as a part of the “go to sleep routine” that might help beat the sleeplessness.

Take care

Dick S

Hi Guy,
You did not mention if or what drugs you have tried for sleep.
The best way to test a med to see if it will work, is to ask your Primary Care Physician, (PCP), if he has any samples he could give you. I do that for different things with my doc. This way you don’t end up buying a whole bottle to find out it won’t work on you.
A while back, I was having problems with sleep. So, I tried the new Ambien, (with some letters with it), and it worked well, (it was samples from my doc).
But, because it is a new med and very expensive, my insurance wouldn’t cover it. So, I went back to my doc, and he checked what sleeping aids WERE covered by my insurance. He gave me a sample of Temazepam 15mg, (Restoril), and it worked. So he gave me a script for it, and I got a bottle of it. But I knew about how your body can become expectant of taking it every night, so, I tried to get my body back into the routine of sleep, using the pill just for a week. It worked out, and the rest of the bottle now just sits there.
—
But what I wanted to mention to you, is that there are Neurologists that specialize in sleep disorders. Problems with too little sleep, too much sleep, and Sleep Apnea are usually their specialties. Because I have advanced CIDP, a major problem is severe fatigue, and was sleeping twice daily for about 6-8hours each time. So, my neuro sent me a Sleep Specialist, (a neuro.), with the intention of my trying out speed to try to fight the fatigue.
Move forward three months later–after trying samples of a couple of different meds, I now use 10-20mg of Ritalin twice each morning, to get me through the rest of the day. It works 90% of the time–but sometimes my body just doesn’t cooperate, and I end up in bed most of the day. The sleep specialist also usually has a Respiratory Therapist on staff, as they test you for Sleep Apnea, or even Apnea throughout the whole day, (which is what I have), and the RT was able to adjust my bipap as my breathing is now much shallower.
But, perhaps a visit for you to go to a sleep specialist, is needed. It was my neuro who sent the referral to the insurance company to get approved. Maybe they can help you out?
KEDASO
(Ken)

You can call the GBS/CIDP Foundation to see if they know of a dr in your area.

Kelly

Sleep is so important for healing and restoring the body.
I have used and tried many things for insomnia over the years, from warm epsom salt baths to herbs, suppliment and meds.

Rozerum is the Rx i currently rely on when I have a bout of insomnia that doesn’t respond to other methods. Though it is a monthly RX, I have found that I can break the cycle of insomnia with a wk or two of night time doses.

The other thing that works for me is being aware of how much stimulation I have been exposed to over the day. If it has been a busy, and physical day, I know I will need to take ativan 1 mg at bedtime to quiet my body. Additionally right now I’m still coughing from sarcoidosis, so I’m taking an over the counter cough suppressent to sleep.

I hope you find your solution to sleep and healing.

Erin

I am 84 so what works with me may not with younger people. I had to fight my doctors and insurance company for sleep meds. Finallyi found AmbienCr to work very well. One advantage with it is that it keeps me asleep for 6 to 7 hours which I find important. It is addictive, but at my age, who cares? I guess one benefit of being old. My doctors agreed to write prescriptions as long as I could get them. When the insurance stopped me, I bit the bullet and got them retail with no restrictions. Expensive, but the trade off was sleep.

Make sure your blood chemistry is normal (ie calcium, potassium, magnesium, etc). I take calcium (1000mgs) and magnesium (250mgs) plus a multi everyday. It makes a big difference in my sleep. It takes a few days to notice an improvement. Some people I know take more magnesium, especially if they have twitchy muscles.
I have also seen GABA recommended as it induces relaxation and sleep, reduces muscle tension and reduces stress, anxiety and depression.
Prescription sleep aids make me not function as well the next day so I won’t take them.