Tuesday, August 29, 2006

You are getting sleepy…

I firmly believe that one of the keys to coping with FMS is getting a good night’s sleep.  That’s probably also the most basic key to overall good health for anyone, but for people witt FMS, disrupted sleep or lack of sleep can make a uncomfortable situation an unbearable one.  I’ve been prescribed numerous sleep aids over the years, and they seem to be like anti-depressants—you need to find the one which is a good “fit”.

I’ve tried Sonata, which left me groggy in the daytime (something it wasn’t supposed to do), and Ambien, which still had me waking up in the middle of the night.  I could get back to sleep again, but I wasn’t sleeping straight-through, and I was concerned about Ambien’s reputation for causing dependency.  I also tried Elavil (Amitriptyline), but didn’t really feel it made a big difference.  Trazodone helped, sort of, but whenever I took it, it caused an odd “head pressure” sensation for about an hour.  It was unpleasant.  Ultimately, the sleep aids which worked best for me ended up being Ativan and Klonopin, but Ativan has been the one I’ve stuck with for the last seven years.  I can take .5 mg before bed, stay asleep, and feel rested, and it’s easy enough to skip a dose every few days to avoid dependency.  Unfortunately, it’s sometimes hard to find a doctor who wants to prescribe these meds as sleep aids, as they think they’re too prone to being abused.

Now there are two newer sleep aids, Lunesta and Rozerem, designed for long-term use and with a low risk of developing dependency.  I haven’t tried either, but I’d definitely be willing to test drive some samples if I get the opportunity.  There’s just nothing more satisfying than a good night’s sleep!

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 08/29 at 10:49 PM
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