Topic: Ambien vs. Lunesta

My experience with Lunesta is that it works for 6 hours or so but the metallic taste made me discontinue.  Ambien worked great in terms of falling asleep quickly but lasted about 5 hours.  Also, I had many nightmares when taking Ambien and short term memory problems.  So, I take Ativan .5 or 1 mg at night which also lasts for about 5 hours although I wake up numerous times with head sweats. Sometimes I grab a nap during the day. You're right, antidepressants take several weeks to be fully effective.  Hope you're feeling and sleeping better soon.

I have tried them all and can only tell you of my experiences. I become addicted very easily and so, for many, these will not apply. Both Xanax and Valium worked well for me, but only for 3-4 hours at a time. I eventually became addicted to each of them (at different times) and had to increase the dosages until I needed way too much around the clock and needed to detox and get off of them. Not a pleasant experience. During bc tx and following, when I started an AI, I again had sleeping problems (I had none during chemo and slept really well throughout that time). My onc prescribed regular Ambien and it wasn't long-acting enough, so I tried Lunesta. It worked a bit better, but I had headaches the next day and also experienced the bad taste in my mouth. Again though, after a time, I needed more and didn't want to go that route. So she prescribed Ambien CR and that did the trick. I again had a tendency to become physically addicted and if I took it for several nights in a row, I'd have actual physical withdrawal symptoms by late afternoon. So I was very careful about taking it and actually found that alternating it with nights of taking 2 Benadryl worked well. Eventually, I adjusted so well to the Aromasin, that my insomnia seemed to almost disappear. Recently, my doctor prescribed Lexapro and that has made me sleep even sounder at night. I still take the Benadryl though and it hasn't presented any problems. So....maybe you can get something useful from my story. I hope that you find your answer and can certainly empathize with your sleep issue. If there's one thing we'd like for respite from this bc nightmare, it's the bliss of sleep!

~Marin

I have .25 mg Xanax.  I've been taking 1/2 during the day and a whole one at night.  I don't have trouble falling asleep, it's the staying asleep and then I wake up in a panic, even though I'm still "under the influence".  Maybe I'll try 2 at night.

I just started taking the Lexapro 3 days ago.  No real terrible side effects (slight headache and a little drowsiness during the morning).  No real benefits yet either (I understand it'll take a couple weeks).

Talked to my onc. this a.m. and she wants me to just hang in there a few more days before I take a sleeping pill.   She doesn't want to introduce too many new drugs at a time, which I can understand.  She also said that the Lexpro should help with my sleep problems as well.... maybe I just need time to let it kick in.

In the mean time, I'll be thinking of you, Harley....I have the same sleep problems.  When I'm lying there awake in the middle of the night I'll think of you.... probably doing the same thing!

Abbi

((Tender))..... thank you sooooo much.  Took 2 Xanax (.5 mg) at 10:00 last night and crawled in with my book.  By 10:30 my eyes were heavy.  Slept until 3:00, woke up feeling calm and went right back to sleep until 5:00 when DH gets up.  Felt GREAT to finally get some rest.

Funny, I figured out on my own that 1/2 a pill during the day took the edge off but allowed me to function (drive a car safely, etc.)  Never occurred to me to take 2 at night - DUH!

I'll probably still get the Rx for a sleeping pill from my onc. just in case I need it, but for now the Xanax routine seems to be the answer!

I've been taking the ambian sin dx in 10/05. some nights it worked better than others.

I've also tried benadryl. it worked for a while then did just the opposite, it wired me!

I know take the ambien, gabapentin and oxycodone and sleep most of the night. However I told my hubby that I am not responsable for anything I say after I take them! Guess I've had many a conversation with him that I simple do not remember!

Good luck and I hope you get some sleep

Back from a tx today.. Onc. gave me something called Restoril.  Said it'll work just as well but is not as expensive since it's not "sexy" with all the nice TV commercials and all.

Anyone ever try it?

Only thing I need to worry about is addiction to the stuff which he says is a problem with all sleep aids, so I'll be using it sparingly.

Abbi

Well, I didn't take my sleeping pill yet either.  I decided to try last night w/o since I just had chemo yesterday and had all kinds of chemicals floating around in me already.

Plus a friend of mine warned me that the Restoril is an old tried-and-true sleeping pill but that it'll probably give me a "hangover" kind of effect in the morning.  She said Ambien and the like let you wake up "clean" but, in her experience, people and still drowsy on the Restoril.  I have kids to get up and off to school and things to do....and I'm tired enough during the day w/o adding to it.

Typical of this particular doctor (who I don't like too much), he doesn't give you what you ask for.

Abbi

I've used Restoril and it works the best for me. Gives me 6-7 hours of sleep. Ambien only gives me 2-3 and I have reactions to the ant-depressants. Of the different meds for sleep that I have tried, Restoril gives me the best results.

Abbi,

I, too, took my Ambien last night...  Saturday night, I hardly slept at all, and I was like a zombie all day Sunday... I wanted to take a nap, but was afraid it would affect my sleep last night. 

I woke up a couple of times, but slept mostly through the night.  It was SO nice to be able to sleep again! 

I also worry about becoming dependent to sleep aids, so I will try to go without it tonight, and I'm hoping that I'll sleep through the night. 

Glad that the Restoril worked for you....  It is SO good to sleep at night!  I know that the steroids I'm taking with the chemo have affected my sleep patterns...  Although, I have been having trouble sleeping on and off. 

Wishing you a good night's sleep tonight,

Harley

Abbi,

I didn't do very well last night.  I was having some terrible lower back pain from the Neulasta shot, and I tossed and turned, and thought about YOU, too.  lol   I took 3 Ibuprofen finally, and they eased the pain somewhat, so I was able to sleep. 

I don't know how long the steroids will affect us, but I spoke to someone who has stopped txs to have her mast.  She said that she still had trouble sleeping until about 4 days after her next tx would have been, if she was continuing them.  So I still won't be sleeping right and I will have to start taking the steroids again.    Ugh...

That is good, if you don't need to take the steroids before every tx of Taxol, you may start to sleep again!  Oh, well... I only have ONE more tx of TC to go, so maybe the Ambien will get me through til then.  I will have to remember, though to take something for the back pain before going to bed. 

Harley

Abbi,

Yes, I am SO glad to be almost finished with my TC tx!  Oct 9th is my last one!  YAY!  How many more txs of Taxol do you have?

I didn't think about buying one of those pain/sleep meds when I was out at the store... DUH... very stupid of me... 

The pain seems to be getting better, so maybe I'll just take the sleep med to help me sleep.  I am also not as worried about becoming addicted to the sleep aids, since I feel like a Zombie most of the time, when I can't sleep at night...

Happy ZZZZZ's,

Harley

Abbi,

Wow!  That is alot of Taxols!  But, someone told me that if you get weekly treatments, you have less se's than if you get a treatment every 3 weeks, like I am.

Most of the other se's I have been having have come from the Neulasta shot. Lower back pain, and just achey, and felt feverish one night.   

I hope you get your appetite back!  I have been hungry most of the time, because of the Decadron!  I am eating more than ever, and have gained some weight, which is ok, since I lost about 20 lbs from all the stress and worrying, when I was dx'd. 

The Benedryl must be what makes me kind of dizzy, and when I get up to walk after the tx, I look like I'm drunk!   lol

It's great that you are sleeping again!  I slept about 7 hours, but not straight through.  I have two cats, who wake me up around 5:30AM for their breakfast.  After I feed them, I go back to sleep for a few hours.  Until I started taking the Ambien, this has been the best sleep of the night.

It is so good to be able to sleep again!! 

Abbi,

Sorry about the Decadron, but at least you won't have to take it for the rest of your treatments.  If you have no other side effects, it will go quickly!  I can't believe that I am near the end of my TC treatments!

Glad that the Benedryl helped you to get some sleep. 

It's great that your appetite is back!  The Lexapro must be working, that is wonderful!  I don't like to tak a lot of medications, either, but sometimes we need a little help.  I'm glad to say the the Effexor seems to be working for me.  I'll see if it helps with the hot flashes, when I start taking the Tamoxifen.  Seems the fun never ends!

Harley

Abbi,

Oh, I am so sorry you are having trouble sleeping!  I know, I am afraid of becoming addicted to the sleep meds.  I seem to be doing ok without them, but I still take them once in awhile.  I seem to go a couple of nights without, and then I have to take them the next night. 

I think I will be ok for this week, and my next and final tx is Oct 9th.  Then, I guess I'll be on this rollercoaster again....

Have they stopped your Decadron?  I think you said that you wouldn't have to take that steroid after the first few txs...  If so, did it help... no?

Good Luck!  I hope you find something that helps!

Harley

Sadie,

Thanks for the advice.

I wonder though, since I get LOTS of sunlight, here in Carolina Shores, NC.  Today was a cloudy, rainy day, but MOST days here are SUNNY!! 

I DID have some issues in the winter, when I lived in Maryland, since there was not much sun, and the days are shorter in the winter. 

So, even though the sun is setting earlier, I don't think that is my problem now.

Harley