You Asked : What About Medications?
According to a 1999 survey, about 30% of American women and 20% of men reported taking a medication to help them sleep at some time during the course of a year. Over half of these drugs were over the counter medications.
It should be stressed that only behavioral or psychological techniques can actually cure insomnia, (and that is what this site is dedicated to) whereas prolonged use of sleeping pills can only result in dependency.
However, we recognise that you might still be interested to learn more about the medications that are around so that you can make your own mind. So, here you go……
Drugs used specifically for improving sleeping are called hypnotics.
Benzodiazepines are the ones most commonly prescribed, but others are available that may be better tolerated and have less risk of dependency. They should generally be used only to prevent the vicious cycle of psychophysiological insomnia in people with transient or short-term insomnia when non-medical treatments have failed.
Originally developed to treat anxiety, these drugs reinforce a chemical in the brain that inhibits neuron excitability. Commonly prescribed benzodiazepines include the following:
- Long acting benzodiazepines include flurazepam (Dalmane) and clonazepam (Klonopin), quazepam (Doral).
- Medium- to short-acting benzodiazepines include triazolam (Halcion), lorazepam (Ativan), alprazolam (Xanax), temazepam (Restoril), oxazepam (Serax), prazepam (Centrax), estazolam (ProSom), and flunitrazepam (Rohypnol). Short-acting benzodiazepines are particularly useful for air travelers who want to reduce the effects of jet lag.
Of course, as with any medication, side effects are to be expected. When taking benzodiazepines, be mindful of what could happen when you take them. Common side effects of these drugs include:
- The drugs may increase depression, a common co-condition in any case in many people with insomnia.
- Respiratory depression may occur with overuse or with people with pre-existing respiratory illness.
- Long-acting agents have a very high rate of residual daytime drowsiness compared to others. They have been associated with a significantly increased risk for automobile accidents and falls in the elderly particularly in the first week after taking them. Shorter-acting benzodiazepines do not appear to pose as high a risk.
- Memory loss (so-called traveler’s amnesia), sleepwalking, and odd mood states have been reported after taking Halcyon and other short-acting benzodiazepines. These effects are rare and probably enhanced by alcohol.
- Because these drugs cross the placenta and enter breast milk, pregnant women or nursing mothers should not use them. An association was reported between the use of benzodiazepines in the first trimester of pregnancy and the development of cleft lip in newborns.
- In rare cases, overdoses have been fatal.
Elderly people are more susceptible to side effects and should usually start at half the dose prescribed for younger people and should not take long-acting forms. Side effects may differ depending on whether the benzodiazepine is long- or shorting acting.
Benzodiazepines are potentially dangerous when used in combination with alcohol, and some medications, like the ulcer medication cimetidine, can slow the metabolism of the benzodiazepine.
This type of medication can be highly addictive. When you stop taking this medication, you will probably have some withdrawl symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms usually occur after prolonged use and indicate dependence. They can last one to three weeks after stopping the drug and may include the following:
- Gastrointestinal distress.
- Sweating.
- Disturbed heart rhythm.
In severe cases, patients might hallucinate or experience seizures, even a week or more after the drug has been stopped.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This site is not a clinical one and we provide this as general information only. You should speak with a qualified healthcare professional to determine the most appropriate solution for you.
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