Use of prescription sleep aids

Well, as I posted earlier, I was suffering restless leg syndrome and hadn't slept for nights on end.  Dr. prescribed Klonopin to help me sleep at night.  I didn't take it the first night because it has some nasty side effects I didn't want to deal with.  I broke down and took it last night and my husband told me this morning I was sleeping so hard last night I was actually snoring.  While I did have a hard time getting up for work this morning, once I was up and got going, I felt wonderful.  In fact, I feel like myself before treatment.  So, the point of this story is:  I was totally against taking ANY other type of medication while I was on the Peg/Riba because I thought it would set me back, but I can say this for sure:  Getting a good night's sleep has done wonders for me and if I need to take another pill tonight, I will!  If you need help with a side effect, call your doctor and see if he/she can do something to help you rather than "toughing it out" and trying to do the sides with no help.

[Revenire]

You're sure right about a good night's sleep. I take Tylenol PM if I have any trouble and if I needed something strong (maybe Ambien or whatever) I wouldn't hesitate to ask for it.

[MajNeni]

Ditto to the above.  I would not have made through tx without a whole or a half Ambien ~3x/week.  Now, 3 weeks post tx, my insomnia is much worse than during tx.  
We can't function without enough sleep; we need it to reset and recalibrate our nervous system, or so I've heard.  Otherwise a whole array of bad effects come:  fatigue, insomnia, short temper, low endurance, low mental performance, anxiety, etc.

[DownThisRoad]

I really never thought of the fact of doing these treatment drugs without the assistance of an AD and my GI suggested and prescribed Amitriptyline for me.  I have taken a low dosage all through my treatment, 42/48.

I've never had a problem with excessive weight gain and my doctor was taking into consideration that I may loose quite a bit of weight do to the treatment meds.  He prescribed Amitriptyline for me for not only an AD but this drug is used for patients who suffer from weight/eating disorders as well as used for an overall pain blocker.

My side effects from the hepC drugs have been minimal compared to others who suffer with severe ill side effects while on this treatment.

Don't know if the Amitriptyline is a contributor to my success with my treatment, but I believe it is.

[JamesL]

as of 2/4/2004 the site is still up at
http://hepatitisdoctor.com/
great source for info !

[ral]

Downthisroad  Smart Dr

Speaking of Dr's I just heard on another board they are trying or did shut down Dr Cecil's office. I have heard such good things about him. Anyone else heard anything about this?

BobL

[cindee]

Can I say?????????????? I TOLD YA SO !!!!!!! LOL I'm so happy it worked for you....when I read this, I've been yawning. No joke! So tonite will be zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz for ya again. Love ya girl,  Cindee

[jevs2]

My mother has suffered with restless leg syndrome for years.
3 years ago she was prescribed a medication that is used for Parkinsons disease which has transformed her life.
She is away at the moment so I can't find out the name of the stuff.
She definately does not have 'Parkinsons', but the medication is great.
She can sit and watch TV in the evening now and can sleep without twitching all the time.
Best wishes
Joanna

[MajNeni]

I believe only the Detroit office of Dr.Cecil is affected.

[DownThisRoad]

Hi. How are you? I've been able to continue to go up to the mountains and ski some over the weekends here lately and around the Christmas holiday.  So beautiful......oh I said ski.  Well two weekends in a row that we went up to Breckenridge, I just hung out at the apartment and walked around the town a little.  My husband skied with his friends and I bowed out and said that I was going to shop.  The truth is that I can't ski as well as I've always been able to.  I've had some type of feeling inside myself that I feel scared and then the second thought that hits me is I feel too week to climb around on those mountains and chairlifts.  When I was brave enough to ski, I only did two runs for the day and that was absolutely enough for me.

When I thought of the mountains, I thought of you up there in that beautiful scenery living.  I'm so thrilled that I'm even able to go up this year.  I thought that being on these medicines that I would loose the whole season.

Are you getting close to the end of your treatment? I'm 42/48. Doesn't seem possible that I'm able to cross that finish line here in a few weeks.  Whew !!

Take care ral, there's more snow on it's way tonight!!

[ral]

Hi downthisroad

Thanks for thinking of me and I am glad you are still able to travel. I can't stand to right now. My wife keeps saying we should go somewhere and I keep saying hony when I am off tx we will go. I think it better to be safe than sorry on tx as pushing yourself could be detremental to our health.

I am on 32 of 48 so I am right behind you.

GOD BLESS

Bob L

[MajNeni]

Hi, Bob,
Happy Valentine's Day.  
I didn't feel much like leaving home base during tx, either.
Hey, Bob, you're on the downhill side now!  The way I count, you're 2/3 done.  Keep on doing the good job you're doing.  I'll bet your music helps.  Best,
Maj Neni

[ral]

Hey Maj

Happy Valitines to you also and all our other friends here. Thanks so much for thinking of me and the encouragement. I am not playing professionally right now just don't have the umph to push a band. But I am listening and I started studying vibraphone ala, Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson a couple of yrs ago so that is keeping my hands in it. Getting myself down to the music room is a little hard sometimes but I just keep on keepin on, thanks to you guys.

Hey Maj I hope you are feeling a little better off tx and thanks for sticking around.

GOD BLESS
Bob L

[ral]

Hi Maj

I only play in local jazz clubs in Aspen and only do it part time the music business is to rough to try and make a full time living at it. As you might have read my Dad was one of the great Bebop drummers and my wife's Dad was a well known music director so we both saw the affects and the instability of the music business. My wife would not put up with it so I quit acutally for many years to raise our family then we moved to Aspen and some local guys heard I played and I started again about 10 yrs ago. It has been mostly for fun and they are very good players and nice guys. I only play drums professionally but you never know a couple of yrs and maybe I will give a try.

I make my living in the decorative painting business.

If you or any of you guys get to Aspen look me up.

***@****

Yeah spring I will love it. I know you will get your energy back soon

God Bless

Bob L

[MajNeni]

Hi, again, Bob,
Do you usually play around Boston?  My brother lives in Cambridge, and I'd love to hear you, once we're both back around.  Vibraphone is so cool.  I am feeling much better; my eyes are still funky, and I still get really tired.  It really helps to think about spring coming; in TN you can plant your garden already!  Maj Neni

[douglasduo]

Just thought I would let everyone know about a great new sleep aid at sleepprescription.com
I don't want to come off as a spammer or homer I am not getting paid for this. It's just a great powerful natural sleep aid. There are no side effects and it is not habit forming. My wife and I both take and now so does my boss. We can all vouch for it. Once you try it you won't want to try anything else. I am pretty sure they give a thirty day no questions asked return policy. We also received an e-mail from them that all orders this month that use the coupon code "sleeprx" get %50 off.  Sounds like a good time to try if you're having a hard time sleeping and are worried about the side effects of multiple drugs.
Oh and both my wife and I always wake up bright eyed without the common fogs of the drugs the DR. normally pushes on us.
Again just thought I'd put it out there. You can probably print the ingredient list and ask your doctor what he/she thinks.
Thanks and if you have been using it or you decide to try it please post your experiance as I do tell friends and family about it based upon our experiances but I would like to hear more from other people too it has been a bit hard since it is pretty new and more expensive than typical useless herbal stuff.
Thanks and take care.