first day of 3 drug triple tx. riva/incivek/pega

I have had insomnia for quite a while. My np told me it would get much worse on tx. I can't take ambien. Does anyone have any sudjestions other than restoril?    thanks.

[Idyllic]

Hey Happy First Day of treatment and welcome to the forum. You are wise to consider sleep hygiene as restorative sleep is crucial your overall feelings of well being on these HCV meds - especially the Incivek.

If you can't take Ambien then you probably won't want to try the other "z drugs" that are sedative hypnotics (The "Z" drugs: Sonata (zaleplon) & Lunesta (eszopiclone).

Restoril falls under the Benzodiazepine category so I won't mention drugs in that class.

Not knowing how well you will respond to the HCV Meds it is helpful to have a good Antihistamine on hand. There is always good ol' diphenhydramine (Benadryl) which is available OTC or hydroxyzine (Atarax or Vistaril) which is prescribed here in the states. I have had good luck lately with Antivert (Meclizine).

I find I have to alternate these meds since they do help me sleep but mostly I need them for itching. **It is almost impossible to stay hydrated with antihistamines so be sure to drink water by the boat load if you consider this route.

Antidepressants are sometimes used to treat insomnia that also aid with depression. One I have seen mentioned here on the forum in the past is called Trazodone. Oddly I found this med profoundly stimulating to the point where I almost abused it the last time I treated since I was so dog tired all the time.

I have had good luck with Melatonin so far. I take three of the one mg. sublingual tablets before bed (even though it is 3:00 in the morning as I write)
Here is a cut and paste from an article in the NY Times about it:

Melatonin. Melatonin is the most studied dietary supplement for insomnia. It appears to reduce the time to fall asleep (sleep onset) and the time spent asleep (sleep duration). However, there are no consistent standards on melatonin doses. Some research suggests that 0.3 mg may be the most effective dosage in many people with insomnia. However, higher doses may keep some people awake and may also cause mental impairment, severe headaches, and nightmares. Although melatonin may not have many benefits for most people with chronic insomnia, studies suggest that it may help travelers with jet lag and people with delayed sleep syndrome.

http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/symptoms/sleeping-difficulty/medications.html

There are many other threads related to this topic and I am sure others will chime in with what worked for them. There are a few things you can to independently of a sleep med to help out. The first one is to try and time your evening Riba dose early in the evening. In the beginning I found Riba to be stimulating and I could not figure out why I had difficulty sleeping until I read a post about it.

As you know the Incivek fat requirement to absorb the meds is 20 grams of fat with each dose. I found it almost impossible to digest anykind of fat in the evening so I really had to juggle the timing of my meds. Don't make the mistake I mad since a routine to take you meds is crucial.
Another common sense tip is to avoid caffeine or no caffeine past 5:00 during the day.

Sorry I don't really have any ideas or home remedies like chamomile tea or warm baths. While both are relaxing neither is sedating enough to help me fall asleep. But don't let that stop you.

Best of luck to you and don't be a stranger♫

[Resilient_Mimi]

Well, I would say the fever from the meds will knock you out. Did me.. ask your MD if you can take melitonin. There is a few meds that contraindication with the triple therapy so make sure you ask your md before trying anything even vitamins.

[Dee1956]

Hi, not knowing your history, how damaged your liver is, I would suggest trying melatonin.
Have you gotten to the point where your days and nights are reversed?
I had that and I fought it like you would not believe.  I used melatonin, and xanax which got me into a bit of trouble because the Incivek increased the amount of xanax in my blood so that when I stopped the Incivek I was a mess for about 2 to 3 weeks.  Saying that I also used benedryl and also atarax, not all at once :) just tried things to help me sleep as I refused to sleep all day and be up at night.
Good luck to you.  It is a hard tx however now that I am 6 months post tx and SVR I am very happy and proud that I did it.
Dee

[brianmo]

Try a powder called Calm.  You get it at a health food Store. Ask your doctor first but I had it on hand for myself. Prior to tx I had so much anx about starting tx I could not sleep and it worked but once I started tx I slept like a log!! Good luck and welcome to the Roller Ride of Tx.