sleep aids question

at 9.48 insomnia still remains to be my worst sx (maybe). At least it is the sase od otere sides like some of the fatigue and short temper. I have used some sleep aid since day 1 either TylrnolPM or the prescription termazapam. With the PM I sleo only OK. It still takes over an hour from hitting thr sack to sleep. it is similar with one 15mg. Tramazapam. Two 15 mg.'s, which is often a prescribed dose, do knock me out, but very grogy in the AM. For the last week, I have taken one TylenolPM and one 15mg traz. about one hour before bedtime. It does the trick but I am "hung over" for about 1 hour after I wake.My routien is to get up, have some coffee and read the paper and be rolling in an hour or so. BTW, before tx, I would go to sleep before my head hit the pillow although I have always been a lite sleeper. I traditionally would get out of bed at sunrise, shoot out of bed like a rocket and be on the go in 60 sec.
I have thought of switching to Ambien and was wondering how you Ambien users out there feel on waking? Is there a "hangover period"? Thanks for the help, thinking of ZZZZZZZZzzzzz's
Steve

[PhilaGuy]

I'm not yet on treatment, but I have taken Ambien in the past and I've found it to be a wonder drug.  I never had any problems sleeping until I was a little freaked out after I was diagnosed.  Ambien just knocked me out into a deep sleep....with no hangover.  It's weird, after exactly 7/8 hours, the Ambien just STOPS working and you're UP.  At least that's how it worked with me.  I think I would have normally slept a bit longer, but when the Ambien exits your system, there's no going back to sleep.  Anyway, I loved it and would recommend it...but it might be different for those on treatment,and I'm sure you'll here from some who have taken it while on combo therapy.

[mikesimon]

I have been taking ambien for a long time now and I find no adverse side effects and no increased tolerance. I take 10 mg. and have for years. I was transplanted in 2000 and 10 days post transplant my surgeon asked me how I was sleeping. I told him an hour and a half a night. He asked how long it had been like this and I said for a long time but I used to take ambien but wanted to be good to my new liver. His repsonse was immediate: start taking ambien again. I interpreted this as a strong signal that ambien wasn't harmful to the liver. I don't get a hang over but maybe it's just been so long that I wouldn't recognize what a hang over feels like. Mike

[Sioux]

I have to take my ambien about an hour and a half before hitting the sack. It takes that long before it starts making me sleepy.

[lackalustre]

ambien was a life saver for me.  from the first shot i was totally wired.  couldnt sleep during the day either and couldnt sleep a wink at night.  my sleep patterns have been very slow to get back to normal now post tx. 5 mon.     i dont use it now.  its not addictive but can be habit forming.    its expensive and lots of insurance will not pay for all of it.

[honey1616]

Mike...you said you had a transplant and I was wondering do you still have hepatitis and trying to treat it now?  Or even if you did still have hep...would it be like starting over on new liver...maybe a 30 to 40 yr progression. I'm guessing when you have to get a new liver that its by need basis and you are on a list?  I know its a lot of questions but since I just found out I had this..I guess I'm trying to figure this all out.  LOL
thanks for any info

[mikesimon]

My underlying disease which necessitated transplant was hep c. I am still treating it and tested undetectable 13 weeks into this course of tx. I will have done a year next week - Jan 20th. Some transplanted livers seem to tolerate the infection well while in others the liver seems to deteriorate more rapidly. At this point I don't think there are any guidelines as to how the new liver will respond - you get your liver and wait and see. In my case the virus returned immediately and was quite virulent. I have been treating on and off since July 2000 and cleared and relapsed once already with lower dose tx. Now I ma doing full strength doses of interferon and ribavirin. To get a liver you must be evaluated at a liver transplant center and get listed. The priority of transplant recipients is based on a MELD score which is comprised of a score arrived at through a combination of clotting, creatinine and bilirubin numbers. Hope this helps. Mike

[markely]

I've been on ambien for one week, have not started tx yet (end of month) not bad it is not fast acting on me. Once I'm asleep there are no problems. Waking is no problem either...

[layla]

I also take ambian. The beginning of tx I didn't need it and for some reason slept the best in my life then the insomnia started and it is worse as I get longet into tx. I aggree that ambian workes for so many hours so I take 5 when I go to sleep then when I wake I take 1/2 of that and get back to sleep. I feel I deal with daily life and sx much better when rested. Absolutely no hangover. It's been a lifesaver for me personally. LL

[new-sojourn]

There you guys go agsin, trying to find the least HARMFUL, and least ADDICTING!

Melatonin promotes healthy sleep patterns, is naturally occuring in the body whose manufacture can be influenced by stress, illness and age.

A warm bath or shower to warm your core, a melatonin tablet and cuppa' herb tea w/honey will put anyone to sleep!

[berlynn]

Can you please give a brief description of what "Melatonin" is?
Is it a naturalpathic remedy? Where do you get it from?
Thanks, berlynn

[Galen]

Ambien was prescribed for me also.  It worked........to a point.  I fell asleep easily on it but woke up a few hours later and slept badly after that.  I found that taking half of the pill at bedtime(about 8 pm usually) then the other half the first time I woke up (around 12) would get me through the night with at least 7 hours of sleep.  Good luck as this one is also an individual response.

[spike57]

I am Gord I have hep-c and twoand a half years ago had a double lung transplant.I did the pegatron treatment for a year tested cleared and shortly after that it came back.I find myself sleeping quite a bit now ay night I take  8mg of adivan.Now I am feeling in my right hand chestwall a pain almost everynight enough to wake me up just to turn over. Any ideas?

[thegypsy9164]

I have not found anything that helps with my insomnia.  I've tried Melatonin, Ambien, Lunesta and Exedrin PM.  None worked and the Exedrin made my nerves jump so badly all over that I was miserable.  While in the hospital last week with interferon induced pancreatitis I was getting morphine.  It worked real well but they don't hand that out readily.  Anyway, it was the best I've slept since I can remember.  Wish it was easier to get.
Joey