Insomnia

[John__0__0]

  : : : : : Is taking Xanax of 0.5mg every night on long term basis to help in sleep
  : : : : : advisable?
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  : : : : Dear John:
  : : : : In general it is not advisable to take any sleeping pill on long term basis because of the so called dependence and Xanax is one of them.
  : : : : My suggestion is that you try to avoid taking any of these medications more than 2-3 months.
  : : : : There are many ways to treat insomnia, but this depends on the diagnosis. Therefore, a correct diagnosis with the appropriate sleep study is recommended.
  : : : : If you desire to see a sleep specialist at The Cleveland Clinic, please call 1 800 CCF CARE.
  : : : : Good luck
  : : :  Thanks alot for your help.
  : : : I've tried all that I could including removing and minimising stresses, exercises,meditation, taking hot bath, taking hot milk
  : : : .You name it I've them all.And still if I don't take Xanax before I sleep for one night I've to take leave for 2 days to recover!!
  : : : I'm now trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea.Looks like I can't
  : : : live without Xanax. Hence my earlier question to you stii remains i.e. what will happen to me if I continue to take Xanax? ( If I don't my productivity at work would be so low
  : : : that I would loose my job and the whole family would suffer. )
  : : =======================================================================
  : : Dear John:
  : : the main problem with Xanax is that you may become dependent on it. It means you will not be able to live without it.
  : : Again, I would suggest that you check with a sleep specialist.
  : : Good luck
  : Thanks again. I've gone to see my doctor after your advice.I expressed my concern of getting addicted to Xanax. He put me on Imovane ( zopiclone )-7.5mg before sleep.
  : What's Imovane? How does it work? What's the difference between this and Xanax? I feel tired the next day with Imovane but not Xanax.
  : Can aternating one type of pill with another reduce the degree of addiction to any of them?
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Alternating sleeping medications is not any better. Some medications are better for long term use for sleep than others, but choice of all sleeping medications is complex. If your insomnia problem is so bad that you are now dependent on Xanax, then your best bet is to seek consultation with a sleep specialist. People can get off Xanax, but it takes persistence and is a slow process (you already know what happens if you try to stop it cold). CCF MD mdf.