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Life extension site/ view on sleep meds

Discussion in 'General Treatment' started by heapsreal, Jul 18, 2011.

  1. heapsreal

    heapsreal iherb 10% discount code OPA989,

    australia (brisbane)
    I suppose i support their theory and is similar strategy to what i use.

    Prescription Sleep Aids

    Ideally, prescription drugs are not necessary for sleep aid. Some of these medications carry a risk of tolerance. In other words, it requires more and more of the medication to get a good nights rest. Another side effect is daytime drowsiness caused by lingering effects from the previous nights medication. Worse yet, many of these medications are addictive in the sense that patients lose the ability to sleep without them.

    However, if natural remedies fail to bring about refreshing sleep, it is Life Extensions position that people should use whatever means are available to them, including prescription medications, to get good sleep. Sleep medications may be classified into the following categories:

    Benzodiazepines. These drugs were introduced in the 1960s and were used for the treatment of insomnia. They were very popular sleep aids for several decades but are prescribed less frequently today because of concerns over dependency, impairment in memory and movement, and a hangover effect the next day. The following are some popular benzodiazepines:
    ?Valium (diazepam)
    ?Dalmane (flurazepam)
    ?Doral (quazepam)
    ?Halcion (triazolam)
    ?ProSom (estazolam)
    ?Restoril (temazepam)
    ?Klonopin (clonazepam)

    Nonbenzodiazepine, benzodiazepine receptor agonists. Introduced in the 1990s and sometimes referred to as Z drugs, these drugs are now the first-line treatment for insomnia. They include Ambien (zolpidem) and Sonata (zaleplon). These drugs have been shown to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep and have fewer side effects than the benzodiazepines, but they are also recommended for short-term use. A newer drug in this class, Lunesta (zopiclone), appears to be equally effective and may be acceptable for long-term therapy. In general, however, most researchers call for better long-term studies.

    Other drugs used to treat insomnia include sedative antidepressants, such as trazodone (Desyrel), amitriptyline (Elavil) and doxepin (Sinequan). These medications are usually prescribed for insomnia in the context of depression rather than for treatment of primary insomnia, at least in part because of their many side effects, including dry mouth, weight gain, constipation, and a host of other problems. A typical dose of Elavil taken a few hours before bedtime is 10 to 25 mg. Some people use Elavil until the side effects become too pronounced and then discontinue it for months or years.

    One way of avoiding the tolerance problem is to alternate the type of sleeping pill used. Here is a suggested prescription drug schedule to treat chronic insomnia for the person who has never taken prescription sleeping pills:
    2.During the next 30-day cycle, 5 to 10 mg Ambien taken only at bedtime
    3.During the next 30-day cycle, 1 to 3 mg Klonopin taken only at bedtime

    At some point, patients may find that they do better by taking Valium one night, Ambien the next night, and Klonopin or Lunesta the third night. The drug Sonata in a 5 to 10 mg dose provides about 5 hours of sleep and can be helpful on occasions when only a limited amount of sleep time is available. If heavy alcohol is consumed, these types of drugs should be avoided on the same night. It should be noted that chronic alcohol intake in and of itself is a major cause of poor sleep patterns.

    A person with chronic insomnia must develop a close relationship with a physician who understands that some people need sleep medications on a routine basis or their lives will be miserable and that they are also at a higher risk of contracting a serious degenerative disease.

    Low-dose melatonin may help any of these prescription drugs work more effectively.



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