anyone know the laws regarding prescription sleep aids?

It would depend on what dose you are taking now, and if you are male or female. www.rxlist.com/ambien-drug/indications-dosage.htm

The recommended initial dose is 5 mg for women and either 5 or 10 mg for men, taken only once per night immediately before bedtime with at least 7-8 hours remaining before the planned time of awakening. If the 5 mg dose is not effective, the dose can be increased to 10 mg. In some patients, the higher morning blood levels following use of the 10 mg dose increase the risk of next day impairment of driving and other activities that require full alertness [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

The total dose of Ambien should not exceed 10 mg once daily immediately before bedtime.

Well, there's no law saying you can't have more, although weighing the risks of going over that dose is important. www.rxlist.com/ambien-drug/side-effects-interactions.htm It can increase many of the same symptoms we are trying to get rid of, so it's very important to carefully weigh other options rather than try to get more of a drug that doesn't seem to be working very well for you.

It would be better to find something that works better for you or try adding in a few natural things.

Are you taking/have you tried magnesium, melatonin, or things like herbal teas (Sleepytime, Sweet Dreams, or others) to help you get your sleep? Those don't usually interfere with any meds. I also use Valerian, but that can interfere/interact with some meds so you need to check carefully.

I don't want these posts to sound like we are attacking you, Tickinit. On the contrary, I'm speaking from experience! I *think* Deejavu will agree with at least most of what I am about to say.

I didn't take Ambien, but another benzo and I've been weaning off of them for the last 1 or more now. I took them for sleep for 5 years before I felt like I was finally able to rest well enough to try to come off of them.

With these infections, a person can be like me and not only have trouble falling asleep, but staying asleep, and getting refreshing sleep. At some point in time, when you haven't been able to sleep for more than 3 or 4 hours at a time (for me it was 2 or 3) and then you are up all day, something has to give. And if you are trying to hold down a job on top of all of that, it just complicates things further. So at some point in time we have to give in and use pharmaceuticals - but only for a while and only as high of a dose as necessary because we will need to wean off as soon as we can, so we can complete our healing.

This is why we are suggesting that rather than just raising your dose, try adding in more natural remedies instead.

Yes Traveler,

I do agree with you.  I know we all need our sleep, lyme or no lyme.  Insomnia is one of the largest problems most people face.   I guess I am lucky in that department as it's a rare time when I get insomnia but that's me.  I noticed that the times I do suffer from it is when I have something stressful going on in my life or I drank coffee too late in the day (something I try to avoid but I'm not perfect).  I really need to look into those teas when I want something hot to drink at night.

What scares me is I know about addiction since I am a recovering alcoholic (knock on wood, I have been sober since 1985).  When I first became sober I attended many AA meetings as well as one on one counseling.   I just worry about people getting addicted to anything unhealthy the way I was.

My intention was not to attack but to show concern since I walked down that road myself. 

Denise

I also can tell you from experience to be careful with Benzodiazepines and similiar drugs like ambien. You can build up tolerance to them and they will not be effective and you can get addicted. I think something else might be more effective.

I myself am having a hard time sleeping and in the last 2 weeks especially since starting azithromycin and rifampin. I wonder if any one else is having this or has had this. I am in withdrawal from benzos and I know this is a problem in withdrawal but have found the problem getting worse since starting the antibiotics.

Hi Tickinit,

Insomnia was one of my worst symptoms, I copied this from an old thread I posted....I am on one pill a day vs the 5 when I started and sleeping 6-8 hours a night.


Hi all,
I just wanted to give a quick update. So I went off of antibiotics again on August 31st about? I was getting severe insomnia and this happened prior when I went off antibiotics so I thought, naturally that it was lyme disease and I was still ill.

Had an appointment with my ND and she said nope - not reading for bacteria or anything but this will help your sleep. It is called neuroscience calm PRT. It is insanely expensive like $100 for a month supply but I was having issues where when i tried to fall asleep I would have the body jerking and like get 1-2 hrs of sleep MAX per night. It was horrible.

Well after a week of the above the ND overnighted me that stuff and voila. after a few days 8 hours of sleep no more body jerking. One thing I do want to point out THIS IS NOT STUFF THAT YOU STAY ON. I have already reduced my dose after only 3 days per the ND and she is going to do another 'test' in 2 weeks then I should be reduced again and completely off in a month.

She says most people only need it for a month or so.

This should also be a flag for a lot of you. I would have switched up antibiotics and such just to sleep when it turns out (at least at this point) that antibiotics are not what my body needed. Man this stuff is tricky but this time I've been off abx for 10 days and doing A-Okay.

~beth
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