Lunesta

[chell]

Anyone here take Lunesta? Does it actually work for you?

Since I've had an even more difficult time sleeping lately my doctor gave me Ambien CR. The first few times I took it I slept like a log. Then by the 5th or 6th time it simply didn't work anymore. I did not take it every night because I didn't want my body to get used to it too quickly.

This week when I went back I told her that the Ambien was no longer working so she gave me some samples of Lunesta. Last night I took it for the first time and it didn't do a thing. It didn't even make me sleepy.

I've got a friend who was also given Lunesta and it didn't do a thing for her either. So I want to know if it really does work for anyone.

 

[Dakota_Lynn]

My insomnia is about as bad as it gets and I've been on just about every sleep aid there is. I do not like ambien at all. It made me feel really strange and it actually sped my mind up and made me feel like I was on speed or something. I've been on restoril and other benzos and they work moderately well. I tried the Lunesta because it is less addictive and frankly, so far it has worked very well for me. It isn't as harsh as the other sleeping aids. Instead of making me feel stoned like other sleeping pills, it just gives me the feeling of being tired. It slows my brain up and makes me feel ready to go to bed in a very natural sort of way. I've only taken it perhaps six or eight times, but so far so good.

 

[chell]

Glad to hear it has worked for someone. Maybe I should give it one more try. Thanks for responding! Sorry you have to deal with insomnia.

The first few times I took Ambien it lasted WAY too long. One of those days was Christmas Day. I missed going to visit my grandmother because I couldn't stay awake. My sister told me she didn't want me taking it anymore. Of course I took it again once I got back home but then it quit working. My sister said that my nephew was standing there yelling at me and I didn't even move. Guess I want something in between so I can wake up if needed.

 

[AllyandJack]

I've taken it. The commercial said it works fast, but I didn't find that to be the case. My insurance doesn't cover it (although if I was on welfare it would, but enough of that.....), so instead of getting 30 1 or 2mg pills, I got 15 of the 3mg pills and split them. I find that I have to fall asleep on my own and then it helps me sleep through the night.

As for Ambien, the opposite is true for me - it knocks me out, but 4 hours later I'm awake.

The Lunesta side effects were exactly what the commercial says - bad taste in the mouth. Ick....it was really unpleasant. I never got a headache from it. Drowsiness....how can that be a side effect when it's the desired effect??

I alternate between the Lunesta and the Ambien when I can't sleep. I like them both, but I'd like to try the new Ambien that supposedly lasts longer. I think I'll ask for that next. I sound like a pharmacy, but I normally just take Benadryl to get to sleep and tamper with the hard stuff if it gets REALLY bad.

 

[Christine]

Never tried the Lunesta but with Ambien I stayed away for the first 2 hours after taking it. Then when I woke up I had "mini amnesia" for several hours each morning. Didn't like that because I kept wondering "how did I get out of the house this morning?" "Was that a green light or a red light that I just went through?"

I seem to have an "opposite" reaction to most drugs. I just felt very awake on Ambien. I won't even try anything anymore.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I have taken 10 mg of Ambien every night for about 7 years.....works for me every time. Once a year I do 2 week drug holiday, and have always needed to go back on it.

 

[Taylor]

Ambien continues to work for me. Lunestra had no effect plus it gave me an awful taste in my mouth.

 

[IvyandLace]

Like others have mentioned, Ambien worked for me too well at first when I took it about a year and a half ago...I would do weird things and then have no recollection of them. My physician actually warned me of this fact and said that there were patients that she has heard of doing things like booking flights on the Internet while on it! YIKES! Anyway, I took it for about a month, and the effects wore off after two weeks. After that, whenever I took it, it left me wired and really cranked up my restless leg syndrome. Definitely NOT what I needed.

I don't suffer with insomnia as much as I suffer with increased back and leg pain with restless leg syndrome at night. I have a very hard time sleeping for more than a few hours at a time. This past fall after complaining to my new primary physician about not sleeping straight through the night for ages, he put me on Lunesta. He warned me a number of times to take it AS I WAS IN BED as it worked VERY fast. (My husband and I had some fun with this as I needed to get a refil on my water glass after I had taken it for the first time, and he teased me that he didn't think I should get up...I might fall asleep going down stairs or something!) Well, I must have waited two or three hours to even feel the slightest bit sleepy. Very disappointed. Not only did it take forever to work, but it doesn't last more than a couple of hours for me. So basically, it's not worth it to me unless my back pain is so bad that there is no other way for me to rest and I have something I really need to do in the morning. My muscle relaxers work about the same...for alot less money!

GRRRR! I really miss being able to sleep like a "normal" person!
IVY

 

[chell]

GRRRR! I really miss being able to sleep like a "normal" person!
IVY

Tell me about it!

 

[LisaNJ25]

No, but as I was reading over to tpoics and saw thisone the commercial for it just came on.