Sleeping tablets

[SteveBass]

Has anyone had to take sleeping tablets due to anxiety? If so, which ones worked for you and how kidney friendly are they?

I've read melatonin is pretty safe but I'm guessing most sleeping tablets become less effective over time.

[Marvin8]

I've been on a tiny (.25mg) dose of alprazolam (Xanax) for years on an as needed basis. It's the only benzodiazepine that's supposedly safe for ckd. Klonipin worked better, for sure. Ambient worked great at putting me to sleep, but I'd always wake up a few hours later. Better than all of these is aerobic exercise and good sleep habits. If you're contemplating any of the benzos, just know that they can be addictive if taken at full dosage for a protracted length of time. I only take a tiny dose.

[MToQ in reply to Marvin8]

Try ambien cr... it's a slow release.

[Marvin8 in reply to MToQ]

Thanks, but after reading that most all of the sleep aids (aside from alprazolam) have deleterious long term effects on the kidneys, I decided to stick with what I'm used to.

frontiersin.org/journals/ph...

[SteveBass in reply to Marvin8]

Thanks Marvin, aprazolam looks like a possible option.

[MToQ]

You mentioned ambien worked for you but would wake up a few hours later. If you decide to go with ambien again for the occasional use, you might want try ambien CR. I definitely wouldn't use it regularly.

[HisLittleOne in reply to MToQ]

I took regular Ambien 10 mg for several years nightly but when my doctor tried me on the slow-release it did not work as well for me. So I’m back to taking the regular dose (I break it in half and take the second half when I wake up during the night). It has never affected my kidney function studies and I have been taking it for at least five years.

[Skip56]

Je prends du eolpidem 5 mg et la melatonine 5 mg,je dors bien

[Dana66CKD]

I asked Nephrologist if I could take melatonin. It was ok'd by her. I don't take every night, especially the time released because it makes me groggy or foggy-headed in the morning. What I've read about melatonin is the lower dose is more effective bc our bodies make our own natural melatonin so maybe too much? I don't like benzodiazepines. Too long half-life, so longer to clear than other drugs & contributes to physical dependence. I prefer immediate release, chewable melatonin tabs. Helps fall asleep, then the rest of the night I get up to bathroom, but go right back to sleep afterward. Everyone reacts differently to meds we take. Hope you find the right remedy for you.

[SteveBass in reply to Dana66CKD]

Thanks Dana, Melatonin is looking like the best option at the moment. For some reason you have to get it on prescription here in the UK.

I've been taking 7.5mg Zopiclone on and off for the last 2 weeks, it does knock me out well but I was told to just take it for 3 days to try to re-establish my sleep pattern. After the first 4 days I stopped taking it and didn't sleep a wink. Went back on for a further 6 days, stopped the night before last and again no sleep that night! I had my worst daytime I can remember yesterday as a result of the lack of sleep.

So I think I was becoming very dependant, very quickly, on Zopiclone (although very popular). So last night I just took half a tablet 3.5mg. I did eventually manage to get about 6 hours sleep in total (with about 3 breaks in my sleep). My head was very muggy with a headache though (slight withdrawel symptoms maybe?) I feel so much better than yesterday.

One of the problems I'm trying to eliminate is stinging eyes. I stopped my glaucoma eye drops because they stung so much. However they still sting. I wondered if the Zopiclone is causing dry eyes hence looking for an alternative.

On Alprazolam, I found this interesting medical paper on the comparison with melatonin. Seems melatonin gives better sleep quality. I'm also guessing melatonin isn't bad for kidney function as it's naturally produced in the body.. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articl...

[HisLittleOne in reply to SteveBass]

Can’t take melatonin—it causes severe heart palpitations to me even at a low .5 mg dose.

[jflorax]

I take sublinox. only 5mg. My pharmacist keeps an eye on all my meds and health conditions. so far no contraindications.

[jodaer]

I've taken melatonin for years. I take 2 5mg a night. Sometimes more. I also take Unisom and on occasion Zquil .

[SteveBass in reply to jodaer]

It would be even better if I could get back to my normal sleep pattern naturally, but I guess we all have to adapt as we get older and deal with health issues the best way we can. It makes you wonder how they coped hundreds of years ago before the science. Then again there weren't so many pollutants and modern lifestyle stressers!

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

Having Kidney issues and sleep issues is quite common. Sometimes, the imbalance of your electrolytes and minerals throws everything off including sleep. First check and all meds you are on to see if that is an issue. Your pharmacist can hep. I was one a BP med that gave me insomnia so bad. Make sure you do not eat at least four hours prior to bed. Turn off all lights, monitors. The darker the better. It triggers the sleep cycle. NO exercise either at least four hours before. Be hydrated but not so you pee every two hours. Things like warm milk does help. No tea or coffee obviously. I cannot drink caffeine after noon without an issue at night. Magnesium tablets help, but you have to be careful not to build up magnesium in the blood.

And if all that doesn't work, melatonin is the most natural. I have been taking between 3-5 mg for years. My neph is fine with it. I am on HHD.

[SteveBass in reply to Bassetmommer]

Thanks Bassetmommer, that's very helpful information. When I lived on my boat, during the winter getting up during the night for a pee was handy as I could top the fire up with coal and keep the fire in. I don't really mind waking up during the night so long as I get back to sleep Ok.

[ShyeLoverDoctor]

I’ve been on a tiny dose of Ativan, 0.25, for about 10 years. The smallest pill they make is 0.5

Typical dose is 2 mg to 6 mg.

Do I sleep really badly if I don’t take it? Yes, I do.

Have I needed to increase the dose as time goes on, have I built up tolerance? The answer is no.

Do I worry about being “addicted” to it? No, I do not.

[WinJ3]

My doctor prescribed me 5 mg of melatonin to help me sleep and 0.5 mg of Xanax for anxiety. I only take them as needed, and never both at once. This combo works great for me!

[SteveBass in reply to WinJ3]

Unfortunately here in the UK you can't buy melatonin over the counter anymore and the NHS don't seem to like GP's prescribing it. As I understand it they were worried about the quality of melatonin which was sold without prescription. I think I read somewhere that the NHS were concerned that people were misusing it to deal with jet lag. Perhaps someone can confirm the reasons?

So looks like I've got a problem trying to source it.