Anyone use Belsomra?

[felinesNfreedom]

I had my yearly check up Friday with my doctor and as we were talking he went through his checklist of questions and asked how I was sleeping. I answered honestly and told him I don't sleep very well and have a hard time actually falling asleep. I gave me a 7 day sample of Belsomra. Now, I am not a fan of taking drugs but thought I would give these a try to see if they could make a difference in my sleep patterns. I would love to actually wake up and feel rested because I got a full nights sleep. Anyone have any experience with this stuff?

[Sam1]

Nada here, but I've used about every sleep med on the market.  Lunesta worked great at keeping me asleep, but after a few weeks I could tell there was a huge issue with grogginess the next day.  Use ambien for a really, really long time and it was great at knocking me out but would wake up 4 hours later and need another one (this was low dose stuff, the controlled release may be different).  Started taking alprazolam for my autonomic issues, and turns out one of those before bed zonks me out, so no reason to take an extra med.

 

There was a new med on the market that supposedly worked extremely well, but there were no generics and with my insurance it was $300~/month copay.  I forget what the name was, it may be in the same class as belsomra, but I can't remember the exact name.

 

The only way to know what works for you is to test it out.  best deal is take one tonight since it's saturday night, in case you end up being drowsy tomorrow.

[felinesNfreedom]

Took it at 9:30. I guess I will see how it works. From what I read tonight it does seem to be really expensive. I highly doubt I will fork out 300 bucks a month for it if that's what it cost. I will report tomorrow on how well it works. Thanks for the reply Sam.

[Pete123]

Trazadone doesn't work for everyone, though it's great if it does.  It's inexpensive, maybe $4 per week, and has been around since the early 80s.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Pete123

[Sam1]

Isn't trazodone an ssri?  I wouldn't take any kind of those things without having a specific need for it.

[Pete123]

No, It's not an SSRI.  

[Sam1]

Had to google that one, was almost sure it was - google-fu came back with it's not but I still wouldn't mess with any antidepressant unless absolutely necessary.  Those things seem to have a bad track record with side-effects.

[Pete123]

I'm not aware of side effects with this one.  My doc asked me to try and avoid Ambien in favor of Trazadone as he felt that it is a safer med. 

 

My understanding about Trazadone is that it was meant to be an anti depressant, which didn't work well.  It had the side effect of causing drowsiness.  

 

I'm not a medical guy and don't know that much about medications.

[Oh Shoot]

Nobody simply tried Melatonin to start? Small dose works better for most folks than larger ones, start with just .75mg, then 1.5, 1.75, and if 3mg doesn't work then higher dose probably won't either.

 

- OS

[Omega]

Nobody simply tried Melatonin to start? Small dose works better for most folks than larger ones, start with just .75mg, then 1.5, 1.75, and if 3mg doesn't work then higher dose probably won't either.

 

- OS

After my last deployment I retired, I had such a hard time resetting my internal clock that I was put on ambien.  It worked well for me, but I am leery of taking any meds for an extended period so tried melatonin.  It worked most times and didn't experience any negative side effects such as drowsiness during the day.  It did take longer to make me drowsy, so I had to take them before I knew I would have trouble sleeping that night, but I think it helped me get my sleep cycle right.

[MrsMonkeyMan2500]

Melatonin gives me insane nightmares that are like Texas Chainsaw Massacre on a Monster energy drink. My doctor's PA told me about P5P it's a version of B6 and it has helped me a lot. I have insomnia issues (clearly) and when I take it, it cuts it down, I also sleep better. It's like $12 at the Vitamin Shoppe. Good luck!

[Sam1]

Nobody simply tried Melatonin to start? Small dose works better for most folks than larger ones, start with just .75mg, then 1.5, 1.75, and if 3mg doesn't work then higher dose probably won't either.

 

- OS

 

I figured if someone is on a scrip for meds, that melatonin had already been tabled. 

Edited February 7, 2016 by Sam1

[10-Ring]

I've struggled with insomnia for the past year.  It was an occasional thing before but over the past year I have more nights that I don't sleep well than nights that I do if I don't take meds.  Everyone is different but taking 50mg of diphenhydramine reach night before bed has been a game changer for me.  I've had maybe 2 nights over the past year where I took it and still couldn't sleep.  I also use it when I work my 4am shifts and I'm going to bed at 6:30pm, it has really helped me get the sleep that I need to function.

[felinesNfreedom]

Thanks for all the replies guys. OS I have tried melatonin and it does not work for me. I tried the belsomra last night and did not have a good night. It took almost 2 hours to actually make me sleepy. I went to bed yawning and had high hopes for sleep, no such luck.

I took it at 9:30 and laid in bed till about 12:30 before I fell asleep. Slept for a couple hours and then woke up when my wife apparently had a nightmare and startled me. After that I was up all night/morning. I fell asleep twice on the couch this morning while waiting on the wife to get ready for church. I've been out of it all morning. I threw my oats in the microwave this morning without milk in them..... They smell like popcorn when they burn by the way :)

I might try it again tonight.... Not sure since I have a full day on the schedule at work tomorrow


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[Sam1]

If you have trouble initially falling asleep, talk to your doc about ambien, that stuff will knock you like a sledge hammer 90% of the time.

The one thing I did learn about any of the sleep meds is they work best on an empty stomach, that's about the extent of the experience I can share. Edited February 7, 2016 by Sam1

[Tncobra]

What dose are you taking? 10,15,20s.

Don't take more than 20mg a day.

[felinesNfreedom]

What dose are you taking? 10,15,20s.

Don't take more than 20mg a day.

I took a 10 last night, I am skipping tonight. I decided to drink a few Coors Lights while watching the game so I am going to skip the sleeping pills tonight.

[felinesNfreedom]

If you have trouble initially falling asleep, talk to your doc about ambien, that stuff will knock you like a sledge hammer 90% of the time.

The one thing I did learn about any of the sleep meds is they work best on an empty stomach, that's about the extent of the experience I can share.

 

 

I had a late dinner but it was at least 2 hours or so after I ate when I took the meds. I will ask him about Ambien, I struggle to fall asleep.

[Omega]

I had a late dinner but it was at least 2 hours or so after I ate when I took the meds. I will ask him about Ambien, I struggle to fall asleep.

Ambien works well, I took it for two weeks straight to try and reset my internal clock.  But it didn't seem to reset it, so I bought a double bottle set of melatonin and kept taking those afterward.  I still have problems now and then so I keep some ambien on hand, it usually works fast enough that when I am still up after 2am I can take one and still be able to wake at 6 or so without issues.

[btq96r]

I'd be skeptical about a doctor pushing any drug I see advertised on TV at regular intervals. 

 

Look at lifestyle factors with some detail.  Sometimes it can be as simple as shifting a workout time a few hours earlier if possible, or not eating specific types of food after a certain hour.

[felinesNfreedom]

I'd be skeptical about a doctor pushing any drug I see advertised on TV at regular intervals. 

 

Look at lifestyle factors with some detail.  Sometimes it can be as simple as shifting a workout time a few hours earlier if possible, or not eating specific types of food after a certain hour.

Sometimes it can. I have had the issues for years. When I was younger it did not bother me but for the last 5 years it has sucked. My mind does not want to shut off when I lay down. I have tried having quite time before bed and that does not work. There are days when I am beyond exhausted and think I will get a great nights sleep and it does not happen. I slept pretty well last night except for the fact the kid woke us up around 3 this morning and had to be rocked back to sleep.

[MacGyver]

Sometimes it can. I have had the issues for years. When I was younger it did not bother me but for the last 5 years it has sucked. My mind does not want to shut off when I lay down. I have tried having quite time before bed and that does not work. There are days when I am beyond exhausted and think I will get a great nights sleep and it does not happen. I slept pretty well last night except for the fact the kid woke us up around 3 this morning and had to be rocked back to sleep.

 

Something that has worked pretty well for me is context switching in the evening.  I avoid screens altogether for the last few hours before bed - a lot of the research shows that exposure to blue light in particular can cause issues with sleeping.  I also walk every evening.  It's the last thing I do before bed.  No browsing my phone.  Not getting out there at an exercise pace.  Just walking leisurely for 30 minutes and specifically clearing my head from the day.  If I need to, I'll jot any action items down on a quick list when I get home.  I find that my brain and I have to reach some sort of detente.  By literally switching context and emptying that inbox if you will, I'm telling my brain that it's okay to turn off and go to sleep.

 

Kids are tough.  None of ours slept through the night until after they were a year old.  Our youngest who is 4 occasionally still struggles with nightmares and stuff - so my wife and I just try to share those duties - usually it doesn't take more than just reassuring him and covering him back up.  Communicating who's going to handle out of band stuff before bed helps, though.

 

I find that to sleep well, I need several things:

 

1. I need to be physically and mentally tired - both are important - either or doesn't work for me
2. I need to switch context and get all of the open items out of my head
3. While I can sleep if I have caffeine later in the day, I've been tracking my sleep for long enough to know that I'll sleep better if I avoid caffeine after 1500CST.  Caffeine has a half life of about 6 hours, so if you're drinking energy drinks or a lot of cokes or coffee during the day, you can set yourself up for a bad night's sleep.
4. Temperature matters.  I sleep a lot better in a cool room.

[10-Ring]

On the topic of blue light.  I downloaded an app to my phone called Twilight.  I can't say for sure that it really helped with sleep but it did make the screen easier to look at.  It puts an adjustable orange tint over the screen.  It is designed so that you can use your phone before bed without getting the blue light exposure.

[MrsMonkeyMan2500]

My mind does not want to shut off when I lay down. I have tried having quite time before bed and that does not work. There are days when I am beyond exhausted and think I will get a great nights sleep and it does not happen.

You aound a lot like me. Just curious, have you ever had your thyroid checked? It takes me anywhere from 30 minutes to 5 hours to go toned most nights. I have thoughts that swirl. Things that don't even mean anything. I wake up to use the rest room and there's always a song in my head. If there's any chance that sounds familiar to you, I would really recommended having your doctor run a full thyroid panel. TSH, T3, T4, free T3, free T4. And again, I'm serious about the P5P. It helps me a lot.

[felinesNfreedom]

You aound a lot like me. Just curious, have you ever had your thyroid checked? It takes me anywhere from 30 minutes to 5 hours to go toned most nights. I have thoughts that swirl. Things that don't even mean anything. I wake up to use the rest room and there's always a song in my head. If there's any chance that sounds familiar to you, I would really recommended having your doctor run a full thyroid panel. TSH, T3, T4, free T3, free T4. And again, I'm serious about the P5P. It helps me a lot.

 

 

That just about nails it! I have never had anything checked. This is the first time I spoke with my doctor about it. The only testing I have is the normal blood, urine and EKG. What does the thyroid have to do with keeping you up, never heard of that. BTW how much do you love being stuck awake with some stupid song, jingle or random thought that has nothing to do with life keeping you awake :)