Coping with sleeping tabs.

betterlatethannever · 6 November 2007 at 4:58PM

Hello
My doctor put me on a course of sleeping tablets (nortripyline) to help with a shoulder injury and the fact that i was unable to sleep because of it.
The problem i'm having is i can't wake up. I'm groggy all day and unable to get out of bed at all unless i've been in there 12+ hours:eek:
This is having a huge knock on effect with the rest of my life.
Will things improve with time?
I've heard people say they are on sleeping tabs and seem fine on a day to day basis, but i'm struggling so much with staying awake.
I've tried taking them earlier in the day but it doesn't seen to make any difference.
Any advice please?

dawn2dusk · 6 November 2007 at 11:56PM

Hi. Nortriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant,it does have some sedative properties. You do not say how long you have been taking these or the dosage.
Go back to your GP, as it affecting your every day life. Your GP has your medical history.
Hope you get it resolved soon.

Terrylw1 · 7 November 2007 at 12:44AM

Hi,

I know what you mean. I have been on a course of Zopiclone for insomnia and thats exactly how I was. I also found myself suffering dizziness and had wobbly legs some days.

I found that after a week or so you get more used to them and some of the side effects lessen or pass. However, the grogginess didn't.

I only slept 6-7 hours so then spent about 2-3 hours unable to sleep but not wanting to get out of bed. Then a couple more hours of it afterwards as it worked it's way out of my system.

Never take them too late or you will be suffering the side effects at tea time!

I was advised to take them every other day.

You also need to be careful because some sleeping tablets are habit forming so GP's want give them out for more than a month.

I had a months course but I got myself off them inside 3 weeks because I could feel myself needing them. I was hard at first because I would go 1 night with 1 hours sleep and then have a great night after. It took a week or so for my sleep patterns to start to return on their own.

I sympathise with you. My mum broke her shoulder a few months back and she had to sleep upright in bed for 3 weeks with the support sling on. She didn't sleep much at all. She said she found it easier to sleep in an upright chair though.

Is there anything physical you can buy which will help you e.g. memory foam, body pillow, some sort of support? Someone told me once that when they had a sleep problem due to a back problem she got a spinal pillow off a website.

betterlatethannever · 7 November 2007 at 9:00PM

Thanks for the replies.
I'm on 10mg and have been for about 4-5 weeks now. Back at docs tomorrow so will see if it can be lowered.
Terry, thank you, for some reason i never thought about getting some sort of support pillow, DOH! i can be really stupid at times. Will check about getting something tomorrow.
Glad i'm not the only one that suffers with problems of grogginess though. I thought they help you sleep well and wake up re-freshed. Definately not the case with me!
Thanks

dawn2dusk · 7 November 2007 at 10:04PM

Maybe your GP will prescibe you something else, as they do not seem to be agreeing with you. Good suggestion from Terry1, do not take them late. I will not have central heating on in bedrooms as it gives me headaches and sore throats.

Terrylw1 · 7 November 2007 at 10:14PM

Yeah, my insomnia at the time meant I couldn't sleep before up to 7-8am so I stupidly (just wanting a relief) took one at 6am. I was still suffering from them at 7pm later!!!

Well there are barbiturates & hypnotics as well. However they make you groggy as well.

My GP said they don't make you sleep, they just relax you enough to drift off (with the hypnotic ones). So, you sleep no longer than you need to, which in my case was generally 6 hours after a week or so on them.

They did start to effect me less when I got up. I found they also made me struggle eating until about 8-9 hours after I took them.

There are other members of the hynotic family such as hops. So, why not ask your GP if something a bit more like an over the counter may be more appropriate.

My GF was on valium for her back problem a few years back and she ws falling asleep at her desk on them!

tanith · 7 November 2007 at 10:39PM

My doctor gave me a low dose of Amatrypilline 2mg when I couldn't sleep when I was waiting for hip surgery.. its not enough to make you sleep but it relaxes your muscles , I found it works great and I once again got a good night... its not addictive in such a small dosage... I only took it if I had had one or two bad nights just so I could catch up...

Terrylw1 · 7 November 2007 at 10:55PM

Sounds worth the OP checking out Tanith. They advise taking the ypnotics every other day to avoid problems. They are not supposed to be habit forming within a month but I found that they did take over a bit and got myself off them.

Coping with sleeping tabs.

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