Sleeping Pills

Carolynlott

Registered User
Jan 1, 2007
232
0
Newcastle upon Tyne
Just wondering what others' experiences of sleeping pills are. Mum has "moderate" AD and is still just about coping alone but her main problem at the moment is being unable to sleep. She goes to bed about 9-ish but is up and down all night, which she finds very frustrating. Then she is drowsy during the day and nods off in the chair and is disorientated when she wakes. All very typical AD symptoms. She saw her GP who prescribed a sleeping pill which worked wonders - the trouble is he won't give her a repeat prescription, and he only gives her a week's supply at a time. I have now had to make her yet another GP appointment. I was wondering why, when she is so much better able to cope when she has had a good night's sleep. Are anyone else's relatives taking sleeping pills?
 

gill@anchorage5

Registered User
Apr 29, 2007
211
0
Southampton
Temazepam

Dad is on Temazepam, originally on 10 mg - increased to 20 mg about 6 months ago. Even with the increased dose of sleeping tablets he had several months of disturbed & restless nights - only sleeping about 1 night in 7. You can imagine how tired we ALL were!

It transpired some of his other meds were making him "over agitated" - these have now been withdrawn and he is now sleeping about 6 nights out of 7 - which is a HUGE improvement, for which we are all grateful.

For Dad, the lack of sleep had a real negative effect on his mobility (his body was just so physically tired.) As his main carer, I like to think I have a lot of patience, but going without sleep for so long had a real negative effect on my caring capabilities (I'm lousy if I don't have my sleep!)

Hope you find a solution.

Gill x
 

lesmisralbles

Account Closed
Nov 23, 2007
5,543
0
Gill, so glad you are getting sleep

I wish I was.
My hubby was prescribed Lorazepam.
Forget it.
He can snore all night, if he want's.
But I will not have Hubby take the drug's. Forgive me, no disrespect to you. I am talking about us.
He was not HE, in the morning, but every pill work's in a different way for everyone.
BarbX
 

judyjudy

Registered User
Mar 19, 2008
32
0
west sussex
sleeping tablets

;)Dear Carolynlott
My mother has been taking Zopiclone (I think that the right spelling)for about two years now. These were prescribed before the dementia was diagnosed. She still takes them and as long as she is on the 'other' medication she still sleeps pretty well and the wandering is not too much of a problem. Take her off the 'other' (Quetiapine) and she is all over the place at night. Maybe it is a case of getting the combinations right.
Good luck
Judy
 

alfjess

Registered User
Jul 10, 2006
1,213
0
south lanarkshire
Hi

My Mum was prescibed mirtazipine (sp) at night. I think this is an anti-depressant (sp) with a sedating affect. It did work for a while, but then as her agitation accelerated, it didn't do the job and she was then prescibed temazepam, I think, as well as the mirtazipine.

But as I'm sure you all know I think Mum was over - medicated whilst in the hospital psychiatrict ward.

I have heard that mirtazipine (sp) has worked for some

Take care
Alfjess