Subscribe Feed (RSS)Medications Are One of The Root Causes of Insomnia
April 16th, 2008 by admin | Filed under Uncategorized.Many medications your doctor prescribes can cause insomnia and other sleep disturbances. What’s more, the shelves of your local pharmacy and supermarket are lined with plenty of over the counter medicines that you can keep you awake at night. There are, in fact, all sorts of things we put in our bodies that may inadvertently disrupt our normal sleep patterns.
The list of potential sleep disrupters is long. But keep in mind that in almost all instances, the effect on sleep is just that a potential. Many will use the medication and have no problem sleeping. Medications capable of causing insomnia include:
AntidepressantsPsychiatric medicationsStimulantsAppetite suppressantsPain medications AntihistaminesAsthma medicationsHeart medicinesCholesterol-lowering medicinesSteroids Several antidepressants have sedating properties. This can be useful if the depression is causing insomnia and the medication is given at bedtime. On the other hand, some of the newest antidepressants have no sedating effect and may actually make the patient more alert. It’s best to take these during the day.
Antidepressants also affect specific stages of sleep. They suppress dream sleep, and some researchers contend that this is what makes them effective in treating depression. One potential side effect of many antidepressants is PLMS, the sleep disorder in which twitching limbs make it difficult to sleep. In this way, the medication can compound the patient’s insomnia even as it treats the depression. If this happens, the patient should spend a night at the center to have the medication induced PLMS checked out.
Many medication used to treat psychiatric condition can produce drowsiness, fatigue, sluggish thinking, and poor memory. Commonly used medications that can cause such symptoms include lithium, Haldol, Thorazine, and Mellaril. Ironically, some evidence suggests that over the long term the opposite might happen, the patient will become more alert and possibly develop insomnia.
It is certainly no surprise that stimulant medications cause increased wakefulness and thereby insomnia. Medications such as Ritalin, Dexadrine and Cylert improve alertness and help treat narcolepsy and attention deficit disorder. Taken late in the day, they may lead to insomnia. Another common side effect is appetite suppression. Many over the counter and prescription appetite suppressers co-called diet pills share this ability to disrupt sleep and cause insomnia. Use them with caution and be alert to sleep problems.
The potential influence of medications on our ability to sleep well at night and remain alert during the day is real. Discovering the link between a medication and insomnia involves detailed investigative work and a through look at the patient’s medical history. In my position, it’s vital to consult with the patient’s primary physician before discontinuing a medication. Better a brief period of insomnia than death.
Dr.Samantha Hement is the writer of yourinsomniacure.com/blog/” target=”_blank Insomnia blog and sign up for the free 5 days Insomnia e-course. Read her informative reports about yourinsomniacure.com/” target=”_blank The Secrets of How Doctors Fall Asleep When They Get Insomnia, You’ve been looking for.
Tags: asthma, cholesterol, diet, Heart, sleep, sleep disorder, sleep problemsRelated posts
Tags: asthma, cholesterol, diet, Heart, sleep, sleep disorder, sleep problems
