9 Aug

All About Insomnia, That You Need To Know

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder found annually in more than 40 million people in the USA. Individuals suffering from insomnia often find it difficult to fall or stay asleep, wake up frequently during the night and have a problem going back to sleep, wake up too early in the morning, and feel tired upon waking.

Types of Insomnia –

There are majorly two types of Insomnia:

Primary Insomnia: Primary insomnia is the one in which a person has sleep problems that are primarily due to insomnia and not directly associated with any other medical conditions.
Secondary Insomnia: Secondary insomnia is the one in which a person has a sleep disorder due to some other medical conditions such as pain, depression, asthma, arthritis, cancer, or any other health issue, or medications or drugs they are taking.

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Causes of Insomnia –

There can be three types of reasons that can give rise to insomnia:

Medical Causes:

Nasal and sinus allergies
Gastrointestinal problems
Endocrine problems
Arthritis or asthma
Neurological conditions
Chronic pain
Sleep apnea
Prescription drugs

Psychological Causes:

Stress
Anxiety
Depression

Lifestyle Changes:

Sedentary lifestyle
Lack of exercise
Time zone or shift changes
Substance abuse
Poor sleeping or eating habits

Treatment of Insomnia –

Lifestyle Changes And Exercise

Employ a proper sleep routine. Change sleep habits and exercise properly for 30 minutes a day. Take a balanced diet and do not overeat before sleeping. Moderate aerobics, brisk walk, swimming, and yoga can help sleep better. Avoid drinking too much caffeine or overheating the bedroom before going to sleep.

Medical Treatment

Doctors may prescribe certain medications for the treatment of insomnia based upon the medical status and other health conditions of a patient. Ambien is a prescription medication helpful in treating insomnia.

The most commonly used medicine for insomnia is Ambien, with more than 10 million prescriptions a year in the USA.

About Ambien –

Overview

Ambien is a prescription medication to treat insomnia.
It is the brand name version for generic zolpidem drug.
Ambien belongs to a class of sedative-hypnotics drugs, which acts on the brain to slow down its activities and thus help sleep peacefully.
Ambien is the most prescribed sleep medication in the USA.
It comes in both immediate-release and extended-release oral tablet formulations.
Ambien is a Schedule IV controlled substance under the Controlled Substance Act 1970.

Uses –

Ambien is a non-benzodiazepine sedative and hypnotic useful for the short term treatment of insomnia or sleep-related conditions. It is an agonist of type A GABA receptor of the imidazopyridine class. It works by boosting GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) effects in the central nervous system by binding to type A GABA receptors as benzodiazepines.

Ambien immediate-release tablet has an average half-life of two to three hours. The half-life increases in patients with liver problems.

Ambien makes a person fall asleep as soon as you go to bed and helps in restful night sleep. It decreases sleep latency for up to 35 days. Efficacy of Ambien is up to four to five weeks in controlled clinical studies.

Dosage –

Adult Dosage:

It is advisable to use the lowest effectual dosages of Ambien. Initiate the dose with 5 milligrams for women and 5 or 10 milligrams for men, given before going to bed. Take the dose at least seven to eight hours before you need to wake up. Give 10 milligrams dose only if the 5 milligrams dose is not adequate to provide desired results. A 10mg dose increases the risk of high blood levels in the morning and leads to next-day impairment of alertness. Do not exceed a dose of 10mg once every night in any case.

The recommended dose for women is lesser because they have a slower clearance of zolpidem.

Special Population:

Debilitating or elderly patients and patients with mild hepatic impairment are especially sensitive to the side effects of Ambien. Doctors recommend a dose of 5mg for these patients given once at bedtime.

Avoid Ambien for patients with severe hepatic impairment as it can cause encephalopathy.

Do not take Ambien with a meal as it slows the effects of the medication.

Side Effects –

Common side effects of Ambien include:

Drowsiness
Headache
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Tiredness
Feeling drugged
Unsteady walking
Nausea
Vomiting
Constipation
Diarrhea

Severe adverse effects of Ambien include:

Complex sleep behaviors
Abnormal thinking and behavior changes
Central Nervous System Depressant Effects
Next day impairment of alertness
Severe Anaphylactic and Anaphylactoid Reactions
Withdrawal symptoms

Precautions –

Follow some special precautions before taking Ambien:

Inform your doctor if you have hypersensitivity to any active or inactive ingredients of the medication. Check the list of ingredients before taking Ambien.
Tell your doctor about all the concurrent medications, prescription or non-prescription, nutritional supplements, vitamins, and herbal products you are taking.
Never take more than one pill in a single night. Do not take Ambien and any other sleeping medication concurrently.
If you are taking any herbal products for a sleep disorder or any other medical condition, inform your doctor about that before taking Ambien.
Consult your doctor about your history of substance or alcohol abuse or addiction. Also, consult the doctor if you have or ever had depression, mental illness, suicidal thoughts, sleep apnea, breathing problems, and liver or kidney diseases.
If you are in the last trimester of your pregnancy or a breastfeeding mother, consult your doctor about it.
Elderly patients are generally more vulnerable to the side effects of sleep medications. Doctors may recommend other treatment plans for older adults.
Do not forget to tell your dentist that you are taking Ambien before having dental surgery.
Ambien causes drowsiness, decreased mental alertness, and lightheadedness. Be extra careful while going out of bed, standing up from a lying or sitting position, driving, operating machinery, or doing any work that needs alertness.
Mixing Ambien with alcohol or any other CNS depressant can elevate the risk of side effects.
Ambien also causes sleep-walking and other activities while sleeping like making phone calls, cooking, eating, and having sex. Immediately consult a doctor if you are doing any of these sleeping activities.

Where To Buy?

People can buy Ambien online through online pharmacies. You can also buy the medication on drug stores and pharmaceutical shops. However, order Ambien online to get handsome discounts and genuine medication through our pharmacy.

17 Dec

7 Fast Facts You Need to Know About Ambien

What is The Drug Ambien Used For?

Ambien is a prescription medication and a brand name of Zolpidem. This type of drug mostly prescribed for the short-term treatment of insomnia (sleep problem) at the lowest possible dose. Ambien may be helpful for both improving sleep onset and staying asleep.

It is a U.S. FDA approved the medication for short-term use and not for use for more than 6 weeks.

What Are The Side Effects Of Ambien?

Ambien may cause some adverse effects due to misuse or overuse of the drug. There are some common and less common side effects of Ambien.

More Common:

Drowsiness
Muscle aches
Sleepiness
Runny nose

These effects do not need any special treatment as they disappear slowly during the procedure.

Less Common:

Back pain
Being forgetful
Belching
Body aches or pain
Congestion
Diarrhea
Difficulty having a bowel movement
Double vision
Problem with moving
Double vision
Heartburn
The feeling of the constant flow of surrounding
Longer or heavier menstrual period
Loss of memory
Unusual drowsiness tiredness, dullness, weakness
Voice changes

Rare:

An evil, unpleasant or unexpected taste
Blemishes on the skin
Blurred vision
Blindness
Breast pain
Change in vision
Change in rhythms and patterns of speech
Decreased interest in sexual intercourse
Difficulty in focusing
Increased sweating and appetite
Heightened sensitivity of the skin to sunlight
Itching of the vagina or genital area
Loss or lack of strength
The decline in sexual ability
Pain during sexual intercourse
Redness or discoloration of the skin
Redness of the neck, face arms, and upper chest.

If you feel any of these effects during the treatment, take immediate medical help.

Is Ambien A Narcotic?

Ambien is a prescription medication for the short-term treatment of sleep problems. It is not classified as a narcotic in the U.S. It is a class IV substance on par with other prescription medicines. This medication is a sedative medication, also known as hypnotic but not a Narcotic.

What Sleeping Pill Works Better Than Ambien?

Ambien is a prescription medication for the short-term (for 1 t 6 weeks) management of sleep problems. Ambien is the best medication as it is an FDA approved treatment for insomnia, but we cannot compare it with other drugs. The quality of medicines depends on their use and prescription.

Use duration is only a significant difference between Ambien and other pills. You are advised to take medical help before taking Ambien or other medicines.

Does Ambien Help With Anxiety?

Ambien is a prescription medication primarily for the short-term treatment of insomnia (sleep problem). In some cases, it can be used for the treatment of anxiety but only on a high recommendation of professionals.

Ambien may be useful in case of sleep problems caused by anxiety. It is also possible that the symptoms of stress due to sleeplessness starts occurring and for which Ambien may be a proper treatment.

Can I Take Ambien Every Night?

Not at all. Ambien is a highly addicting and dangerous medication that does not provide good restorative sleep. The U.S. FDA approved Ambien for the management of sleep problems (insomnia) but as a short-term treatment, which means you cannot use it for more than 6 weeks. Taking Ambien daily for more than 6 weeks may cause some frequent and severe adverse effects.

Are Xanax and Ambien the same thing?

There are a lot of peoples who doubt Ambien and Xanax. These both are prescription medications but not for the same purpose.

Some Significant differences between Xanax and Ambien:

Trade & kind of drug:

Xanax is the brand name of Alprazolam which is a short-acting benzodiazepine.
Ambien is the brand name of Zolpidem which is a non-benzodiazepine sedative and hypnotic.

Uses:

Xanax is a prescription medication for the management of anxiety disorder and especially for panic disorder and sometimes for nausea.
Ambien is a drug primarily used for the short-term treatment of sleep problems.

Types and strength:

Xanax is available in different types of colors like white, yellow, and green, etc. It is available with 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 2&3 mg dosage of Alprazolam. Its pills and bars are available also as a scored dosage.
Ambien comes in two colors, pink and white in a capsule form. This type of drug I available in 5 mg and 10 mg of strength. Ambien is a not scored capsule.

3 Dec

Insomnia and Anxiety in Older People

Sleeping Pills Are Not The Best Solution

Approximately one-third of older people in the USA take sleeping pills. Sleeping pills are ‘sedative-hypnotic‘ or ‘tranquilizer‘ drugs. They directly affect the brain and spinal cord of the user. Doctors often prescribe sleeping pills for sleep disorders. These drugs are also helpful in treating other conditions such as anxiety or alcohol withdrawal.

Sedative-hypnotics are not very preferable for older adults. They must try non-drug treatments first. According to the American Geriatrics Society, there are better and much safer ways to improve sleep problems or reduce anxiety for elderly patients.

Here is why sleeping pills could not be the best option for older adults:

Sleeping Pills May Not Help Much

Advertisements say that sleeping pills help get a peaceful full night’s sleep. But according to researches and studies, this is not 100% true in real life. On average, people who take medicines sleep only a little longer than the ones who don’t take them.

Sleeping Pills Can Have Severe, Or Even Life-Threatening Side Effects

Geriatric patients have additional risks by sedative-hypnotic drugs. Elderly users are likely to get more adversely affected by these drugs than the younger ones.

These drugs even stay longer in the systems of elderly users.

In older adults, sleeping pills tend to cause memory problem and confusion:

Doubles and even triples the risk of falls and fractures. These are common causes of hospitalization and deaths of elderly patients.
Elevates the risk of car accidents.

New ‘Z’ Drugs Also Have Risks

There were massive publicity and advertisement for the new ‘Z’ drug. At first, they were considered safer than other medicines. But current studies show that they have more risks than the old sleeping medications.

Try Treating Without Medicines First

Get thoroughly medically examined. Sleeping issues can be a result of many conditions, including depression or anxiety, restlessness, pain, leg syndrome, and other conditions. Even if the examination does not find the actual condition causing sleep problems, always try different solutions before you go for drugs.

Types Of Sleeping Pills

All the below mentioned sleeping pills have side effects, especially for older adults.

Benzodiazepines

For insomnia

Estazolam (only generic)
Flurazepam (Generic and Dalmane)
Quazepam (Doral)
Temazepam (Generic and Restoril)
Triazolam (Generic and Halcion)

For anxiety

Alprazolam (Generic and Xanax)
Diazepam (Generic and Valium)
Lorazepam(Generic and Ativan)

Barbiturates

Secobarbital (Generic and Seconal)
Phenobarbital (Generic and Luminal)

‘Z’ Drugs

Zolpidem (Generic and Ambien)
Eszopiclone (Lunesta)
Zaleplon (Generic and Sonata)

Over-The-Counter Medicines May Not Be The Right Choice

Common side effects of some of these medicines, such as next-day drowsiness, constipation, dry mouth, confusion, and difficulty urinating, can be very bothersome for older users. Try to avoid the following over-the-counter sleep medications, especially for older adults:

Diphenhydramine (Generic, Benadryl Allergy, Nytol, and Sominex)
Doxylamine (Generic and Unisom)
Advil PM (a combination of diphenhydramine and ibuprofen)
Tylenol PM (a combination of diphenhydramine and acetaminophen)

When To Try Sleeping Pills

Consider taking sleeping drugs only when other treatment options are inadequate, and your sleep problems are affecting the quality of life. Your health care advisor should monitor you closely to make sure that the drug is useful in getting restful sleep and not causing any adverse effects.

Treatment Through Medicines

If all the other options proved to be insufficient, take FDA approved medications prescribed by your doctor. The most common prescription for the treatment of sleeping problems or insomnia is Ambien. It causes less side effects and provides better efficacy. You can buy Ambien online through online pharmacies. But make sure to take the medication only as directed.

For the treatment of anxiety in younger as well as older adults, buy Xanax online. Xanax is the 19th most prescribed medication in the USA in 2016, with more than 27 million prescriptions. It is safer and better than other anti-anxiety drugs.