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Suggest Treatment For Insomnia Despite Medication

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Posted on Fri, 29 Jul 2016
Question: I had mono in '90. Refrained health, then kept getting strep. I've spent years too weak to do more than crawl to bed, bath and innumerable and scary symptoms between. I believe it's largely neurological... No atrophy, eat but my #1 beast is sleep. Moved up, with sleep docs to Xyrem as a hallucinated and that sometimes works. Take trazadone. Neither gives me hangover,

Any real answers! Days r tough enough and if a narcotic doesn't allow me to sleep at times (I've gone 10 nights w nothing before seeking help. Any thoughts?
Tried restroom,seroquell, ambien, benzo said... Any breakthrough thinking on intractable insomnia?!
Sorry for lack of brevity.....XXXX

I started w valerian, etc. after weeks of dropping off 1/2 hour before my alarm went off, had a sleep study done, was told no data, I never entered a level of sleep. I go to bed consistently, unless in not ' sleep' then get up And read.
Because of the 30+ journey, from working to teaching to equine rescue and every level of year long crashes, I'm seeking holistic help. Tried a hypnotist (don't they we clicked). After days of migraines, muscle aces, dizziness, lack of appetite etc etc I feel a real nights rest, regularly, could give me a chance at living, being more social and working.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Suvorexant is one remaining option

Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern. I can only try to understand what it must be like not to be able to sleep for years in a row and the toll it must take on you.

Regarding treatment as you yourself say you have tried the most traditional options like proper environment, Zdrugs like ambient, benzodiazepines, sedating antipsychotics like seroquel, antidepressants like trazodone and hormones like Melatonin. Perhaps the dosages of those drugs may be considered to be increased, but there is no guarantee of success.

There is one new option I can suggest. It is a medication called Suvorexant (brand name Belsombra). I do not know whether it has ever been suggested to you as it is a new drug, approved only in 2014. It blocks the receptors of orexin which are wakefulness promoting neurotransmitters in the brain. It is a new class, different from all the other classes of medication used for insomnia.
So I believe that it is an alternative which prescription you can discuss with your physician as the next step.

I remain at your disposal for other questions.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Olsi Taka

Neurologist

Practicing since :2004

Answered : 3673 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Insomnia Despite Medication

Brief Answer: Suvorexant is one remaining option Detailed Answer: I read your question carefully and I understand your concern. I can only try to understand what it must be like not to be able to sleep for years in a row and the toll it must take on you. Regarding treatment as you yourself say you have tried the most traditional options like proper environment, Zdrugs like ambient, benzodiazepines, sedating antipsychotics like seroquel, antidepressants like trazodone and hormones like Melatonin. Perhaps the dosages of those drugs may be considered to be increased, but there is no guarantee of success. There is one new option I can suggest. It is a medication called Suvorexant (brand name Belsombra). I do not know whether it has ever been suggested to you as it is a new drug, approved only in 2014. It blocks the receptors of orexin which are wakefulness promoting neurotransmitters in the brain. It is a new class, different from all the other classes of medication used for insomnia. So I believe that it is an alternative which prescription you can discuss with your physician as the next step. I remain at your disposal for other questions.