please anyone knows of a good sleeping pill that does not dry up eyes?

[ringo]

I have been having problems sleeping lately, and was prescribed Xanax, but i think it has a drying effect on my eyes, and overall my eyes feel bad with it.

Has anyone here used a sleeping pill that did not cause problems for the eyes?

I will really appreciate you sharing your experience. The doctor who prescribed the Xanax has no idea that sleeping pills dry the eyes.

Thanks,

[Sammy B.]

Ringo,

Xanax is really only good for acute panic attacks....and I presume you aren't having those right before bed! With true sleeping pills, one can really only expect to get about 5 hours a night. I wasn't happy with that so I was thrilled when Ativan worked for me. But I am an 8+ hours of sleep person...

I take Ativan during the day, and in doing so it ensures that I sleep well at night. It calms my nerves and I don't have to take anything right before bed to keep me asleep. Perhaps you could look into something that works with the same philosophy.

- Rose

[ringo]

thank you

Thank you for your reply Rose!

I have never heard of Ativan, but I will definitely schedule an appointment with a doctor now and specifically ask him to prescribe it for me. I hope it is available where I am (Dubai).

You are right about the sleeping pills- they keep you asleep for 5 hours and then you wak up feeling really dizzy. I was wondering if there is anything like slow release formula to keep them going for longer.

Also, I do not have so much problem falling asleep, as actually staying asleep, especially after the first 2-3 hours.

I know that i am very stressed, not only due to the dry eye problem, but also due to personal problems, which actually constitute the bulk of anxiety for me.

You say you take Ativaqn during the day. Does it make you sleepy or is it contraindicated with driving?

Thank you again for replying. I hope what helped you will help me too.

Daniela

[Brooke]

Other choices also may be klonopin, which is similar to ativan in that it is an anti-anxiety agent. I sometimes use that before bed. Also Ambien CR is a controlled release sleeping pill. I've tried it a few times. I still wake up in the middle of the night, but it seems to make it easier to fall back asleep than just regular ambien.

[ringo]

Thank you Brooke,

So you did not experience any drying effect from this Klonopin and Ambien?

I am really concerned about using a sleeping pill, as i have read that medications like antidepressants and the like have not only worsened dry eye, they have been cited as the actual cause for it in some patients.

and at the same time i know that i am getting more and more anxious and have disovered that when i feel stressed plus lack of sleep my eyes feel so much worse despite my treatment regimen.

I really need to take a course of these pills, the doctor said I am quite stressed and unless I take medication I might get worse. And then surely my eyes will get worse as well.

Thank you for sharing...

P.S. may be thats a stupid question but can I try using a different pill every night and see which one works best?

[Brooke]

I don't know if we build tolerance to sleeping pills, but I alternate them myself when possible. I am also wary of creating further dry eye symptoms when using these agents and used to avoid them at all costs. But I've personally found that anxiety and lack of sleep just makes everything worse.

The good thing about sleeping pills and ativan/klonopin is that they wear off after several hours, so you should be able to determine the impact on your eyes and stop/switch if it makes your symptoms worse. You could also start with half a pill the 1st night and increase to a full one if needed if you have no side effects.

[Sammy B.]

Ringo,

I noticed a drying effect from Xanax, most definitely. And I am not sure if it is necessarily drying out our systems (even though benzos can do that) or if it's the "coming off" of the Xanax that makes me more anxious and thus I am aware of my problems more? I guess what I am saying is that Xanax is too much for me - the backslide of it causes me more strife than it's worth.

Your doctor may be more likely to know Ativan by it's generic name - Lorazepam.

I also have no problems falling asleep except on those REALLY high stress days, about 8 times per year when I have the earnings release or the board meetings at work (I work at a large public company). I really have trouble STAYING asleep for the most part. For instance, at my worst, I was going to bed at 11 p.m. and waking up at 2:30 a.m. Then, laying there until I had to get up to go to work, about 6:45 a.m. IT WAS HIDEOUS. I tried pretty much everything as far as sleeping pills are concerned - Ambien, Ambien CR (timed-release that did nothing for me!), Restoril... Nothing worked until I got on the Ativan.

The dosage of Ativan that I am on (0.5 mgs, twice a day) does not cause drowsiness.

And yes, if there is one thing I can say is that a bad, restless night will lead me STRAIGHT INTO a bad eye day. Sleep and a good or bad eye day are totally related for me, bottom line. If I sleep well, my eyes feel 95% normal.

- Rose

[rhad]

if you want to try a more natural route, with little of no side affects, Melatonin works great to put you to sleep. when the sun goes down, and it becomes dark, your body produces Melatonin, a sleep inducing hormone. you can buy melatonin almost anywhere over the counter. you take one pill 30 minutes before you want to go to sleep. I've tried them, and they work really well. I used 5mg pills..

rhad

[liz56]

I use melatonin, an over-the-counter (OTC) hormone that is naturally released when night falls, but with artificial lighting today, many of us might not be releasing as much as we need. It works well for me and does not dry me up.

--Liz

[lizibet]

amitriptyline

hi ringo

I also had terrible sleeping problems, I could get to sleep easily enough but would wake up in between 2 -4 am and be wide eyed and restless for what seemed like hours. I would be very lucky if I got back to sleep.

My GP suggested one 10mg tablet at night. Amitriptyline is an anti-depressant but she said it is also used as a nerve-end pain killer and also makes you drowsy so sounded ideal.

I slept through the night on the second evening of taking it and only took it for 2 weeks as I felt so much better, it was unbelievable. It feels like my body clock has been kicked back to normal. I keep the tabs in my bedside table and get huge relief just knowing they are there if I need them. They didn't seem to make my dry eye any worse when I was taking them, and like Rose says, the positive affects of a good nights sleep can't be over-stated. Good luck.

Liz

[ringo]

I don't know if we build tolerance to sleeping pills, but I alternate them myself when possible. I am also wary of creating further dry eye symptoms when using these agents and used to avoid them at all costs. But I've personally found that anxiety and lack of sleep just makes everything worse.

The good thing about sleeping pills and ativan/klonopin is that they wear off after several hours, so you should be able to determine the impact on your eyes and stop/switch if it makes your symptoms worse. You could also start with half a pill the 1st night and increase to a full one if needed if you have no side effects.

Thank you Brooke, this is really giving me a lot more clarity and will certainly follow your advice about starting with half a pill.

Rose, thank you for sharing your experience, it is so similar to mine-- I go to bed at 11-12 and then wake up at 2.30-3.00 unable to go back to sleep, just lying in bed and getting more and more anxious about the bad day that is going to follow-- especially in terms of BAD EYE. Same experience with Xanax too--its just too much to handle, makes me feel bad overall. I will definitely go for Ativan-lorazepam, much appreciated.

Liz56,rhad, thank you so much for sharing about Melatonin! I checked about it on the internet, it is supposed to be anti-aging and immune booster besides promoting healthy sleep. May be I shoudl try that first? do you think it will work on its own if the reason for insomnia is anxiety and not just a disturbed biological clock?

Hi Lizibet,

The medication you mention is also news to me. As far as i have heard antidepressants are supposed to dry up ur eyes even more than sleeping pills, and it is amazing that in your case they actually helped you feel better. I will talk to my doctor about this one too. Your story is a futher proof that keeping anxiety in check is extremely important for improving our condition.

Thank you all for sharing, that certainly gives me so much more clarity and assurance that I will be able to reduce my anxiety and get some sleep without overworrying about the effects on my eyes. Actually until recently I thought that I will never be able to use anti-anxiety medications, and will have to suffer through whatever psychological disturbance i have- no sleep, anxiety, depression,etc.-- without the aid of pills. I even deny myself crying even when i really feel like it, coz I worry about what will happen to my eyes after that.

I hope that now I will finally get some relief thanks to your advice and assurance. Thank you all....

[Aaron77]

I'm interested in stimulants that won't dry out the eye, are there any out there? Trying to limit the caffeine because with the dry eye problem its extra bad, just looking for something to give me that extra boost. It's hard making it through the day sometimes.

[ringo]

Hi Aaron,

Have you heard of Guarana? It is a herbal stimulant, and it is quite strong.

[Aaron77]

Hi Aaron,

Have you heard of Guarana? It is a herbal stimulant, and it is quite strong.

Yes, but I think a side effect may be dehydration. Probably an ingredient in one of the many energy drinks out there.

[ringo]

Actually it is available as a supplement on its own. As far as i know it does not cause dehydration, at least nothing like caffeine. We could research further about it on the net. I am going to bed now, so may be i will do that tomorrow. G nite