Sleeping Medications

Hi i am going through a bad phase at the moment with my job and family causing anxiety and have become reliant on Nytol 50mg to get to sleep i am also on Citalopram 40mg and take propranolol occasionally. I have been taking nytol for about 5 weeks now and feel when i stop i will get rebound insomnia and not able to function properly.

My sleeping schedule seems to get messed up and i want to sleep during the day and cannot at night so i use nytol and have been doing so on and off for for several years now.
I do shift work sometimes and I used to cope

I was wondering is it better to force myself to stay up for even a couple of days to force my sleep back to night time . Has anyone else become reliant on nytol and i really wonder about the long term effects of this sleep aid (diphenhydramine hydrochloride) and what are risks.I have been through insomnia before and realise that it is symptom of anxiety and depression so if you improve your anxiety insomnia usually recedes and things fall back in to place.

I don't want medication in my life or as little as possible and get back to the way I was before
I have now been prescribed Zoplicone for sleeping and will be strict with my sleeping habits

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Originally Posted by rcs

i really wonder about the long term effects of this sleep aid (diphenhydramine hydrochloride) and what are risks.

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Diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine. It usually causes few issue, but like many antihistamines it also blocks acetylcholine receptors and there is some evidence anticholinergic meds can increase the risk of developing dementia when taken long-term. OTOH, there is good evidence citalopram reduces dementia risk, particularly for Alzheimer's.

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I have been through insomnia before and realise that it is symptom of anxiety and depression so if you improve your anxiety insomnia usually recedes and things fall back in to place.

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True. Have you discussed your heightened anxiety and sleeping issues with your GP? Did the GP suggest other ways of controlling the anxiety and insomnia (other than the zoplicone)?

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I was wondering is it better to force myself to stay up for even a couple of days to force my sleep back to night time

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Not sure than will work, but might be worth a shot. I would also resist sleeping during the day. Also, just laying in bed staring at the ceiling doesn't work either. It's usually better to get up, drink some warm milk and do something for 30-60 minutes and then trying to sleep again.

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I have now been prescribed Zoplicone for sleeping and will be strict with my sleeping habits

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Tolerance to 'Z' class hypnotics tends to build fairly quickly, so they are not great meds for chronic insomnia, but alternating between zoplicone and diphenhydramine would reduce the risk of tolerance developing.