My husband had a horrible reaction from the insomnia drug Lunestra

[Nancy Waterman]

He just reported it to the FDA site. We heard from our pharmacist that this happened recently to one of his customers as well. The reaction is of one of super intense, completely overwhelming anxiety that makes it impossible to function. It seemed to come two days after taking the drug and lasted for about a day, with some residual the second day. He took it on a Friday and a Sunday and had the severe anxiety reaction on Monday and Wednesday. He could hardly function, and this is in no way how he normally is. The pharmacist said his customer had been "crazy with anxiety".

If anyone else has had this reaction, please report it to the FDA. This is one of those drugs we will hear about in a few years after several horrible incidents get people's attention. Obviously it won't effect everyone this way, but we saw two in a very short time, which I feel is signficant.

Report reactions here:

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/

[Liberty Belle]

1. Kick!

My Dad just had a weird reaction to an insomnia drug, though I'm not sure if it was Lunestra.

He got very shaky, and was anxious as well.

[Nancy Waterman]

3. Liberty Bell - could you find out and let us know?

And encourage him to report it. I think this is something they must have seen and covered up. I am worried that someone who is vulnerable could do something very destructive, like suicide under the intensity of this reaction.

[Ripley]

2. I'm just gonna suffer then die.

I refuse to take any prescription drugs (except BCP). One horror story after another. Cripes just listen to the side effects they quickly blurt out at the end of the commercials. And they appear to be built for the cascading effect. Drug A causes side effects so Drug B reduces those side effects. But Drug B destroys your liver, so you need Drug C to clean your liver. And on and on...

Hope your husband recovers quickly...sounds alarming!

[Nancy Waterman]

4. It was alarming

He was terrified. I agree about the cascading effect too. We hardly know anymore what symptoms are real and what are drug induced. I use alternative medicine whenever possible.

[KittyWampus]

6. Taking Prescription Medicine AS PRESCRIBED Is A Leading Cause Of DEATH

just after heart attack and stroke.

That doesn't include all the people who are permanently impacted but not killed.

[gollygee]

7. BCPs suck too

I had some nasty nasty reactions to every kind of BCP I tried.

*sigh*

[BlueIris]

8. I feel that.

::sympathy::

Wouldn't even consider making that a part of my life again.

[Cha]

5. I hope your husband gets

over this fast, Nancy! I, too, have heard so many horror stories from drug side effects.

I don't know if this would help your husband's insomnia but I use melatonin and alternate with 5HTP(a tryptophan derivative)and valerian.

[Stephanie]

9. benadryl will put you to sleep

get the pink ones - simple antihistimine - my dr. recommends it even for pregnant women

[Nancy Waterman]

11. He uses melatonin already

He claims benedril causes anticolinergic reactions (not sure exactly what that is but it seems to upset his sotmach). He also takes ambian which used to help but he seems to be developing a tolerance for.

I thought triptophan had been proven harmful to the liver a while back. Is there a new form of it that is safe?

[Cha]

24. We're selling 5HTP in

the co-op now and it does relax me..
http://smart-drugs.net/ias-5htp.htm

http://www.ceri.com/trypto.htm

Here are just a couple of the articles I found on the amino acid.

Good Luck to your husband.

[sendero]

10. Good advice....

... of of these work well, but you tend to develop a tolerance to them. By rotating week by week, they will be effective for quite a while...

[Nancy Waterman]

12. He has agreed to go to an acupuncturist

I am hoping that will help him to feel more balanced and relaxed. This insomnia is a long standing problem. Thanks for all the suggestions.

[DARE to HOPE]

13. Dear friends, there are safer and easier ways...

Any drug is a toxin to the body, no matter what its benefits, which must be cleared by the liver or the kidneys. How about the following instead:

1- Regular rhythm in the hours you keep helps the body close down for sleep--going to sleep when it's dark, waking up with the sun and birds causes the body to make melatonin, which also keeps us young. :-)

2- Sugar, pop, simple carbs can all make your blood sugar fall just before bed, making one wakeful.

3- B vitamins and the calcium series (cal/mag/vit D) calms the nerves and helps deep sleep.

4- As little as a 15-minute walk moves the blood around and helps sleep at night, as the body uses that time to heal up the muscle cells and other hurts.

5- We have been sleeping on a magnet mattress for the last 2 years, and have never slept so deeply.

6- Turn down the temperature in the bedroom and sleep under warm, but not binding, bedclothes. The air should be nice and clean, and all the atmosphere calming and natural.

7- Change your diet from vegetable oils from corn, soy, canola etc to coconut oil. Coconut has the medium chain fatty acids which heal the body, especially the nerves, and give deep sleep. Raises your temperature/thyroid, and also burns fat through the night!

8- Be sure to stay hydrated throughout the day. Keep fluids to a minimum at night.

9- Leave your worries in God's hands when you go to bed. I kneel before I get into bed, even when I am worried and confused, thank God for the day, ask Him to lead me the next, putting myself and my loved ones in His hands through the night.

10-Make sure you make your bedroom nice and DARK.

God bless.

[Stephanie]

15. tell me about coconut oil

What's the deal with that? Just saw that Dr. Weil is selling it, in health food stores.

[merh]

16. Where did you see coconut oil being sold?

I can't find it anywhere. (supposed to be the best stuff to cook with.) As other DUer's have told me, the cancer rate on the Pacific Islands where coconut oil is the staple and norm, is much lower than the mainland rates.

I would prefer to just go to the pacific islands, but can't afford it. So I guess I will try the coconut oil. :silly:

[Stephanie]

19. It was at Whole Foods, in the supplements dept

It's Dr. Weil's line of vitamins, etc. Big jar for about $8.

[merh]

20. Great, thanks.

Yes, $8 much cheaper than relocating the islands (but not as fun)! :hi:

[Stephanie]

21. but what is the benefit?

just hearing about this for the first time - usually try to use only olive oil

[merh]

22. Let me see if I can find the post.

It's in the thread that Elizabeth Edwards posted in a couple of weeks back, the one about Laura Ingrams surgery.

[merh]

23. This is one of the posters that promotes the use of coconut oil

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3645523

[davsand]

14. I had that same thing with Ambien.

I am talking WAVES of panic, one right after another. I also had issues with crying jags and images of horrible things happening to my family.

I talked to a guy I know who is a Doc and he had an explanation of why he thought that happened that seemed to involve the time that the drug stayed in your system and the amount of time it took to wear off. He said that the stuff with the shortest half life usually messed with people the most...

I also read someplace that the use of Caffeine had some role in the reaction, which is possible--I was consuming more caffeine then.

I went into my Doc's office first thing on Monday (This kind of stuff never seems to hit during the week.) and told them what had happened. They kept insisting that they'd never had anyone react that way before, in spite of the fact that I found it documented in several places online.

Let me ask you--on his patient information--was there anything about contact your Doc immediately if you have disturbing visions or feelings of anxiety? If that appears in there I'm willing to bet you this is not a new development, and that they know it is possible. They just wrote it off as an unusual side effect.

I am very sorry about his reaction to the drug. It is scary as all get out. If I hadn't had good support from my husband I'm not sure I'd have survived that weekend.


Laura

[merh]

17. Nancy, does your husband post here?

If so, tell him his DU family sends their love and prayers.

Thank you for the advisory on the med. I try to go without taking stuff.

I have used Dramamine when in a crunch. It always makes me sleep and I have no side effects. Mom used to give it to us for car sickness on trips, but as an adult, I realized it was not the car sickness as much as it was the quiet during the long car rides. Nine kids and 2 parents don't travel well in an old DeSoto station wagon. :silly:

Thanks again.

[Nancy Waterman]

18. merh - No, he doesn't post here

but I will pass along your kind words to him.


davsand - I will also pass along your experience with ambien. He has been using that for a long while and I wonder if the combination in his bloodstream didn't have an impact on his reaction.

[CTyankee]

25. Exercise, exercise, exercise, I hate to say it

But it's true. You get a lot of exercise, you sleep better and you feel better. I "kill" myself at the gym or the pool or Jazzercise (all of which I do)and I feel euphoric and I sleep much better. Nothing, and I mean nothing, does it better. It is the only hope.

I took Xanax for anxiety because of my job. I quit (retired) my job and now work part time for great people. I sleep extra time and feel great. I haven't had any Xanax for months!

Really, exercise is so great it is worth the effort. I know it is hard but what do you have to lose? And every exercise can be adjusted to one's own level.

[im10ashus]

26. That's the "new kid on the block"

As far as pharmaceuticals anyway. All I know is it is intended for long term use, as opposed to Ambien, which is for short term use. You will hear a LOT more of these side effects, trust me. I hope your husbands anxiety passes soon. That can be horrible. I had to take Ambien to get to sleep for a while. My doctor in Chicago (I now live in Manhattan) was readily prescribing it. It had no side effects on me, but I could see it as being addictive in the wrong hands. I hope it all turns out well for your husband Nancy.