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/

I posted this in General Discussion because I want to warn people about this. The good news is that I am finally getting him to try acupuncture. This episode really scared him.

[davsand]

1. Nancy, I also replied over in GD.

This stuff is very scary and I am glad your husband is ok now. I had a similar reaction to Ambien back in October. It was horrible--WAVE after WAVE of panic kept hitting. I thought I was going mad.

The reaction lasted for about two days after I stopped taking the stuff, but it left me really creeped out by the idea of EVER taking another sleeping pill. I have been taking Xanax, a tranquilizer, but even that worries me, if I'm being honest. I've been trying to do without that for the least couple of weeks.

Forgive me for repeating myself from GD, but I was told that part of the reason for this kind of reaction is the short half life these drugs have in our system. They want a sleeping pill that will pt you to sleep as soon as possible, but they want it to wear off at almost exactly the 7-8 hour mark so that you won't feel "hung over" the next day.

Some people are more more sensitive to the chemicals involved than others and that rapid dissipation of the drug seems to be part of the reason. (At least that is how it was explained to me...)

If you do some reading on the drug I bet you'll find that he's not the only one to report that kind of reaction.

Good luck to your hubby! Hope he feels better very soon!


Laura

[Nancy Waterman]

2. Thanks, laura

After reading your post, I am wondering if the combo of ambien and the lunestra wasn't part of the problem.

Xanox is very addictive. Be careful. It is good you are trying to stay off of it. There are some alternative things you could try instead. Some homeopathic remedies or some flower remedies might work. If you want to try the latter, I would suggest white chestnut, aspen, cherry plum, and mimulus, a couple drops of each several times a day. Or you could put a couple of drops of each in a bottle of spring water and sip during the day. Each sip is a dose, and you can't really overdo it.. You can also put 6 drops of each in a small glass dropper bottle with some brandy and spring water. A few drops of that 3 or 4 times a day, and especially during the night when you are trying to sleep, would be good.

[loftycity]

6. Xanax is not addictive..another urban myth

Anything can be addictive. This drug with it's minor side effects is a wonder drug compared to the death crap that the drug companies are producing now.
Just because *they* say is it bad.. or illicit drug users use it to calm down...is not a reason for the belief that it is always addictive.
God forbid that anyone should be calmed down and have a decent nights sleep in the US. It's a crime these days to say you need to sleep or relax.
If people could get a good nights sleep..they would not need all the antidepressants.
It is a shame that we have to feel we have to be all rev'd up 24/7.
Nancy, not knocking you.
Your husband has had a horrible experience from these new crap hyped up drugs. Now you can see how people kill themselves on this junk.
I have had friends and relatives from ages 40 to 80 who have taken Xanax for more than 20 years..and it has saved them..period. They are not addicted. They get by on 30 tabs every couple of months.
a r

[Eurobabe]

15. My doc switched me over to Klonopin from Xanax

that I was taking for mild panic disorder (could have been from my autoimmune thyroid flaring up) She said the K. was better for you because it doesn't go into the bloodstream as fast as Xanax, but it is still in the benzo family. I think the reason docs try to push the other crap is there is more money in it for them & pharma. A 30 day supply of K. generic is a piddly $10. Compared to $75 for Lexapro. I totally agree, my mom has been on K. for over 15 yrs. at a low dosage. You need it, you need it. I don't see what the heck the big F'ing deal is?

Anyhow, I am on the lowest dosage of Klonopin generic .05 pink tabs (clonazepam) and I love it. It is slower releasing, stays in your system, and really keeps the racing thoughts and panicky feelings away all day. And I can sleep again.

I could not take ADs anyhow, they all pretty much made me sick. Now that I am getting back on my thyroid meds, and the Klonopin is there, I am feeling much better.

I would advise anyone having depression/panic issues to have a full thyroid work-up done, you'd be surprised how many people have undiagnosed thyroid disorders. Either hypo or hyper.

[loftycity]

16. Real Truth is the Pharmaceutical companys don't make any Money

Since I work with Medical companies. The word has been out for the past 5 years that Big Pharma is in the process of releasing new drugs for slowing you down. Big P wants to demonize all that is generic on the market that is better and has been tested much more rigorously.
Since they now do no R&D, Pharma has to rely on previous big hits. Change the formula around a bit and call it new.
And since most AD's rev you up. Now they can sell slowing you down..

Just watch when drugs go generic...and all of the sudden they are no good for you..
And the addiction thing is full blown propaganda.
Cigarettes are legal and kill you. Alcohol is promoted and then you get arrested if you drink to much.
but little drugs like some tranqulizers deemed deadly!!!
AD's are taken every day and if you don't take your AD's you have a bad reaction? or is that an addiction? or a bad reaction??
haven't you noticed that drugs that really help people in this country are labeled bad...natural occurring plants and herbs -bad- calming and insomina helping- bad- it just so awful for people who need a little help to cope in the US.

[Mrs_Beastman]

3. Thanks for the info!!

Hope he feels better and the FDA doesn't continue to rush drugs thru testing and take bribes!

[Nancy Waterman]

4. He seems a lot better today.

But he is still pretty shaken up that he could have decompensated so easily. I told him he went from a normal person who worries about things some to looking like he had a full blown, incapacitating anxiety disorder.

I don't think there is much hope for the FDA until we can get the stranglehold of the corporations out of our government, and that will take a lot of moral courage and a democratic landslide.

[Pallas180]

5. the name lunestra rings a bell - so I think there have been reports

about it before.

Has he tried Restoril? no reactions, good nights sleep, no wake-up hangover.

Funny you mention accupuncture. My doctors have been suggesting it for years but recommended an American, somehow I wasn't impressed - ruptured discs - and I just went to a Chinese doctor this week - he says he can pull my discs and the "jelly" back in place.

I hope he can. Somehow I have confidence in him .

[yellowdawgdem]

7. there are lots of good sleeping remedies

besides taking stuff that can either be addicting, or bring on an anxiety attack. One that I often use is called "Calms," it's a homeopathic formula, and really works. I'm sure we all know plenty of people who take rx drugs at full strength, and then are surprised at the side effects. Anyway it doesn't sound serious in the long term, and might make him more receptive to acupuncture, etc, who knows. But thanks for mentioning that specific drug, it's always good to hear about which ones to watch out for.

[jbnow]

8. Unusual list of possible side effects

Though I haven't read side effects for sleep aids, maybe this is common. But the almost all listed are all behavioral or psychiatric...not physical ones .

http://www.lunesta.ws/
What are the possible side effects of Lunesta?
• If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking Lunesta and seek emergency medical attention:
· an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, face, or tongue; hives).
• Contact your doctor if you experience
· daytime drowsiness, dizziness, or clumsiness;
·more outgoing or aggressive behavior than normal;
· confusion;
· strange behavior;
· memory loss problems;
· agitation;
· worsening of depression;
· hallucinations; or
· new feelings of depression
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur, such as headache and unpleasant taste. If these become bothersome, contact your doctor.

[Nancy Waterman]

9. Thanks, jb.

I will show it to hubby.

[davsand]

11. That could be from Ambien as well.

Looks pretty similar to the warnings on Ambien as well...

I think they KNOW it may spur panic attacks and other problems--but they simply say that it may make depression worse or be aware of possible hallucinations. They really don't want to say, "this shit might give you panic attacks that will make you think your heart will burst, plus it might just make you think your lamp is talking and walking..." It might just keep people from taking it--ya know? Tends to scare the public.

Just once I want to see a package insert that tells it like it really is.



Laura

[Cha]

10. My friend told me at work

that magnesium is good for insomnia so I gave it the pendulum test for me and it showed a positive.

So now I've added about 200 mg of magnesium twice a day to my diet.

It would be nice to say goodbye to insomnia forever!

How's your husband doing, Nancy?

[Nancy Waterman]

12. He is not doing so great, zidzi

I think the lunesta episode really upset him and he is having a hard time. I should note that Saturn is EXACTLY on his Ascendant right now. I keep telling him it is normal to feel crappy with Saturn sitting on your head, so to speak, and it will pass. But it is always hard when you are in the middle of it.

[Pallas180]

13. Nancy the bright side of Saturn on his ascendant is

if he wants to lose weight, this is a great time to do it. Saturn helps the pounds to fall off on a diet.

[Cha]

14. Poor thing! That will be coming up for

me in a few years, again. It's incredible how it manifests on Earth when we have these harsh aspects.

At the beginning of Spring I got really bad bronchitus..something I hadn't had in 32 years. I think it's something to do with Uranus in my 6th house of health squaring my natal Uranus in Gemini!:(

Saturn needs to lighten up!

[arikara]

17. He sounds kind of like my fella who's a great big worrywart

My guy takes those Calms that yellowdawgdem mentioned, sometimes by the handful. He's in a stressful job and needs to learn to manage his stress. But being a Taurus, he says "I've always been this way."