A warning for anyone considering trazodone for the first time: Plan on not driving at all the next day. The morning after the first time I took it I refused to drive, as I was clearly incapacitated. The next-day drowsiness wears off after a few days of taking it, but so does the efficacy. Other than that it works well and doesn't mess with you memory like benzos and z-drugs. Plus it's probably easier to get, as it's generally not considered a drug of abuse.

Don't put too much faith in MDs, especially when they're prescribing outside of their normal repertoire of drugs. Some are honest enough to look up the PI sheets in front of you, but don't count on it. I always read up on any new drug that I get.

Just don't tell Mrs. ralfp, MD, that I said this. ;)

I've cut them in half many times. In an earlier post I mentioned there is a metallic taste, but can be avoided by swallowing it very quickly with a lot of flavored liquid (coke, OJ, etc.). You are right though, do not let it linger on your tongue. It is an unpleasant taste, but in my personal experience it diminishes in ten minutes or so.

Another thing I've done is embedded the Lunesta in an half inch cube of cheese, and downed it. Figured if it works for giving my cat pills, it';)s good enough for me.

There are many times where a full 3mg Lunesta dose is not appropriate for the circumstances. My doctor has occasionally given me samples of the 2mg she had laying around her office, but when I actually get a script, I want it at full power, just in case.

If your doctor approves, I certainly agree with a trial at home first to see how it affects you. It may not help you. I have suffered from insomnia for many years. The doctor put me on Ambien and it had no effect on me.

i had to take ambien for about a year to a year and a half to get any sleep at night. now almost three years later, i could take 2 or 3 ambien and be wide awake for the 6-8 hours they should be working. lunesta has never really worked well on me (i tried it 6 months or a year after not taking ambien nightly). lunesta doesn't seem to help with getting to sleep, rather it helps you stay asleep. the weird after taste doesn't happen to everyone from what i've heard, and for most if it does happen you can get rid of it via orange juice or a glass of milk. that's the only advice i can offer.

these days i stick to one or two .5mg generic xanax to relax me enough to just go to sleep if needed. FYI 2mg and up of xanax per day can cause issues/dependency in case anyone was wondering, and you can build up a tolerance to any dose of a benzo. you are more likely to get your primary physician to give you a prescription for a sleep aid though.

Xanax can cause dependency at doses lower than 2mg/day, and it's supposedly a pretty hard drug to quit (so I've heard).

Yes
 

tell your Dr. just that. The script is yours:)

i'm just going off what my doctor told me. i've had a prescription for xanax now going on over 4 years (taken only a couple times a week), i can say that towards the beginning that i built a tolerance to it when taken daily. i can't say i've ever had a dependency on it though.

at the end of the day they are all drugs and everyone interacts with them differently. so what causes no issue for me, could cause horrible problems for someone else. i'll echo what everyone here has said though in that if you are thinking of getting a prescription for any sleep aid, do not use it for the first time on any flight. try it at home first. the first couple of times i took ambien within 20-30 minutes i struggled to interact with others coherently and always was asleep within 40 minutes.

Any benzodiazepine can cause dependency, and they are notoriously difficult to quit. I still use benzos in my patients periodically, but I prefer other non-benzo sedatives or anxiolytics when possible. Alprazolam has a number of drawbacks, including its well-known proclivity to induce tachyphylaxis requiring larger doses to achieve a therapeutic effect. Sometimes this is called "tolerance", but the underlying pharmacological effect is the same--diminished therapeutic benefit at increasing doses.

I still recommend zaleplon. You will get approximately 3-5 hours of sleep, and can take an additional dose to re-induce sleep if possible given the flight's timing. When I have used zaleplon for my patients, none of them have ever complained of a hangover effect so pronounced in older drugs like flurazepam (Dalmane) or temazepam (Restoril). I also do not use sedating antihistamines for sleep, as they generally interfere more than help.

Sonata/Zaleplon is great. ^^ I've had jobs with very odd hours and pager duty in the past, Ambien would get me to sleep but if I was called in the middle of the night I would be very hazy and useless. Sonata gave me the same sleep inducing effect, but if I needed to wake up in the middle of the day/night it was much easier and I would not feel incapacitated.

An oral mist formulation of zolpidem (Ambien), Zolpimist, was approved in December 2008. It should have a more rapid onset of effect and perhaps fewer or different side effects.

http://www.drugs.com/zolpimist.html

Seems like a great date rape drug.

Where can you buy ambien or lunesta / zoplicone outside the US - got zoplicone in Kowloon, but nada at the AMS airport. Any luck at LHR or in Dublin?

There is one side effect that I'd be wary of while knocked out. See if you can pick it out:

The most common side effects of Zolpimist are:

* drowsiness
* dizziness
* diarrhea
* "drugged feelings"
* You may still feel drowsy the next day after taking Zolpimist. Do not drive or do other dangerous activities after taking Zolpimist until you feel fully awake.
* Do not use Zolpimist for a condition for which it was not prescribed.

Emphasis above added :)

Losing sleep to montezuma's revenge is bad enough, but getting it because of a sedative where you might NOT miss the sleep... ugh...

Not my doctor! I like melatonin but there are so many places on the internet that will send you Ambien. You just have to be willing to pay. I forget my last name if I take Ambien too many days in a row. Nasty stuff!