Lunesta vs. Ambien

Nurses General Nursing

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Has anyone tried the new sleeping medication Lunesta? How does it compare to Ambien?

Specializes in Med-Surg, Psych.

I have not tried Ambien, but I like Lunesta. I have been taking it, as needed, for the past two months with absolutely no side effects. I take a 3mg tab a few nights each week (usually the night before clinical when my mind won't slow down enough for me to rest.)

I have a $40 insurance co-pay. To me it's been invaluable helping me get some sleep and I don't wake up feeling awful in the AM.

Specializes in critical care.

I have aweful insomnia.I was prescibed Lunesta. I love it. I am not hung over like I was as I was drugging myself with benedryl to sleep.After taking it for 2 weeks straight I sleep without meds now. Once in a great while I dont sleep so the next night I take one.The taste is aweful ,but I am a new person with sleep. I think my script was 25.00.

Specializes in Trauma/ED.

Wow it's so nice to hear some accounts of fellow insomniacs. I've had insomnia ever since I can remember. When I was a kid I remember staring at my alarm clock most of the night waiting for it to go off for school.

I took Tylenol PM's until I learned that it was just Benedryl and Tylenol, so then I took Benedryl for years (besides my pot-head days in high school--didn't need anything extra then...lol). In nursing school I took Ambien which worked very well but Doc cut me off saying I needed to have a sleep study before she would give me more then she left town, so now am back on Benedryl 100mg nightly. I never went for the sleep study but I don't have a problem sleeping once I get asleep it's just falling asleep that is the issue. I have been thinking about Lunesta since I saw the ads and talked to a pharmacist buddy about it and he also spoke of the "metal" taste but also the benefit of being approved for long-term use. So I have decided to call my new doc for an appt. to see if she'll go for it. I'm really sick of

Benedryl (gives me unwelcomed loose stools at times...TMI prob but we nurses right? he he)

I just HATE how some people seem to think that insomnia is a "made up" problem and I should be able to just go to sleep when I'm tired...ya right. I don't know if you guys are like me but as soon as i'm horizontal, my mind wakes up, racing from one thought to the next until the sun comes up.

Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

Ambien 10mg is the only sleeping pill I have ever tried. I took my first just last month. After trying Benadryl, Actifed, Wine, etc.......I asked my doc for an RX. I take it only twice a week on the nights before I work. I sleep really well. I don't wake up to use the bathroom and wake up feeling really refreshed. I would like to try the new CR version. Perhaps I'll ask when it's time for a new script. I supposed which one works better for you is really very individual. Sleep tight!

Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

One more thought. Several of you have mentioned RLS. Last summer I went on vacation to Florida with 6 other RN co-workers,the nurse I roomed with said my legs moved all night and kept her awake. This was for 5 consecutive nights. Nothing moved but my legs. If I had RLS wouldn't I know it? My hubby never complains.

P.S. I don't recommend going on vacation with 6 other nurses, it turned out to be a nightmare, no pun intended, but that's a whole different story!

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Apologize, have not read the whole thread but, has anyone here tried Melatonin, Sub-lingual?

I personally would prefer never to use those meds, they are too habit-forming. Too many nasty side-effects, too. I have found Melatonin, SL works very well, w/o the "hangover" such others provide. And believe me , I know how tough it can be, working night shift.

And those w/true insomnia, have you tried sleep studies, etc? just wondering. It's got to be hell for you.

i have tried melatonin w/o good results...i am currently on ambien 10 which i take fri/sat because i have to be up at 4:30a and this helps me to sleep which does not come easy for me

benedryl works but leaves feeling drugged out the next day

something that does help me is generic version of percogesic...it has apap and an antihistamine,phenyfoloxaminecitrate, if i wake up in the middle of the night i take two of these and it helps me to return to sleep

the good thing about this and the melatonin/benedryl are that they are otc and you can try one or the other until you find something that suits you

i get meds from tricare and you are basicly locked in on one type of drug until you get one dc and the other ordered...which would be ok except you may decide that you like the first one better

ambien does me fine...i think i will stary with the standard does because i would be afraid that the extended time would extend into the work day

thanks for the different opionions and feed back

My mother takes Lunesta and is loving it. Although, I'll have to ask her about that bad aftertaste. I've never heard of that side effect before, and I can't recall if they've mentioned it in those commercials with that butterfly fluttering around.

Anyways, I have never needed to take any kind of prescription sleep aid, but if I had to, I would probably pick Lunesta, especially because it's supposed to be non-addicting. Ambien might be fine, and not have this bad aftertaste you guys mention, but I am so afraid of becoming addicted. It's my mom's fear, too, so I am glad they put her on something relatively safer.

A psychotherapy client of mine said Lunesta gave him horrible, horrible nightmares.

Of course he was very depressed.

And he was an active alcoholic.

But that's the only feedback I've ever heard, one way or another.

What dosage of melatonin are you all taking?

Has anyone here tried clonopin? What's your experience with this?

I've had insomnia for years (lie in bed, can't get back to sleep), anxiety, &c. Am trying to be aggressive in getting my health service to help me find a solution so I can get regular night's sleep and maybe feel like a normal rested person and function better! Sounds like I'm not the only one here with this problem.

Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.
Larry77 said:
I just HATE how some people seem to think that insomnia is a "made up" problem and I should be able to just go to sleep when I'm tired...ya right. I don't know if you guys are like me but as soon as i'm horizontal, my mind wakes up, racing from one thought to the next until the sun comes up.

I've had insomnia ever since I can remember too...When I was a teenager, my parents were frustrated and would tell me to go to bed and lay here...it would relax me enough to fall asleep. Nope. I basically would lay there until sunrise.

I've used my insomnia to my advantage. Prior to the nursing program, I always went to NIGHT classes. Very FEW day classes. I'm TOTALLY NOT a morning person..NEVER have been. It was hard waking up at the crack of dawn for class and clinicals in nursing school. Now as a nurse, I work nights and love it! I earn more money just to stay awake during the weeee hours of the morning...and that comes naturally for me.

The problem for me arises not only getting to sleep, is staying asleep. Ambien works well. I will say tho, it IS addictive. BUT, it works.

My partner takes Lunesta @ night & loves it. She Also takes Mirapex for her leg pain & it has done wonders . Had tried Ambien before, but had no luck with it.

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