Are over the counter sleep aids safe when on xPAP?

[DocWils]

Valerian, for those who tolerate it, is effective and common here, with no strong side effects - 40 drops of the titrate in some water is the normal dosage here. However, do not mix with anything else, as the titrate has an alcohol base. Warm milk works almost as well, believe it or not.

[eseedhouse]

Valerian, for those who tolerate it, is effective and common here, with no strong side effects - 40 drops of the titrate in some water is the normal dosage here. However, do not mix with anything else, as the titrate has an alcohol base. Warm milk works almost as well, believe it or not.

The main drawback of Valerian for me is it's gawd-awful taste and smell.

[DocWils]

You drink it like a shot, so it isn't sooooo bad. The actual bad taste is the brandy being adulterated by the flower, but you get used to it. Again, the advantages are that it is non-addictive, and very mild. Take the shot, and turn off the lights to let it do its job - if you try and read or remain active, it won't work.

Here it is called Baldrian, and it is a standard, we even use it in the hospital to help the patients sleep the night before surgery, which gives you an idea how safe we consider it.

[Jim Bronson]

Many of the OTC sleep aids contain diphenhydramine as the active ingredient. It is an antihistimine whose side effect is drowsiness. I believe it is generally considered safe. I've used it occasionally with no problems. I've read that it becomes ineffective after three or four days of continuous use.

[DocWils]

Jim, I would not advise that route. In fact, I strongly urge you not to use that method.

[SuperSleeper]

Jim, I would not advise that route. In fact, I strongly urge you not to use that method.

Doc, I occasionally use Ibuprofen PM (which has diphenhydramine as a sleep aide) about once or twice per week using the recommended dosage before bedtime (two caplets, which contain 200 mg of Ibuprofen and 38 mg of diphenhydramine citrate in each caplet).

Am I exposing myself to great risk by doing so, and if so, what is it about diphenhydramine that concerns you?

[DocWils]

The problem is the antihistamine effect - there is a known blow-back after three or four days usage once one stops the usage (hence the warning on the package to discontinue using after three days), causing a histaminic reaction, the mildest version being excess mucous in the nasal passages, the more extreme being, well, nothing life threatening, but it can get unpleasant and chronic - inflated thoracic mucous, puffy eyes, headaches, constipation, excessive fluid retention followed by strong drainage. This is a yo-yo effect and can, if used too often, start to produce chronic conditions, ranging from rhinitis to a chronic cough on upwards. So, as a regular sleep aid it ain't a great idea - every now and again, okay, but frankly, hot milk or a toddy will do the same job more safely and be more fun. A big part of what what you need to help you sleep is time, actually, and relaxing rituals that also have positive chemical production like hot milk or toddies will actually produce a better and more positive sleep, with more non-REM dreaming (positive dreams) than REM dreaming (which produce negative dreams - interesting science, dream science - some new and exciting stuff coming out these days).

For people who already are suffering from depressed respiration problems like apnoea, this is simply not a great solution, not for when one is using it, but for the blow-back after one stops using it and the risk of chronic blow-back if one is a regular user.

The Ibuprofen I assume you are taking against pain, and that is fine. The odd Ibp PM dosage is fine too, but not as a regular sleep potion. Don't mix Ibuprofen with heart aspirin, btw; don't mix any pain killers or anti-prostaglandins with cardiac aspirin - if you need to take the one, leave off the other for the night - the low dose aspirin will be sort of covered by the much stronger pain killers, and you will avoid unfortunate interactions or bleeding risks.

[Bompa]

I find that using 5 mg. of Melatonin, on nights when sleep won't come, works for me.

[SuperSleeper]

Thanks guys. I've taken Melatonin in the past, but for some reason it almost always raises my AHI by 2-3 points. It's just odd, not sure why.

I only take the Ibruprofen PM once or twice a week and it actually seems to lower my AHI, but I guess I can try hot milk instead. Can't hurt!

Thanks!

[Mike91326]

I like the warm milk idea. I assume that any milk will work (non-fat, 2%, etc). About how much do you need to drink for it to be effective?

Of course you could always add a shot of brandy or whiskey. :-)