Posted by LostBoyinNCBecksDark on October 23, 2007, at 21:37:52
In reply to Re: Study claims sleep deprivation causes psych pr » Netch, posted by Sigismund on October 23, 2007, at 20:56:49
> >I agree... many mental disorders will improve if
> sleep quality improves.
>
> Am I right in thinking that there is currently no way of improving sleep quality (if you do not have sleep apnea), apart from Remeron (which is too awful for me).The newer, FDA approved insomnia meds like Ambien, Sonata, Lunesta are claimed not to suppress slow wave and REM sleep like traditional benzos. I dont know how much of that is really true and how much of it is drug company marketing though. I must assume it is basically true though, as the FDA approved these meds on the idea that they are effective for insomnia without disturbing sleep architecture much.
The thing is, these anti-insomnia hypnotic drugs are not effective for anxiety like the traditional benzos are. If you take traditional benzos mainly for sleep and insomnia, you might could switch to a newer FDA approved sleep med. But if you have both insomnia AND daytime anxiety, I dont know what youd do.
The atypical anti-psychotics are supposed to increase slow wave sleep, but taking them for depression and anxiety is stretching things a bit. Many psychiatrists have cut back on prescribing atypicals people who are not psychotic or manic, but "just" clinically depressed and/or having bad anxiety. This is due to the black box blood sugar/diabetes warnings that goes with all atypical anti-psychotics.
Take a drug to treat one thing and end up with an entirely new illness! Diabetes. Pretty smart, huh? <eye roll>
I know Pdocs used to rx low dose Seroquel (25-50 mg) a lot for insomnia and that is an atypical AP. But I dont know how much that goes on anymore. I know my shrink is real tight with neuroleptics and doesnt want me on any atypical AP.
I guess you could say there is a big gap there for anxiety meds, from the standpoint of does it screw your sleep architecture up? Or does it improve your sleep architecture? All traditional benzos suppress slow wave sleep, as do all SSRI antidepressants.
I guess the drug companies need to get back in the labs.
Eric
poster:LostBoyinNCBecksDark
thread:790926
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20071019/msgs/790997.html