Get Comprehensive Medical Second Opinion.

iCliniq / Answers / Psychiatry / Insomnia / Please suggest some good medicine for recurring insomnia.

Q. Please suggest some good medicine for recurring insomnia.

Answered by
Dr. Seikhoo Bishnoi
and medically reviewed by iCliniq medical review team.
This is a premium question & answer published on May 03, 2017

Hi doctor,

I have been having recurring insomnia now and then. In a month at least five to eight days I have no proper sleep and it is hampering my day to day activities. I lack interest. I am under stress and my mind feels foggy. I am on Escitalopram 10 mg. Please suggest me some good medicine which can help me to cope with this. Thank you.

#

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com. I can understand your concern.

  • A lot of individuals have recurring insomnia and sometimes they suffer from nonrefreshing sleep.
  • In some individuals depression also aggravates insomnia and thus worsens the symptoms.
  • For depression with insomnia drugs like tablet Mirtazapine can help. This is a safe drug. It helps in getting good sleep and also will control the depressive symptoms you are having.
  • Conventional sleep medicines like tablet Zolpidem or Zopiclone can also help. Since these drugs might cause dependence, I would not advise you to take these drugs regularly.
  • Occasional use of these drugs for sleep can improve the situation. But, if symptoms persist then Mirtazapine is the drug of choice.
Treatment plan:

Tablet Mirtazapine or Zolpidem or Zopiclone can be taken.

Regarding follow up:

For further information consult a psychiatrist online.--->https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/psychiatrist

Hi doctor,

Is it something I have to take for six months or one year or longer duration and then discontinue? Or should I use it SOS?

#

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

  • Out of these drugs, tablet Zolpidem or Zopiclone can be taken on SOS (if necessary) basis. But, these are safe and useful only if used occasionally like once or twice a week.
  • These drugs are free of serious side effects and help in good refreshing sleep. But, if these drugs are used regularly then there is risk of dependence. 
  • Tablet Mirtazapine is a safe drug if we consider dependence.
  • Mirtazapine at the dose of 7.5 to 15 mg will help in sleep and also helps in controlling depression.
  • This should be taken regularly for at least three to six months. Then the drug dose can be reduced gradually over 4-6 weeks and can be stopped.
  • This will help you in coming out of depression and insomnia consequently. The drug is safe and should be used regularly.
The Probable causes:

Depression, anxiety and primary insomnia.

Treatment plan:

1. Tablet Mirtazapine 7.5 mg one at bedtime.
2. If needed dose can be increased to 15 mg per day in 4 weeks.

Regarding follow up:

For further queries consult a psychiatrist online.--->https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/psychiatrist

Thank you doctor,

They denied to give the medicine saying it is a scheduled drug and prescription is required. Please let me know how to go about it. Can a scanned prescription be made available?

#

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

  • Yes, Zolpidem is a scheduled drug and cannot be taken without written prescription.
  • Scanned online prescription are not acceptable in few countries and chemists will refuse to dispense.
  • You can visit a GP and can ask for its prescription. This should surely help you. Or you can go with Mirtazapine which is not a controlled substance.

For further queries consult a psychiatrist online --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/psychiatrist

Was this answer helpful?

 | 
Related Questions:
Can anxiety and stress cause frequent urination?

I use to get those episodes every few months when I had stress but since I got the fear it might never go away I get it almost daily now ... Can anxiety cause polyuria like this clear urine when I am stressed ...   Read full

Postpartum Depression

History of bipolar disorder ... Family history of depression or other psychological disorders ...   Read full

Depression - Awareness, Self-Diagnosis, and Treatment Modalities

According to statistics provided by WHO, depressive disorders are predicted to be the major cause of mortality and morbidity in the world in the next three years ...   Read full

Also Read Answers From:

Comprehensive Medical Second Opinion.Submit your Case

✶

Related Questions & Answers


Generalized Anxiety Disorder(GAD)

Article Overview: A 35-year-old woman came to me with a chief complaint of muscle tension. She stated that she has experienced a considerable amount of muscle tension her entire life, but it has become increasingly worse over the last 12 months. Read Article

Dr. Ashok Kumar Choudhary
Psychiatrist

The above mentioned patient is suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). GAD can be defined as anxiety and worry about several events and activities for a majority of the day. The anxiety and worry of GAD differs from normal anxiety by its excessiveness, the difficu...  Read Article

Will 5-HTPn help to increase serotonin level? Suffering from sleeping problem, depression and anxieties.

Query: Dear Doctor, I have a problem of sleeping at a scheduled time. I always sleep in a different time and it is getting delayed every day, like a cycle. For example: If today I sleep at 9:00 pm, in few days I will be sleeping at 10:00 pm. And in a few weeks, I would sleep at 4:00 AM. I also have depress...  Read Full »

Can't Sleep? Finding it Really Difficult? Then You Must Read This.

Article Overview: This article speaks about issues related to sleeping problems and its management Read Article

Dr. Ajinkya B Bhandari
Sleep Medicine Physician

Insomnia means in short, "disease of sleep". When you have difficulty to initiate sleep, difficulty in maintaining sleep, or getting unsatisfied sleep, then you are probably suffering from insomnia. Check Out Yourself if You Have Any of the Following Symptoms: Do you take more than 30 minutes t...  Read Article

Also Read

Sinusitis - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Sinusitis is the infection of the air cavities within the nasal passages. Normally, the healthy sinuses are filled with ...  Read more»
Asthma and Its Rising Incidence
This article explains about asthma and its causes. It also focuses on the benefits of starting early treatment to lead a...  Read more»
Parkinson's Disease: Historical Aspects and Current Treatment Approaches
This article discusses the historical aspects of Parkinsonism and, the evidence based approaches currently available for...  Read more»

Ask your health query to a doctor online?

Ask a Psychiatrist Now

* guaranteed answer within 4 hours.

Disclaimer: All health Q&As published on this website are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek the advice from your physician or other qualified health-care providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website.