Posted by utopizen on July 28, 2003, at 19:44:54
This is hands down the best website I've seen for a medicine. Clinical trials, straight-forward statements, everything. Very extensive. They've spent well over a year simply constructing it. It just got launched today.
Xyrem has potential for those with excessive daytime sleepiness, narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia (unknown cause for fatigue), somnolence from other medicines, those who can't tolerate Provigil, and many other uses. Currently, it's approved for cataplexy.
A sustained release (6-8 hr.) version will be out in a couple of years or so. This will mean patients won't have to re-dose at night.
I don't know why, but some people actually think they can use the stuff during the day and receive a therapeutic benefit. First of all, that's just silly. It's a hypnotic. You're better off using Ambien during the day, which is equally silly.
The benefits come from its enhancement of one's deeper stages of sleep, stages 3+4. This allows one to experience a refreshed feeling when they awake, and their anxious or sad thoughts may be able to be dealt with, as these two stages are the most therapeutic to the psyche.
It only takes 2-8 weeks to notice an effect. I would speak with your neurologist or psychopharmacologist about it. Preferably a doctor who specializes in the treatment of sleep disorders if that's what you have. Just because they're more comfortable with it, since they will likely have experience with patients on it.
It has its side-effects, but it's certainly far from being a tricyllic or MAOI!
It shouldn't be used in patients who abuse medicines for recreational value. You simply take the prescribed amount (3-9 mg) per night as a divided dose. Once before bedtime (while you're in bed) and once 2-3 hours later. If you are getting 6 or fewer hours of sleep, doctors have learned that it helps to take a third dose in the early morning to achieve 7-9 hours of sleep.
At any rate, let's all check this site out, there's a lot of promise for this drug, especially when it's combined with Provigil if you have sleeping trouble (taking Xyrem at night actually makes you more alert in the day, because your sleep is so enhanced).
I suggest taking a PSG, an MSLT, and a sleep-deprived EEG on orders from a sleep specialist or psychopharma or neurologist first. Your neurologist and psychopharmacologist can work together with you as you adjsut the dose.
Sorry guys, but I have a lot of faith that this will help me with my social anxiety and daytime sleepiness. First I'll try Provigil, but I think this is good to add, because it treats the underlying problem-- sleep quality.
I think more innovative psychiatrists will realize the benefits in using it at night to help our days benefit, our relationships with others change our lives, and our suffering relieved. No, seriously.
I really do believe psychiatrists have no clue when it comes to sleep's effect on our moods and and anxiety and such, or quality of life. They'll be slow to realize it, but it'll happen.
In the past, illicit GHB users used often adulterated, high-dose GHB nearly every hour of the day.
Trying to compare that to taking therapeutic, doctor-supervised doses only at night is as silly as claiming amphetamine abusers should be used as models for what will happen to your health if you take Adderall for ADD as prescribed.
poster:utopizen
thread:246287
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030728/msgs/246287.html