Chloral Hydrate?

[GreenGal]

Hey Guys,

Thanks to everyone who responded to my other post about sleep problems.  I saw my doc today and mentioned Ambien, Lunesta and Rozerem, but none of them are available in Canada yet (or at least that's what he said)   He suggested Trazadone but I have not tolerate anti-depressants well in the past (severe weight gain, increased anxiety etc) and refuse to go back on them if it can be avoided.  So he prescribed me a really old drug called Chloral Hydrate? Has anyone here ever tried that one? The pharmacist was even a bit thrown...it apparently doesn't even come in pill form anymore but only in a liquid and they were pretty surprised.  They also agreed though that it can be very effective.

My Dad said it used to be used as a date-rate drug a long time ago and has been around since the 1800s so I figure it's at least well-studied, but I had never heard of it.

Any experiences would be appreciated.

[Penny Century]

hm.  no, i've never heard of people being rx'd that.  seems pretty strong.  odd that they'd say no to something like zoplicone (or whatever the name is of the hypnotic sleep med commonly used in canada) but will prescribe something that sounds (from what i've read) to be quite stong.

let us know how it works, ok?

[HaloGirl66]

I've heard of it prescribed for insomnia before, but it is not common.  The few people I have talked to who have taken it wern't thrilled with it. Here is what I read about it in my handy dandy pharmacy manual at work

"Chloral Hydrate. Chloral hydrate is relatively reliable and has been in use since 1832. Many physicians prescribe it for short-term use if other hypnotics cannot be used. It has significant adverse effects, however, and some experts believe it no longer has a role in the treatment of insomnia. In any case it does not appear to be effective in the elderly. Chloral hydrate poses a risk for addiction and it can be fatal in overdose. It also has carcinogenic properties and can harm genetic material. Potential side effects also include irritation of the skin, mucous membranes, and stomach. People with stomach, heart, kidney, or liver disorders should not take this drug at all. If a child is given it (usually for minor surgery), then that child should never be given chloral hydrate again in his or her lifetime." U. of Maryland Pharmacy Medical Reference

Lunesta may not be avalable in Canada but zopiclone (brand name Imovane) is and it is almost exactly like Lunesta (but much cheaper because you can get it generic, except in the U.S. where you have to get Lunesta instead).

[AirMarshall]

Yes, we have had a member who takes chloral hydrate and works well for her.

Edited April 14, 2006 by AirMarshall

[mrsloony]

Hi - just wanted to throw my 2 cents in about trazedone. it was such a lifesaver for me- i took it for 10 plus yrs- never had any of the typical ad side effects with it. probably because for sleep you use much lowere doses than you would if using it as an AD.( i took 25-200mg over the yrs- i remember being told you need like 800 for AD- but that as an AD it doesn't work v ery well and made people too sleepy to function. anyway- just thought i'd let you know someone used it without weight gain etc and it really helped sleep.

good luck- i hope you sleep well.

[Sunshine]

AM:

Would you believe I copied all of my posts from the old YaBB forum before we switched to Invision? Good thing, because I know I took Chloral Hydrate once and I remember that it didn't work, but I couldn't have told you the particulars without my old posts! Unfortunately, I only copied my own posts, so I don't have the entire context. But FWIW, here are the ones that pertain to Chloral Hydrate:

Mar 31st, 2005, 1:50am

Waaaaa. Chloral Hydrate doesn't work. It's 1:50 a.m. and after 500 mg (or 1000? not sure how much is in two tsp), I'm wide awake. I'm so tired I just want to cry.   

May 2nd, 2005, 8:33pm

on May 1st, 2005, 11:47pm, realitytest wrote:

I'm reading all of your thread, but before I forget again, please tell me what happened with the chloral hydrate. Last I heard you were going to try it (and I told you of my experiences) and now I see it on your "former meds" list. What happened?

Reality,

I took it once (1000 mg) and didn't even come close to falling asleep. A small dose of Xanax early in the evening followed by Ambien and Remeon at bedtime seem to be working pretty good. Dropping the Wellbutrin should help a little, too. 

Thanks for asking!

~sunshine

May 11th, 2005, 8:29pm

on May 11th, 2005, 8:24am, AirMarshall wrote:

Hey Sunshine,

What's your experience with Chloral Hydrate?  Does it have any legitimate medical use today?

I just about dropped my coffee when I saw your listing. I thought C.H. was only 1940's B movie "knockout drops".      A.M.

My pdoc has suggested it several times when my insomnia has gotten really bad. I finally gave it a try about a month ago. I took 1000 mg and felt zip. Nadda. Nothing. Except for the taste (which is as horrible as I heard it was). 

I was so disappointed because from everything I read I thought it would knock me flat on my ass. I still have a full bottle of it, so maybe I'll give it another try one of these days. For now, a little bit of Xanax early in the evening and an Ambien/Remeron cocktail at bedtime is mostly doing the trick.

[ncc1701]

Heya GreenGal,

Imovane and Lunesta are basically the same drug.

Imovane (generic zopiclone) is not cheap but works, and is available in Canada.

I like it.  Psych Rxd it when he was concerned about me going all mixed since I lost sleep for weeks.

Be gentle with it, start at half a 7.5 which is 3.75.

Otherwise, Starnoc (generic zaleplon) is even less cheap but is also a so-called non-benzo hypnotic and also in Canada.  Starting dose is 5mg.

Trazodone (generic nefazodone) is okay but not generally a first choice, actually, *unless* the patient is not on other psych meds.

Ask again.  And refer the doc to CPS (Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties), the Big Book of Drugs we *all* have in our offices, if needed.

Ugh, sleep is *not* given the respect it screams for.

(climbs off soapbox, for now)

--ncc--

[GreenGal]

Heya GreenGal,

Imovane and Lunesta are basically the same drug.

Imovane (generic zopiclone) is not cheap but works, and is available in Canada.

I like it.

[ncc1701]

Heya GreenGal,

Sorry I got all caught up in the CPS thing.

Yes.

No reason *not* to try chloral hydrate, and nothing I can find re. interactions with your meds.

You need to *sleep* dear.

Many times the old stuff works.

Tell us what happens!!

--ncc--

[zsandoz]

chloral hydrate can be a useful sleep aid for some.  it is more well known for being mixed into people's drinks, slipping the famous "mickey"   (aka- mickey finn)

the discovery of chloral hydrate probably dates to the early/mid-19th century..  it is a minor by-product of chlorinating water and to a much greater extent in chlorinating ethanol. 

as far as safety i couldnt find much info, but id imagine it's more dangerous than benzos but less dangerous than barbituates.  it is schedule IV.  but if you are taking a very small dose it is not dangerous.

if none of the other sleep aids work it is definately worth trying.  it is probably very cheap too, if you don't have insurance and have to pay for your meds out-of-pocket.

[HaloGirl66]

GreenGal - any news on if it has been working for you?

[Guest Hooknosed]

Choral Hydrate is a grand old sleep medication, replete with a short half life, which is truly effective at

a dose of 3000mg/30 ml. Take it (as Noctec liquid) with your favourite fruit juice and you will sleep like

a french whore after a night at full output!

[crazycatnapper]

Sounds kind of like Xyrem which is known as the date rape drug. I'm getting ready to start taking it and it has two doses which are taken about four hours apart. I'm required to take a training session about it and it states the drug must be taken while you are already in bed because of fear a person would pass the fuck out once she/he drank the junk. I have been told it tastes like salt water, so I'm dreading that part, but if it can make me sleep and also control the cataplexy that goes with narc, then I'll be singing praises for it.

Please do keep us posted on how the drug works and what, if any, side effects you experience. I am a little nervous about taking a drug is supposed to zonk me out so much, but right now I'd try anything to feel better.

[rex]

Chloral Hydrate has been making somewhat of a comeback in the treatment of severe insomnia. It was the main ingredient in the cocktails that helped Hank Williams and Anna Nicole catch the train. Because of its obsolescence, the pharmacist will probably look at you like you gave him a prescription for ether, then tell you he has to order the stuff.

It is a lightly orange-tinted liquid with a sweetish taste and strong medicinal aftertaste, and may upset your stomach if not diluted with water or something. In my experience, its effects are more like a very strong hypnotic (super-trazadone) than a traditional CNS depressant, although it is that. It may put you in a drug-induced stupor rather than knocking you out. It is prescribed short-term, as tolerance to it builds fast, and if it does work for you, it probably won't for long.

[Britton777]

Hi! I know this is an old thread, but wondering if anyone is still taking Chloral Hydrate or if they have taken it in the past? Just found out the doctor is going to let me try it as nothing else has worked for 4 year chronic insomnia. Planning on trying it tomorrow. Scared but desperate for sleep. 

[Velvet Elvis]

You might have a hard time finding a pharmacy that carries it.

Have you tired any barbiturates?  Phenobarbital and the like?  That might be safer.  

 

[notloki]

I did a tour of all the sleeping meds I have not tried about 10 years ago. I was about to be prescribed Phenobarbital as everything else had failed or I had serious side effects. However my doc decided to go back and try Lunesta but this time at 6 mgs. That worked and I still take it as it works.