ROZEREM (ramelteon) Thread - news & your reviews

[HaloGirl66]

http://www.rozerem.com/index.aspx

This is big because insteqad of sedating us in to sleep - its mechanism seems to help our "internal sleep clock" work better. I'll see if I can get some of our resident pharmacology geeks to do some research into how this is different than the traditional hypnotics and benzos often prescribed.

Now does anyone know if this is something already used outside of the USA?

[Ophelia]

thanks for the heads up.... if i find some time, i'll see what i can find out....

[StrungOutOnLife]

It's a melatonin receptor agonist.

And here's the PI sheet.

I like what I'm reading so far.

Edited to add: They've had one in France called Valdoxan for three months now in France and it's sold as an antidepressant.

[StrungOutOnLife]

And it's a CYP1A2 metabolizer. That's what metabolizes caffeine.

[Sunshine]

Thanks, Halo!

Can anyone tell me what "approved" means? In other words, could I get a prescription for it tomorrow (and get it filled)?

[HaloGirl66]

Sunshine - I heard it should be on the market by the end of the year - so you can't start harassing your doc yet. When I get better details of a release date I will post them here.

[HaloGirl66]

FDA Approved ROZEREM

[HaloGirl66]

Clinical trials involving more than 4,200 patients, ages 18 to 93, showed the drug was generally well tolerated. The most common side effects reported were somnolence, fatigue, and dizziness.

Because Rozerem is metabolized by the liver, the drug company cautioned the drug should not be used by patients with severe hepatic impairment.

The company also said patients taking Luvox (fluvoxamine) should not take Rozerem. Patients with depression should also be closely monitored if they are prescribed Rozerem because of potential to exacerbate symptoms.

"We saw in the clinical trials that Rozerem could increase depression in people who are depressed," Dr. Meyer said. "We did not see any clear signals of suicide ideation."

However, the manufacturer warned suicidal thoughts have been reported with the use of hypnotics.

Rozerem has not been studied in patients with sleep apnea or those with severe chronic obstructive pulmomary disease.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Productalert/P...iptions/tb/1414

that is kind of sucky. but confusing because it is used in france as an antidepressant. hm.

[Guest Guest_lazer_*]

http://www.rozerem.com/index.aspx

This is big because insteqad of sedating us in to sleep - its mechanism seems to help our "internal sleep clock" work better. I'll see if I can get some of our resident pharmacology geeks to do some research into how this is different than the traditional hypnotics and benzos often prescribed.

Now does anyone know if this is something already used outside of the USA?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I''m having a challenge posting, any help? Hit add reply and  nothign comes up but as you see here.  Try yoga, meditation, relaxation tapes, vhs and cassette. Warm chacolate milk, some carbs before retiring, carbs help me get to sleep. I eat crackers, sometimes add non alcoholic beer right before I go to bed.

OK I was able to post, don't need help anymore. Well sorta for mental problems.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[HaloGirl66]

You must be hitting the " reply button right under the post. you need to hit the add reply button at the top or the bottom of the page. does that help.

[Sunshine]

Sunshine - I heard it should be on the market by the end of the year - so you can't start harassing your doc yet. When I get better details of a release date I will post them here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks, Halo! He generally won't prescribe something new until it's been on the market for six months. But after the Lunesta disappointment, I'm not getting my hopes up on this one. I've actually been sleeping fairly well lately. It helps that the depression has solidly lifted and that I'm getting outside more now that the weather is good.

Hoping you're getting some zzz's,

Sunshine

[MellowYellow]

The name of it sounds a lot like Remeron. Is it related to Remeron? If so, wouldn't it make you gain weight too?

[proFeign]

The name of it sounds a lot like Remeron. Is it related to Remeron? If so, wouldn't it make you gain weight too?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's possible, but new mechanism of action means it might not.  Assuming that's not marketing hype.

Who knows ever about any of these things anyway?  People have such varied reactions to stuff.  I mean, Provigil seems to work on and off for me, sometimes 300mg has no effect at all and sometimes 125mg or so is too much.  Anyway, that's probably no help at all...

Anyway, nothing perks me up like vicodin in the morning.  So there you have it.  I actually found that, for sleep, a herbal thing that's sold by some pseudo-med place called  Berkeley Neutraceuticals called Dromias works as well as 300mg of Seroquel, but without some of the hunger.  It can leave me hung over in the morning tho...

[WholeNewHomeBody]

I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole if it screws with melatonin. Melatonin supplements have been sold OTC in the US for years, and they are linked to depression.

Nope, don't need any more of that here, no thanks.

[NARS]

Despite the melatonin receptor agonist thing, the PI sheet identifies it as a hypnotic.  So why would it be less addictive than other hypnotics?

I did get off xanax after using it for years, but have now been using ambien for ages.  The only time I didn't need it for any length of time was when I took tegretol for BP, which has the lovely side-effect of curing any insomnia I had.  But it also made me mucho depressed, so getting off of it now.

On the other hand my problem seems to be an accellerated circadian rythm, so like everyone else I'd love a sleep aid that magically gets me good restorative sleep without doping me up or making me a drug fiend.  I'll be eager to hear reports once it's on the market.

[Sunshine]

I found this article today:

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/liv...th/12622146.htm

My pharmacy doesn't have it yet (and has never heard of it). My pdoc mentioned it today - he's got one patient taking it (not sure where he got it, though - except that it looks like the trials may have been conducted by a sleep clinic in my area).

Trying not to get my hopes up,

Sunshine

[Trillium]

My doctor mentioned Rozerem to me today. Apparently, besides being a sleeping aid it also resets your body's rhythm, which can help people with BP disorder get stable. He also said that the med mimics the natural melatonin that our body produces so there are no side affects, it is not addicting, and can be taken long term. Granted, those are his words so do your own research. He has several patients on it.

[Kat]

Anyone tried this yet?  It is apparently available at my local walgreens, so I would imagine it is hitting the pharmacy shelves everywhere.

[Sunshine]

Kat -

Are you in the U.S.? If so, do you mind my asking what state? I'm in Michigan and my local pharmacy doesn't even know what it is, let alone have it, yet.

~Sunshine

[Kat]

I'm in Wisconsin. 

[aimees]

I'm so fucking annoyed!  Here it is 12:57 A.M. and I'm WIDE AWAKE!!! Pdoc got some samples of ramelteon and wanted me to try it.  I took the crap at 9:45 and other than feeling a little "slow", I'm feeling like I am no where near going to sleep. 

Will I ever be able to get a decent nights sleep??  I usually don't have a huge problem falling asleep.  I just wake up several times a night and then am usually awake by 4:00 A.M., so I give up and finally get out of bed to start my fucking miserable, exhausting day!!  I tried Seroquel for sleep and couldn't deal with the zombie effects it left me with...way worse than my normal exhausting days and Ambien put me into a week long MIGRAINE!!!  I have never heard of anyone else having that reaction with Ambien, but it fucked me up and as soon as I stopped taking it...well, the MASSIVE dizzyness, nausea, head pounding pain went away...you couldn't get me to try that drug again after that shit!!

I realize that this is the first night I have tried the ramelteon and it might take some time to get the good effects.  I'm just not too impressed right now, as I sit here typing away about how I wish I was sleeping!!!

Any fans of Rozerem out there??  C'mon...someone tell me how great this med is and how it will get better real soon!!!

Sorry for the pissy rant...

aimee 

[Nereid]

Any fans of Rozerem out there??

[aimees]

Hmm...I've been on ramelteon for three days (yes, I know that isn't enough time...blah, blah, blah...) and I am not impressed!!  I'm actually extremely irratated with it!!  

I know that it is supposed to regulate my circadian sleep cycle, but it is totally fucking my sleep cycle up!!!  I'm WAY worse now than before I started taking it.  It's like it is putting me into SEVERAL sleep/wake cycles in ONE day!!! I CAN NOT fall asleep.  I DO NOT stay asleep and I WANT to sleep several times during THE DAY.  I have to force myself not to sleep during the day, so I can get to sleep at my normal bed time.  And I still struggle for over an hour trying to shut down for sleep!!!!  I mean what the hell is happening to me with this drug? 

Last night I finally took a benedryl (sp?) at midnight, so I could go to sleep.  I'm going to give it the rest of the week (doc gave me a weeks sample) and if my sleep cycle doesn't get regulated...forget it...I'm so much more fucked up now than before I started it!!!!!!  I'm now averaging about five hours of restful sleep a day.  Hell, benedryl alone gives me more restful sleep than that!!!! 

Just giving a heads up about my experience with this new sleep aid...if you can call it a sleep aid.....

aimee

[Greenyflower]

Here's an article from Psychiatric News. I just heard about this today from my Dad's neurologist.

[zsandoz]

Hmm...I've been on ramelteon for three days (yes, I know that isn't enough time...blah, blah, blah...) and I am not impressed!!  I'm actually extremely irratated with it!!  

I know that it is supposed to regulate my circadian sleep cycle, but it is totally fucking my sleep cycle up!!!  I'm WAY worse now than before I started taking it.  It's like it is putting me into SEVERAL sleep/wake cycles in ONE day!!! I CAN NOT fall asleep.  I DO NOT stay asleep and I WANT to sleep several times during THE DAY.  I have to force myself not to sleep during the day, so I can get to sleep at my normal bed time.  And I still struggle for over an hour trying to shut down for sleep!!!!  I mean what the hell is happening to me with this drug? 

Last night I finally took a benedryl (sp?) at midnight, so I could go to sleep.  I'm going to give it the rest of the week (doc gave me a weeks sample) and if my sleep cycle doesn't get regulated...forget it...I'm so much more fucked up now than before I started it!!!!!!  I'm now averaging about five hours of restful sleep a day.  Hell, benedryl alone gives me more restful sleep than that!!!! 

Just giving a heads up about my experience with this new sleep aid...if you can call it a sleep aid.....

aimee

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

dear Aimee,

  have you had any luck since then?  is this stuff still no good for you?  i noticed i got worse a long time ago when i tried the regular old melatonin.  i would love to experience a normal sleep-wake cycle one time in my life, but im not getting my hopes up :-/

[Hi-Po]

Been on it a grand total of two nights. Thus far, my experience is that one dose (8mg?) is ineffectual. 2 pills does help quite a bit...but the fallout is I'm near nodding off throughout the day. Today is pdoc, so I will ask him if it stabilizes over time with regards to the daytime sleepiness. If so, it could be viable. If not...well I still need to function at work. A bit of nausea in the morning and disorientation on the 16mg, but nothing major.

[aimees]

zsandoz,

I gave the Rozerem a week and it was a week of wacky sleep hell!! It just seemed to have a nap effect on me.  I was physically exhausted the entire week and at times truly felt like I could drop where I stood and sleep on the floor.  Up - down - up - down...that explains my week on Rozeram.  I wish you lots of luck if you try Rozerem, as you know YMMV and it may be the magic sleep aid for you!!  Good luck!

aimee

I'm now trying 2mg of Lunesta a night...not so great for falling asleep, but it seems to help me stay asleep a tiny bit better than my normal self...

[Sunshine]

I got samples from my pdoc today.

I went to a sleep clinic a couple of weeks ago and that doc didn't think Rozerem would help with my problem (after talking to me for all of 10-15 minutes) and prescribed Trazodone. 25 mg does absolutely nothing. 50 mg makes me sleep 18+ hours and feel like a zombie the other 6.

I see the sleep clinic doctor tomorrow, so I'm debating whether to wait until after seeing him again to give the Rozerem a try. My pdoc of six years thinks it has a good chance of working for me (and has researched it more since my last visit a month ago). At the moment (nearing 10 p.m.) I'm inclined to give it a try. There seem to be no interactions with Ambien, so I'll just pop one of those if I'm still awake in an hour or two.

I'll let y'all know what I think!

Sunshine

[HaloGirl66]

I've been on it for about 3 days and I am not impressed with it on my own. However, if I take one with a flexeral and a klonipin then I sleep thru the night. *sigh*

[Sunshine]

I took one dose. It made me sleepy, but didn't make me fall asleep. I saw the sleep doctor the next day (but didn't tell him I tried the Rozerem... I know, me bad, but I don't like the guy). After telling him how I felt about Trazodone, his solution was to continue taking the Trazodone. He did, however, write me a script for Rozerem - but I think it was just to humor me.

I think I'm understanding what everyone here means when they complain about their pdocs. This guy doesn't listen to me AT ALL, is a bit condescending, has commented several times on all the "highly addictive" medication I'm on (including Ambien). He said the reason I don't want to give up the Ambien is because it make me "feel good" and because it's addictive. There's no doubt I'm dependent on the stuff... but addicted? And makes me feel good?? Where the hell is he getting that from? He claims it elevates the mood. Huh? I thought it was more likely to exacerbate depression.

And besides... I DO want to give up the Ambien! That's why I went to see him in the first place!! But I don't want to sleep all freakin' day, either. Ambien will usually at least get me to sleep. I'd like some quality sleep, thank you very much.

Anyway... I ditched the Trazodone and I'm ditching the sleep doctor and sticking with my regular pdoc from now on.

I haven't given the Rozerem another try yet. I've decided to taper off everything but Cymbalta (including the Ambien) and then give it a try on a basically clean system. I'm sure some of my meds are helping matters and I want to figure out which ones. I'm going on part-time disability for a few weeks. I haven't told my pdoc yet, so he might change the plan, I'm calling him tomorrow.

/rant

[Sunshine]

Update on Rozerem...

I've been taking it since last Wednesday. Five nights. So far, so good. First... I should update my med list.

I went cold turkey on Adderall and Wellbutrin (under pdocs care) and upped Cymbalta to 60 mg. Xanax XR is down to .5 mg and I'm not taking the afternoon dose of immediate release Xanax. I'm trying to get my system as clean as possible to address the sleep issues.

Rozerem makes me sleepy. This is a good thing per the pdoc. He said if it didn't make me sleepy, that would be an indication that my body is not producing enough (or any) melotonin. It doesn't put me to sleep, however, so I'm still taking around 15 mg of Ambien. I'm going to do this for two more weeks and see how things are going. At some point, I'll add back in the Adderall (or something for ADD).

Anway... no side effects (Rozerem) that I've noticed other than I was a little groggy today when I woke up (after sleeping at least 8-9 hours). I didn't sleep at all last Wednesday night and not much Thursday night - but that could have been due to a number of things.

I'll keep y'all posted!

Sunshine

[NYPaintLady]

Update on Rozerem...

I've been taking it since last Wednesday. Five nights. So far, so good. First... I should update my med list.

.

.

Anway... no side effects (Rozerem) that I've noticed other than I was a little groggy today when I woke up (after sleeping at least 8-9 hours). I didn't sleep at all last Wednesday night and not much Thursday night - but that could have been due to a number of things.

I'll keep y'all posted!

Sunshine

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sunshine,

Thank you for update.  I have 2 weeks worth of samples here that I've been too chicken to take because no one has given a good report yet.  :-)  I think I'll start taking them tonight.  I'll let you all know how I do with them.

[Sunshine]

If the Rozerem didn't work, my pdoc was going to have me add Melotonin supplements. I believe Rozerem is a melotonin reuptake inhibitor. Thus... if your body isn't producing melotonin, there is nothing for Rozerem to inhibit the reuptake of. His theory was that a combo of melotonin and Rozerem would have done the trick.

Fortunately, I apparently produce enough melotonin on my own - I just needed some help to keep it floating around in my brain long enough to do its job. It might be something to look into and discuss with your pdoc.

[HaloGirl66]

It's just not working for me

[Sunshine]

Halo...

Ask your pdoc about adding melotonin. What mine was saying really made sense. It might be worth a try even if you've tried melotonin in the past. The combo might do the trick for you.

Sunshine

Edited to add: I'm still taking 15 mg of Ambien. The Rozerem makes me sleepy, but doesn't make me fall asleep. The difference is that I feel like I'm getting more natural sleep. Before the Rozerem, I wasn't sleepy at bedtime, so often the Ambien would have the opposite effect. I've also noticed that I haven't been crashing in the late afternoon like I used to.

[NYPaintLady]

I've taken 1 Rozerem the past 3 nights along with my usual cocktail of Effexor xr 150mg, .5mg xanax, bcp, a 3mg melatonin and a benadryl.  I laid in bed wide awake all night.... tossing and turning.  Could not nod off at all!  I thought this was supposed to help!  Instead, it's worse than usual...  How long should I give it to work?  I'm exhausted but I can't sleep!

[Penny Century]

there's a new sleep med out called rozerem.  there aren't any silly commercials for it, but supposedly they've started giving samples to doctors and it's available now.

i've tried every sleeping med you can name and they all either poop out (ambien anyone?) or don't work in the first place (lunesta, benzos, etc.)

there's a snazzy webpage for it that claims to explain how sleep works.  i think the site is funny.  but that's probably because i'm sleep deprived. 

[HaloGirl66]

it did absolutely nothing for me.

[Penny Century]

it did absolutely nothing for me.

really.  damn.  each time a new sleeping med is released i get so excited thinking that maybe, just maybe, i'll finally be able to sleep.  it's like i'm chasing rainbows or something.  (i mean i waited for lunesta like i was in line for concert tickets or something, i was so hopeful.  too bad lunesta was like rod stewart.)

[Sunshine]

It's working great for me. I was on Ambien for 2 1/2 years. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, and I never felt like I was getting quality sleep on it. It didn't make me sleepy - just knocked me out (except when it didn't).

Rozeram actually makes me sleepy. A tiny bit of Ambien or Sonata tips me into slumber. I get a good 6-8 hours of sleep now. Still a little groggy in the morning... but that beats being groggy all day.

I've been on it for about a month now. I've tried just about everything else for sleep.

There's another longer thread about this somewhere on this board that you might find interesting.

[HaloGirl66]

okay, if I take 2 rozerem, will that make me any sleepier than just taking one? or can it have a paradoxical efffect? it still isn;t working for me *sigh*

[Dizzylady]

okay, if I take 2 rozerem, will that make me any sleepier than just taking one? or can it have a paradoxical efffect? it still isn;t working for me *sigh*

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know but my p-doc just gave me samples this morning and she told me to try 1 and if that didn't work take another.  So I guess it's ok.  She also gave me samples of Ambien CR.  Last month she gave me Lunesta and that did absolutely NOTHING for my insomnia.

So I'm hoping one of these new ones help.

[Sunshine]

Anyone experiencing any sexual side effects (specifially, anorgasmia)  from Rozerom?

[robotlove29]

Lunesta sucks!!!  Gahhh.  I'd get better help if I'd only had the balls to ask.....I hate GAD .....

I feel like a complete drug seeking freak/asshole/retard everytime I say "hey something's wrong!"....cause I guess that is the way I was brought up.....HELP ME OH LORD!.......

[revlow]

I took Rozerem last night for the 1st time. Bad, bad, bad med for me. Just horrible. Might as well have be stinking, rotten, head-spinning drunk. I felt sick, sick, sick. Horrid dreams, too. Totally unrestful sleep.

I was unprepared for this. I'd read so many accounts of how little it did, as well as having heard from my pharmacist that it is subtle and doesn't work until you've taken it awhile.

I suppose it could be the combo of it with Lamictal; I take the Lamictal right before bed. On the other hand, I don't know that I want to give this another try. Eee gads!

[ncc1701]

Heya revlow,

Here's what I put on another of your threads.

(repetition is likely unnecessary but I need to be complete ... IPD again, dammit)

Heya revlow,

Yah I would recheck the Lamictal levels (as I did in December) on & off OCP.

[Min]

first time i took it, it knocked me out for 18 hours.  i was not impressed.  i am gonna take it again tonight and see what happens.

[Min]

worst med that i have tried.  it PARALYSED me (as in, even if i wanted to get up, i didn't have the strength) and gave me disturbing dreams.  this time i was out 20 hours.

NOTE:

if you have sleep apnea or COPD it is advised you do NOT take this medicine (as said on official website).  i have BOTH and cannot believed my pdoc gave it to me.

[realitytest]

Can anyone compare this med to plain old  melatonin?

Ramalteon is pricey and a script drug, while  melatonin is a real OTC cheapo. What's the diff between taking the hormone and a RUI of it?  WHen it comes to spenidng $$ that is?  (I have a very lousy med plan)

 

Not that melatonin worked for me anyhow.

[Sunshine]

This is how my pdoc explained it to me:

Your body produces melotonin throughout the day. At some point (in normal people this happens around bedtime), some part of your brain tells the part of your brain storing the melotonin to dump it. That's what makes you sleepy.

If the part of your brain that sends the message doesn't work, all the melotonin in the world won't make you sleepy. Rozerom is supposed to fix the message sending part. If your problem is that your body doesn't produce enough melotonin, then melotonin supplements should help.

Pdoc also speculated that it's possible to have both problems, in which neither med would work if used alone, but if used together, would (this was going to be our next line of attack if the Rozerom didn't work).

[HaloGirl66]

This is how my pdoc explained it to me:

Your body produces melotonin throughout the day. At some point (in normal people this happens around bedtime), some part of your brain tells the part of your brain storing the melotonin to dump it. That's what makes you sleepy.

If the part of your brain that sends the message doesn't work, all the melotonin in the world won't make you sleepy. Rozerom is supposed to fix the message sending part. If your problem is that your body doesn't produce enough melotonin, then melotonin supplements should help.

Pdoc also speculated that it's possible to have both problems, in which neither med would work if used alone, but if used together, would (this was going to be our next line of attack if the Rozerom didn't work).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good explanation - thanks!

[Velvet Elvis]

Well.

It's six AM.

I guess if it was going to work for me it would have by now.

Last night was no harder or easier than usual.

Today, nothing.

[HaloGirl66]

Well.

It's six AM.

I guess if it was going to work for me it would have by now.

Last night was no harder or easier than usual.

Today, nothing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

sounds about what it did (or didn't do) for me...

[in-dis-parasomnia]

I took Rozerem last night for the 1st time. Bad, bad, bad med for me. Just horrible. Might as well have be stinking, rotten, head-spinning drunk. I felt sick, sick, sick. Horrid dreams, too. Totally unrestful sleep.

I was unprepared for this. I'd read so many accounts of how little it did, as well as having heard from my pharmacist that it is subtle and doesn't work until you've taken it awhile.

I suppose it could be the combo of it with Lamictal; I take the Lamictal right before bed. On the other hand, I don't know that I want to give this another try. Eee gads!

I shouldn't have been surprised but since I've tried every other sleeping aid and got horrible side effects, I should have been better prepared.

As a last resort before sending me in for a sleep study, my pdoc gave me rozerem.

Day 1: I felt the drowsiness kick in in five minutes and never woke up during the night. I had wild dreams all of which I remembered in the morning. Not unusual but infrequent. I woke up feeling the closest thing to "refreshed" as I've ever gotten. A little groggy int he a.m. but had a great day.

Day 2: Slept well and had the crazy technicolor dreams. When I woke up at 5:30, as usual, to walk the dogs, I literally fell into a bookcase, a closed door while trying to open it, the lamp post outside, and the trash can. I have the bruises to prove it. I also couldn't get both of my eyes to work together so I couldn't see well. Very very sleepy that day with intermittent sight issues--right before I'd fall asleep at my desk.

Day 3: Same as Day 2 except my hands felt itchy

Day 4: Same as Day 3 but now all my joints ache, the itchiness is worse, I have a headache, I've been sleeping all day except when the phone or the dogs wakes me up. I try getting up and around and end up falling, running into things and having the perma-eye-crossing thing. I'm EVIL today, too. I'm fine unless someone talks to me, then I explode into a loud, condescending diatribe. My friend took me for a silent convertible ride to help wake me up. No luck. I'm awake enough to type, though.

Also nausea and diarrhea, blech.

Background ino on me since I'm new: I have BP and severe IBS controlled by 40mg of Paxil which doesn'e make me manic, strangely enough. I also take lamictal for BP.

[HaloGirl66]

i-d-p

the rash and the joint pain are what I would consider to be a worrysome sideeffect. Call your doctor and tell them what is going on before taking it again. Please, talk to your doc ASAP.

I had a rare freaky horrible reaction to seroquel that was prescribed to me for sleep. I started having rashes, pain, but, I kept saying, just stick it out you will get used to it. it led to having a hard time breathing and a rapid heart beat and sending me to the ER. My doc told me I should have just called him when the reactions started and to not just "tough it out". It was a bad experiance but a learning one.

So to end my verbal diahreahha here, call your doc, it can't hurt and can only help.

[HaloGirl66]

i-d-p,

just wondering how you were doing, keep us updated

[MellowYellow]

I have a question, please! My pdoc was mumbling when he gave me Rozerem samples and I thought he said it is meant to be taken along with another med (which, I assume, for me is Ambien CR because I'm taking that right now). I was out of Ambien temporarily so I took it with two clonezepam and it worked great. I hate to waste my clonezepam by using it to sleep on, though, because I need it for daytime panic.

Last night I finally took it with my Ambien, and I couldn't sleep. Does anyone know if Rozerem is supposed to be taken with a benzo, such as temezepam (Restoril) or other, for it to work?

Thanks.

P.S. I am no longer on Seroquel and am not about to go back to it ever again. My pdoc and I disagree about what it does.

[Sunshine]

I've never heard that it's supposed to be taken with any other med. I'm currently taking it with Ambien and/or Sonata, but the goal is to get off both of those eventually.

[december_brigette]

Hi All,

I wanted to re-examine whats been happening to people taking rozerem. I just saw an advertisement in a magazine.

ambien worked 1 week for me a couple of years ago.

seroquel usually knocks me out...but not when im in high stress right now.

and tonight, surprisingly i can watch "sex and the city" dvds, read a magazine, and read CB all at the same time.

yes, i have other issues.

I need sleep!!!

december

[Sunshine]

I've been on it for several months now and overall I think it's working very well. I still haven't gotten off the Ambien and/or Sonata, though. I think I need to suck it up and just go through the discontinuation.

The Rozerem definitely makes me sleep - which Ambien and Sonata do not do. And I feel like I'm getting more restful sleep. I actually dream more often. They are strange dreams (but not as strange as the ones I have when taking Remeron).

My biggest problem is I still feel very groggy in the morning, which I think has more to do with the Ambien and, to a lesser degree, the Sonata. As soon as I finish this big project at work I think I'm going to try and go cold turkey on those. I've heard it only takes 2-4 nights.

About a month ago my pdoc suggested doubling and possibly tripling the dose. He said all but a couple of his hardcore insomnia patients responded well to higher doses. He said to expect an increase in the grogginess for a few days, but said everyone has reported it goes away after a week or two. I went up to 16 mg 3-4 months ago and took 24 mg for the first time last night. I'll be well established on that dose when I try to discontinue the Ambien/Sonata.

Anyway... that's an update on my experience. Overall I'm very pleased with it. I don't seem to have any noticeable side effects (including the sexual ones I inquired about a few posts back).

[LunaRufina]

I can't remember if I wrote this somewhere else or not.

I tried rozerem and it just... was not the thing for me. We didn't get along. I fell asleep pretty quickly but then I got Up a little while later to go to the bathroom, which I rarely do. I also woke up a couple times. I did sleep ok, though. But the next day, I was really really agitated. Very easily irritated and just generally pissy. NOT GOOD. BP temper tantrumy and got so agitated that I got shaky at one point.

Definately not for me. This was after one night and I am definately going to attribute it to the Rozerem.

One interesting thing I have found-

I have been looking around at different boards and patient sites to see what other people thought of it. Of the people who seem to have problems with it, I have found a lot of them are: female, BPII or NOS, taking Lamictal.

However- it could be that I am paying more attention to those particular people or that the BP crowd tend to be more outspoken and irritated about it since the reaction can sometimes have bad consequences and/or that BPI don't take it because it is considered more of a risk. Or something.

I don't know.

But that doesn't mean that there weren't people I found in that subset who said it worked well for them. I am just wondering if anyone who matches that criteria has taken it and it did or didn't work for them.

I would try it either way- just do it on a weekend. I felt ok a couple days later and significantly better even the next day. I hadn't ever taken melatonin before, either so I couldn't have gauged my reaction on that.

I'm going to go look around some more on this. There was something significantly hormonal about rozerem that I was looking at when I took it and I can't remember what it was right now, but i am wondering if that has anything to do with the Lamictal and messing with hormones messing with mood or... that would have been awful fast.

I think I need Penny to help me with this and stop babbling.

Anywho. I would suggest people try it. *DO* keep in mind that it may have an effect on your mood, but won't necessarily, and try it on a weekend. I mean, it did help me sleep to some extent and it might have worked well had the side effects not been what they were. They certainly won't be the same for everyone and aren't as it does work well for people with mood issues also.

yay babbling.

[HaloGirl66]

I second Navy's suggestion to try it. It didn't work for me, but for some people it is a miricle drug. If you get bad side effects, you can always stop. It is definitly worth talking to your doctor about it.

[december_brigette]

Hi All,

Thank you for your responses. I value them greatly.

next time i go to the pdoc i will discuss.

thanks,

december

[Loon-A-TiK]

I've taken this crap for about a week, and every night I've had a different response. Here are some of the reactions I've had-

night 1- no sleep at all. just a zombie state that was different than my usual insomnia zombie state.

night 2- got up 20 times to go to the bathroom, eat, look at the internet, and paint my nails. had a lot of energy

night 3- took it with klonopin. fell asleep and stayed asleep until 12 hours later

night 4- no sleep. vivid zombie hallucinations.

night 5- more zombie state, no hallucinations

night 6- sleep with no other drugs

night 7- on and off sleep

so, i'm having a mixed reaction, largely bad. i didn't appreciate the psychotic hallucinations that the rozerem seemed to have tipped off and i really don't like zombie incomnia. when taken with klonopin it seemed to have worked really well. i only used 1mg klonopin, and i'd take 2mg normally for sleeping if i'm going to waste it on sleeping (there are so many better uses!).

my recommendation is to try it, if you're already awake anyway you only have zombie states and perhaps hallucinations to look forward to, and those probably if you're already psychotic/hallucination-prone.

[Sunshine]

I'd give it a little bit longer. It's different in all the other meds out there and from what I understand about how it works, it could take a while before you see consistent results.

Also, before you write it off, talk to your pdoc about upping the dose. 8 mg is the recommended dose, but my pdoc told me he's got several patients that are taking 16 and even 24 mg. He said that with only a couple of exceptions, this has cured all of his hardcore insomniac patients. I'm doing pretty good on 16 mg (but still haven't gotten myself off the Ambien and/or Sonata - I'm hoping to tackle that while on vacation next week).

[Loon-A-TiK]

sunshine-

yesterday i asked my pdoc about going up to 16mg, and he said to give it a go. so i did it last night and actually slept. the only problem was that i couldn't get going in the morning and had to have diet coke for breakfast. normally it would be orange juice or something, even after staying up all night!

i'll give it a chance to get into my system. it seems to have a different way of working tham ambien (i happen to have an ambien pen right here, lol, but i don't take it). they gave me ambien a couple of times in the hospital and WOOOSH i was asleep, and it was beautiful, and i can see how it is habit-forming!

this rozerem doesn't work that way, but as long as it works, i'll be happy to sleep and maybe dream.

[Sunshine]

Give the Rozerom at least a week or two at the higher dose. My pdoc said all of his patients have seen an improvement in the morning grogginess after being on it awhile.

It definitely works differently than Ambien - they are completely different classes of medication. In my experience, Ambien knocks me out, but I don't really sleep. Not normal sleep, anyway. I rarely, if ever, dream while taking it.

One of the things I noticed right away when I started the Rozerom is that I started dreaming again. It's when you're dreaming that you're experience REM sleep, which is the stage of sleep that the most restorative.

[Loon-A-TiK]

sunshine-

last night i took 16mg and slept exactly 8 hours, practically to the minute, and i had wanted to sleep longer so i was disappointed but i guess it is much better than the zombie twilight of the past! i still haven't been able to dream, but i'll give it some time and see if it kicks in.

i loved ambien when they gave it to me in the psych ward. this rozerem is a different kind of sleep. but if better is better and healthier, i'll take it any day.

loon

[Loon-A-TiK]

i am starting to dream a little. hopefully it will get better. but i still crash out and wake up right on the dot, with pretty much no warning, no time to kind of drift nicely in and out of sleep. but i'm being picky. i'm happy to get sleep and not be the twilight zombie monster.

[Sunshine]

Yes... you're being too picky!

Eight hours is awesome! Especially if you're manic (I think I caught somewhere that you've been cycling up lately).

[Loon-A-TiK]

now i'm not sleeping on the stuff at all anymore. i don't know what's happened. i think maybe it is work stress mixed with topamax that is keeping me up. i just can't sleep at all. i'm up all night and super tired in the am. i was down to 1 rozerem but i think i'll go to bed early tonight so i can do the 1 rozerem again and see how that goes.

[zsandoz]

now i'm not sleeping on the stuff at all anymore. i don't know what's happened. i think maybe it is work stress mixed with topamax that is keeping me up. i just can't sleep at all. i'm up all night and super tired in the am. i was down to 1 rozerem but i think i'll go to bed early tonight so i can do the 1 rozerem again and see how that goes.

ive been taking breaks from it but taking 2 rozerem when i do need it. yeah it sucks getting sleep sometimes on the nights without it though. much different than melatonin, in that it actually works at the right dose sometimes. melatonin just made me worse no matter what dose i tried. i miss lunesta though.

[Guest crazygurl]

NOOOOOOOOO don't take 2! My psychiatrist prescribed it yesterday and told me it takes 2-4 weeks to kick in. It's not like other sleeping pills.

[LunaRufina]

NOOOOOOOOO don't take 2! My psychiatrist prescribed it yesterday and told me it takes 2-4 weeks to kick in. It's not like other sleeping pills.

So, if one is having negative side effects it could be possible they might go away in a couple of weeks?

I didn't realize it took that long for it to really work fully.

[Ophelia]

NOOOOOOOOO don't take 2! My psychiatrist prescribed it yesterday and told me it takes 2-4 weeks to kick in. It's not like other sleeping pills.

So, if one is having negative side effects it could be possible they might go away in a couple of weeks?

I didn't realize it took that long for it to really work fully.

after 2 days, i couldn't take the horrible hangover it was giving me... i don't know, though... i might be a little hesitant to try it again because of that. I did not know it took that long as well, LR

[Sunshine]

I've been on it for a while now... a year, maybe? At least nine months.

I would agree that it takes 2-4 weeks to "kick in." I did noticed right away that it actually made me sleepy (as opposed to the non-benzo hypnotics, which just knocked me out), but it wouldn't (and still doesn't) make me fall asleep.

If I had to guess, I'd say it's one of those meds that needs to be taken regularly to get any real therapeutic benefit. For occasional insomnia, the hypnotics are probably still your best bet.

What I've noticed over the last 9-12 months is that my internal sleep clock seems to be normalizing somewhat. I usually stat getting sleepy late in the evening like normal people (even before I take the stuff). I still have a hell of a time waking up in the morning, but that could be because I'm still taking Ambien (and sometimes Sonata as well when I'm having a stretch of really bad insomnia - usually premenstrually).

I've mentioned this before (probably on this thread), that I'm on 16 mg (with permission to go up to 24 mg). My pdoc has told me that this med has "cured" every single one of his hardcore insomnia patients - but all at 16 or 24 mg. A pharmaceutical rep (for a different company than the one that makes Rozerem) told him that they believe Takeda has found the holy grail but that they (the other drug company) think they've got the dosage wrong. Based on my pdoc's experience, this seems to be true.

Anyway... that's my additional 25 cents on the subject!

[HaloGirl66]

I am trying it again, but no results thus far...

[Sunshine]

I am trying it again, but no results thus far...

What dose? I'm going up to 24 mg tonight. Still trying to get of Ambien...

[Guest DDGirl]

hi, i started rozerem 8 mg last night. i'm taking it instead of seroquel which always put me to sleep but made me hungry and gain weight. i couldn't sleep last night. i slept maybe 2 hours but really disjointed and had bad dreams. has anyone had this reaction? i want to give it more time but my pdoc said never to take 16 mg as there is no research for it. also i have bpii and if i don't sleep i tend to get manic really easily.

me: f, 29, taking trileptal, cymbalta, topamax (forgot to take it for a couple of days), and now rozerem

[Sunshine]

hi, i started rozerem 8 mg last night. i'm taking it instead of seroquel which always put me to sleep but made me hungry and gain weight. i couldn't sleep last night. i slept maybe 2 hours but really disjointed and had bad dreams. has anyone had this reaction? i want to give it more time but my pdoc said never to take 16 mg as there is no research for it. also i have bpii and if i don't sleep i tend to get manic really easily.

me: f, 29, taking trileptal, cymbalta, topamax (forgot to take it for a couple of days), and now rozerem

Based on my and other people's experiences (here and from what my pdoc has told me), Rozerem is a drug that can take a couple of weeks to work. I'm also not entirely convinced about its effectiveness as a stand-alone sleep med. But maybe that's just because I've been on Ambien way too long (almost four years now) and having a hard time getting off it. So to answer your question... it doesn't strike me as unusual that you didn't have a great first experience with it - especially if you stopped the Seoquel cold turkey.

As for the dosage... your pdoc is half right - there have been no official studies regarding the effectiveness of doses higher than 8 mg, and that dosage is what the manufacturer recommends and what the FDA has approved. But that doesn't mean a whole lot... doctors... especially pdocs... are always prescribing things "off label" or at unusual doses. This is perfectly legal. My guess is that because Rozerem is so new, your pdoc just hasn't got enough ancedoctal information or talked to the right people or done the right research to be comfortable precribing a higher dose. So you might want to encourage him/her to do so as it's sounding more and more like a higher dose is required for hardcore insomniacs.

[wakko926]

it did nothing for me - but I did get some cool stuff from them (website - survey)

I take Restoril now - it seems to work pretty good - even tho I don't take it every night

Seroquel gave my every side effect you could get from it

[Maceo]

Ugh sounds like a pretty ineffective med. They haven't released it in Australia yet but even when they do I won't be keen to try it I mean if Restoril won't get me to sleep will Rozerem? I think I need barbiturates .

[HaloGirl66]

Ugh sounds like a pretty ineffective med. They haven't released it in Australia yet but even when they do I won't be keen to try it I mean if Restoril won't get me to sleep will Rozerem? I think I need barbiturates .

well, the mechanism of Rozerem is very different than from a benzo like Restoril, so it can't hurt to try. But it didn't work for me. Nothing really has.

[Sunshine]

Works pretty good for me (still), but at 2-3x the recommended dose (I'm currently on 16 mg, but have taken up to 24 mg). It seems to have somewhat regulated my sleep cycle. In other words, I now generally get sleepy when you're supposed to get sleepy (between 10:00 p.m. and midnight... not 2:00 or 3:00 a.m.). Unfortunately, it doesn't make me fall asleep and therefore have not been able to completely ditch the Ambien.

[Loon-A-TiK]

i remember last year's mania of manias. i couldn't sleep for anything and took all this crap to try to sleep. over the counter stuff, nyquil, benzos, atypicals, and rozerem. you name it, i took it. this wasn't too smart, but i was manic and out of my mind, so didn't know any better.

as i was getting better, my pdoc had me taking only the rozerem to get my sleep cycles back to normal after the no sleep mania. it was horrible to me- i could NOT sleep, but i was so tired i wanted nothing more than to just zonk out. still, i couldn't. nothing could make me fall asleep. i tried all my meditations and music, warm baths and comfort food (bad girl), and still nothing.

my review of rozerem is that it doesn't work very well. yes, it will make you tired (i took up to 24), but it won't push most people over the edge into sleep. you'll need a hypnotic for that.

i love ambien but my pdoc won't give it to me for that reason. i guess i expressed my appreciation for it too loudly to the hospital nurses the last time they gave it to me!

loon

[Maceo]

Ugh sounds like a pretty ineffective med. They haven't released it in Australia yet but even when they do I won't be keen to try it I mean if Restoril won't get me to sleep will Rozerem? I think I need barbiturates .

well, the mechanism of Rozerem is very different than from a benzo like Restoril, so it can't hurt to try. But it didn't work for me. Nothing really has.

I'd try it if my doctor wanted me to. At the moment he just says "I HAVE CURED YOU I AM GOD JUST GO BACK TO SCHOOL" well something like that. He's so stupid.. I tell him I haven't slept for days and want to die and I'm too afraid to go to school and he says I look fine so I'm cured.

[HaloGirl66]

Maceo - is there any way of you seeing a new doctor?

[Maceo]

Maceo - is there any way of you seeing a new doctor?

Yeah I'm seeing a new psychiatrist on tuesday. I doubt he will be good. What I really need right now is a benzo like Valium or Xanax so I can calm down enough to leave the house and go to school and most doctors I've seen don't want to prescribe it. I just feel like giving up.

[ImaginePeace]

Hi -- new to the board -- I am glad to hear I am not the only one who is getting nowhere with Rozerem but feel for all of you who are in the same situation.

So ... my question is, do I need a psychiatrist to manage my meds? I've been working with my internist, who is very compassionate and open to my input. But she leans toward holistic medicine, and as much as I wish yoga and melatonin were enough to get my sleep cycle regulated, it's just not enough. I've taken Ambien on and off for about 8 years and it is the only thing that seems to work even a little. Now she has me on Rozerem 8mg and klonopin 1mg. She warned me the Rozerem may take 2-4 weeks to "kick in," but I am going into the 4th week and it seems to do exactly nothing. The klonopin does give me a little sleep; I managed to sleep from 9:30pm to 2am today which is about as much as I ever get.

I really think I need to see a specialist. Unfortunately I am in an occupation that is, shall we say, not very accepting of psychiatric treatment. My MD is not eager to refer me for that reason. I feel as if i'm in a catch-22, because I am constantly sick and stressed and hampered by sleep deprivation at work. But I don't want to put my job in jeopardy. DH is self-employed and we rely on my income and benefits for subsistence.

Oh ... and I've had 2 sleep studies. Worthless. My sleep is bad enough already; I tossed and turned all night (even with Ambien) with all that crap hooked up to me and the dumba$$ techs always yelling over the monitor to sleep on my back (no can do). I slept less than an hour each time and the results were "inconclusive", though my DH swears I have sleep apnea.

Anyone been in this situation or have advice?

Thanks ... IP

[dumdum]

In the 6 mos. I've been taking Rozerem, off and on, I've found that it wears out quickly. I've had to double my dosage just to get 7 hours sleep, which still isn't enough for this Epi. gal. I'm talking 16 mgs. Rozerem here. But I have a drug resistant thang going on here. Runs in the family. We wake up while under anethesia and stuff, so we need more, more more.

That's why my seizures can't be controlled. But enough about me.

Sleep deprivation can kick your ass. If you're sleeping 9:30am-2 p.m., I'm sorry, that's just not enuff. Unless you're in your twenties. So yes, you need someone to manage your meds, like a new psych. I've heard that the new Ambien is good as it is non-addictive. My sister takes it and LOVES it. Plus she is on 20 mgs. Lexapro which helps,

If your work is being hampered because of stress, and you are sleep deprived...TRUST ME on this---you need to nip this in the bud fast. Get Some Rest. Fast.

Oh, and my hubby had one of those sleep study thingies done a few years back. I don't know how they expect anyone to actually sleep during those test with all that crap attached to their heads. Although, my DH did manage to sleep through TWO hurricanes (when 11 trees fell in our yard and a tornado ripped thru our backyard as I screamed, GET UP, IDIOT!)

Although he stopped breathing several times during that sleep study, good ole' BlueCrossBlueShield deemed his sleep apnea not severe enough to pay for the surgery to repair the problem. So I get to listen to him STOP breathing every single dang night for a few and get sleep-deprived.

Pass the Rozerem, please.

Best of luck to you!!

[Thomas]

I take Restoril now - it seems to work pretty good - even tho I don't take it every night

I, too, take Restoril and along with 2 mg. Klonopin and 1 mg. Cogentin, I sleep really well. If the cat wakes me up during the night because she wants breakfast early, I am a little bit unsteady on my feet. If I get to sleep the whole night through, I am fine when I wake up.

Tommy

[Guest EE]

I presently suffer from horrible insomnia but it hasn't always been like that. Over the years, I've tried several meds but the only one that works for me is illegal (but the nation's largest cash crop, go figure). I used to not care about the side effects when I was younger but smoking for more than 20 years (off and on) can't be good. So I try to ween myself off it, end up in week long bouts of insomnia. So I try sleeping aids. You know, 'approved' ones. Unfortunately, these rarely work for me without the vast side effects listed here and elsewhere. Yeah, I take a lot of heat for my 'solution' but I do not believe that Big Pharma is interested in side-effects as much as they are interested in profit making. I, a well-meaning, family-oriented man am instead labeled as a criminal and all because I just need to get some sleep. Its puzzling.

[Guest JJGH]

I have been on Rozerem for almost 4 months. I think it is a great drug, I have taken ambien before, but I had to keep increasing the dose. My doctor said that Rozrem is the only one where your body doesnt become resistant. I guess it needs to be taken every day, so I did that. I really felt it working after a few nights. I had also taken melatonin from the health store in the past. My doctor told me that rozerem is stronger and completely different. I think everyone should give it a shot, my life has improved with my better sleep. Patience is key i guess with this med, but worth the wait if you ask me.

[Guest Lesley]

I've been taking Rozerem for about 7-8 months (?) now.

I have trouble with sleep onset, and in the past have been rx'ed these meds for sleep:

-Ambien (multiple times; effective, when I wasn't caught sleepwalking/talking and doing weird things whilst on it. Depression was another side effect)

-Sonata (did not work as well for me--nearly--as Ambien did)

-Lunesta (did not do much if anything for me; NASTY, nearly unbearable taste in mouth is a gnarly side-effect I got, too)

-Trazodone (I think this one KEPT me awake. Brain racing wildly, yet body felt zombie-like; heavy, weighed-down)

-Seroquel (WOW, was this POTENT!! It definitely made me sleep like nothing else. It was a bit frighteningly strong for me + AM hangover)

-Valium (Marginally effective; I was Rx'ed this 2x, and both times got extremely depressed while on it. Off of it, depression went away)

I take Klonopin for Panic/Anxiety--1 mg., 3 x/day and as needed.

Anyway, I had SERIOUS doubts about Rozerem when my Psych. rx'ed it to me. He said it might take a week + to work, yadi ya,

and I was bowled over when it worked the very first night I took it. Of course, I did take double the dosage--16 mgs.--for at least the first week (?) because that's how the sample packs came and there were no instructions with/on them. Anyway, worked like a charm, even when I began taking the recommended amount (8 mgs.). The one caveat I have experienced while on it in the last few months has been daytime sleepiness...I do believe it is at least partly due to the med as when I do not take it (and sleep) I do not experience this sensation.

This medication surprised me in a very good way!!

[Guest Craig]

I'm really excited about trying Rozeram as I've been using Clonazepam (Klonopin)on and off for about a year and want off them. It works great but I can't take this crap forever. I've read Takeda's info sheet on Rozeram word for word and I think it might be the best drug yet for many of us with learned primary insomnia. It's non addictive and works for sleep onset only, which seems to be my main issue. I can deal with the potential for bad dreams and waking up later because it will help in the learning-to-sleep-again process. My only problem is that I live in Canada where it has not been approved yet. I can't find any info on it's release date either. In the mean time I'll have to keep using the Clonazepam in small intermittant doses until it's approved. Bummer. Happy sleeping!!

[sleepypanda]

Anyone experiencing any sexual side effects (specifially, anorgasmia) from Rozerom?

Yessss. I stopped taking it several months ago because it never ended up working for me, it just made me more tired throughout the entire day. But I also have narcolepsy, so that adds to it. Are you? Any suggestions? I'm still suffering from what I can only peg as a side effect of the rozerem. Specifically, anorgasmia, bleck :-(.

[sleepypanda]

okay, if I take 2 rozerem, will that make me any sleepier than just taking one? or can it have a paradoxical efffect? it still isn;t working for me *sigh*

Hey there. Just thought I'd respond with some stuff that my neurologist told me about rozerem. When he put me on it, and it didn't work at first, he cut the dose in half because he said they found that half doses were more poignant that the dose I was taking...weird, right? Well anyway, just thought I'd let you know. Good luck!