Sweet Dream Oral Liquid-Soundly falling asleep is not a dream

Sweet Dream Oral Liquid—Soundly falling asleep is not a dream

Recently, many patients have come to the outpatient clinic to consult about a medicine for treating insomnia - Sweet Dream Oral Liquid, claiming that it is effective for various insomnia symptoms, which has aroused great interest among outpatient pharmacists. Today we will take a look at this "Sweet Dream Oral Liquid" that has been passed down by word of mouth among insomnia patients to make people fall into sweet dreams.

Overview of Insomnia

Insomnia is a common sleep problem. 10% to 15% of adults who meet the diagnostic criteria for insomnia have a chronic course of the disease. Insomnia refers to a subjective experience in which a person is dissatisfied with sleep time and quality despite having appropriate sleep opportunities and a proper sleep environment, and which affects daytime social function. Insomnia belongs to the category of "insomnia" in traditional Chinese medicine. It is a subjective experience that affects daytime social function. The main clinical manifestations are difficulty falling asleep, or light sleep and easy awakening, or frequent awakening, inability to fall asleep again after waking up, or dreaming, or waking up early, or even staying up all night. There are many causes of insomnia, and certain physical diseases or mental disorders are common causes of insomnia. Commonly used clinical treatments include drug therapy, traditional Chinese medicine treatment, psychotherapy, physical therapy, and comprehensive treatment.

Analysis of the formula and main functions of Tianmeng oral liquid

Sweet Dream Oral Liquid is based on the Ming Dynasty's "Wonderful Prescription" Lycium barbarum Pills, and has been modified through many years of clinical practice. Its main ingredients include 17 Chinese medicines, including Acanthopanax, Epimedium, Polygonatum, Lycium barbarum, Rehmannia glutinosa, Astragalus, Hawthorn, Mulberry, Male Silkworm Moth, Codonopsis pilosula, Pinellia tuber, Tangerine peel, Poria cocos, and Chinese Yam. In the prescription, Acanthopanax and Polygonatum are the main drugs, which have the effects of strengthening the brain and calming the mind, and have sedative and anti-anxiety effects; Rehmannia glutinosa, mulberry, Lycium barbarum, Epimedium, and Male Silkworm Moth are the assistant drugs, which have the effects of nourishing kidney yin and kidney yang, and have sex hormone-like effects; adjuvant drugs such as Poria cocos, Tangerine peel, and Pinellia tuber can strengthen the spleen and stomach, promote qi and relieve depression, promote gastrointestinal digestion, and increase appetite; the drug Strychnos nux vomica has the effect of clearing the meridians, and a trace amount of Strychnos nux vomica has an excitatory effect on the cerebral cortex and spinal cord. The various drugs work together to strengthen the brain and calm the mind, nourish the kidney and replenish qi, strengthen the spleen and harmonize the stomach, and comprehensively regulate the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems [1]. The most significant feature is that it nourishes both the spleen and kidney, and comprehensively regulates qi, blood, yin and yang. It strengthens the brain and calms the mind, replenishes the innate foundation - the deficiency of the kidney, and replenishes the acquired foundation - the deficiency of the spleen, thus achieving a good tonifying effect.

Modern medical research shows that Tianmeng oral liquid can comprehensively regulate the functions of the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, balance the excitation and inhibition processes of the central nervous system, increase hormone levels, and enhance immunity. It is a good medicine for treating insomnia. The main symptoms are dizziness, tinnitus, decreased vision and hearing, insomnia, forgetfulness, loss of appetite, soreness of waist and knees, palpitations and shortness of breath. Patients with stroke sequelae and many chronic physical diseases with comorbid depression and anxiety often show the above symptoms clinically.

Modern pharmacological research on Tianmeng oral solution

Current pharmacological studies have confirmed that changes in the function and quantity of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and its receptors play an important role in the sleep-wake process and the transition between different phases, and have an inhibitory regulatory effect on neuronal activity. After insomnia in rats, the GABA content and GABARA expression in the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, and hippocampus are significantly reduced; most insomnia patients have abnormal expression of central 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). 5-HT can not only exert its effects through its own receptors, but also exert its regulatory effects on sleep and mental activity by affecting other neural pathways. For rats in the acute sleep deprivation model, the 5-HT and GABA content in the brain increases in response to stress. Oral administration of Sweet Dream Oral Liquid to sleep-deprived rats reduces the concentration of 5-HT and GABA and improves cognitive function; for rats in the 5-HT antagonist model, Sweet Dream Oral Liquid increases the 5-HT and GABA content in the raphe nucleus and hippocampus of sleeping rats, and promotes the expression of neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus, improving insomnia symptoms. Sweet Dream Oral Liquid has a bidirectional regulatory effect on the expression of 5-HT and GABA [2].

The whole formula of Tianmeng oral liquid is rigorous, and its purpose is to treat both the symptoms and the root causes. The whole formula cooperates with the principle of seeking yang in yin and seeking yin in yang, so as to achieve the balance of yin and yang, and give full play to the effects of nourishing the kidney and brain, calming the central nervous system, regulating brain function, and resisting fatigue, depression and anxiety. Studies have shown that Tianmeng oral liquid has a regulatory effect on the neuro-endocrine-immune system, has a balanced excitation-inhibition process, enhances the body's immunity, and improves brain function in the thalamus and cerebral cortex.

Is Sweet Dream Oral Liquid effective for all insomnia?

Since Tianmeng Oral Liquid has a rigorous formulation and significant pharmacological effects, is it effective for all types of insomnia as many patients have claimed? This statement is too absolute. According to the Expert Recommendations on the Clinical Application of Tianmeng Oral Liquid (Capsules) [3], Tianmeng Oral Liquid has significant effects on the following insomnia symptoms:

According to the 2015 edition of the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine's "Guidelines for Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Disorders", Tianmeng Capsules (oral liquid) are recommended for patients with spleen deficiency type and spleen and heart deficiency type hypersomnia. For anxiety, depression, and insomnia caused by physical diseases: early intervention with Tianmeng oral liquid can prevent post-stroke depression and promote neurological recovery without obvious adverse reactions; for diabetic patients with insomnia, there was no statistically significant difference between the efficacy of Tianmeng oral liquid and the sertraline group on sleep disorders, anxiety and depression, and physical symptoms [4]; Tianmeng oral liquid has a good improvement effect on various symptoms related to menopausal syndrome, with good tolerance and few adverse reactions.

Many studies have shown that the combination of Sweet Dream Oral Liquid and some sedative hypnotics is more effective than the use of Sweet Dream Oral Liquid or sedative hypnotics alone in treating some insomnia symptoms, such as refractory insomnia. The combination of Sweet Dream Oral Liquid and diazepam reduces the dosage of diazepam. The dosage of diazepam is 1/3 to 1/2 with the same efficacy. The time to fall asleep is shortened, the total sleep time is prolonged, and the number of awakenings at night and the symptoms of dreaminess are improved. The efficacy of Sweet Dream Oral Liquid combined with alprazolam in the treatment of chronic insomnia and comorbid anxiety disorders in the elderly is significantly higher than that of alprazolam alone. Sweet Dream Oral Liquid combined with dexzopiclone has a good clinical efficacy in the treatment of insomnia after cerebral infarction.

Sweet Dream Oral Liquid is also a versatile

In addition to being effective in treating various insomnia and anxiety disorders, Tianmeng Oral Liquid also has a definite effect on drug-induced hyperprolactinemia caused by antipsychotic drugs. The effects of second-generation antipsychotic drugs on serum prolactin vary greatly, with risperidone and sulpiride being the most obvious. Long-term use can cause hyperprolactinemia, which can lead to bone density loss, osteoporosis, and an increased risk of fractures. It can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, amenorrhea, menstrual disorders, infertility, and galactorrhea in female patients. Clinical studies have shown that Tianmeng Oral Liquid is effective in treating amenorrhea and hyperprolactinemia in females with spleen and kidney deficiency caused by antipsychotic drugs. [5]

In addition, Tianmeng oral solution has the effect of improving the immune function and learning memory of sleep-deprived rats. Its mechanism may be related to reducing inflammatory factors in the blood, 5-HT in the raphe nucleus, and increasing the BDNF content in the hippocampus. [6]

Athletes should be careful when using Tianmeng Oral Liquid. People with colds or fevers should stop taking it. People with allergies and pregnant women should also use it with caution. At the same time, the drug must be taken according to the recommended dose and should not be taken in excess.

For insomniacs, tossing and turning at night is a common occurrence, and snoring soundly on the bed is out of reach. Just like the lyrics say, "The day does not understand the darkness of the night." For normal people, sleeping is a natural thing, but for insomniacs, sleeping well has become a fantasy. If you want to sleep well until dawn, you can't just rely on drugs. In daily life, you should pay attention to regular work and rest, healthy diet, moderate exercise, and keep a cheerful mood. These are the unique remedies for a sound sleep.

References

[1] Lan Peimin, Sun Ping, Shang Jianran. Clinical observation of Tianmeng capsule in the treatment of menopausal syndrome[J]. China Medical Herald, 2007(30): 121.

[2] Li Chunli, Xu Yang, Jiang Jing, et al. Effects of Tianmeng oral solution on learning and memory, inflammatory factors and neurotransmitters in sleep deprived rats[J]. Chinese Journal of Pharmacology and Clinical Medicine, 2015, 31(02): 147-148.

[3] Expert recommendations on the clinical application of Tianmeng oral solution (capsules)[J]. Journal of Psychiatry, 2019, 32(04): 294-298.

[4] Jin Fengbiao, Hou Ruitian, Li Guifang, et al. Clinical observation of Tianmeng oral liquid in the treatment of diabetes mellitus with depression[J]. Chinese Herbal Medicine, 2007(06): 905-906.

[5] Chen Jianrong, Gong Huanfeng. Clinical study of Tianmeng oral liquid combined with aripiprazole in the treatment of amenorrhea and hyperprolactinemia in women with spleen and kidney deficiency induced by antipsychotic drugs[J]. Journal of Psychiatry, 2018, 31(04): 286-289.

[6] Li Chunli, Xu Yang, Jiang Jing, et al. Effects of Tianmeng oral solution on learning and memory, inflammatory factors and neurotransmitters in sleep deprived rats[J]. Chinese Journal of Pharmacology and Clinical Medicine, 2015, 31(02): 147-148.

Dalian Women and Children's Medical Center (Group) Sports New City Campus Pharmacy Department

Deputy Chief Pharmacist Yu Hong