Common misunderstandings about oral anti-insomnia drugs

This is the 3836th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

In clinic, it is often found that many insomnia patients always have some misunderstandings about the use and understanding of anti-insomnia drugs. Some people firmly believe in certain stubborn ideas about treating insomnia, and even delay the best treatment time. Today we will take a look at some common misconceptions. Do you know these misunderstandings?

1. Don’t take anti-insomnia drugs all the time. Taking too much can easily lead to addiction.

Many people equate normal oral medication with addiction, and are always worried about whether they will become addicted if they take it for several days in a row, and whether it will cause dependence behavior that cannot be quit like drug addiction. Generally, continuous oral administration of the same drug for more than 3 months is considered a drug overdose. If one is accustomed to taking a certain drug and becomes dependent on it, that is, withdrawal symptoms may occur when the drug is withdrawn, it is called drug addiction. Anti-insomnia drug treatment should comprehensively consider the length of the patient's insomnia, the urgency of onset, the degree of impact on daily life, the mutual restraint relationship with the underlying disease, etc. to make appropriate drug choices, whether to use short-acting zolpidem, triazolam, or medium- and long-acting estazolam, dexamethasone, clonazepam, etc., whether combination therapy is needed, etc. Patients who take anti-insomnia drugs orally for one month generally will not become dependent, and can take the drug as needed, and then adjust the dosage and frequency according to the treatment effect.

2. Melatonin is not a miracle drug and cannot be taken every day

Some people regard melatonin as a magic drug for insomnia and take it whenever they have insomnia. In fact, ordinary melatonin has not been approved for the treatment of insomnia. Scientific research has found that ordinary melatonin may only have a placebo-level sleep-promoting effect. However, melatonin inhibitors can treat insomnia and are suitable for short-term treatment of sleep maintenance difficulty insomnia. Melatonin receptor agonists such as ramelteon can be used to treat initial sleep difficulty insomnia. They are taken about 30 minutes before bedtime. Common adverse reactions include sleepiness, fatigue and dizziness. Currently, it is approved for the treatment of insomnia in the United States and Japan, but not in the European Union. For some propaganda that uses a few exaggerated slogans to attract attention, you must be good at distinguishing.

3. The side effects of anti-insomnia drugs are too great, so I dare not take them

Every drug has side effects, and the side effects of different drugs are different, but the specific probability of occurrence for each person varies greatly due to individual differences. Some people are always afraid of what to do if various side effects occur? It is difficult to adapt to the disruption of their daily routine. For this type of people, you can take medicine under the guidance of a doctor, and choose which medicine to use, how much dosage to use, and how long to use it according to the type of insomnia, sensitivity to the medicine, work and life needs, etc.

4. Drink a little wine and you will fall asleep

Alcohol is not a good medicine for treating insomnia. You must never take the slight tipsiness after drinking as the beginning of a good sleep. If you do this in the long run, you will develop alcohol poisoning or alcohol addiction. In mild cases, you will suffer from tremors in your hands, and in severe cases, you will develop dementia, Wernicke's encephalopathy, Korsakoff's syndrome, etc. The harm to your body is too great and the cost outweighs the benefits.

I hope this article can correct these wrong ideas. Insomnia is not terrible. What is terrible is the spread of false information and the random medical treatment. As long as everyone has a correct attitude towards treatment, chooses a regular hospital to avoid pitfalls, and receives treatment under the guidance of a professional doctor, I believe everyone can develop good sleep hygiene habits, take anti-insomnia drugs scientifically and correctly, and obtain satisfactory results.

Author: Department of Neurology, Second Hospital of Jilin University

Man YuhongDeputy Chief Physician