Will Silenor Help You Sleep Better?

There was a patient survey where two thirds of the respondents said that the “risk of dependence or addiction” was their greatest concern about taking a sleep medication.  What the survey also showed was that 40% of the patients who were taking sleep medication had changed or stopped taking their medication within the year.  Most of the medications for sleep aids are habit forming and can be addicting which is why herbal supplements are so appealing.  However, the drug Silenor has come out as the first and only non-controlled prescription sleep medication for people that is not suppose to be associated with a risk of abuse or physical evidence.  Silenor is a sleep aid that is designed only for patients diagnosed with a specific insomnia—sleep maintenance insomnia.  That insomnia is a type that is characterized by difficulty staying asleep and/or early-morning awakenings without being able to go back to sleep.  This sounds appealing when you first hear about this drug but when you begin to investigate it you may think differently.

Silenor Ingredients and Research

The exact way it works is unknown but it is believed that Silenor helps you stay asleep by blocking histamine which is an important chemical messenger in the brain.  The only ingredient doxepin is from a group called tricyclic antidepressants.  It is used as a hypnotic to initiate and maintain sleep.  Apparently doxepin is a “recycled drug” because it came out years ago and was used as an anti-depressant and now they have brought it out again as a drug used for insomnia.  There do not appear to be many if any studies done on this drug to show its long term effects.

Silenor is available in 3mg and 6mg tablets.  Total daily does should not be more than 6mg.  The dose should not be more than 3mg is you are taking Tagamet.  At higher doses it is used to treat anxiety and depression.

Silenor Side Effects

There is a list a mile long when it comes to side effects for this drug.  They include sleepiness, dry mouth, dizziness, constipation, blurred vision, heart palpitations, rapid heart rate, incontinence, increased appetite, nausea or vomiting, sweating, weakness, confusion, restlessness and it just keeps going!

Silenor is not recommended for :

Young people 25 or under that are suffering from major depression and other psychiatric disorders because there is an increased risk or suicide.  If you have glaucoma or difficulties with urinary retention.  This drug should be used with caution if you have cardiovascular disease, seizures thyroid problems, diabetes, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, liver problems, or are elderly.

Silenor Value

It is a drug that is hard to find the cost.  It must be pricey because it is not to be found anywhere!

Silenor Bottom Line

Silenor may be a non-controlled substance but there are still major concerns about this drug.  When you look at the list of side effects that it may cause and the long list of people that should avoid this drug you begin to wonder if this drug would even be worth taking.  There are too many unknowns here and there are so many natural herbal sleep aids that can give you a good night’ sleep that will not give you the side effects it contains.  The best thing to do is look and see what Sleep-aids.com recommends.