Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 791663

Shown: posts 1 to 21 of 21. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff?

Posted by linkadge on October 26, 2007, at 22:01:13

Hi, I am going to take a test next Friday. I can sleep fine now, but 9 times out of 10 I will not sleep before a test. (ie perhaps 1-2 hours). Anyhow, my plan is to take a zopiclone early in the evening, say 8pm.

Weighing the pro's and cons of drug induced cognative disturbance vs. insomnia induced cognative disturbance, I do think it is best to take a sedative.

I've been in these situations many times before, yet I can't seem to come to a conscensious about what to do. I usually second guess myself up to 4 in the morning.

Anyone else have a strategy for these situations?
(Some classmates simply pull allnighters which I don't think is effective. Some sleep fine or claim to) Anyhow anyone else have a strategy on how do I get to sleep at night for sure, yet retain cogntion the next day?

Test is at 11:30.

Thanks, and ideas appreciated.

Linkadge


 

Re: Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff?

Posted by Racer on October 26, 2007, at 22:05:20

In reply to Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff?, posted by linkadge on October 26, 2007, at 22:01:13

I'm with you -- I take whatever I have, early in the evening, and sleep early. Otherwise, it's horrible.

The last time I showed my last horse, I was tossing and turning, worried that I couldn't sleep, worried I wouldn't be able to wake up in time, until about 4:45. I didn't have to get up until 5:30... Not recommended.

So, I'd go with your plan. It seems like a good one to me.

 

Re: Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff? » linkadge

Posted by Phillipa on October 26, 2007, at 22:06:52

In reply to Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff?, posted by linkadge on October 26, 2007, at 22:01:13

Link went to nursing school at age 30's and by that time already was on valium. I'd stay up til normal time do no studying the night before as I never crammed. And right before the test take a small dose of valium that just helped me relax and always sat in the back of the room near a window or to the side. And first time read the question and ran through the answeres always multiple, multiple choice and picked the first one that fit and then checked over slowly when done. I got straight A's one B. This worked well for me. Love Phillipa

 

Re: Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff?

Posted by Phillipa on October 26, 2007, at 22:09:09

In reply to Re: Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff? » linkadge, posted by Phillipa on October 26, 2007, at 22:06:52

Link test is late so you can stay up later normal sleep time and sleep later. Don't change your schedule. Phillipa

 

Re: Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff?

Posted by your#1fan on October 26, 2007, at 22:48:22

In reply to Re: Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff?, posted by Phillipa on October 26, 2007, at 22:09:09

i know this is an emergency.

I have expereinced before and heard from many people that somtimes when you dont get alot of sleep your body realeases norephenphrine, i experinced this many times ago i was more alter and altered at the same time.

If you have to, then do it.

But that was just my advice, it does release adrenaline because it keeps the body going when it hasnt had its proper rest.

Sources: from me.

But good luck, i hate tests.

Can you take some supplements to help you study?

 

Re: Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff?

Posted by cumulative on October 27, 2007, at 0:13:25

In reply to Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff?, posted by linkadge on October 26, 2007, at 22:01:13

As you expect, I don't think any cognitive dullness from lunesta is going to compare to the supreme screwiness one gets from sleep deprivation.

Maybe some beta-carbolines? ;-) :

http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070730/msgs/774284.html

 

Re: Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff?

Posted by linkadge on October 27, 2007, at 11:28:47

In reply to Re: Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff?, posted by your#1fan on October 26, 2007, at 22:48:22

Thats what some people claim, that they gain some super engergy and focus by pulling all nighters.

Then I hear about studies on how the average cognition on no sleep is worse than being completely drunk.

Linkadge

 

Re: Sleep Sleep Sleep!!!

Posted by War-Face on October 27, 2007, at 12:04:07

In reply to Re: Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff?, posted by linkadge on October 27, 2007, at 11:28:47

Do (almost) anything you can to get at least 6 hours of sleep. Even if you have to take a Tylenol PM or benadryl.

I would not mess with a benzo like klonopin because of the long half life: it might leave you feeling more cloudy the next day.

 

Re: Sleep Sleep Sleep!!!

Posted by linkadge on October 27, 2007, at 12:11:51

In reply to Re: Sleep Sleep Sleep!!!, posted by War-Face on October 27, 2007, at 12:04:07

Thanks. I've tried benydryl and others but they generally don't work. (not for before tests as they don't help anxiety much) Thats a worse issue is that if I take certain meds that don't work then I panic, take more meds, and by the time I'm awake I'm really screwed over.

Zopiclone has a shorter halflife, I'm hoping cognition will be better than no sleep.

Linkadge

 

Re: Sleep Sleep Sleep!!!

Posted by your#1fan on October 27, 2007, at 13:05:32

In reply to Re: Sleep Sleep Sleep!!!, posted by linkadge on October 27, 2007, at 12:11:51

good luck to you. Disregard my comment. Even though in the past i felt adrenaline rush through me the whole day. I couldnt think.

Get some sleep. How about some Kava.

 

Re: Sleep Sleep Sleep!!! » linkadge

Posted by Brody on October 27, 2007, at 13:14:15

In reply to Re: Sleep Sleep Sleep!!!, posted by linkadge on October 27, 2007, at 12:11:51

>
>Zopiclone
>
>

From what I have read, this sounds like a good choice.

 

Re: Sleep Sleep Sleep!!!

Posted by linkadge on October 27, 2007, at 15:46:19

In reply to Re: Sleep Sleep Sleep!!! » linkadge, posted by Brody on October 27, 2007, at 13:14:15

Kava would be nice too. Thats how I survived first year beofore tests. I'd have to import some, thought I don't know if thats legal in Canada(?)

Linkadge

 

Re: Sleep Sleep Sleep!!! » linkadge

Posted by Phillipa on October 27, 2007, at 19:33:04

In reply to Re: Sleep Sleep Sleep!!!, posted by linkadge on October 27, 2007, at 15:46:19

Xanax is short acting and will not dull you got me though nursing and the anxiety overrides any dullness you might otherwise feel. Phillipa

 

zolpidem » linkadge

Posted by rgb on October 28, 2007, at 19:06:28

In reply to Help, test, insomnia, cognition tradeoff?, posted by linkadge on October 26, 2007, at 22:01:13

Hi linkadge,

I had the same problem; but I have no experience with zopiclone.

Zolpidem would seem to be ideal for this purpose though, due to its 2.5-3h half-life.

I noticed no cognitive impairment from it (5-10mg) the day after. Of course, maybe I just didn't notice it :) I recently took it about 11 hours before a test and did well.

Anyway, don't worry too much. I did some exams on very little sleep and did well too. I don't learn on the last night though; rather, I try to gather concentration.

 

Re: zolpidem

Posted by linkadge on October 30, 2007, at 14:32:03

In reply to zolpidem » linkadge, posted by rgb on October 28, 2007, at 19:06:28

Some people do well on little sleep others don't.

Linkadge

 

Re: zolpidem

Posted by rgb on October 30, 2007, at 15:27:21

In reply to Re: zolpidem, posted by linkadge on October 30, 2007, at 14:32:03

Sure, don't get me wrong, I didn't mean that you shouldn't even try to get sleep.

For me, getting sleep with zolpidem would definitely be preferable to too little sleep - but as I said, I don't know about zopiclone. Have you tried it already; do you feel that it still affects you the next day?

Btw, zaleplon has an even shorter half-life, but I have no experience with that either.

 

Re: zolpidem

Posted by linkadge on October 31, 2007, at 22:21:39

In reply to Re: zolpidem, posted by rgb on October 30, 2007, at 15:27:21

Yeah I think zopiclone is the only z drug in Canada. It does make me feel a little out of it the next day. I am hoping if I keep the dose low, 3.75 mg or so and take it early enough it might do the trick.

Its just such a horrible guessing game.

I could try and couteract it with something else the next day. I wouldn't get into that on a regular basis, but for one test its probably ok.

Linkadge

 

Re: zolpidem....

Posted by cactus on November 1, 2007, at 19:53:47

In reply to Re: zolpidem, posted by linkadge on October 31, 2007, at 22:21:39

and it can cause some people to do very strange things. I think it should be throughly reassessed

 

Re: zolpidem....

Posted by rgb on November 2, 2007, at 13:06:34

In reply to Re: zolpidem...., posted by cactus on November 1, 2007, at 19:53:47

It doesn't for me. IMHO zolpidem is a nearly perfect hypnotic (short half-life, no physical side-effects for me, not as prone to physical dependence as benzos); it would be a shame if it was pulled just because (a very few) people do strange things on it.

 

Re: update

Posted by linkadge on November 2, 2007, at 21:24:14

In reply to Re: zolpidem...., posted by rgb on November 2, 2007, at 13:06:34

Yes it was a good decision to take zopiclone. I took it early around 7pm, and slept for 12 hours.

I had not slept well the night before and was very uneasy about the prospect of two consecutive nights of insomnia esp before a test.

Cognatively it wasn't as bad as I thought. *Definately* not as bad as the cognative impairment of a full night of insomnia.

The problem for me is that before tests, I tend to want to try sleeping sober, which ends up going later and later, at which point I end up taking a sleeping pill too late (early).

I will probably get rebound insomnia tonight, but I don't really care as I don't have a test tomorrow.

Anyhow, short answer is that zopiclone was definately usefull.

I'll be waiting for other Z drugs to become available in Canada.

Linkadge


 

Re: update

Posted by Questionmark on November 6, 2007, at 1:09:21

In reply to Re: update, posted by linkadge on November 2, 2007, at 21:24:14

Forgive me-- as I've been away from the keeping-up-with and learning-about-drugs obsession for awhile (and i miss it, oddly enough)-- if zolpidem is Sonata or Ambien..... Okay i just looked it up. It is Ambien. Yeah that doesn't have very much next day impairment on me, and I am utterly WORTHLESS the day after an antihistamine.
But even better than Ambien would probably be Sonata, since its half-life is even shorter.
But you made it through so i don't know why i'm wasting our time. :?/ :?)


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