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Q. An elderly relative was struggling with insomnia and tried Tylenol PM. She took it for several days and developed severe psychological side effects, including hallucinations. Not only was she spaced out and confused, it made her sleeping worse.
My doctor said that PM sleep aids are bad for older people. After we stopped her medication, my relative recovered. Can you suggest some natural approaches to help her get some sleep?
A. Allergy medicine such as Benadryl and nighttime pain relievers like Advil PM, Excedrin PM and Tylenol PM all contain the antihistamine diphenhydramine. This drug may cause memory problems, confusion or delirium in the elderly (Archives of Internal Medicine, Sept. 24, 2001).
Safer sleep aids may include acupressure, magnesium, melatonin or herbs like lavender, lemon balm or passionflower.
We are sending you our new Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep, with details on non-drug options and evaluations of popular sleeping pills like Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata.
I took Nyquil and in the middle of night, I had a full blown panic attack for the first time. I felt depersonalized as if I were in a doll house. Nothing looked real to me. I was extremely agitated. It was mental torture.
And the thing is I wasn't even old; I was just 17 years old when that happened to me! It pretty much ruined me mentally.
I take Ambien which works wonders but it can occasionally cause hallucinations but it also acts as a very powerful anxiolyic for me so I don't have a sense of "fear" or "panic" once Ambien kicks in.
pm sleep aids and antihistamines: my Daddy took them, also, and his sleep was fitful. I think it made his problems worse, as he was always complaining about a dry mouth and they seemed to make him sleepless and restless.
For me, ANTIHISTAMINES trigger restless leg syndrome. Any time I take ANY thing with antihistamines, (whether prescription or OTC) I get restless leg syndrome. THANK GOODNESS that I NOW know about soap under the sheets to stop restless leg. So, if I HAVE to take antihistamines, like during the flu or what ever, I have the soap to help combat the side effects...(Nyquil, even at half dose made me wake up a couple hours later and caused a bad night; always!)
To help me sleep I FAITHFULLY take (every single night) magnesium capsules; mag citrate works so much better than oxide, but all seem to help have restful sleep and muscles .
Listening to the radio show this morning reminded me of my long dead grandmother who was sensitive to lavender (even in soap or perfumes.) She had found out it was almost always a trigger for terrible migranes.