Silenor for Insomnia User Reviews (Page 2)

• Sle...
• March 2, 2013

"I too have tried Ambien, and since I heard many of my friends become slightly addicted to it, my doctor switched me to Silenor. It definitely works! And it doesn't give me that weird feeling like Ambien did at times. A couple of my other friends also say it worked for them. The copay was just as much as Ambien on my insurance."

• Tir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2019

"Have had chronic premature waking for years. Silenor not covered by insurance. $500.00, outrageous for doxepin in a smaller dose. Had a compounding pharmacy make 5 mg caps. Insurance then paid part. I paid 10.00. Last night, 1st trial. Slept...wait for it...9 hours! Felt a little bit groggy, but now feel well and awake."

• jbg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 5, 2016

"I was given a sample pack of 3 mg Silenor to help with my inability to stay asleep. I followed the instructions, and unfortunately, it did not seem to work for me. It made me very anxious and agitated during the night. I did sleep but kept waking up. In the morning, I was very groggy and unsteady on my feet. I felt like I had been drugged and had a minor headache all day. I do not think I will take it again, as it is obviously not the drug for me."

• Anonymous
• January 2, 2011

"I have been using 3mg Silenor for a week now. First thing I noticed was that dreams seemed more vivid. The other thing was waking early (4:00 - 5:00), going to the bathroom, and then trying to go back to sleep. I thought that I stayed awake, but the next time I looked at the clock, it was 7:00 or later. I am now getting 8 hours or even more of sleep some days. When I wake up, I want a cup of coffee right away. After having it, I feel good, and that feeling continues for the rest of the day. I never took other sleep medicines as I only have a sleep maintenance problem. This is a great medicine, and I would highly recommend it. I am a 64-year-old male who is in good health otherwise."

• Jos...
• June 30, 2016

"I took this to help with my insomnia. I work different hours at the hospital, and I haven't been able to overcome the insomnia on my days off. Silenor has helped me so far, I hope that it stays that way."

• bnw...
• October 8, 2010

"So far, so good. I have earlier morning wake-up, probably related to a mood disorder. Unlike the addictive medicines that cause worsening of depression, so far Silenor, that has its roots as an antidepressant, allows me to get a little more shut-eye without worsening of my depression symptoms."

• Anonymous
• October 28, 2010

"I had been using Ambien for years but gradually developed a tolerance to this medication. I was also frustrated with the frequency of waking during the night. My GP prescribed 6.0 Silenor tablets about two weeks ago and thus far, I am very pleased with the effect on sleep maintenance."

• dru...
• October 27, 2010

"I have taken Silenor 4 times over the last 10 days as needed. I tried a little Doxepin twice before, and pure Doxepin gave me a headache and a hangover groggy effect. Silenor allows me to get 8 hours of sleep with no side effects, yay! It's a great medicine...finally. If you have trouble sleeping, then you should try it."

• Sun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2018

"My sleep doctor gave me a sample. I waited until I got very sleepy and took it and got right into bed. An hour later, I still wasn't asleep, but I kept lying there. At some point, I must have gone to sleep, but I woke up about three hours later needing to go to the bathroom. Went back to bed, slept a couple of hours more, and woke up again needing to go to the bathroom. During my 'sleep,' I had continuous vivid dreams, and I never felt as if I really slept. When I got up, I felt bad all day today. I'm not going to give it another chance. I have been on Ambien CR for years, and it gives me an average of 7.5 hours of sleep. I wanted to try something new because I need to take an Ambien vacation from time to time because I become habituated to it, and it stops working so well."

• And...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 24, 2018

"The doctor put me on Silenor to help me stay asleep. It isn't habit-forming, which was a huge concern for me. If I take it according to instructions, 3 hours no food and 30 minutes before bed, I sleep great. I usually get at least 7.5 hours of sleep on it, with waking for the restroom at least once, but I fall right back to sleep. I don't notice any changes to my mood, but I am also on something for anxiety, so it may help with any potential mood side effects."

• Kts...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 24, 2017

"I take oxazepam 30 mg as well as Bystolic for tachycardia, but it also helps put you to sleep. I still had issues going to sleep. I couldn't sleep, and my doctor added 6 mg of Silenor to my routine. Last night I took it, and it says to stay in bed for 30 minutes. Well, I did not listen, I got up to go to the entertainment room because I thought I was still awake enough to watch some TV. Next thing I knew, I had fallen asleep sitting up, and it was 7 AM. It works so well. Tonight, I will definitely stay in bed the full 30 minutes to let it kick in. As for the kink in my neck, I'm going to get a chiropractic adjustment later."

• CJa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 24, 2019

"Doesn't do much to help you fall asleep, but helps you stay asleep if you wake up halfway through the night or if you wake up too early and can't sleep. I found that 6 mg added a good 1-2 hours to how long I slept, but 3 mg did not do much. I only take as needed (2-3 times per week). Only real side effect is sedation throughout the day if you get less than 7-8 hours of sleep or if your sleep is disrupted."

• Hav...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 25, 2016

"Tonight will be my fourth time taking Silenor. The last few nights, I have not had a solid sleep. No problem falling asleep, but staying asleep is still impossible. The first two nights, I had very lucid dreams, waking up only after a couple of hours as I normally do. I'm only taking 3 mg, kind of scared to take 6 mg. I've taken many other types of sleeping pills, and so far, none of them work. I'd give anything for a solid 6-8 hours."

• Ins...
• September 4, 2016

"Silenor literally saved my life! Before a month ago, I never had sleeping issues, but after recently moving in with my boyfriend in an apartment with neighbors' dogs that kept me up all night, there was a 2-week period where I literally didn't sleep at all. I was starting to feel extremely anxious, depressed, and as if I was losing all control of my life. Silenor is non-addictive, which made me feel more comfortable about taking it. I still woke up in the night some nights, but it put me to sleep no problem. It allowed me to get back on track with my sleep and daily routines."

• RGa...
• October 11, 2020

"I was on Ambien for years. It worked great, but at the time I wanted to get off controlled medications. With Silenor, I actually had no problem falling asleep. Couldn't believe it worked. I've tried about every OTC sleep aid and one non-controlled sleep aid (Belsomra). OTCs did nothing, and the Belsomra I threw in the trash after the first night taking it. I only recommend it if you like feeling drugged and anxious all night. Also, it gave me extreme light sensitivity where I couldn't look at my nightlight. So, in all, Silenor was great to help me sleep."

• GDa...
• May 28, 2018

"I was prescribed Silenor for insomnia, which I battled with for 3 years. I was taking a high dose of Melatonin to sleep, but that stopped working when I was going through a stressful period. Took 3 mg of Silenor the first night. Although I slept 5-6 hours, I felt horrible the next day. I felt like crying all day. I increased the dose to 4.5 mg and was able to get 7 hours of sleep, but the negative mood became more prominent during the day. I was depressed and miserable. I stuck with it for 2 weeks, but my mood was getting worse. I couldn't keep on taking it. I don't know if these are only initial side effects that will go away after a month or so, but I personally could not handle the depressive symptoms (major) it gave me, so I decided to stop it after 2 weeks only. I felt better immediately, even though I am still struggling with sleep... I have to see my doctor and try Trazodone."

• PHi...
• April 21, 2016

"Been using it for about 5 months, and it has been a miracle worker until recently. A few weeks ago, started having random sleepless nights. This week has been terrible, waking up after 3-4 hours and feeling wide awake. Not sure if my body is getting used to it, but I thought I'd check the reviews to see if anyone else has had the same problem. I hope this is a fluke because Silenor really had changed my life, and even though it was expensive, it was worth being able to function the next day."

• Diz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 10, 2017

"Silenor works very well, keeping me asleep longer than usual. I normally wake up 3-4 times a night without it. But I have extreme dizziness and headaches the next day. I think I'll go back on my Lunesta because I have trouble functioning the day after Silenor. It is a great medicine, but I'm not sure if it's for me."

• Mrw...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 22, 2018

"1. Causes extreme gas pains, bloating, nausea, diarrhea in the middle of the night. 2. Doesn't work once you wake up (in pain). 3. Dissolves in your mouth before you can swallow. 4. Causes severe dry mouth. 5. Takes several hours to fully awaken. 6. Mood swings. 7. The working ingredient doxin costs $12.00. This name change costs $498.00!"

• Nee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 1, 2018

"I tried both the 3 mg and the 6 mg to try to sleep, and they did nothing for me. I didn’t feel anything, and I still had a hard time falling and staying asleep. I didn’t have any side effects, but also no sleep. My doctor gave me samples of the medicine to try, so I thought I’d give it a hopeful shot, but it just didn’t do anything for me."

• Anonymous
• December 23, 2010

"I took Lunesta only for a few days because it gave me an unpleasant taste. It was really bad. Then I switched to Ambien. It was better than Lunesta, but there was a residual effect that the medicine made me irritable and anxious the next morning. My doctor gave me Silenor. It is better than Ambien CR. I do not feel anxious or irritable the next morning and I can sleep 8 hours. The only side effect, though very minor, is that it makes me a little sluggish. But overall, Silenor is better than Ambien CR."

• NCA...
• December 15, 2011

"I have been using Ambien for several years, and I seem to have built a tolerance so that I am no longer falling asleep nor staying asleep. (Note: I have used both Ambien and Ambien CR.) I was on a 'local' trip and had forgotten my Ambien, so I asked my Dr. if she had samples of anything that would help me sleep. She gave me Silenor samples. While I was extremely happy with the sleep, I did wake up 'hungover' and had a hard time getting moving. I also experienced very real hallucinations. Don't know if they will lessen with use, but I am going to ask for a month's supply to see if it works out after an adjustment period."

• Sle...
• September 21, 2011

"OUTSTANDING. It sustains sleep! But the cost of this medicine is, well, stunning. But I still think this is a near-miraculous medicine. I am menopausal and had a 'pattern' of waking at 3:30 AM. Horrible. By taking Silenor -- and ONLY Silenor -- I am guaranteed sustained and uninterrupted sleep. The downside: the cost. I cannot afford Silenor at this time, and it makes me very, very sad."

• Anonymous
• August 4, 2011

"I have been taking Silenor 3 mg for over 6 months now. I have had zero nights when I have had to get up because of failing to return to sleep. Most nights I get 7 to 8 hours of sleep. The only thing different is having vivid dreams most of the time. Not sure if that means more deep or REM sleep is taking place. Silenor does not put you to sleep, but it will let you stay asleep. I highly recommend it for sleep maintenance."

• asi...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 17, 2016

"I have trouble sleeping from 3 - 6 a.m. I wake up and cannot go back to sleep, creating the daytime symptoms of insomnia (see: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/basics/definition/CON-20024293). I rarely have trouble falling asleep. I have been taking liquid doxepin for 18+ months (along with a 5 mg time-release melatonin) - 30 min before bedtime. The liquid has to be especially prescribed by your doctor and approved by your drug company. A 120 ml bottle is $79 - with Medicare and drug company approval, my out-of-pocket (last bought in 6/2016) was $7! Much cheaper than Silenor. I am prescribed 0.6 ml/night, but sometimes I take 0.5 ml or less, and never over 0.7 ml (rarely). Doxepin and melatonin work well to help me sleep from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.!"