This week, Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Gregory Fear about sleep aids and sleeping pills. Dr. Fear is a clinical pharmacy specialist at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Millions of Americans say that they regularly turn to medication for help falling or staying asleep. Doctor Gregory Fear is here to talk about common sleep medications and sleep aids. Doctor Fear is a clinical pharmacy specialist at MUSC Health. Doctor Fear what are the main categories of sleep medications that are available to either help go to sleep or stay asleep?
Dr. Fear: I guess the first thing to think about is there are certain medications that will help with sleep latency, so those are medications that will help you fall asleep. And, then medications that will help you stay asleep would be sleep maintenance. Some various classes of medications may include some over-the-counter medications, including melatonin, which is actually a natural substance. Other medications may be some anticholinergics. Some other medications would be prescription medications that may help you fall asleep.
Conner: From your perspective, what precautions do we need to know about the sleep medications and sleep aids?
Dr. Fear: The main things to kind of think about are what are the side effects that some of these medications may come along with. Some of the anticholinergic medications which are available over the counter, those may dry you out. So those may have a potential for constipation or even potential for confusion in our older patients. Some other medications may drop your blood pressure, so it's important to monitor your blood pressure if you feel dizzy.
Conner: What are the potential risks or complications of sleeping pills?
Dr. Fear: A lot of these medications affect our REM sleep behavior, so we might not be getting as restful sleep as we'd wish. Another potential risk is they may cause more confusion the following morning, or for us to kind of have what's called a hangover effect. And lastly, the benzodiazepines and Z drugs have a risk of dependency or withdrawal if coming off of them too quickly. So, if you've been taking these medications for a long period of time, it's important to work with your doctor as far as tapering off of these medications.
Conner: And are these categories of medication intended for occasional use only?
Dr. Fear: Typically, when using a sleep medication, you only want to use it for a short period of time. I'd say ultimately, the goal of these medications is to get you back to a regular sleeping pattern where we don't need to take these medications every day. So, we know there may be some potential long term complications or side effects with them.
Conner: In addition to some of the side effects and the precautions that you've mentioned, are there some other individuals or groups that these medications are not appropriate for?
Dr. Fear: Yes. So, I'd say as far as a baseline, anybody would benefit from speaking with their doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these sleep medications, given the potential to interact with another medication or substances. But more specifically, some groups would include pregnant individuals, as some of these medications may cause harm to an unborn baby. Those who have a history of sleep apnea as some of these medications may cause respiratory depression. Next are people who also may drink alcohol, as a lot of these medications may cause what's called a synergistic effect with alcohol and may lead to some really negative consequences. And lastly, I'd say the older patient population, as some of these medications may cause potential for urinary retention, confusion, or even a fall risk.
Conner: Doctor Fear, thanks for talking with us about sleep medications and sleep aids.
Dr. Fear: You're welcome.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
