I need something for sleep that won't leave me washed out in the am. I am feeling better...just a tad bit with the d-ribose; but I can't get to sleep before midnight or 1am and waking up off and on all night...how long before the pain comes back.
I'm gonna read up on this; thank you!

Doctors need a special lisense to prescribe it I forgot what class drug it is. I saw one doctor that prescribed it and he has alot of fibro patients that did well on it. It does carry a black box warning for suicide this is the only reason I didn't try it because I do struggle with those thoughts. Hopefully it will get approved and work well for others but with any med we do need to be aware of side effects.

Hugs

list of side effcts...

* hallucinations or severe confusion;
* shallow breathing;
* sleepwalking; or
* waking and confused behavior at night.

Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take sodium oxybate and talk to your doctor if you have:

* agitation or paranoia;
* problems with bladder or bowel control;
* depression;
* nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite;
* runny or stuffy nose and sore throat;
* numbness or tingling;
* tremors (uncontrolled shaking); or
* blurred vision.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

right now most insurances won't cover it for fibro. It takes alot of paper work and appeals to the insurance and you have to show you have sleep issues with sleep studies and that you have tried everything else and they didn't work. Or you can look for a trial or study that is researching it and trying to get it approved.

yep; no can do here either if it has those side effects...i struggle with depression as it is and did horrible with prozac and was planning my funeral. again...with being so drug sensitive, i'll have to pass. glad this person is finding help with it, though.

I took Xyrem for sleep issues related to Fibro and PTSD for about a year and a half. (2006-2007) Thankfully it was paid for in full by a program called NORD because it is very expensive. I do have to say it worked wonders on my sleep because it drops you into deep sleep quickly and I felt very refreshed the next morning after finally getting some quality sleep. However, I quit taking it due to side effects. I have depression and anxiety issues also and I believe this is a Schedule 3 controlled substance because of the ingredients and while it helped tremendously in the sleep area....the side effects also scared me enough to stop using it. If you do try it, please be careful with this med as it can be very dangerous IMO for those that struggle with depression, anxiety or suicidal ideation, etc....

Here is a link talking about Xyrem used in clinical trials. It is more geared towards CFS but talks about FM also:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00498485

Here is another that talks about using it for Fibro:

http://chronicfatigue.about.com/b/2008/06/08/narcolepsy-drug-for-fibromyalgia-treatment.htm

well some of you know i've been using xyrem for almost 3 years. twice a night. i've had a few days of increased anxiety but now that i'm on a lower dosage i seem to be less anxious. the deep sleep is what is missing in many of us with fibro. i couldn't get out of bed three years ago. so many years without restorative sleep. took me ages to recover from breast cancer, broken bones, etc. now most days i wake up rested. still have some problems with pain, and fatigue. sometimes i think the 23 years i suffered, or more, just left me with less energy and tolerance. and yes, things still seem amplified sometimes. now i can drive again, go to movies, make friends, shop, do the things everyone else can do when they're healthy. still too sensitive. working it out. i'd recomend xyrem to anyone for a trial basis. it makes all the difference in my life and yes, my insurance covers most of the cost.

in michigan it was used very badley around 95-99 so it was outlawed you can only get it strickly watched by a sleep doctor or study!
i asked my physic & he said i could go to a sleep study but doubled the doc will give me a script!

It's in clinical trials now related to fibromyalgia and will probably be FDA approved for fibro before long. Once that happens it will be easier to get it paid for by insurance.

I'll try pretty much anything to sleep - if it doesn't work it doesn't work but it would be great to have a viable option. Anything else I've tried leaves me feeling hungover in the morning - even amitryptilene.