OTC Sleep Aids – Are OTC Sleep Aids a Good Solution to Your Insomnia?
When you cannot fall asleep a couple of nights in a row, you can readily get one of the OTC sleeping aids from your local pharmacy and solve your problem effectively. Will this really happen? You should definitely learn more about over the counter sleep aids, their effects and side effects to decide whether they can provide solution to your problem.
The first question to ask yourself is what causes your insomnia. Most people have a straightforward answer to this question, even though they do not admit it. In most cases, insomnia is caused by stress and unhealthy lifestyle. In many cases, the condition is caused by or further aggravated by mild anxiety and depression. However, some people get to suffer from insomnia due to more serious physical and psychological conditions and due to the intake of certain medications. In such cases, OTC sleep aids may provide short-term relief, but they will not be effective for treating the main condition that has insomnia as a symptom.
How do over the counter aids work to help you? This is the next question that needs to be asked. Most OTC sleep aids have a type of antihistamine as their main ingredient. The antihistamine chemical compounds are known to produce good results. However, they have a number of drawbacks that you should be aware of.
Most if not all OTC sleep aids have a short-term effect. You will stop getting the desired relief after ten days or even a week of use. In general, doctors recommend using such medications for no longer than two or three days. The main reason for this is not the short-term effect, however.
They tend to have serious and sometimes severe withdrawal symptoms. If you have been taking a certain drug for a long time, your insomnia may worsen after quitting. Additionally, some patients report having experienced nausea and sweating after withdrawal.
OTC sleep aids have side effects that may range from mild to severe. The most common side effect of antihistamine drugs is daytime drowsiness. This symptom can cause social problems as well as injury and trauma. Other side effects, which are not so common, include dry mouth, dizziness, headache, blurred vision, memory problems, clumsiness and gastrointestinal problems.
Another potential problem with some OTC sleep aids is that they contain other ingredients apart from antihistamines that may produce undesirable effects. There are some medications that have small amounts of alcohol in them. This ingredient is not recommended to breast feeding women as well as to people with various medical conditions. Others contain pain relievers. These chemical compounds can be dangerous for people who have been addicted to pain killers as well as to people with heart problems.
In general, many over the counter medications are not recommended to individuals with various medical conditions, such as glaucoma, asthma, heart problems, Parkinson’s disease and enlarged prostate. They may also interact with various medications.
Overall, it is up to you to decide whether to use OTC sleep aids or not based on the knowledge that you now have. Still, you should definitely consult your doctor before getting and using any kind of drug or supplement.