My daughter's sleep doc wants to use GHB on her

[belladonna]

Any of the insomniacs here have any experience with Xyrem? My daughter has an extremely severe sleep disorder and was sent to a specialist back in September after the first sleep doc tried everything he could think of, to no avail. This first sleep specialist has been around for years and said he's done thousands of sleep studies and he'd only seen one person with a more severe sleep disorder in all that time. Now, this specialist in Richmond wants to put her on Xyrem, which is the brand name of sodium oxybate, or GHB, as it's known on the streets. I've done some research and it DOES seem as though it helps a lot of people, but it kinda freaks me out to think of giving my kid a Roofie :scared:

[mark414]

1. well..

as long as she's not around strange or cowardly men after she takes it...what's there to worry about?

[belladonna]

2. I guess the fact that it's such a strong drug

He actually said that, if she decides to take it, she should make sure she is already in bed before she takes it... it knocks you out THAT fast. Then again, this is a girl who has taken medications that would knock a grown man on his ass and it barely phases her, so maybe it won't affect her quite as much? :shrug:

[Haole Girl]

3. I would recommend meditation, yoga, and biofeedback...

...or, just about all other options, before I'd resort to powerful drugs. How old is she? Good luck...I hope they find something that works for her. :hug:

[belladonna]

4. We have done it all

Sleep hygiene, which she still practices although it does her no good whatsoever :shrug:, biofeedback, counseling because they thought for awhile that it might be an emotional thing (this was before the sleep study ever got performed), even physical therapy for awhile for no real reason that I can ascertain... but we did it anyway. She's seventeen and has had this sleep disorder all of her life. He also wants to get her checked out and make sure she doesn't have an autoimmune disorder since she's had some issues with joint pain and other symptoms that might point to SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus), so I'm thinking of waiting until that gets done before deciding on the Xyrem.

[Haole Girl]

8. Oh...I'm sorry...

I guess you've tried acupuncture, too, then. :shrug:

Hang in there...that must be really awful. :hug:

[Mutley]

5. Maybe ask another doctor or two if they think

it's safe for her. If they think so, then give it a shot. See if they can start her on small doses or something first.

[Tyler Durden]

6. Just reading the message title creeped me out.

But they did invent the stuff for some REASON I assume. Maybe this is one of them.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

7. I took some once

A friend of a friend had some at one point while I was in college. (Yeah, yeah, I was skeeved/creeped out by the fact that he had some too, but he claimed he did it recreationally. Which is what my friend and I did.)

We each took a capful (very small amount) and played some chess. That little capful gave me the effect of just having guzzled a bottle of wine. It didn't knock me out, but it made me very drowsy.

[rug]

9. GHWB would have her up trembling all night.

[seemunkee]

10. Have they tried trazadone?

My daughter has major sleep problems also. Never tried GHB though.

[Roon]

12. I used to take trazadone

I forget why I don't take it anymore, but I am on seroquel now to help me sleep.

[Taverner]

11. Don't fear medicine

Your body is drugging you constantly aas it is...when you're happy that's just your body secreting seratonin...

Anyway...if you're worried about the strength (it is a very strong drug) try melatonin. If that doesn't work has the doctor discussed some of the other sleep meds out there? (ambien, etc...)