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Suggest An Alternative To Alzolam
Question: My father, aged 88 years, has been having alzolam 0.25 mg for several years before he goes to sleep at night.
Over the last several weeks, often he does not get good sleep even with the 0.25 dosage. Yesterday, for the first time, we tried 0.5 mg alzolam. He slept for only one hour and then he woke up and could not go to sleep.
He usually wakes up 2 - 3 times at night to empty his bladder.
In addition, the last few weeks he has moderate pain due to arthritis. BTW, we got his arthritis condition checked with a doctor and he is taking pain killers for his pain.
Would want your advice on changing the 0.25 mg alzolam intake so that he can sleep for longer hours.
Thanks.
Over the last several weeks, often he does not get good sleep even with the 0.25 dosage. Yesterday, for the first time, we tried 0.5 mg alzolam. He slept for only one hour and then he woke up and could not go to sleep.
He usually wakes up 2 - 3 times at night to empty his bladder.
In addition, the last few weeks he has moderate pain due to arthritis. BTW, we got his arthritis condition checked with a doctor and he is taking pain killers for his pain.
Would want your advice on changing the 0.25 mg alzolam intake so that he can sleep for longer hours.
Thanks.
Brief Answer:
Clonazepam is the alternative
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
thanks for writing to us.
Aplrazolam is potent drug. Tolerance to this medicine occurs early.It means it causes dependence and person does not have the same effect with same dose after sometime and he/she requires higher dose. Same thing has happened in case of your father though after many years.And pain of arthritis also cause disturbance in sleep.
One option is to take aplrazolam up to 1 mg and in sustain release preparation like texidep SR.
However if I were his treating doctor I will go with clonazepam 0.5 mg at night. it is longer acting with least tolerance property among benzodiazepines.
Try it for 2 days, if not getting sleep enough, you can add 0.25 more. in this way you can give maximum up to 2 mg. But I think he will not need more than 1 mg. Please do this IN CONSULTATION with your father's psychiatrist.
Simultaneously ask him to take a warm cup of milk before 30 minutes to going to bed.Do not take water at least before 2 hours of sleep and also go for urine just before lying in bed to avoid frequency of urine at night.
Hope I have answered your query,I will be happy to help if any need.
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
Clonazepam is the alternative
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
thanks for writing to us.
Aplrazolam is potent drug. Tolerance to this medicine occurs early.It means it causes dependence and person does not have the same effect with same dose after sometime and he/she requires higher dose. Same thing has happened in case of your father though after many years.And pain of arthritis also cause disturbance in sleep.
One option is to take aplrazolam up to 1 mg and in sustain release preparation like texidep SR.
However if I were his treating doctor I will go with clonazepam 0.5 mg at night. it is longer acting with least tolerance property among benzodiazepines.
Try it for 2 days, if not getting sleep enough, you can add 0.25 more. in this way you can give maximum up to 2 mg. But I think he will not need more than 1 mg. Please do this IN CONSULTATION with your father's psychiatrist.
Simultaneously ask him to take a warm cup of milk before 30 minutes to going to bed.Do not take water at least before 2 hours of sleep and also go for urine just before lying in bed to avoid frequency of urine at night.
Hope I have answered your query,I will be happy to help if any need.
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Answered by
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