Could my medication be keeping me from getting healthy sleep?

This question was asked in Saint Henry, Ohio on 07/16/2012.
My husband is on Synthroid for low thyroid and Sertraline for nervousness and Ambien for not being able to sleep. Yet he is nervous all day and cannot sleep past 2:30 a.m. no matter what time he goes to bed. I would appreciate any advice.

Doctors Answers (2)

J. Douglas Hudson, MD, DABSM
Answered on: 7/19/2012

I am confused. You ask if your medication could be affecting your sleep (it is possible). Then you begin telling me about your husband's medications. There are many medications for anxiety and insomnia. The ones he has tried are reasonable but if ineffective I would recommend a gradual change to other medications. Biofeedback therapy may help as well.

Richard J. Schumann Jr., MD
Answered on: 7/17/2012

Ambien itself can cause depression or anxiety. It also may suppress deeper stage of sleep necessary for a more restful sleep. Low thyroid is associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. All of these things could be addressed with a consult to a sleep specialist as well as a psychiatrist.