Lunesta and Depression: What Users Say

• Cra...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 3, 2013

For Insomnia "I have taken Lunesta 3mg for around 6-7 years. It takes about 45 minutes to make me start nodding off. I had the metal taste when I first started using it but don't have any problem with that for years. I got insomnia when I had a hysterectomy years back. I used to take Trazodone and it worked great but gave me a headache every morning. Be sure not to eat any snacks near the time you take Lunesta as that interferes with absorption and falling asleep time. I think it might make me a little more depressed. However, if I don't sleep I would be a raving loon! Nothing worse than laying awake and your head won't shut up. I would like to be able to fall asleep without medication but it just doesn't happen without Lunesta."

• luk...
• April 6, 2012

For Insomnia "I have insomnia worse than most people. I'm 21, I compete in bodybuilding, and I'm in great shape. I never get tired. If I get 3 hours of sleep a night, I can still function fine the next day. But it shot me into horrible anxiety and depression from lack of sleep. I've tried all the sleeping medicines. There's no doubt Ambien will knock you out, but I always wake up 4 hours later. I just started taking Lunesta because I was so desperate to get sleep. Lunesta, the first night, helped me sleep 8 hours. The second night, 'last night,' it took about an hour to come into effect, but I definitely slept 9 hours. No bad taste. I feel amazing. It definitely works all night. If you need a full night's sleep, please try it."

• epi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 15, 2015

For Insomnia "I took this and it helped me sleep because I had brain surgery to stop my seizures, and all others have side effects of possibly causing seizures, so I took this one. The one bad side effect was that I was alone and depressed, and it made my depression worse. So don't take this if you're depressed. I was just glad my son phoned me."

• No ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 17, 2018

For Insomnia "DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICATION if you are depressed or, more importantly, anxious! It will make your daytime anxiety and depression much worse. Don’t even start them and just ride through the night in pain. It’s not worth it."

• Sic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2022

For Insomnia "No matter the dosage, I wake only after a few hours and can’t go back to sleep. Then the side effects stay with me all day. Disoriented, depressed, and agitated. Hard to function. Trying to get off it."

• Alm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 20, 2016

For Insomnia "Horrible aftertaste that lasts at least 8 hours. The taste comes about 5 minutes after I take it, and that's when I know it's working. Otherwise, I can't tell like I could taking another popular sleeping medicine. It's increased my depression and anxiety. I'm getting put back on my previous medication in three days due to the horrible aftertaste. It's chemical tasting. Nasty."

• Ver...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 30, 2016

For Insomnia "Tried 3 milligrams of Lunesta, did not work at all to help me sleep. But right now I am suffering from extreme anxiety and depression, and have other health issues and a ton of stuff on my mind. I also just tried Ambien ER last night, and it did not work either. In the past couple of years ago, I did take Ambien, and it worked to make me sleep, but after taking 4 a week or so, it made my anxiety and depression worse. Be careful if you suffer from depression, taking this medication is what I found out. I only recently tried to take sleeping pills again out of desperation, as I have developed some bad stomach problems and possibly my pancreatitis flaring up, and have been off of work for 2 months on workman's comp, worried about losing my house and my health."

• Cat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 30, 2021

For Insomnia "Worked okay for insomnia, but I remained insanely sleepy the next day, to the point I could barely function. Also, my depression started getting worse, and I had unexplainable diarrhea. I didn't put two and two together until I started reading up on side effects. These symptoms all went away almost immediately after I discontinued. Be very cautious if you have problems with major depression."

• bro...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 19, 2021

For Insomnia "I've tried this several times, over a course of years, last night being the last. At 3 mg, it has no absolute effect on me. I have the same horrible sleep patterns and wake up several times, 4:40 am usually for the last time, so I get up. While it doesn't make me sleep, there is considerable next-day fatigue and lack of motivation, slowed respiration. This morning, I realized I had gotten up to retrieve something that I had been dreaming about, I was awake in my doorway when it suddenly dawned on me! Ambien never did that to me. In fact, I rate Ambien far superior to this if you can live with the side effects. Indeed, plain old Benadyl works 100 times better than Lunesta. For others, it might be worth a try, drugs affect people differently, but its averaged low score on here is obviously for a reason. I'd rate it lower than 1 if I could!!!"

• Hda...
• October 17, 2017

For Insomnia "Recently, I got married, and my insurance changed. The new insurance would not pay for the sleeping medicine I have been on for the last two years. They said I had to try Lunesta, Ambien, or one other before they would approve it. Last night made one full week that I was on Lunesta. Here are the reasons why I HATE it: 1. My mouth gets dry. 2. In the morning, my mouth tastes like I've been drinking spoiled milk. 3. I am so very depressed, I take antidepressants already. 4. I am so exhausted I do not feel like I can function. 5. I do not stay asleep. 6. I feel like the entire world could implode around me, and I still would not care. This medicine is by far the worst thing I've ever been on. I wouldn't even recommend this medication to anyone!!!"

• Lul...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 19, 2018

For Insomnia "I have been taking Lunesta for about a year, along with clonazepam at night. Started with 3 mg, then the doctor decreased to 2 mg because I suffer from depression also, and he thought it might be causing me more depression. As I have to come home from work and sleep for an hour because my brain shuts down. I am still having good days and bad days, but I don't think the Ambien is the problem. Still working on a solution. But the key has been taking the clonazepam along with Lunesta."

• hat...
• February 15, 2010

For Insomnia "It worked great at first, and I loved the medicine, but after long-term use, I realized it had changed my personality. At first, I attributed the depression and irritability to a recent move and change in job, but as soon as I stopped the Lunesta, the depression cleared, and I was back to my normal self. I would maybe recommend this for only occasional use, but not for any extended period."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 8, 2025

For Insomnia "This is the third drug prescribed for insomnia. I am a 73-year-old female, with insomnia for at least 30 years. I take 2 mg nightly. I am in relatively good health. This is the only medication I take on a daily basis. I have been using Lunesta for approximately 3 months. It has helped me to fall asleep quickly (within 30-60 minutes), but I rarely sleep more than six hours per night. It does seem to make me feel calmer. Side effects which persist: constant headache, foods having an odd taste, loss of appetite, leg cramps. Only recently, I feel tired and exhausted all the time, often staying in bed for long periods; some depression, and within the past few weeks, serious muscle and joint pain in hands and legs. While I have tolerated Lunesta better than other meds prescribed, I am now getting discouraged with a new set of side effects. This is something to be discussed with my doctor. Is only getting 6 hours of sleep worth the side effects when I was sleeping the same number of hours using an OTC med?"

• DrW...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 16, 2021

For Insomnia "I slept. Boy, did I pay for it the next day. Depressed, brain-foggy, frightened! It was horrible. I threw the rest away. Please be careful."

• Wip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 16, 2021

For Insomnia "I tested from 1 mg to 3 mg and didn't feel sleepy at all. I was even more awake, mad about the drug. The week I tested the 1-3 mg dosage, I was feeling really depressed all day."