Lunesta and Insomnia: What Users Say

• DAW...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 28, 2020

For Insomnia "When I take Lunesta, it makes me sleepy and I am able to fall asleep pretty fast. However, I wake up about 2 hours later and then pretty much every hour on the hour after that. I feel like I'm in and out of it the rest of the night and can't tell when I'm really asleep or awake except when I roll over and look at the clock every hour or so and wonder if I will ever get any sleep. I feel exhausted all of the time..."

• Fli...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 7, 2018

For Insomnia "I was on Lunesta for occasional insomnia, and it worked fairly well for my insomnia when I took it on an empty stomach (minimum a few hours after dinner). That being said, it is very addictive. I’ve never had issues with substance dependence, but after taking it for several days, I got severe rebound insomnia. It also is very tolerance-prone. Withdrawing from it was horrible and lasted for over a week, with a constant migraine-level headache, chills, nausea, diarrhea, shooting nerve pains, tremors, and absolutely terrible insomnia. So my advice, if you use it for insomnia, then set a limit for yourself. It’s a godsend for occasional insomnia, but don’t take it for more than three nights in a row and make sure to wait a few days after using it to reduce rebound and tolerance effects. It really is a good drug for insomnia, but treat it with the caution and respect it deserves because the dependence and withdrawal are horrible."

• Fli...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 7, 2018

For Insomnia "I was on Lunesta for occasional insomnia, and it worked fairly well for my insomnia when I took it on an empty stomach (minimum a few hours after dinner). That being said, it is very addictive. I’ve never had issues with substance dependence, but after taking it for several days, I got severe rebound insomnia. It also is very tolerance-prone. Withdrawing from it was horrible and lasted for over a week, with a constant migraine-level headache, chills, nausea, diarrhea, shooting nerve pains, tremors, and absolutely terrible insomnia. So my advice, if you use it for insomnia, then set a limit for yourself. It’s a godsend for occasional insomnia, but don’t take it for more than three nights in a row and make sure to wait a few days after using it to reduce rebound and tolerance effects. It really is a good drug for insomnia, but treat it with the caution and respect it deserves because the dependence and withdrawal are horrible."

• Trb...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 31, 2016

For Insomnia "I have been off and on Lunesta 3 mg for over 10 years. The reason I get off of it, I gain a tolerance to it, so I have to try something else so I can get Lunesta out of my system. Usually, I get on Valium 10 mg or stronger because nothing else works. I can stay awake for weeks. Yes, weeks. My longest time staying awake, 20 days. Lunesta works for a lot of people, I just have a high tolerance to most medications."

• Anonymous
• January 24, 2009

For Insomnia "Started taking this drug after having trouble dealing with anxiety at bedtime, and I honestly could not have asked for a more effective drug or excellent results. Unfortunately, finally built up resistance to 3 mg; at that point, I had to stop taking it and did so the wrong way. Went cold turkey and did not sleep for three nights in a row even though I was taking Benadryl x3 and a Rozerem. Been trying different non-sedating (hypnotic/non-benzodiazepine) sleep aids and have found nothing close to Lunesta yet."

• Tam...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 26, 2018

For Insomnia "Love Lunesta: for me there is a huge difference between Lunesta and generic eszopiclone. With Lunesta, I always went to sleep within 10 minutes, stayed asleep, and woke refreshed and clear-headed. Eszopiclone, the generic, gave me migraines 2 hours after taking it, nausea, and insomnia. Now my insurance has stopped paying for Lunesta, they will only pay for eszopiclone, and it is so horrible!! Lunesta now costs $450 out of pocket."

• Kat...
• November 28, 2015

For Insomnia "I originally was prescribed 2 mg, which stopped working after a few weeks. I then was upped to 3 mg, which worked like a charm, but then after a month or so, again stopped working. And if my sleep was interrupted, it caused me to feel drunk. I still take this, but I take it now at a pill and a half. It's frustrating that tolerance builds up so quickly, but otherwise it works well if you follow exactly how to take it."

• Ssq...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 6, 2018

For Insomnia "I hate Lunesta. I have bad insomnia, and this medication made it way worse! It literally makes me not sleep at all! In the last 2 days, I've totaled 4 hours of sleep. Took it at 9 pm, laid down, and 30 mins later, eyes wide open both nights. Gave in at 4 am, took some Benadryl in hopes of some sleep. Slept 2 hours, then bam, wide awake. At one point, I literally had to stop myself from getting up to mop my entire house, lol. I guess I'll keep it around if I ever need to pull an all-nighter to clean."

• Ssq...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 6, 2018

For Insomnia "I hate Lunesta. I have bad insomnia, and this medication made it way worse! It literally makes me not sleep at all! In the last 2 days, I've totaled 4 hours of sleep. Took it at 9 pm, laid down, and 30 mins later, eyes wide open both nights. Gave in at 4 am, took some Benadryl in hopes of some sleep. Slept 2 hours, then bam, wide awake. At one point, I literally had to stop myself from getting up to mop my entire house, lol. I guess I'll keep it around if I ever need to pull an all-nighter to clean."

• 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!!!"

• Ms ...
• September 16, 2009

For Insomnia "I had taken Ambien on and off for several years. It seemed to be the ticket to a good night's rest. Then, it was less effective a few times. The major problem was that I had to lose an entire night's sleep to break away from it if taken for more than 3 nights in a row. Still, I thought it was worth it just to get some sleep. Then, one night I had what I now know is commonly called an 'Ambien nightmare.' Recently, I got the flu. The Tamiflu sparked insomnia once again. I started taking Lunesta. It tastes bad, but it is worth it. I can take it up to 1 hour before bed or 5 minutes, and it relaxes me. If I happen to wake up, I can go back to sleep! Wonderful! What a new life for me! Ready to hop up in the mornings now!"

• IMH...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 4, 2020

For Insomnia "On one of the nights I didn't remember, I apparently walked over to our stand-alone ice maker and put coffee filters in there. There was water from melted ice all over the floor, plus some of the ice had melted and re-solidified under the big ice bucket. That's when I asked my doctor for a change. He put me on 3 mg of Lunesta, and it was as if it had the opposite effect on me. I was awake all that entire night, even after trying to add Benadryl several hours later out of desperation. I was also awake the entire next day, and that night as well. This is with taking only 1 pill!! My body finally let me take a ½ nap on the 3rd night. And I am happy to report that I called my doctor and got right back on the Ambien! I need some kind of sleep. Even if I think the ice maker is going to magically make coffee. Lol."

• Buz...
• October 8, 2017

For Insomnia "This drug is horrible. I was given this drug because I wasn't sleeping more than 2 hours a night. I took it for 4 nights, and it made the sleep problems worse. On the fourth day, it started messing with my head. I stopped taking it. I went on the Lunesta message board and found a lot of other people who had the same reaction. Some people even had worse problems with this drug."

• Jac...
• October 25, 2021

For Insomnia "It doesn't work at all for me. My doctor prescribed 5 mg. I was so disappointed. I'm exhausted. I'm feeling out of sorts due to lack of sleep. It may work for some people, but nothing for me. Not a wink. I'm waiting on a return call from my doctor. I must add the price was $150.00 with my insurance for 30 pills. So, so disappointed and so, so tired."

• Wid...
• November 6, 2017

For Insomnia "After heart surgery in 2014, I went from having normal sleep to insomnia and vivid dreams. After 10 months, I have been taking medications and dietary supplements. I have recently tried Lunesta, and I have found that I only get 2-3 hours of sleep on Lunesta, and I do have that taste in my mouth when I went to a doctor. We have been trying different medications the next day. Ambien works great, but it is a wicked medication to take for very long. You build up a tolerance to it, and the withdrawals, for me, are 2 nights without any sleep. My doctor and I are still working on a treatment and a cure. Medical marijuana is out of the question for me but has been recommended by my Colorado relatives, but I'm not going there."

• bet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2016

For Insomnia "took Lunesta for 3 weeks, horrible side effects: increased crazy amounts of anxiety, insomnia, weird feelings in my stomach, thought 'I was going off the rails.'"