Sodium oxybate and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• Dep...
• May 24, 2018

For Narcolepsy "I have been on this medication for 10 years. It has changed my life. I recently had to be off of it for a week for some insurance prior authorization issues, and the difference was huge. I was basically useless during the day, with increased fibromyalgia pain and daytime sleepiness. 10 years."

• 69a...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 19, 2015

For Fibromyalgia "Dramatically reduced pain, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and fuzzy thinking. The last time I skipped taking Xyrem, I was unable to go to sleep all night. I am concerned about this should I need to quit taking it."

• cba...
• July 6, 2015

For Narcolepsy "I'm still in the early stages of taking Xyrem (week 6), but it has changed my life. I almost never take naps and have had my narcoleptic episodes significantly reduced. I get around 8 hours of sleep every night and can stay awake with no issues all day. Sometimes in the morning, I feel a little groggy but can't get back to sleep, which I'm sure is just the medicine wearing off as it goes away shortly after I get up and about."

• sle...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 1, 2016

For Narcolepsy "I have mixed feelings about this medication. When you put aside all the side effects, it's great. It doesn't quite put me to sleep as quickly as they say, but when I am asleep, it is the best sleep I've had in a VERY long time! But sometimes I feel the side effects outweigh the sleep. If you have any kind of depression, I would be very careful. The nausea can be very bad, my legs turn into jello, I can get very irritable, I don't have much of an appetite, and I have to take a stimulant in the morning for the grogginess. But even with all of that, I would still recommend this medication because it works. It definitely helps with narcolepsy and my cataplexy. I was very nervous about trying it, but I love my doctor for pushing me to try it!"

• Bro...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 18, 2020

For Narcolepsy "I tried Ritalin, Adderall, Adderall XR, but nothing worked very well for my narcolepsy. During the day, I always felt that I could fall asleep within 5-10 minutes if I wanted to, no matter what was going on. I switched doctors, and the new doctor prescribed Xyrem. For me, it has been life-changing! I can read books for hours without getting drowsy, which never was the case previously. The only issue is taking a dose in the middle of the night, as sometimes I can sleep through the alarm. I then have to reduce the size of the dose so I can get up when my 2nd alarm goes off. It works well-try it!"

• wai...
• September 1, 2011

For Narcolepsy "I have been on Xyrem for nearly 2 months now. I have been slowly increasing my doses and am currently on 4 grams 2 times a night (I'm 30 and weigh about 123 lbs). I take 150 mg of Nuvigil during the day. I still have yet to wake up with this amazing 'refreshed' feeling everyone discusses. One day, I accidentally forgot my Nuvigil at home and was falling asleep driving to work, which happened before I was on any narcolepsy medications. I at least appreciate not falling asleep anymore, but I don't have any proof that Xyrem has contributed to it. I am close to giving up but will carry it out until I have tried the full 4.5 doses of Xyrem for a week or two. Keep your fingers crossed for me because I am desperate to have a normal life."

• wou...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 28, 2015

For Narcolepsy "I have had narcolepsy ever since I can remember. Instead of hanging out after school, I would come home and go to sleep for the night. If I can sleep, I do, even if I only have 10 mins, I will fall asleep. I can't drive more than 10 mins, even if I manage to keep my eyes open, I start seeing double. It's been a huge struggle that most people don't understand or write off as laziness or being too busy. I have so many crazy stories of things I have fallen asleep doing or things my children have done while I unintentionally fell asleep. Stimulants would help the first couple of days. Day 4, I might as well not even take 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 because I would still fall asleep. Xyrem has helped, but I still fall asleep all day. Currently, I have been taking it for 1 year, thinking of increasing."

• Mrs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 2, 2022

For Narcolepsy "I’ve been on a single nightly dose for a little longer than a week and was sooooo happy to feel “normal.” I take it at 11 pm - 12 am and wake up 6:30 am - 8:30 am without an alarm. Excessive drowsiness greatly reduced. Side effects were feeling hot and a burning, aching feeling in legs. I was willing to live with that in exchange for being able to clean my kitchen and vacuum in the same day. But 2 nights ago, within minutes of taking the dose, on an empty stomach, I started feeling very nauseous and belching. Last night, after about 20 minutes, I spontaneously vomited 3 times and then only slept 4.5 hours. Why would this start after a week? I’m devastated. Has anyone else experienced this? Does it stop?"