Belsomra and Nightmares: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Jus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 28, 2016

For Insomnia "Nightmares turned into night terrors and then sleep paralysis. I was woke up one night by gritting my teeth and chewing on my own tongue for what may have been hours. Recovery took a week. Never slept past 3 hours. Be very careful, it could be dangerous."

• Sle...
• August 26, 2015

For Insomnia "Took Ambien with no problems. Doctor wanted me to come off Ambien and try Belsomra. He gave me samples. Took a 10 mg dose and it didn't help me fall asleep or stay asleep. Up all night. Then the weird nightmares. I had hours of vivid, nightmarish dreams. Not good. Woke up exhausted. Why would anyone take this medication if it's going to give you nightmares? I'm already an insomniac. I don't need nightmares and hallucinations too. Going back to Ambien."

• Ern...
• May 23, 2017

For Insomnia "Took a 10 mg last night and did fall fast asleep, but had the worst nightmares ever. Woke up at 3 a.m. and did go back to sleep, however, nightmares continued. I was pretty groggy this morning, but it passed. Don't know if I want to take another for fear of bad dreams!"

• Bil...
• August 26, 2015

For Insomnia "After taking Ambien CR for about four years, it was losing its effectiveness. My Dr. gave me samples in two different strengths. I tried the first for three nights. I experienced the most absurd dreams imaginable. I went to the stronger, and the absurd dreams continued. My Dr. put me back on Ambien, augmented with Trazodone. I'm sleeping like a baby. I hated the nightmares."

• Rne...
• August 8, 2017

For Insomnia "The worst night of my life. I can only imagine that this would be what someone would experience if they took hallucinogenic drugs. Horrible nightmares, a sensation that my chest and arms were being restricted, burning. Woke after every violent nightmare, trying to forget what I'd just dreamt. Headache this morning and total recall of a night filled with terrible dreams. I am throwing this away!!!!!"

• win...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2015

For Insomnia "I've taken zolpidem for 4 years. I took Belsomra only one time. I had horrible nightmares and would fall asleep only to wake up shortly after. I became agitated and anxious. It was a terrible night's sleep, and I definitely will not be taking it again."

• Tar...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 3, 2025

For Insomnia "I have been taking 20 mg of Belsomra for over seven years, and it has been a remarkably effective medication for me. I previously used 20 mg of Ambien, but due to regulatory changes, the maximum dosage for women was reduced to 5 mg, which proved ineffective. My physician then prescribed 20 mg of Belsomra, a new medication at the time, which has been a great help. Sleep is essential for my well-being, and Belsomra allows me to sleep soundly for six or more hours without any memory of taking it. I previously experienced unsettling episodes of driving while on Ambien, with complete memory loss of grocery shopping trips at 2 AM, only to wake up to a kitchen counter covered in unfamiliar food. I was told Belsomra can have the same effect, but I haven't had this issue, thankfully. I also do not experience any lingering drowsiness in the mornings. My only concern is the significant cost; the monthly expense of $450 before my deductible is met seems excessive. Trazodone gave me nightmares."

• Dum...
• January 28, 2016

For Insomnia "Worked for a few nights, but had terrible nightmares. After that, nothing. Because they were $300 for a month's supply, I decided to try it again after 2 weeks. Slept 2 hours, with a terrible nightmare. I paid the $300, and insurance would only reimburse me $123. Never again."

• APa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 16, 2019

For Insomnia "Was on Stilnox. Doctor prescribed Belsomra yesterday, so I took my first pill last night. Took forever to fall asleep and then had terrifying dreams, woke up with a sense of dread and fear and could not move - was frozen for a few seconds. Fell asleep again and had the most vivid nightmares. Will not touch this expensive, awful medicine again."

• Tim...
• February 5, 2016

For Insomnia "I've taken it for a week now and have very weird nightmares. Plus, I wake up in the middle of the night or very early and can't get to sleep. It doesn't really help with falling asleep, I've found. I'm not sure what it's done, honestly."

• Cat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 3, 2019

For Insomnia "I wanted to try something different to get away from the side effects of Ambien, so my doc prescribed me Belsomra 10 mg. I did read others' reviews but wanted to see how it worked for me. I had a horrible night, only slept for 2 hours! I woke up a lot, had to go to the bathroom several times, I had crazy nightmares and was very dehydrated. These are horrible! I cannot believe they sell these for $400.00! Not worth it! Please do not ignore what many are saying about this drug! I’ll be going back on Ambien!"

• San...
• March 10, 2017

For Insomnia "I had terrible nightmares on this drug. Strange sensations. Felt anxious and afraid. Would never take this drug again. Kept waking and then falling into deep, anxious sleep. I normally take Ambien and feel sleepy but normal."

• sle...
• November 29, 2017

For Insomnia "I have severe chronic insomnia. I alternate between Ambien, Belsomra, and Trazodone - so as not to build a tolerance to any one of them. After nearly two years of following this protocol, it turns out that the lesser of these evils is Belsomra. At first, it didn't help, but after a few months, it started working pretty well. Ambien causes rebound insomnia. Trazodone causes horrific nightmares. Belsomra is gentle and increasingly effective. Whatever you do, don't take benzodiazepines. It's easy to become tolerant and then form a physical dependence. Anxiety and insomnia worsen. Withdrawal is a living hell. I speak from experience."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 24, 2019

For Insomnia "Horrible! My doctor said it was one of the safest sleep medications, but not only did the drug not help me sleep, it caused me to stay up half the night. Once I did fall asleep, I had horrible nightmares."

• Sbm...
• February 7, 2017

For Insomnia "Was prescribed 20 mg. Terrible night horrors and sleep paralysis. Only taken two nights, and I will never take it again. I have no idea why nightmares aren't listed as a side effect. I don't know how this is an approved drug, either."

• Mon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 27, 2018

For Insomnia "This med had several unpleasant side effects. It put me into a twilight zone and caused a severe headache, nightmares, frequent urination, dry mouth, and caused drowsiness that lasted well into the late morning. $65.00 for a horrible experience."

• Meg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2019

For Insomnia "Awful. I took Belsomra to help me sleep, and I woke up many more times at night than usual, and the nightmares are so vivid. I took a tablet at 9 pm and have woken three times already, and it’s not even midnight. Waste of money. Speaking of which, it’s expensive too!"

• Sha...
• July 21, 2019

For Insomnia "Does not put you to sleep and makes you anxious. If you do happen to fall asleep, you will have horrible, HORRIBLE nightmares that will need therapy. Stay away from the drug. It put me in a dark place as well."

• KNR...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2017

For Insomnia "This is a terrible mistake. My psychiatrist prescribed Temazepam to help with my insomnia. I went to my GP because the shrink is hard to see on the spur of the moment. When I told him I couldn't sleep, his eyes lit up like it was Christmas. 'Oh, there's something brand new that I think will be perfect for you. Belsomra.' The only good advice he gave me was to start it on the weekend. What he didn't tell me about was the nightmares, the sensation of being awake all night, the sleepwalking, and the after-buzz that comes after you've been on it for a few days. Now, after 5 nights of trying to give this crap a chance, I'm feeling withdrawal symptoms, a horizontal vertigo that is persistent and disorienting. How did this get approved?"

• Dal...
• September 25, 2015

For Insomnia "My psych had a very serious discussion with me about my 14 years on Ambien and even longer on Zolpidem. Both cause Alzheimer's and dementia. So I am now taking Belsomra with great success. 10 mg to start and increased dose next week. My Klonopin was replaced by Lyrica. I fell asleep right away, no nightmares or symptoms, and woke up wide awake and cheerful."

• Cis...
• November 22, 2017

For Insomnia "Ambien gave me some terrible, if not embarrassing, sleepwalking or dream-walking events. I won't even mention in detail how horribly embarrassing those events were. So my doctor told me to give Belsomra a try. So I did, and per habit, I also took some melatonin. Well, to my surprise, I had the best night's rest I've had in months. Fell asleep within the hour, no nightmares or strange things. No hangover feeling, and I felt very well-rested, ready to take on the day and was on point all day!"

• 30...
• November 8, 2017

For Insomnia "I am in my seventies, and my doctor asked me to try to wean myself off of Ambien by using this new drug called Belsomra. Last night, using the drug for the first time, I had one of the worst nights of my life. I had horrific and frightening nightmares where I felt like I was awake, but I couldn't get up, and I never felt like I went into a deep sleep. All day long today, I have felt like I'm in a fog, and my equilibrium is off. I will never use this drug again, it is a nightmare in itself."

• sk0...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 30, 2017

For Insomnia "I am probably about 5 or more total years behind the average individual in sleep, total...if not more. The first time I tried this medication, it just made me feel sort of weird. It gave me nightmares. I was combining it with other medications, though. I have PTSD, so I need lots of meds. The second time trying it, and what I do is chew up my tablet before bed. I get closed-eye visuals, which quickly trance me off to a deep sleep. I awake in the morning actually feeling refreshed and alert, though the medication makes me feel like I am in a simulation for real. It has kind of an effect on one's vision similar to marijuana-Afterglow effect-but I can function very efficiently. The only drawback is price. I pay all out of pocket but still worth it."

• Jam...
• February 8, 2018

For Insomnia "This product scared me so much. I remember when I took it, I had the most disturbing dreams, almost like an out-of-body experience. Each time, I felt unsafe, almost like a demonic feel to my dreams. I share a room, and my sister told me I kept moving around in my sleep and talking out loud. This product just doesn’t seem right to me. I may have fallen asleep, but I woke up as if I never slept at all."

• Boo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 29, 2018

For Insomnia "Went to my doctor for anxiety and depression, plus PTSD. They insisted that I just needed a good night's rest. After telling them multiple times I didn’t want something that I’d get addicted to. So they gave me a sample of Belsomra! After reading about it, I was upset to find it is a class 4 drug. They asked me to give it a try. So I did. 3 days! That was enough for me to decide I hate it! First night, it made me feel like my tongue was numb and sent me into an anxiety attack. I had to call my husband to talk me out of it. I had horrible nightmares, plus woke up periodically through the night and was exhausted the next day. The second night was the same! I had horrible nightmares and woke up. Third night: I had reoccurring night terrors! Woke up from them absolutely terrified! 3 days was enough! So, it didn’t work for me. I gave it two stars because it did get me to sleep pretty fast to be tortured by nightmares."