Suvorexant and Drowsiness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• cwb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 27, 2016

Suvorexant for Insomnia "I have a different experience than these reviews I am reading here. I do not think this is the best drug ever and really have a hard time believing the 9 and 10 ratings. But also, this drug is not a total dud and does not deserve so many low scores. To me, this is the second-best drug I have tried for insomnia. After many years of struggling, including lost workdays, Ambien was a miracle to me since going on it 8 years ago. I only needed about 5 mg each night to be out and have 0 side effects from the stuff. But I want a safer alternative, at least for some of the time. Belsomra seems to be fitting that need. While it is not even close to being as effective or side effect-free as Ambien, it is much better than Sonata or Rozerem. I do need a higher 20 mg dose for the stuff. It usually kicks in after about 45 minutes and consistently puts me to sleep at that dosage. I have been learning to manage a slight headache/dehydration effect from it by keeping a water bottle by my bed. I am slightly drowsy for a couple of hours in the am (although it wears off completely and I am fine by about 9 am)."

• F50...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 25, 2025

Suvorexant for Insomnia "I've had worsening insomnia over the past 2 years, and tried numerous sedative drugs like histamine blockers and the z-drugs. They either didn't work, or made my vertigo much worse. Two of the doctors tried antidepressants like Trazodone, Doxepin, and Buspar. Buspar was absolutely the worst drug I've ever been on. Anxiety is not the cause, and I think my body already has enough 'I'm tired, go to sleep' chemistry. Belsomra works on alertness neurotransmitters, and I've been consistently able to sleep at least 6.5 hours for the last two weeks. I'm taking 15 mg, and it leaves me a little groggy most of the day, but cutting it in half isn't quite enough. The grogginess is much, much better than being constantly sleep deprived. There is another orexin inhibitor with a shorter half-life, and I may try that. I was recently diagnosed with autism at 50 for what that's worth. TL;DR: This drug is excellent for 'too much awake' and not 'need more sleepy.' Insurance covered it after 7 different failed meds."

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

Suvorexant 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."

• Joe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 20, 2019

Suvorexant for Insomnia "I was initially prescribed Belsomra 10 mg to help me sleep, however, all it did was make me really tired. My dose was increased to 20 mg, however, I had the same issue. Just really tired/drowsy. Unable to fall asleep."

• Sle...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 12, 2017

Suvorexant for Insomnia "Belsomra works well for me. Like some other reviewers have said, it does not make me feel loopy or high or mess with my memory (like Ambien, benzos, Lunesta), and it doesn't knock me out. I still have to do the work - relax/meditate, get in bed, put screens away, etc. But once I do all that stuff, I always find that, almost without realizing it, I am nodding off - something I am never able to do on my own. It's been really great. It doesn't help me stay asleep (but waking up several times a night doesn't bother me too much - I have a toddler I need to be able to wake up for), and I do occasionally feel a little groggy or headache-y in the morning. But I can fall ASLEEP, which is a life changer."

• ASB...
• May 26, 2018

Suvorexant for Insomnia "Have suffered from insomnia on and off for 20 years. Currently averaging 4 hours of sleep at night. I am currently RX'd 3 mg of Klonopin, so 1 mg at night as well. My psychiatrist RX'd 20 mg Belsomra. My insurance doesn't cover it, so it was $330 for 30 tablets - insane. So I did the 'free trial' offered by Merck. I took my first tablet last night, 20 mg Belsomra (and 1 mg Klonopin) at 9:45 pm. I was shocked that it started working so quickly - within 10 minutes I started feeling the effects. I felt a heaviness in my body and a weird 'out of it' feeling. After 45 mins or so, I was out of it. It was unpleasant and stronger than the Z drugs. I did fall asleep much quicker than usual and slept through the night. Upon awakening, I was groggy. So, I'm giving it a 5 out of 10, as it did put me to sleep and keep me asleep; however, the side effects were borderline intolerable - and it's expensive. Be aware that the physical effects are especially potent."

• Bul...
• March 24, 2018

Suvorexant for Insomnia "I’ve been using this medicine for two weeks now. It’s horrible, the first week I slept maybe 2 hours a night, the next week I slept 5 hours. During the day, I feel so drowsy I want to just shut my eyes. It messes with my daily routine and job. Depression is another side effect that happens also. I was very happy being on Lunesta 3 mg for 5 years now with no side effects. The pharmacist wrote a letter to my doctor to inform her that she needs to cut me back and get me off. My life was completely perfect before this. Now I’m back to where I started 6 years ago with insomnia or a prescription of useless medicine with terrible side effects. How can these people decide what works for me?"

• dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 1, 2018

Suvorexant for Insomnia "I have dealt with insomnia for much of my life. It's been something I've managed. I have had issues with the Z-drugs, which make me feel very groggy. In any case, I have been off of them for a while. Recently, I had a bout of insomnia. My wife, who is a psychiatrist, said that I should try Belsomra. My reactions were that 1) it didn't put me to sleep that quickly and 2) it made me feel really sick in the morning. I was in that position and was excited to try Belsomra. Unfortunately, I had the same reaction. People have different reactions to this stuff. I know people who take Ambien every day and have no issues. I am in a category of people that really feel this stuff. While I haven't had much success with the sleeping medications, I have had success with sleep restriction. The issue there is sleep restriction protocols are hard. For two to three weeks, you build up sleep debt, but in the process, it's easier to fall asleep and the anxiety around sleep lessens. It's something to consider."

• Lon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 10, 2021

Suvorexant for Insomnia "I've been making the circuit of medicines like many others. Belsomra is my latest attempt to deal with insomnia in which I find myself waking up in the early morning hours and after, unable to get back to a solid sleep. Belsomra did not really help with my issue. I started with 5 mg, which did nothing, then went to 10 mg, which only provided mild help, and then finally to 15 mg, which left me groggy and with an upset stomach the next day. I will not continue with this drug but instead continue my search. Right now, I'm attempting to get my insurance to approve 6 mg doxepin tablets."

• MYF...
• February 5, 2017

Suvorexant for Insomnia "Belsomra offers a voucher for FREE (10 days of 10 mg, 10 days of 15 mg, and 10 days of 20 mg), so I tried them all, and now I am going to use the voucher for $3 ($90 a month) a pill if your insurance requires a payment of more than $150 and $1 ($30 a month) a pill if insurance requires a payment of less than $150 since I haven't met my deductible. I was just visiting this site to see how long it takes for the dosage to level off since I am feeling a little drowsy on the 20 mg. So if you need to try it to save a little money, use the vouchers. I love this pill since I was taking amitriptyline before and was always so exhausted the next day. I think I will try the 20 mg for the month and back down to the 15 mg if I am exhausted by the next refill."

• MzL...
• February 17, 2018

Suvorexant for Insomnia "I took Belsomra, 1/2 of a 15 mg pill, last night, after my doctor gave me Belsomra samples, saying this would help me sleep through the night. I wake up after 4 or 5 hours on Ambien. I have no problems falling asleep, just with staying asleep. Last night, I began to feel sleepy after taking Belsomra, turned off the light, then lay, mind racing for an hour or two, bad images of a gory dreamlike nature. I woke up four hours later, couldn't go back to sleep, ended up taking 1/4 of an Ambien. Intense dreams upon awakening. I have felt tired all day, depressed, headachy. I have taken zolpidem for years. I get 10 mg pills, Northstar brand cut into 4 pieces. I've never had bad dreams, daytime grogginess, or other problems. If I wake up in the middle of the night, with 4 hours until the alarm goes off, I take 1/4 10 mg, get back to sleep, wake with no problems. Trazodone made me impossibly groggy the following day. I don't take benzos. I'm sticking with zolpidem."

• MzL...
• February 17, 2018

Suvorexant for Insomnia "I took Belsomra, 1/2 of a 15 mg pill, last night, after my doctor gave me Belsomra samples, saying this would help me sleep through the night. I wake up after 4 or 5 hours on Ambien. I have no problems falling asleep, just with staying asleep. Last night, I began to feel sleepy after taking Belsomra, turned off the light, then lay, mind racing for an hour or two, bad images of a gory dreamlike nature. I woke up four hours later, couldn't go back to sleep, ended up taking 1/4 of an Ambien. Intense dreams upon awakening. I have felt tired all day, depressed, headachy. I have taken zolpidem for years. I get 10 mg pills, Northstar brand cut into 4 pieces. I've never had bad dreams, daytime grogginess, or other problems. If I wake up in the middle of the night, with 4 hours until the alarm goes off, I take 1/4 10 mg, get back to sleep, wake with no problems. Trazodone made me impossibly groggy the following day. I don't take benzos. I'm sticking with zolpidem."

• DLe...
• October 12, 2017

For Insomnia "This drug is horrendous. It seems to have left a permanent side effect. It gave me insane nightmares, a groggy, spacey feeling, forgetfulness, derealization. A blanked-out feeling which does not go away. Now, I can't even sleep properly, it's as if it never went away after the 20 mg dose I took. My mum took it once to try, she also said it gave her nightmares like she had never experienced before. Besides, it doesn't really help you sleep. Please, for the love of God, do not go near this drug. You have been warned."

• Ros...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 18, 2020

For Insomnia "Belsomra helps me fall asleep within 30 min when my brain is too highly strung and cannot rest. I find it makes me sleep longer and a bit drowsy when I wake up, so allow at least 9-10 hours of sleep, including the sleeping in may help. I don’t take it every day, and it’s the last resort only. It is also expensive, about $2 each tablet after all rebates in Australia. I try other methods first, such as B12, magnesium, 5-HTP, and GABA. Yoga and meditation/mindfulness before bed also help."

• Gra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 12, 2017

For Insomnia "I found this wonderful. Tried so many sleeping pills, and they only worked for a while. They also didn't let me fall asleep ‘normally’. Belsomra did the opposite. For the first time since I was a kid, I’ve been able to fall asleep like a normal person within 20-30 minutes and keep me asleep. The two major negative points in reviews on here were that it (1) didn’t work and (2) they were tired the next day. But both have a logical explanation (something I had to learn when I started taking it). Like all sleeping medicines, it will make you sedated in the morning for a few days. Also, the biggest thing, fat in your stomach prolongs absorption by 4 hours. This would obviously make you think it’s not working when you are trying to go to sleep and make you sedated longer in the AM."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 3, 2021

Suvorexant for Insomnia "I tried taking 5 mg the first time I took it because I was unsure of its “hangover.” It did absolutely nothing - no sleep enhancement at all. I took 10 mg the second time I tried it. Again, it was no help. It was as if I had taken a placebo. My doctor had given me both 10 and 15 mg samples, so I took the 15 mg the third time I tried it. It took me a long time to go to sleep, but eventually, I did. I woke up about 6 hours later feeling groggy. This drug is very expensive and not effective. But I’ll bet the drug salespeople are making good commissions."

• Joj...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 2, 2018

Suvorexant for Insomnia "After suffering from insomnia for over 20 years, I tried Belsomra after reading reviews, etc. I found it to cause me a little drowsiness but not enough to enable me to sleep. If anything, it kept my mind awake and gave me a headache, this happened on every occasion I took Belsomra. The next day, I feel horrible, tired, and lethargic with still a headache. I have tried many medications over the years, and the only one I have found to give me great results and great sleep without horrible side effects is Stillnox. If this is taken correctly, straight before going to bed, it is great for insomnia, but the only downfall is it cannot be used for long periods of time, hence the reason I tried Belsomra. Disappointed in what Belsomra offers and what it actually delivers for $65 for 30 tablets. I was very disappointed."

• Ant...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 19, 2023

Suvorexant for Insomnia "I am a 59-year-old man, about 5'8" and about 215 lbs. I had been diagnosed with diabetes and bipolar disorder. I am in good health and in good spirits. I take one Quetiapine 400 mg and one Belsomra 20 mg an hour apart. I have had no unusual effects except the feeling of some drowsiness while waking up. I live in the desert of Arizona, so drinking water and staying hydrated is a must. I feel that I need the Belsomra when I simply can't sleep. I have an M.D. doctor and a therapist at a wellness center that introduced me to Belsomra."

• Tur...
• April 10, 2015

Suvorexant for Insomnia "Mixed 10 mg, first night with Seroquel and Lyrica, slept but felt sedated the next day and groggy."

• Tur...
• April 10, 2015

Suvorexant for Insomnia "Mixed 10 mg, first night with Seroquel and Lyrica, slept but felt sedated the next day and groggy."

• Bil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 25, 2023

Suvorexant for Insomnia "Does not work as well as I hoped. Have to take other meds with it to fall asleep. I do sleep for 8-9 hours, but feel very drowsy in the morning. All in all, fair at best."