Suvorexant and Headaches: What Users Say

• nev...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 25, 2015

For Insomnia "I've been on Ambien for 10 years. Although my tolerance has gone up, it still does the job. I was looking forward to Belsomra, I took 15 mg at 10:25 pm and felt nothing. I took an additional 5 mg and it made me sleep for two hours. I woke up at 12:30 am with a headache and a hangover. The rest of the night was uncomfortable torture. I felt really tired but could not fall asleep. Is this talk about Belsomra needing one or two weeks to be effective valid? Pretty disappointing, fancy package with a fancy price and a miserable sleep. Have others experienced complete misery on the first night?"

• 1Fl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 2, 2023

For Insomnia "This is the worst drug I have ever been prescribed. I did not sleep one wink, and within 30 minutes, I had a headache that lasted 3 days. I felt so drugged within 30 minutes. The side effects say unable to speak or move... very true. This stuff should be taken off the market and never prescribed to anyone. I was drugged for 2 days after taking it."

• Tdd...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 28, 2015

For Insomnia "I have suffered from insomnia for about 15 years. Thyroid cancer only made it worse. Ambien stopped working, and I tried every drug and over-the-counter med. I was given a three-day trial of Belsomra and was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked. This is not a knock-out drug. It just makes you feel sleepy all night. I did have vivid dreams, but they weren't unpleasant. None of the craziness of some of the other sleep meds, just a good night's sleep. The only downside was I have a mild headache when I first wake up, but it goes away quickly. It is expensive, but they offer some really good coupons on their website. I recommend getting a free sample from your doc before you buy a month's supply. Sweet dreams."

• 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!!!!!"

• Cra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 3, 2018

For Insomnia "Those of you giving up too soon are doing yourselves a grave disservice. It took 5 days until this drug started to work for me at a 30 mg dose. On the fifth night, it was only 4 hours, and I felt kind of unmotivated during the day and had a headache. The next night, it was 5 and a half hours and the same unpleasant side effects. The night after that, it got all the way to 7 hours, but still the same side effects. However, from that night onward, I got a solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night and finally, no more side effects. The headache lifted, and I got my motivation back too. I just wish I could take a normal 20 mg dose, but that just does not work for me. With 30 mg, I am yet to develop a tolerance after 48 days of use, thank God. In Australia, get it from Chemist Warehouse as it's only 58 dollars for the 20 mg 30 days supply. Those of you getting sleep paralysis, try no sweets after dark."

• Ins...
• October 15, 2017

For Insomnia "Horrific RX! Belsomra had absolutely no effect in inducing sleep. I have been awake all night-every night, feeling like my heart is racing and feeling flushed. This script is fabulous if you'd like bouts of diarrhea and headaches."

• Wor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 26, 2016

For Insomnia "I can fall asleep very easily, but my problem is staying asleep. Not only did this product keep me awake all night, but I woke up with a severe headache, stomach cramps, dizziness, and grogginess the entire next day. I felt like I was hungover. Never again. I'm sticking to ZzzQuil."

• wan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 6, 2017

For Insomnia "This medication did not help me fall asleep at all. I would feel like I was about to doze off when all of a sudden I would become very aware of my surroundings and become very awake. Feeling of weakness and inability to move during the night, and I don't know if I was sleeping and having nightmares or was hallucinating. I thought there were ghostly figures in my room and felt like I heard screaming. The next day was spent dealing with a bad headache, sick stomach, foggy head, and on-and-off again napping. Did not drive as I felt that I was not capable of operating a vehicle safely. I will never take this medication again."

• Bee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 28, 2022

For Insomnia "From 10 mg to 20 mg had me waking up every 2 to 3 hours. Terrible headaches during the day, being tired and fatigued with a horrible sinus upper respiratory infection. I never suffered from a sinus infection before this. I'm sorry it's just not worth my $60.00 (wasted) and the suffering throughout the day. No thanks, I'm going back to temazepam until I can find something else that works for me."

• Anonymous
• April 14, 2017

For Insomnia "This did nothing to help me go to sleep or stay asleep. Very expensive, up all night and foggy with tingly legs. Not worth 'waiting for it to work,' as my doctor suggested. Three nights of no sleep is enough. Nothing. Total waste of money and had headaches each day."

• Anonymous
• December 8, 2015

For Insomnia "So horrible. Took 10 mg at 10. Still awake at 11:30. Took 10 mg more and finally fell asleep at 12:30. Woke up at 3, super tired but unable to go to sleep. Side effects are a major headache on the left side of the head and super groggy because you're tired but can't sleep."

• Pug...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2016

For Insomnia "I have taken one pill, waited, it said 30 minutes, and I thought, oh, better lay down then. Four hours later, I wasn't asleep, I was wide awake and had a bad headache. The next night, my doctor upped the dose, still no sleep and another very bad headache. I'm done. I also felt very odd, I can't explain it-disconnected. I would not recommend this drug at all. It's expensive and does more harm than good."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 17, 2019

For Insomnia "Was prescribed 20 mg for insomnia. I have taken it three times. First time, it didn't work at all. Second and third time, I did sleep. However, I woke up with a horrible headache both mornings after taking it and felt like I was in a fog all day. I was very irritable both times also, which lasted the whole day. I will not take it again."

• Anonymous
• October 26, 2017

For Insomnia "I had a terrible experience with this drug. First of all, it still took me a long time to fall asleep. When I did, I couldn't wake myself up when I had to. I also had hallucinations of flying creatures around the room, even with the lights on, that were very frightening. The next day, I felt like I had a terrible hangover and had a headache that lasted all day. I was drowsy all day and just had to drag myself around, even into the next day. I really think the FDA needs to review this drug! Overall, it was a very disturbing and unpleasant experience!"

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

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)."

• 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."

• Sle...
• October 7, 2015

For Insomnia "Awful. 15 mg for 2 nights, and I have a headache again and have not slept for 2 nights... grr. I have tried all kinds of sleeping medication, and I was just taking 2 mg of alprazolam. Dr. said to start taking the Belsomra with 1 mg of alprazolam to wean off. It has been a disaster... I am calling my Dr. for something different as this doesn't work."

• Tyg...
• September 2, 2015

For Insomnia "Female, 61, with chronic insomnia. Been on Ambien off and on since 1998. Diagnosed with chronic abdominal pain too, which impacts my sleep. Ambien worked pretty well, but my insurance just stopped paying for it, so I am trying out Belsomra. Took one 10 mg tab at 7:30 as directed. Went to bed at 10:00; didn't really feel tired. Stared at the ceiling with a headache until 3:00 am. Took another 10 mg tab and finally fell asleep about 3:30. Had an extremely vivid nightmare. (I have always dreamed in Technicolor and stereophonic sound, but this was over the top.) Woke up at 5:00 am, then fell back asleep and had a normal dream, but then was only in a very light sleep when the alarm went off at 7:00 am. Will try again tonight with 20 mg. The jury is out."

• MMa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 15, 2019

For Insomnia "Agree with lots of the other posts. Unfortunately, I got headaches, severe dry mouth (concerned my dental hygienist), frequent urination. It's not awful, but not the choice for me. One tip I can add is that if you go to the manufacturer's website, you can download a great coupon for a much cheaper price!"

• Gba...
• March 26, 2018

For Insomnia "I have taken benzos or Ambien for sleep and tricyclics. If you are taking benzos or Ambien, the first time you take Belsomra without your usual sleep med, it will be challenging. Benzos and Ambien create withdrawal effects and increase insomnia. My first night was not great as I had taken Ambien for over 5 years, but the next night I combined it with doxepin and slept like a baby! Woke up energized. The doxepin took some of the anxiety associated with some of the negative feedback on websites and eased the Ambien/Belsomra transition. I have none of the bad side effects except for an occasional headache, but not interruptive. I tend to get migraines when I do not sleep, so the headache maybe associated with the Belsomra was nothing. The more you take it, the better it seems to work as long as you are on a sleep schedule. I recommend giving this one a shot, and for me, sleep meds don’t make me drowsy the next day... it’s more will they make me drowsy enough to sleep and stay asleep."

• Tay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 23, 2018

For Insomnia "I've suffered with insomnia for years on end and have had no luck finding anything that will help me sleep, so my Dr. prescribed Belsomra to try. I took it at 11:20 pm and was wide awake all night into the next day. About 2 hours after taking it, I started getting a horrible headache that wouldn't go away. The next day, I felt as though I had drunk a bottle of vodka. I was nauseous, headache, 'foggy' mind feeling, felt off balance, and just plain horrible. I took it 1 night and never again. I would advise against this medication. I called my Dr., and he said to stop taking it, so now I have to go back to hopefully find something that will work."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 27, 2019

For Insomnia "I have been using Belsomra for over a month. You do have to work a little at accepting it to enable it to help you sleep. I take it and then read for an hour or so. Then lights out, and I try to picture something in nature. I do seem to feel a leaden sensation in my feet. Also, if I wake up, I feel some sensation in my skin overall. I take 15 mg and do have a sensation of a headache the next day. I also have pulsatile tinnitus in my left ear that resonates in the left half of my head. I am hoping this will retrain my brain to sleep. I used to be a light sleeper, going to bed at 11 PM and falling asleep fairly easily. I would wake a few times at night but then go back to sleep until 7 AM or when light came in my room. Good luck and sweet dreams to all."

• Sea...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 5, 2019

For Insomnia "I mean, eh... I get more headaches, and it seems to only work when I take it with half of a 25 mg Benadryl tablet. I took this for 6 months nightly about a year ago and stopped while noticing no change in sleep patterns. This seems to be the only thing a doctor will prescribe other than a 30-year drug that will make you obese in a few months. I guess it makes sense because it doesn’t do a thing. Being back on it confirmed this."

• Tab...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 6, 2018

For Insomnia "After taking Ambien for years, I thought it was time to try something new, so I decided to try this after my doctor offered me free samples. Let me just say, it was horrible. I was able to try it for 3 days. Every morning, I woke up with a pounding headache. I still have trouble going to sleep, I still have trouble staying asleep. It was a really bad experience. I would not recommend this to anybody. Over-the-counter sleeping aids help me sleep better than Belsomra did. And I didn't wake up with a headache with those. And when I say a headache, I don't mean just a little headache, I mean pounding. I could hear it in my ears every time I took a step, my head would just feel like it was going to explode. Horrible, horrible sleeping aid!"

• eml...
• December 18, 2017

For Insomnia "I took a few samples from my doctor because I wanted to wean off the Xanax that I was using for sleep. This drug worked great the first night, I slept like a baby. I took it a second time and had less success than the first time. I laid there in a sleep-like state, with my mind still racing, but restless and tossing and turning, not in a deep sleep at all. It also gives me a vague headache the next day, and of course, I'm exhausted because it didn't work or it is still lingering in my system. I took it a third time and slept for two hours, and then again, light uncomfortable sleep, was tossing and turning, having scary 'dreams' or delusions about noises that I actually hear in the house normally, now sounded like an intruder. I will not be taking it again."