Rx's for COVID-19 -
BostonCard - 04-16-2020
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/express-scripts-covid-19-driving-up-use-behavioral-health-medications
Apparently lots of antidepressants, anti-anxiety and anti-insomnia drugs, which are up about 20% from the pre-COVID days
BC
RE: Rx's for COVID-19 -
M T - 04-17-2020
I expect BC saw the medical paper out of China (10 days ago?) indicating one thing that helped the patients was sleeping pills. As I remember it, my thought when I read the paper was that the coughing kept people from getting enough rest for their body to do what it could. Sleeping pills helped them to get the needed rest. It might be that some of those anti-insomnia drugs are actually for those with the disease at home.
It might also be that this was a wave of buying meds to avoid not being able to get them later. For instance, I switched from 30-day to 90-day prescriptions.
RE: Rx's for COVID-19 -
Mick - 04-17-2020
(04-17-2020, 03:30 AM)M T Wrote: I expect BC saw the medical paper out of China (10 days ago?) indicating one thing that helped the patients was sleeping pills. As I remember it, my thought when I read the paper was that the coughing kept people from getting enough rest for their body to do what it could. Sleeping pills helped them to get the needed rest. It might be that some of those anti-insomnia drugs are actually for those with the disease at home.
It might also be that this was a wave of buying meds to avoid not being able to get them later. For instance, I switched from 30-day to 90-day prescriptions.
I did the same thing. I've had a few lung-related issues with associated severe coughing. Deep sleep really helped.
RE: Rx's for COVID-19 -
stupac2 - 04-17-2020
(04-17-2020, 03:30 AM)M T Wrote: I expect BC saw the medical paper out of China (10 days ago?) indicating one thing that helped the patients was sleeping pills. As I remember it, my thought when I read the paper was that the coughing kept people from getting enough rest for their body to do what it could. Sleeping pills helped them to get the needed rest. It might be that some of those anti-insomnia drugs are actually for those with the disease at home.
My experience as a lifetime insomniac is that sleeping pill sleep is far less restful than natural sleep*. Of course, if you're coughing up a storm it might be preferable. I've usually tried to reduce the cough, rather than increase the strength of the sleeping meds, but I've never had COVID or another very, very bad cough.
*(Also a note in case you were unaware, there's apparently evidence that hypnotics that are marketed as sleep aids (I was using unisom but I believe it applies to all of them) can cause dementia later in life. My doctor highly discouraged long-term use. Which was fine with me because, as I said, I went from regularly feeling like I needed 10+ hours on unisom to a more normal ~8 naturally, even if there was more awake time.)
RE: Rx's for COVID-19 -
BostonCard - 04-17-2020
As someone who has had issues with sleep forever and who has a paradoxical reaction to sleeping aids (they make me tired but restless rather than making me fall asleep), I've found two things help a ton. The first is a weighted blanket. The second is a cooling pad under the mattress because I have a tendency to get hot in bed. I wouldn't say I sleep perfectly.
My read of the article was that the whole thing (COVID-19 plus shelter in place) is making people very anxious and giving them insomnia, and so they are loading up on anxiolytics and sleeping pills.
BC