Hello, Doctor!
I am from Poland, Polish doctors cannot help.
The case is 12 years old.
I had problems with insomnia, the doctor prescribed Promazin, he recommended taking 2 or 3 tablets a day, 100 mg each. I took these amounts, but sleep did not appear at all, when you are awake for 10 days, you start to panic – I started taking more Promazin tablets (5 tablets) to make the drug “catch”. In the end, I started to fall asleep due to total fatigue and exhaustion of the body than from taking Promazine. But the side effects of taking Promazine appeared and continue, i.e. weakening of the brain, slower reactions, weaker concentration, “mudding“, etc.

Could the Doctor suggest a drug / drugs that would reverse the condition after taking Promazine?
Please tell me how to “get down to business”. I’m from Poland.

Thank you very much
Sincerely
L

Dear L,

As many of the insomnias has the underlying causes, if you only target at sleeping, it’s not going to help. The common causes are due to anxiety, depression, or even psychosis, attention deficit hyper activity disorder etc. so without seeing you, I really can’t recommend any kind of medication You should take.

If you are only 12, I guess this is the reason they prescribed this drug to you. This is essentially an  antihistamine. By using The side effects of the anti-histamine, it will give you a feeling of sleepiness. But of course there will be severe hangover and drowsiness the next day.

Therefore, you better see your psychiatrist and ask for a further assessment, and tell him the hangover problem. 

Dr Chan Man Lui

精神科陳蔓蕾醫生回覆：

你好，失眠確實是一個令人困擾的問題。失眠的成因頗多，例如情緒問題、焦慮、藥物或食物影響、家庭問題甚至思覺失調等等均會影響睡眠質素。

如果只是偶然發生一次，而並沒有其他精神問題的病徵，可以多做運動、找朋友或家人開解一下、嘗試解決身邊的問題、減少使用藥物酒精咖啡和茶等刺激性食物。試一試會不會改善。

但如果情況持續、或越來越嚴重、或同事亦有其他精神科的問題，便適而尋求專業人士協助。

謝謝

陳蔓蕾醫生