Unisom withdraw

[benw!]

So I started having bad insomnia in 2012. I have been taking unisom nightly since then. I have seen all over this board that if I need to go in for a CogScreen I shouldn’t have this in my system. BUT, how long will it take to get myself back to a normal sleep schedule off the drug? I have heard something about “rebound insomnia”

 

[murphey]

Step 1 - talk to your doctor (not an AME) about why you're having insomnia. From notes about the drug.."not meant to be used for more than two weeks." Which means at this point you're either physically or psychologically addicted. You really need to see your doctor about the underlying cause(s) of the insomnia.
Step 2 - see Step 1.

 

[flyingron]

Doxylamine is a sedating antihistamine (while it's marketed as Unisom and various other sleep brands, it's also sold under Coricidin for allergies, etc...). I presume you aren't taking it anytime near when you were flying. It's not known for having a whole lot of withdrawal effects even with prolonged use. Your best bet is to terminate it (and make any other changes you anticipate) well before your COGSCREEN appointment.

 

[benyflyguy]

Antihistamines typically don’t cause rebound symptoms like that. It could be more psychological in nature. Knowing your not taking something-consider it like a reverse placebo effect.
Melatonin is safe. Takes a month to work though. Need a good work up but be careful to accept prescriptions. I have to tell all my patients on hypotonics and benzos “recent studies has associated prolonged use of these classes of meds with dementia.”

 

[AggieMike88]

I very much agree with Murphey that you seek the counsel of your primary doctor before you bother with the flying or aviation medical items. Overall health is more important than flying.

Sorting out the insomnia may take some time, which might also swing the "what to do for the FAA" question more toward the green arc.

Once the insomnia is dealt with, then you can proceed to a consultative visit with the right AME for your situation to obtain guidance on how to successfully obtain your flight medical certification.