A Companion for Sleep. The Story of How Switching from Myslee to Quviviq Was Quite Good [Personal Experience]

*This article is strictly based on personal experience. Since the effects and side effects of medication vary greatly from person to person, it does not guarantee the same results for everyone. Please consider your own physical condition and consult with your doctor before changing any medication.

I have been suffering from insomnia for a long time.

I cannot live without sleep aids. However, the medication I had been taking for many years called "Myslee (zolpidem tartrate)", began to cause significant side effects, making it difficult to continue.

In my case,

・Clouding of memory and consciousness before falling asleep
・Dizziness/unsteadiness

were concerns.

The unsteadiness was problematic because when I went to bed right before falling asleep, I would feel like I had no strength in my legs and was about to fall.

The memory issue wasn't a major problem as long as I was conscious, but as I wrote in detail in a past article, it is surprisingly troublesome.

For example,

・Buying food I couldn't finish without remembering it
・Losing money due to contract errors (cryptocurrency, stocks, and various other things)
・Replying to messages without realizing it (noticing them in the morning full of typos)
・Marking emails as read without permission
・Not remembering the climax of a game I was looking forward to (!?)

These kinds of things happened to me.

I understand the effect of Myslee as something that forcibly shuts down the brain. Because of that, the brain's activity level itself gradually drops, but without realizing I haven't fully fallen asleep, I continue to act.

Everything is exhausting in different ways.

Furthermore, there were bad rumors about taking Myslee long-term, so I was worried about that as well.

So, about two months ago, when I consulted my doctor about the actual harmful effects,

"If there is actual harm, it's better to change it, right?"

And so, it was decided that I could change my medication.

Quviviq (daridorexant hydrochloride) is the name of the medication.

This medication is a relatively new treatment for insomnia that was launched in December 2024.

According to the aforementioned KEGG database, the side effects are

was written there.

In clinical trials, it seems to have had the effect of improving sleep onset (shortened by about 17 minutes) and increasing sleep duration (extended by about 41 minutes).

However, in my case, although I had daytime sleepiness and nightmares for the first few days of taking it, now that about two months have passed since I started, I no longer have those side effects.

If anything,

・No impaired consciousness before falling asleep
(With Myslee, my head would feel fuzzy right before falling asleep, but I could still continue activities, which was an awkward state that led to various inconveniences.)

・A refreshed feeling when waking up in the morning
(I believe the drug's effect lasts for a few hours, but I sleep soundly until morning, and my middle-of-the-night awakenings have decreased.)

I have experienced these benefits, and since I don't see any particular downsides to taking the medication...
I feel like I've been doing well for the past month or so.

Unlike Myslee, I understand that Quviviq works by suppressing the brain's arousal state to lead to natural sleep. Perhaps that is why I am able to feel the exhilaration of having fallen asleep naturally.

The only thing that slightly concerns me is that clarithromycin (an antibiotic) is contraindicated for concomitant use, so I might have trouble if I catch an infectious disease like a cold.

Everyone has taken clarithromycin at least once, right?

But you know, since I'm a shut-in and don't meet people, I rarely catch infectious diseases. I'm glad I'm a shut-in.

※Please note that the information regarding the drug's action is based on my own understanding, and the effects are also based on my personal experience. There are individual differences in whether a medication suits someone or not. Please rely on medical institution sources for accurate information.

Recently, hospitals have been able to advertise insomnia outpatient clinics, so if you are also worried about things like "trouble falling asleep" or "frequent middle-of-the-night awakenings," you should feel free to consult a hospital.

If it's hard to go to a psychiatric clinic, I think you can also consult an internal medicine doctor. I used to have sleep medication prescribed by an internal medicine doctor as well.

Being able to sleep properly and eat properly is very important for human beings.

I hope that by developing new drugs like this, the number of people suffering will gradually decrease, leading to a society where everyone can live healthy and happy lives.

I wrote this article while praying for that.
May your sleep tonight be peaceful as well.

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#YeKu
#Insomnia
#SleepDisorder
#MentalIllness
#Depression
#Quviviq
#Myslee