Aid Liver

7
Apr/090

Can OTC sleep aids cause liver/kidney damage over prolonged taking?

I have been addicted to OTC sleep aid for about 6-8 months now, I used to take 6 or 8 each night to get to sleep, but I have weened myself down to 2 per night and it makes me sleepy and gets the job done. My question is this, can taking 2 per night over a long period still cause liver/kidney damage? I feel a little weird in my lower stomach area and I've decided to just stop taking them all together, but I'm wondering what the chances are damage has been caused and if the body can heal that type of damage itself as well?

Thanks in advance.

Always remember that all drugs you take weather it is an OTC drug or Prescription Drug goes directly to your kidney and the liver filters it.
Trust me when I say that more people die in hospitals because of kidney failure due to so many drugs that has been prescribed for their medications.

Don't be drug dependent. There are tons of natural/home remedies for your sleeping problem.

Common side effects of OTC sleep aids

* drowsiness the next day
* dizziness and forgetfulness
* clumsiness, feeling off balance
* constipation and urinary retention
* blurred vision
* dry mouth and throat

Taking sleeping pills too often can lead to addiction so you have to keep that in mind. Also, use sleeping pills as a last resort if nothing below helps.

Below is a long list about ways to fall asleep. The list is so long that reading it might put you to sleep

What helped me a lot to fall asleep, especially when my mind was racing, was to lie in bed and listen to relaxation CDs, especially those that contain someone speaking with relaxing music in the background. The combination of voice and music is very soothing. Many of these CDs are available on eBay for very low prices.

A warm bath is a great way to help you to sleep (depending on the season). If you can’t take a bath, you can give yourself a foot massage with slightly warm massage oil, sesame oil, or castor oil from a health food store.

A helpful technique is to relax your body one part at a time. So you could relax your feet, your lower legs, upper legs, moving up from your lower belly up to your chest, etc., until your whole body is relaxed.

Of course, guided relaxation methods can help. As vividly as possible, imagine yourself at the beach, in the mountains or country, or whatever is most soothing to you.

If you have annoying thoughts that run through your mind when you are trying to sleep, you might have to talk to a counselor or therapist about that.

There are herbs that might help you to sleep, eg, valerian root, chamomile, hops, passion flower, skullcap. However, what most people don’t realize is that it can take at least a few weeks for some herbs to build up in your system before they start to work.

The minerals calcium and magnesium might be helpful for sleep. You can also try 5-HTP, L-theonine or melatonin. I would not take melatonin for over a month unless your doctor says it is ok.