Originally Posted by canklecat

Please be very careful with those. I'll try to summarize my usual 3,000 word diatribe against using these types of medications too often. But I've personally witnessed the devastating effects on my own family so I have a personal stake in this information.

These are all powerful anti-cholinergics. While this type of drug can serve a legitimate medical function it should be used only under medical supervision and never as sleep aids. These can hasten the onset of dementia and worsen the effects. The transition from responding normally to over-reacting to a single dose can occur unexpectedly. The older we get, the more dangerous the potential reactions.

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Frankly I'd rather lose some sleep than risk taking anti-cholinergics. Occasionally I'll take melatonin, and find I need less of it as I've gotten older.