Nicole de la Fuente

February 17, 2015

MC4500
Sleep Aids

Lindsay Achary, 22, has damaged the lining of her stomach to

the point of no return by taking Advil PM regularly for sleep. According
to a study by Brown University, Achary is a part of the 73% of college
student that have difficulty sleeping.
Achary is a senior at LSU majoring in Mass Communication with a
concentration in Advertising and a minor in Business.
Once I realized I was developing an addiction to Advil PM I
attempted to stop; I looked at alternatives like ZZZQuil, Melatonin and
Sleepytime Tea, Achary said. She even saw a sleep specialist who
advised against Advil PM and recommended a prescription medication.
Over the counter medications can be taken for two weeks to help
relieve occasional sleepiness in people ages 12 and older according
to the U.S. Drug and Food Administration. After two weeks the FDA
suggests seeing a doctor.
Advil PMs label says each caplet contains 200mg of ibuprofen
and 38 mg of diphenhydramine citrate. The ibuprofen is used to relieve
pain, fever and inflammation. On Advil PMs website it says the
diphenhydramine citrate is a gentle sleep aid.

Diphenhydramine is originally used to fight allergies, this

explains its use in Benadryl. Now we are using diphenhydramine for its
side effect of drowsiness.
Most over the counter medicines that are advertised to help you
fall asleep with diphenhydramine claim to be non-habit forming but if
you take diphenhydramine regularly your body will develop a physical
tolerance.
Once you develop a tolerance you will have to take more of it to
achieve the effects you once felt when you first started taking the
drug. Although, physical dependence is not the same as addiction. It
often turns into a psychological dependence.
Achary said she first took Advil PM to help her fall asleep but
overtime it developed into a security blanket of knowing she would get
a full night of sleep.
The National Institutes of Health said an average adult sleeps
less than seven hours each night with college students being the most
sleep-deprived populations. The recommended amount of sleep for
adults ages 18-25 is 7-9 hours, according to The National Sleep
Foundation.
After three years of taking Advil PM, Achary started experiencing
symptoms such as allergic reactions to certain foods and beverages.
She worried it was because of the Advil PM and started to wean herself
off of it, but only continued that for two weeks.

Achary saw an allergist who encouraged her to see a

gastroenterologist after she started experiencing extreme upper
abdomen pain to the point of having trouble breathing.
I was more embarrassed when I told her about my overuse of
Advil PM, Achary said.
The gastroenterologist told Achary her long-term use of Advil PM
caused a condition called gastritis, acid reflux, an ulcer in her stomach,
a hernia, and almost harmed her pancreas. The acid reflux damaged
her throat and caused a second condition known as esophagitis.
Now Achary is on a strict diet of fruits, vegetables, lean meats
and no alcohol.
Acharys mom, Judy Achary, 54, remembers feeling terrible and
helpless when Achary first went to the doctor for her symptoms.
As a parent, you never want to see your children hurting, Judy
said.
Judy had encouraged her to stop and even took her to an
Ochsner sleep specialist. She said most people think because
something is over the counter it is safe. While this might be true for
short periods, it is not safe to take for years, said Judy.
Lindsays mother also believes that once Achary got off Advil PM
she no longer had sleep issues but psychologically she became
dependant. She encouraged students with sleep issues to see a doctor
and not try to self-diagnose.

Randy North, 51, is a psychologist in Lake Charles and said when

a client comes in with sleep issues he looks at behavioral habits like
over stimulation in electronic devices, limiting bright lights, diet and
routine.
When treating a client with sleep problems North would suggest
melatonin before recommending the client to a psychiatrist.
Over time there are no long-term benefits to taking over the
counter sleep aids or prescriptions, North said. Because our bodies
become accustomed to these medicines we need to be looking at
behavioral routines first, North strongly recommended.
College students routines are unpredictable with studying and
going to bed late that if students could manipulate their routines
enough to going to sleep at the same time and getting some exercise
then their sleep problems would decrease, North said.
Just use over the counter sleep aids when you absolutely have
to, North advised.
Alyssa Camet, 20, is a Child and Family Studies major at LSU.
Camet also admitted to taking NyQuil and Benadryl for sleep.
I take Benadryl more because it makes me sleep the fastest and
wares off by the time I wake up, Camet said.
Camet takes Benadryl a few times a month for sleep aid. She
said she is addicted to the comfort of knowing she is going to fall
asleep quickly and sleep through the night by taking Benadryl.

If I were aware of the possible long term effects, I probably

would not take sleep aids as much, Camet said.
According to Dr. Shalini Paruthi research on the long-term effects
of over the counter sleep aids is scarce. Dr. Paruthi is a member of the
American Academy of Sleep Medicine and director of the Pediatric
Sleep and Research Center at Cardinal Glennon Childrens Medical
Center.
It was extremely hard for me to admit that this was 100% my
own fault; I always knew there was harm in taking Advil PM for a
prolonged period, but I didnt know how long until I would be effected
by it, Achary said. My stupidity has caused me to deal with this for
the rest of my life.
The LSU Health Center can help students with sleep problems
and can be reached at (225) 578-6271.

Lindsay Achary, 22, prepares a healthy snack of fruit. Achary has been
forced to give up her once regular diet of processed foods for fruits,
vegetables and lean meats. Her new diet is a result of permanent
stomach damage from taking Advil PM continuously for three years for
sleep.

Lindsay Achary, 22, keeps melatonin in her bedside table for when she
has trouble falling asleep. Melatonin is the only sleep aid Achary is
allowed to take after being told by her doctor to stay away from Advil
PM for the rest of her life. The continued use of Advil PM in Acharys
day-to-day life caused her to develop gastritis, acid reflux and
esophagitis.

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