FDA approves new insomnia drug

[SixBuckets]

I've been using 30 mg of Temazapam for sleep for 11 years now. I was put on it after failing trials of every other sleep med out there. I have periodically tried other meds as they became available.

I've just moved and changed psych docs. My new doc had a fit when she found out that i'd been on Temazapam and Lorazapam for 11 years straight, and then informed me that due to my mental health situation (Bipolar, generalized anxiety, PTSD, etc.) and physical health issues, she felt the risks of attempting to withdraw me from the meds, especially since I have not increased my dosages and do not abuse them, outweighed the risks of me continuing to take them.

So, I've basically been informed that it's healthier for me to remain dependent on benzos! Interestingly, the only thing I've noticed when I've tried not taking the benzos is horrific rebound anxiety and simply not sleeping. The problem with this is that the anxiety renders me non-functional and the lack of sleep throws me into a manic state after 3-4 days.

As of the last time i tried this, I was not aware of the seizure risk, and only recently found out that i was risking my life playing games with my medications. I figured it would be like when I quit taking Vicodin after knee surgery many years ago: feel crappy for a week and then you're over it.

Now my medical care team has me scared to death to run out of my "fix".

This is pretty much me! I've been taking Stilnox and Imovane (alternately, not together) for over a decade. If I miss them, I just don't sleep - no seizures, no withdrawal, just insomnia.

 

[ro4eva]

I haven't used benzodiazepines in at least 10 months

Never had a problem with them

Benzodiazepines are weird. I have known people who felt nothing from temazepam.

I don't suffer from insomnia much anymore.

I just take Valerian tea now and it works well.

I'm actually trying to wean myself off of Xanax with Valerian - well, that, Hops and Chamomile. I've been experiencing some very vivid dreams since substituting a Xanax dose here and there with the aforementioned herbal combination. And it can be somewhat disruptive to my day, I find, but I'll take it if it helps me to rid myself of the Xannies for good. I suspect it's primarily responsible for my short term memory slowly but surely going to shit.

 

[colemanito]

My doctor put me on them today. She explained that a small percentage of people reported euphoria if they too 20 times the recommended dosage, so I guess that's how it got thrown in with the schedule IVs. Doesn't sound like it's work it. I am skeptical about it even helping me sleep as 4 MG of klonipin, 1600 mgs of Gabapentin, 20 mgs of Baclofen, and 6 to 10 benadryl barely get me to sleep for a full 5 hours. We'll see soon enough, though.

 

[tripyhippy]

colemanito I suffer from chronic severe insomnia and have a handful of presecription sleep aids, I was on belsomra for 3 months and found the sleep to be low quality and a quick rise to tolerance I decided to never increase my dosage and switched to lunesta without weeening off or anything. It affects your brain by working on orexin receptors which when actively transmitting cause wakefulness and alertness. Belsomra is said to shut down these pathways and in turn make the body produce more relaxing serotonin. I expected to be knocked out for a full 6-8 hours but was unsatisfied. I like lunesta which I've been on for a few weeks now, however recently I started sleeping very deeply and going to meditative states of sleep where I have a spiritual awakening and travel in my mind. I don't mean to sound odd I'm a very psychedelic and spiritual person, but I've had insomnia for a very long time. Hope this is of help, and I'm active on the subject.

 

[SKL]

having tried many other things my doctor prescribed me this time a trio of ramelteon, zolpidem, and asenapine (Saphris, a newish atypical antipsychotic, close in structure to old TCAs but with pharmacological closer to 2GAs) taken as a cocktail. it works, knocks me out good and proper. i was hesitant to go and remain hesitant to be on an atypical on a daily basis but as I also take medication for depression it can be a useful ancila there

 

[consumer]

Those pills worked for me as well when i tried them years ago.
Frankly i dont trust their "ingredients" lists though. I wouldnt put much past them, frankly.
Maybe i'm too cynical and suspicious

That chain of stores used to sell a dmt laced smoking mix called DreaMTime...and it didnt mention any tryptamines on the label

 

[ro4eva]

My doctor put me on them today. She explained that a small percentage of people reported euphoria if they too 20 times the recommended dosage, so I guess that's how it got thrown in with the schedule IVs. Doesn't sound like it's work it. I am skeptical about it even helping me sleep as 4 MG of klonipin, 1600 mgs of Gabapentin, 20 mgs of Baclofen, and 6 to 10 benadryl barely get me to sleep for a full 5 hours. We'll see soon enough, though.

I'm probably repeating myself here, but um, I wouldn't consider Benzodiazepines to cause a feeling of euphoria. And that includes the most popular ones recreationally such as Temazepam and Alprazolam.

If there is any euphoric feeling at all, it is probably interpreted as such because of the quick and effective relief offered to someone who is (or was) experiencing, for example, a panic attack. At least, that's just my opinion based on my own extensive personal history with Benzos.

Sure, a small percentage of Benzo consumers indeed may feel a euphoric "high," I have no doubt. And the reason I believe that, is because I happen to find that the so called Z-drugs (especially Zopiclone) always get me pretty buzzed up (as in, I'm actually feeling high). And I know that many other BLers consider the Z-drugs to be complete shit with respect to recreational value/potential. So... it appears that we're definitely all wired up differently, that's for sure.

 

[colemanito]

I'm probably repeating myself here, but um, I wouldn't consider Benzodiazepines to cause a feeling of euphoria. And that includes the most popular ones recreationally such as Temazepam and Alprazolam.

If there is any euphoric feeling at all, it is probably interpreted as such because of the quick and effective relief offered to someone who is (or was) experiencing, for example, a panic attack. At least, that's just my opinion based on my own extensive personal history with Benzos.

Sure, a small percentage of Benzo consumers indeed may feel a euphoric "high," I have no doubt. And the reason I believe that, is because I happen to find that the so called Z-drugs (especially Zopiclone) always get me pretty buzzed up (as in, I'm actually feeling high). And I know that many other BLers consider the Z-drugs to be complete shit with respect to recreational value/potential. So... it appears that we're definitely all wired up differently, that's for sure.

When I first started taking Valium 20 years ago, 20 mgs was the greatest feeling I had ever experienced. Then I found Xanax, and that was an even better feeling. Klonipin was nice too, but more subtle. For several years, I was able to very cheaply get as many of any type of benzo I wanted at any time. I used them heavily for a long period. Opiates had been my drug of choice, but that first good Valium buzz made it so that things like hydrocodone were barely worth taking, and often made my anxiety worse. Now, after years of benzo abuse, I literally feel almost no effect at all, and I wouldn't call it euphoric. I typically take them to potentiate other cocktails, but they tend to cause blackouts and bad behavior as much as anything else. After not taking a Xanax for years, I took 8 mgs the other night and felt no euphoria at all.

As far as Belsomra, the 10 mgs have proven to be useless. I go to pick up the 20 MG trial today, but I'm honestly only doing it because they are free.

 

[ro4eva]

When I first started taking Valium 20 years ago, 20 mgs was the greatest feeling I had ever experienced. Then I found Xanax, and that was an even better feeling. Klonipin was nice too, but more subtle. For several years, I was able to very cheaply get as many of any type of benzo I wanted at any time. I used them heavily for a long period. Opiates had been my drug of choice, but that first good Valium buzz made it so that things like hydrocodone were barely worth taking, and often made my anxiety worse. Now, after years of benzo abuse, I literally feel almost no effect at all, and I wouldn't call it euphoric. I typically take them to potentiate other cocktails, but they tend to cause blackouts and bad behavior as much as anything else. After not taking a Xanax for years, I took 8 mgs the other night and felt no euphoria at all.

As far as Belsomra, the 10 mgs have proven to be useless. I go to pick up the 20 MG trial today, but I'm honestly only doing it because they are free.

Do you think that the reason why you reportedly felt no notable "high" after consuming some Alprazolam for the first time in several years is due to long term changes in the corresponding areas of the brain affected by Benzodiazepines? And if yes, would you say that such long term changes (or clinically significant alterations of some sort) can be classified as neurotoxity?

 

[spacejunk]

That chain of stores used to sell a dmt laced smoking mix called DreaMTime...and it didnt mention any tryptamines on the label

Oh yeah, i loved that stuff.

 

[MrCream]

Sorry to jump in here but I have to say I do believe after years on benzo's they change your brain chemistry AS in it has been altered and has neurotoxity ...as in probably permanent brain damage that leads to thigns such as memory loss aggression dementia and Alzheimer....scary stuff that I believe should only be taken in very short terms in very traumatic high anxiety situations for 2-4 days maybe a week and a half max....but this is just my opinion

 

[ro4eva]

Sorry to jump in here but I have to say I do believe after years on benzo's they change your brain chemistry AS in it has been altered and has neurotoxity ...as in probably permanent brain damage that leads to thigns such as memory loss aggression dementia and Alzheimer....scary stuff that I believe should only be taken in very short terms in very traumatic high anxiety situations for 2-4 days maybe a week and a half max....but this is just my opinion

I think your opinion sucks!

Just kidding man - I genuinely share your suspicion of long-term changes brought on by way of neurotoxicity (perhaps by some indirect mechanism or pathway?).

Sooner or later, the amount of Benzo prescriptions shall go the way of Barbiturates, no doubt. I just hope that the primary cause of that shift won't be due to an ever-increasing amount of SSRI and/or SNRI scripts. Perhaps I'm reaching here, but erm, I'm rather disturbed by the amount of on and off-label uses of the reuptake inhibitor drug families documented nowadays in medical literature.

For example, it's not uncommon as far as I'm aware for a psychiatrist to prescribe an SSRI like Sertraline (Zoloft) for premature ejaculation (I've heard SSRIs can leave patients with permanent changes in libido - specifically, being unable to achieve and/or maintain an erection, which has me questioning whether it's worth the risk).

That being said, my own unpleasant experiences with being Rx'd a few SSRIs + a couple SNRIs over a ~2 year period by a former shrink (or two IIRC) is likely reinforcing the above notion, good day.