Benzos xanax for sleep

[Colonel Contin]

Hello BL,

I have been prescribe xanax (1mg) for periodic acute panic for nearly a decade. I use the medication as-needed, and have never developed any dependency or any notable increase in tolerance.

I recently visited my GP complaining about back spasms which prevent me from sleeping some nights. He prescribed flexeril for the back spasms and suggested taking .5mg of xanax to ease the insomnia.

This seems like a dangerous idea. I guess what I'd like to know is, does anybody else here use xanax for periodic insomnia and at what frequency will this strategy remain effective without an increase in tolerance and dependency? (ie. is there much risk in doing this a 2-3 times a week as instructed?). I'd rather not develop a benzo habit.

 

[speedballs_over]

As a long term benzo use - prescribed and not - I would never recommend using benzos for sleep except in extreme circumstances, the chance of developing a need for a benxo to sleep is too high, then your in deeper. Keep your (potential) dependence at 1-mg and you'll be glad down the road. There's a host of other supplements, anti-histamines (doxylamine is an ass kicker for me), and other prescription meds that are more appropriate for longer term (more than a two weeks), but really sleep problems need to be dealt with at their source, and a non-substance based approach to sleep induction and continuance through the night should be your goal.

Being dependent upon a substance to sleep doesn't work out long term for too many people, though there will be replies from people that have used a benzo for decades just for sleep and never raised their dose, I'd guess they are statistical outliers, but of course, that's just my guess.

I know it sounds impossible, especially as you toss and turn, but there is much better relief in the long term than xanax. I'd do that for a week, maybe, but the chance that you'll find it too convenient is pretty significant. You may also find yourself waking after only four or six hours of sleep and unable to get back to sleep - this is b/c xanax is rather short acting and will nearly "wear off" while you sleep.

 

[Dresden]

Yeah, what he said, you don't want a benzodiazepine dependency at all.

They don't really even make you feel drunk like you heard, just mildly sedated and calmer for a while. Very little euphoria unless you have crippling anxiety, and then the euphoria will be not from the benzos themselves per se but from their relieving your anxiety. Every once in a while (for someone who is not hopelessly psychologically addicted to them) for sleep on the tail end of a stimulant or psychedelic session is fine, though.

 

[Rybee]

Benzodiazepines can be really effective for relaxing your muscles if they're in spasm, I personally find Diazepam to be the most useful for relaxing muscles, but as others have said, it's not a long term solution for either of your problems. Pro re nata use is fine, but chronic use will only lead to dependence and/or tolerance issues.

Benzo's can be good for inducing sleep but they do interfere with your quality of sleep. As far as I know, Temazepam is one of the few Benzo's that were shown not to interact with REM sleep. I personally find Quetiapine to be the most effective drug for inducing sleep. Even a little dose of 25mg will result in a knockout or induce heavy sedation in first time users.

I've personally never tried Flexeril for muscle spasms but it's worth a shot. Do you know what's causing them?

 

[Colonel Contin]

It's a genetic spinal condition that basically results in poor posture, but I can't remember what he called it (nothing quite as serious as scholiosis or lordosis). I only say it's genetic because my grandmother and my dad suffer the same affliction.

The flexeril is kind of shit for the back spasms IME, and yes, Valium does works wonders for the muscles. Xanax, not so much, but he sort of threw the suggestion in as an aside while he was writing the script for the flexeril. Xanax works great for acute panic, but I don't like the way it feels so I don't take it for recreation. The half-life makes it useless for getting a full-night's rest, but I agree that it does help to ease the transition out of a stimulant crash.

I just wondered what the doc was thinking when he suggested that. Seemed like he was grasping at straws, trying to avoid dumping more scripts on me. Next it will be "flexeril isn't really designed as flu-treatment, but since you're feeling stiff, you might as well give it a whirl" and "that leftover codeine cough syrup might come in handy for the stiffness in your ankle".

 

[tricomb]

Alprazolam is not a good idea as a hypnotic IMO, it's too short acting and it's affinity is heavily leaning on the sedative side rather than hypnotic anyways, and benzodiazepine dependency for sleep is a recipe for disaster.

What else have you tried for sleep? As a severe insomniac i can tell you it's NOT a good idea to put yourself in a position where you are counting on any sort of benzo to get you to sleep.

 

[Wasted_talent]

As stated above, do not use Alprazolam (Xanax) for anything unless its prescribed.
It has a really fast onset and a really fast half-life.
The best thing for sleep is a DAB or internet radio; honestly, it's stops me from thinking at least. The BBC talk channels are the best (no-ad's) or LBC.
No T.V. or screen of any sort as the refresh rate will stimulate.
One of these will do the job, it's an honest to goodness internet radio that you can download any ambient, talk radio set in real time from
http://www.wifiradio-frontier.com/

I have an 83i and honestly it's the most used thing in herein.
Failing that a K-pin.

 

[ElvisPillsley]

After a few other meds not working, including ambien, my doc wrote me Xanax 2mg - which in reality is pretty remarkable since I'd never had benzos before that.

Hell yes they work for sleep, and I've had bars for about 10 years now, have used them at times most days a week including for fun with beer and I've never felt a need for more than 1. I myself am surprised that 1 still does it for sleep and fun, but it does. Don't take them often enough that you develop physical dependence because that is hell to kick.

 

[ElvisPillsley]

As a long term benzo use - prescribed and not - I would never recommend using benzos for sleep except in extreme circumstances, the chance of developing a need for a benxo to sleep is too high, then your in deeper. Keep your (potential) dependence at 1-mg and you'll be glad down the road. There's a host of other supplements, anti-histamines (doxylamine is an ass kicker for me), and other prescription meds that are more appropriate for longer term (more than a two weeks), but really sleep problems need to be dealt with at their source, and a non-substance based approach to sleep induction and continuance through the night should be your goal.

Being dependent upon a substance to sleep doesn't work out long term for too many people, though there will be replies from people that have used a benzo for decades just for sleep and never raised their dose, I'd guess they are statistical outliers, but of course, that's just my guess.

I know it sounds impossible, especially as you toss and turn, but there is much better relief in the long term than xanax. I'd do that for a week, maybe, but the chance that you'll find it too convenient is pretty significant. You may also find yourself waking after only four or six hours of sleep and unable to get back to sleep - this is b/c xanax is rather short acting and will nearly "wear off" while you sleep.

Absolutely disagree. There is no "chance" for addiction so long as you don't take it too often, your wording is dangerous; sounds as if your luck is bad you'll take them properly to avoid dependence but damn, it happened anyway.

Insomnia is pretty extreme when it's chronic, was for me anyway. Makes functioning in any meaningful way impossible. If you think Benadryl is the solution, you and I have had very different experiences with insomnia.

Being dependent on it to sleep is not good, correct. However, as I said, take it properly and it's easily avoided. Beyond that, it's amazing how much easier it is to sleep well when you got a good night of sleep the one previous, woke in the morning and had a real day - which Xanax can help happen.

2mg Xanax is truly the only med a psychiatrist EVER wrote me that has done a damn bit of good - if you can get them get them, just be cautious and responsible in your use and you'll be fine or even better than fine.

 

[Wasted_talent]

Everyone is different with benzo's. Some can drop it like a bad habit, others just drop it like a bad habit.
Benzo's are crazy in this way. If you can skip days inbetween; then fair play. But if you just keep the dose going up and up; you'll run into problems

 

[tricomb]

I've been on benzos more than half my life and it aint no fucking panacea or a picnic. I learned early on that using them as one's go-to hypnotic is a recipe for disaster and even worse insomnia than you had before. These days I take quetiapine for my chronic severe insomnia, in addition to doing a whole lot of shit to try and improve my overall sleep hygiene and circadian rhythm.

 

[Colonel Contin]

What else have you tried for sleep?

Melatonin, Gaba, phenibut, alcohol, NyQuil, other otc stuff. My insomnia is periodic, and in this case has arisen with these 'back spasms' at the source. I was pushing for soma, but no dice. Using the xanax to fall asleep works, kpin works even better, but I'm trying to avoid taking benzodiazapines to sleep, especially since they do nothing for the symptom that's at the root of the insomnia in the first place.

 

[pinpoint]

If you must use a benzodiazepine for insomnia (spoiler alert: you don't) then I'd recommend Restoril (temazepam) due to it's relative lack of negative impact on sleep cycles that most benzodiazepines are known for. Ambien (zolpidem) is perhaps another more appropriate option to speak to your doctor about. There are many more safer options like practicing good sleep hygiene, low dose anti-psychs or even tricyclic AD's that have little to no risk of dependence.

 

[samm2]

Melatonin, Gaba, phenibut, alcohol, NyQuil, other otc stuff. My insomnia is periodic, and in this case has arisen with these 'back spasms' at the source. I was pushing for soma, but no dice. Using the xanax to fall asleep works, kpin works even better, but I'm trying to avoid taking benzodiazapines to sleep, especially since they do nothing for the symptom that's at the root of the insomnia in the first place.

melatonin----safe? yes effective?for me sometimes,don't know why
gaba---safe?yes effective? for me no
phenibut---safe?depends on dosage
alcohol----this does exactly what benzos do....very effective in the beginning,but as tricomb put it,using it as your go-to hypnotic is a recipe for disaster and left with insomnia worse than you had before,it,along with benzos,just are not a sustainable dailysolution.Yet very seemingly perfect for the job.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

A more hypnotic benzodiazepine like diazepam or nitrazepam would probably be more appropriate.

I take zolpidem (10 mgs) and that works pretty good as well. IMO it's not terribly addictive, either.

All medication that helps enable sleep carries some risk of being habit-forming, though, if it's effective.


edit: I also think certain strains of marijuana are really good for insomnia. I'm not sure how reactionary Ohio's weed laws are, though.

 

[oxygirlinct]

I've always had insomnia and took Ambien, Xanax, Ativan, Tylenol PM, Benadryl, whatever just to knock me out when I was desperate. I traveled abroad and found these things unavailable and was advised to take Melatonin *rolls eyes* but I swear, it works wonders. I take (I believe) the highest dose which is 10 mg (I think, I'd have to double check) Just saying, give it a try. It works for me and this comes from a person who has an extreme tolerance to opiates and other drugs. I was VERY doubtful, but I take it regularly and there's really no negatives to be seen.

 

[Colonel Contin]

I also think certain strains of marijuana are really good for insomnia. I'm not sure how reactionary Ohio's weed laws are, though.

I'm not sure either, nor do I care. I have weed, but it seems all strains, no matter how sedating, make me susceptible to anxiety and, consequently, to racing thoughts that keep me awake.

I also take suboxone, which works, for the most part, as a preventative measure for the back spasms (and given the tiny size of the dose of bupe I take for maintenance and the tiny size of the dose of alprozalam I take for panic, respiratory depression is not an issue, so let's not even discuss that). In the event that my back spasms do keep me awake, wouldn't it make more sense to investigate more effective measures for treating the spasms than to cycle through all of the potentially habit forming hypnotic drugs to find out which one best knocks me out in spite of the back issues? My vote is for soma, but maybe that's not ideal for some reason (my doc seemed hesitant to try it, don't know why aside from the fact that he could tell I wanted it).

 

[Kid Amine]

I've been on benzos more than half my life and it aint no fucking panacea or a picnic. I learned early on that using them as one's go-to hypnotic is a recipe for disaster and even worse insomnia than you had before. These days I take quetiapine for my chronic severe insomnia, in addition to doing a whole lot of shit to try and improve my overall sleep hygiene and circadian rhythm.

Have you noticed weight gain or type 2 diabetus? I, too, have chronic and severe insomnia, it's a bitch, i feel for ya, however taking seroquel for it frankly scares the shit out of me, as is the all too often practice of doctors prescribing the stuff off-label for insomnia, without identifying the cause of said insomnia. for me, xanax works for sleep because it relieves the anxiety I frequently experience. i dont take it for sleep, I take it when my anxiety is too high and I stress out (which was frequently mid-day, from work or family situations), and the relaxation allows for longer, better sleep that night. I didnt take it everyday, and when i had it last, even 0.25mg doses were effective.

OP, if the flexeril doesnt work by itself, there are other muscle relaxers to try. I would not take benzos for insomnia alone. I was prescribed temazepam for sleep at one point in my life, and while it initially worked, within a year it didnt.

 

[tricomb]

nope, no side effects.

 

[Colonel Contin]

There are many more safer options like practicing good sleep hygiene, low dose anti-psychs or even tricyclic AD's that have little to no risk of dependence.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention also having tried seroquel in the past. It worked quite well, but put me in an uncomfortable, almost comatose state.

I almost didn't recognize you without your socks avatar (it's amazing how much something like that can contribute to somebody's online 'persona').