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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Do you know of a good "non-addictive" sleep aid?

Irene Iesu

Irene Iesu

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Joined
Sep 3, 2016
Messages
11
After trying four different SNRI/SSRIs, I've settled for the combination of Bupropion + Prozac, and it seems to be working well for me so far ... but there's this one problem.

I tend to oversleep when I'm depressed (total lack of energy and motivation).Bupropion is helping to correct that aspect. It keeps me wakeful all through the day and I don't feel like lying down in the middle of the day like I used to. But now I have a hard time falling asleep at night, which was never a problem before. I've been using Xanax(prescribed for my anxiety issue) to sleep but it's highly addictive, so I don't want to develop a dependence on it. I've tried melatonin, but it doesn't do much for me.

I'm thinking of asking my doctor for some kind of sedative that I can take on an as-needed basis, and I'm wondering if anyone can recommend me something. I'd like to do my own research and know what are available (and if my insurance covers, etc) before I talk to my doctor. Any input is appreciated. :)
 
Well, temazepam is a benzo but it is not nearly as monstrous as alprazolam, so if you're open to rotating benzos, there's that, and a couple other weaker benzos.

As for other sedative/hypnotics that help sleep, the z-drugs are the next tier. Zolpidem is very effective but some have dangerous reactions to it such as sleep-driving.

Then there are also the muscle relaxants, which although are not indicated for sleep at all, are very somnolescent, at least for me. I personally like carisoprodol and cyclobenzaprine. A nice double or triple dose (be careful, I have a tolerance - dose gradually with plenty of time in between until you feel right) of either of those not only puts me to sleep (even during opioid w/d), but also provides a nice opioid-like body high.

The first two are addictive, but less so than xanax by many orders of magnitude.

I'm not certain how physically addictive the muscle relaxants are.

Hope that helps, good luck sleeping. I had the same problem last week and just got out of it a few days ago, specifially with cyclobenzaprine and zolpidem.
 
Most sleep aids, even herbal ones, cause dependence if used long-term.
 
I find melatonin works very well, and is a natural supplement. It's nonaddictive, but the only problem is a slight tolerance. I believe the instructions on the bottle say take a 3 day break once every 2 months, that's it. It's also otc
 
Being a person who has dealt with insomnia his entire life (it's 6:40am est and I'm still awake) lol I can tell you from first hand experience that Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) is NON addictive and over the counter. It is a very old and time tested antihistamine that has worked for myself, mom, brother and fiancée for over 20 years. I have been taking it again now for 3+ years straight, given I have a tolerance to it and take 100-150mgs a night . It is recommended at 50mgs for most people, however I am 6ft6, weigh 260 pounds and take 100-150mgs and to give you a comparison my fiancée weighs 113lbs soaking wet and takes 100mgs every night and she started at that dose.

I suggest if you go the diphenhydramine route you start at 25-50mgs.

now an even better (far better) sleeping aid is called seroquel (quetiapine) it is actually prescribed for depression/bipolar disorder and schizophrenia but is prescribed OFF-Label as a sleep aid to treat insomnia.

Many medicines are prescribed for off-label uses and many are used specifically for sleep related issues.

I would highly suggest speaking with your doctor about the seroquel. If for some reason that's not an option another anti-depressant used for insomnia off-label is (Trazodone) and another is (Remron).

Remron didnt work well for me. Trazodone did help but has a very short window (amount of time it causes drowsiness) roughly 15-30 minutes after taking it or it can potentially reverse on you and keep you up. Also tolerance builds up quickly and doesn't work for more than a few weeks or so.

There are many other sleep aids but some are narcotic and addictive and also have many side effects (some relatively bad) and others just don't work well.

Based on your question and the info you have given I am going to assume, and I can be wrong but do you have a previous history with addiction or are you at a high risk of developing a dependency? I apologize if I am incorrect. I am just trying to give the best advice I can.

If its narcotics you want to stay away from I would suggest trying Diphenhydramine first for a few nights adjusting the dose to fit your needs. Then I would speak with my GP about seroquel. The recommended dose of seroquel for sleep is 50mgs and works wonders for both myself and my fiancée.

I hope this helps and I hope you get a good nights rest soon! ;) good luck.
 
MrPillPopper82 said:
now an even better (far better) sleeping aid is called seroquel (quetiapine) it is actually prescribed for depression/bipolar disorder and schizophrenia but is prescribed OFF-Label as a sleep aid to treat insomnia.
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No offense, but I would never recommend an antipsychotic just for sleep. Especially since the title of the thread is "non-addictive" sleep aid. I doubt most doctors would prescribe it in the first place for only insomnia. Trazodone more likely.
 
I would have to respectfully disagree considering multiple doctors have mentioned it to me and if you do even the slightest search on seroquel you will see it is prescribed for sleep more often than you think. It is non-narcotic and non-addicting. It is also prescribed and allowed in most inpatient rehabs and detox facilities. If it had any potential for abuse I highly doubt it would be permitted in clinical settings. Maybe just to play it safe I should say it has very "low potential for abuse".

Regardless I did suggest the Diphenhydramine option as a first suggestion and a number of other options. I guess in comparison to Ambien, lunesta, or a number of other prescription sleep aids, seroquel is most effective and least problematic.


Quetiapine is prescribed very often for insomnia and insomnia only.

Per FDA and AstraZenecas websites: I quote, "Seroquel is not physically addicting. It can be psychologically addicting but so can Pepsi, chapstick and marijuana. :p

No no offense taken at all. If I am wrong, ever with anything I say I would hope to be corrected by someone more knowledgeable on the subject. I am here to help as much as I can and also learn as much as I can.
 
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Quetiapine, marketed as Seroquel, is an atypical antipsychotic approved for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and along with an antidepressant to treat major depressive disorder. It is also sometimes used as a sleep aid because of its sedating effect but this use is not recommended.[6]
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Discontinuation

Quetiapine should be discontinued gradually, with careful consideration from the prescribing doctor, to avoid withdrawal symptoms or relapse.

The British National Formulary recommends a gradual withdrawal when discontinuing anti-psychotic treatment to avoid acute withdrawal syndrome or rapid relapse.[37] Due to compensatory changes at dopamine, serotonin, adrenergic and histamine receptor sites in the central nervous system, withdrawal symptoms can occur during abrupt or over-rapid reduction in dosage. However, despite increasing demand for safe and effective antipsychotic withdrawal protocols or dose-reduction schedules, no specific guidelines with proven safety and efficacy are currently available.

Withdrawal symptoms reported to occur after discontinuation of antipsychotics include nausea, emesis, lightheadedness, diaphoresis, dyskinesia, orthostatic hypotension, tachycardia, insomnia, nervousness, dizziness, headache, excessive non-stop crying, and anxiety.[38][39] Some have argued that additional somatic and psychiatric symptoms associated with dopaminergic super-sensitivity, including dyskinesia and acute psychosis, are common features of withdrawal in individuals treated with neuroleptics.[40][41]
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetiapine

If that's stuff you want to risk just for sleep along with the side effects then fine, but I still wouldn't recommend it. I've taken it a few times in my life and I basically felt like a zombie all of the next day. And this was taking half of a 50mg tablet.
 
Well like all drugs, they have their side effects. It's a risk we all take.

It's always worked well for me and I've never had any issues at all whatsoever be it during use or during long periods of cessation.

Ive never experienced the hangover effect from it either. Diphenhydramine on the other hand I do experience the hangover effect from.
 
In the past I used trazadone at 50mg then up to 100mg with no morning sluggishness. It worked well for about 10 years and one day just stopped. I tried Lunesta and Ambien... BAD idea, stay away. I ended up taking 3-5mg of melatonin at bedtime, it will help you fall asleep but won't keep you asleep. I added tizanadine beginnnig with 1mg and have been up to 8mg but went back to 4mg. It has a VERY short half life of about 2 hours. So you don't feel drugged in the AM with it either. I would try the trazadone first. I had no problems when I stopped and it worked well. If you use the Tizanadine and you wake up at 3AM, you may be able to take another mg, it only lasts about 4hours for mr and it's gone. I'm also on Klonopin but am in the process of titration going off it, I can't remember why, lol. Good luck. BTW, I tried the valerian and other herbs, none worked for me.
J
 
I take a combination of ambien, tranzadone and topamax. i used to get up and eat in the middle of the night and did't kknow it unitl i gained 40 pounds and my husband decided to mention it to me. the trazadone with it keeps me in bed and the topamax was prescribed by a shrink years ago to help with nightmares. alone it does great. the combo is better. i feel restful when i wake up and if i forget to refill anything, i'll pop a couple of sominex, maybe up to 4 sometimes cause they're so mild. i completely agree with the benydryl. they call it the poor man's sleeping pill, so i've read, and i used to take that for hives and it always knocked me out cold.

as for the seroquil. i am in agreement the person who said it shouldn't be taken as a sleep aid. unless you have taken this drug, i wouldn't recommend my enemy to take it or any other ANTIPSYCHOIC. you may have read about it's clinical safety but i know from personal experience, it is to be taken unless you HAVE TO. and even then, i would take pause. and on top of it, you will gain so much weight you will end up more depressed if you were, and near death from the hypertension.
 
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