Misc Getting over next-day sedation from sleeping pills?

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

I need sleeping pills badly as I haven't slept "naturally" in nine years. I was an alcoholic for seven years (which started drinking every night to sleep. It escalated like I needed two glasses of wine and then two bottles and then a liter of malibu rum; started waking up with the shakes, sweating, vomiting etc so started drinking through the day just to avoid withdrawal symptoms, ended up drinking 6 bottles of wine or two liters of vodka every day) and needed to get super-drunk to sleep.
I was prescribed Zopiclone when I stopped drinking and happened to simultaneously get addicted to benzodiazapines.

I can't get sleeping pills from my GP due to history of benzo and opiate addiction. I use whatever I can: Quetiapine (Rx'd), Trazodone (Rx'd), Mirtazapine, Zolpidem etc.
I'm currently on Zopiclone again. It helps me sleep but I feel tired and sleepy the next day every time. Is there anything I can do about the day-after sedation? Exercise and coffee don't really seem to help. I hate having such tiredness.

 

[MrRoot]

In what doses you take your quetiapine or Mirtazapine? They make you more sleepy at smaller dosages and half or quarter of Mirtazapine's lowest pill will make you sleepy but won't keep you sedated in the morning.

 

[Chronicpain54]

How much and what are you taking at night? The higher the dose the worse the next day can be obviously.

It's a side effect that goes away as long as you take the same thing every night. If you take trazodone one night, Ambien the next night and start increasing your dosages you may find that the tiredness you feel doesn't go away.

For the moment pick just one sleep aid and see if the tiredness goes away within a week.

I had that problem but it truly is just a side effect and usually those go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. But if you mix and match meds and take larger doses every night it could never go away. I take klonopin and gabapentin every night and I used to wake up and run into walls trying to make coffee lol. Now I don't notice anything but my doses haven't been changed in a few years.

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

The Quetiapine I take 150mg, the Trazodone 300mg and the Zopiclone 7.5mg.

Should I try JUST Zopiclone?

 

[MrRoot]

Well 25mg of quetiapine alone would be enough for sleep. The antihistamine effect is stronger with lower dosages which means that the most sedating effects will occur at the daytime if you take 150mg.

 

[Chronicpain54]

Try taking just one med for a week and keep the dosage now. Just enough to put you to sleep, just don't take enough to put 3 of us to sleep.

You will feel better overall once you get past that side effect. You can change meds but stay with one for awhile then you can try one of the other sleep meds if you aren't sleeping well.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Yup, it's more likely you're noticing a hangover from the significant dose of quetiapine and trazadone you're taking. Hell, I notice sluggishness the next day from just 50mg trazadone alone.

Insomnia sucks though. If you've has issues with alcohol, especially if you're still dealing with cravings for alcohol or benzos (or opioids), have you ever tried baclofen? Might be worth looking into to add to your nighttime meds. Would probably help you reduce the insomnia meds you take as well.

 

[Chronicpain54]

Yeah, my daughter gave me a 25mg trazodone several weeks ago and I don't remember falling asleep in the middle of a sentence while watching YouTube on my phone, and the next day I drank copious amounts of coffee but was still tired.

I'd love to have a script for it but since I'm on a low dose of klonopin I know my doctor won't do it.

Try lowering your dose and just taking one sleep med. You can increase it until you get a good night's sleep. Stick at that dosage as long as possible.

Feel better. I hope you are able to get it figured out.

 

[Mycophile]

I would ask if you've tried Marijuanna for sleep but I'd assume you have and it wasn't effective as it's so common, if not that's a better route to go.

Obviously certain sedatives/sleep inducing drugs and supplements range in effects and after effects, I mean have you tried Melatonin?

That what I use.

There's also Benadryl and Valerian Root, the latter of which is too weak to mention.

If your insomnia is as bad as it sounds though, that stuff might not work for sleep.

I'd also assume you've tried Adderall/Dexedraine and/or Ritalin and things like that for day time alterness?

They come with their own risks but will help with the tiredness, and Kratom works wonders for both sleep and wakefulness at times depending on the type you use or the dose.

There's also Phenibut but it's quite addictive.

Good luck.