(New South Wales) Legitimate Prescribed Alternatives to Diazepam for Sleep

[Jabberwocky]

I have a good relationship with my doctor and he prescribes me 15 diazepam per month to aid in sleep because I am also on dexamfetamine and Abilify. However, since increasing my abilify dose I'm finding I just can't sleep even on 10-15 mg diazepam. I've also quit meth fairly recently which is probably messing with my sleep. I'm getting like 1-2 hours a night tops at the moment.

My question is what kind of prescribed alternative - benzo or non-benzo - might be good that I can discuss with my doctor next time I see him. I don't want to ask for anything stupid like xanies and I find temazepam has never really worked for me. The only other thing that has helped me with sleep in the past is 50 mg seroquel but I'm not sure how that would go on top of Abilify since they are same class of drug.

Thanks for any suggestions on possible things to ask him about.

 

[Flower Fairy]

Zopiclone, you might only get Zolpidem in your country though, its similar but not as long lasting, it helps you fall asleep but zopiclone not only helps you fall asleep but it's easier to get back to sleep in you wake up during the night

They're benzo-like hypnotics and are much better at cutting through speedy drugs like what you're on to knock you out lol,
You might have to ask for them instead of the vallies as I'm not sure you be allowed both

 

[Jabberwocky]

SO my doctor gave me seven (7) zopiclone and told me not more than 1 per week so make 'em last. He seems to think I shouldn't complain about insomnia if I'm taking dexamfetamine. He also recommended I get a new psychiatrist.

 

[Flower Fairy]

Yep, that sounds about right, are you in the UK?

Doctors hate giving out benzos, zopiclone and tramadol and stuff because of addiction

Do you still get the diazepam?

 

[Jabberwocky]

Yep, that sounds about right, are you in the UK?

Doctors hate giving out benzos, zopiclone and tramadol and stuff because of addiction

Do you still get the diazepam?

In Australia. Yep, I'm sorted for valium but it really does not help me sleep. At least I'll get one good night's sleep a week with the zopiclone he gave me (but most likely I'll take it all in a week)

 

[jackie jones]

I do not know if it is prescribed in Australia, but I take Mirtazapine (Remeron) and it works great. I should also note that I have severe insomnia. It is a very mild SSRI which is only taken at night, usually for it's sleep-inducing effects.

 

[Flower Fairy]

I do not know if it is prescribed in Australia, but I take Mirtazapine

Me too but after a few months it stops working so now I'm stuck on it, trying zopiclone for a few dats to taper off it so I can try a different med for anxiety and sleep

Mirtazapine even in 7.5 dose helps, but as you build up a tolerance you need more, but I find as soon as I go past 30mg it does the opposite and is more like a stimulant

 

[Flower Fairy]

It is a very mild SSRI

Its not an SSRI its Nassa, still works on serotonin but in a different way

 

[jackie jones]

Is it? I stand corrected.

 

[jackie jones]

trying zopiclone

I was prescribed Ezopiclone (Lunesta) for a while. I believe they are related. I liked it. It was okay (simply) for sleep. It was more like a benzo, I felt, and therefore more abusable.

 

[Flower Fairy]

Is it? I stand corrected

Yeah it's a weird one, it doesn't fall under any types of normal antidepressants, it's not even completely understood how it effects serotonin and norepinephrine

It works on histamine too, hence how it helps sleep, and also eat lol, it's actually used as an appetite stimulant too due to its crazy response to the histamine receptor

I was prescribed Ezopiclone (Lunesta) for a while. I believe they are related. I liked it. It was okay (simply) for sleep. It was more like a benzo, I felt, and therefore more abusable

Yeah eszopiclone is an isomer of zopiclone

And it's about dose you'll need less eszopiclone than zopiclone as zopiclones active ingredient is eszopiclone (I think)

They're related, both are benzo like, they are called non-benzodiazepines hypnotic sedatives and just like benzos they work on the gaba receptors

Zopiclone and (Eszopiclone) Zolpidem, and Zaleplon are all Z-drugs

 

[jackie jones]

Hypnotic is a good description of it's effects.

I always smile a bit when I see a drug classified as a Hypnotic. It is such an accurate label.

 

[Flower Fairy]

I love them, they're nasty to come off though once my doctor accidentally prescribed 3 x 28 for 1 month instead of 1 x 28 for 3 months lol

So yeah I took them everynight for weeks and weeks, ended up addicted and obviously couldn't get anymore as I'm to honest and told my doctor her mistake, all she said was "you won't need any for a long while then"

Had to use high dose Valerian then Hydroxazine to come off Zopiclone

 

[nznity]

Clonazepam xD

 

[draculic acid69]

I do not know if it is prescribed in Australia, but I take Mirtazapine (Remeron) and it works great. I should also note that I have severe insomnia. It is a very mild SSRI which is only taken at night, usually for it's sleep-inducing effects.

Avanza is easy to get but its not great for any more than every now and then.causes chronic munchies

 

[cosmic charlie]

Hear that Gaboxadol is pretty much the best sleep medication in exsitence. Being that I suffer from severe anxietyand can relate to your situation you could only imagine how badly I would like to get my hands on some. Sadly it didn't pass clinical trials because it makes you trip balls at night even more so then the Z-drugs like Zopiclone and Zolpidem. Gaboxadol is a derivitve of Muscimol. Would be amazing if it could be made by an RC Vendor somehow. I'd take the stuff for sure, anything that will let me sleep more than 4 hours a night is such a blessing.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaboxadol

 

[dopamimetic]

Yeah, all the best drugs fail because of trippy side effects or the probands daring to like them.

Antihistamines and antiadrenergics are an option that is more sustainable. The former are even OTC in many places like diphenhydramine or doxylamine, example of the latter would be clonidine (need to dig, there are better suited agents with a shorter half life but even clonidine is usable at 37,5 or 75mcg if you need an alternative to GABAergics). Quetiapine, as much as I dislike this one for being an antipsychotic/dopamine antagonist, it is a weak one and when used below 100mg not the worst sleep aid combining both ways of action.

The pure antihistaminergics like mirtazapine (this has the strongest binding to H1 I know of) unfortunately stop to work after some time indeed, if the problem persists.. they just have (much) less of a withdrawal than GABAergics. The ideal sleeping pill doesn't exist yet I guess but you could cycle between what's available. Weed with a balanced CBD/THC content makes a good sleep aid too some times.

 

[mostly-human]

I used seroquel periodically mostly with good results. It's off label for sleep though, so no PBS

 

[Jabberwocky]

I used seroquel periodically mostly with good results. It's off label for sleep though, so no PBS

I’d like to get that again but I’m already on an anyipsychotic

 

[andyturbo]

This is my area of expertise lol
For Insomnia you want hypnotic benzodiazepine.

Australian options ive been on Temazepam and Nitrazepam (I find Nitrazepam a deeper sleep)

I personally prefer Zolpidem Tartrate (Stilnox) over Zopiclone.