Options for other sleeping medication option's besides Ambien. Z drugs, Benzos, or others?

[KillSpaceDashN9ne]

Hey everyone,
Hope everyone's week is going well.

So I'll try to keep this short I was recently diagnosed with Bipolar 1 after being diagnosed ADHD and given Adderall for over a decade. The Adderall has definitely caused some permanent damage to my sleep as even taking just one at times would put me into mania for days.
I don't take it anymore but am prescribed Seroquel , lithium, Klonopin ( for panic attacks), and auvelity, and ambien (for sleep)

My biggest issue is my sleep as if I don't sleep it will start to trigger a manic episode. The ambien definitely helps but hardly... it doesn't make me feel tired but it will lot of the time just knock me out of I take enough which is too much. I just wanted to ask if anyone had any experiences like tha with ambien but had better results with a different z drugs that offers more sedating effects to help get my mind mentally ready to sleep as opposed to randomly passing out.

I have tried everything for sleep benzos make me hyperactive sometimes, I have taken antihistamines for years like benadryl but I wayyyy overdid it and is why I'm trying to find other options as taking as much as I was nightly was not healthy.
I've also taken other antidepressants for sleep too like trazadone and remeron with no help also antipsychotics like seroquel only help for a few days before they lose that effect on me.

Does anyone have any ideas for other options for more sedating z drugs?

 

[Smyth2]

I used to take 300mg of Seroquel at night and I would get 12 hours of solid sleep.

Remember the dosage on quetiapine goes up to 700mg/d so if lower doses aren't effective, you may need to take more.

One of the meds I keep in my current stash is amitriptyline but you have to build up a tolerance to this before experimenting with 150mg doses before sleep.

According to wikipedia, carbamazepine is a miscellaneous ADHD med. This option is not as strong sedative as the above 2 options though.

 

[pixies+]

I found zopiclone to be much better than ambien.

 

[3DQSAR]

If you are wondering about hypnotics whose action isn't mediated by GABA activity, the orexin antagonist class is the most modern and considered to have the lowest abuse potential ALTHOUGH that's a claim that has been made for EVERY new class of hypnotic.

First generation antihistamines such as diphenhydramine and promethazine are available without prescription in many nations and work well for some people.

Neuroleptics such as Seroquel are best avoided unless absolutely required. They represent the sledgehammer option and are replete with quite nasty side-effects and risks.

I know some people value melatonin which is available from health food stores.

I suppose it's a case of just how severe insomnia is. If you go for long enough without sleep, you will eventually suffer seizures but that's generally only after 10-12 days without any sleep. I know this last one since it happened to me once. Ironically, after the seizure, I was pumped full of Diazemuls and placed in a dark room for 24 hours. But that's an extreme example.

My advice is never to allow it to reach that stage. Go to a doctor if OTC options do not help.

 

[MedicinalUser247]

I'm Currently taking Zolpidem-ER for sleep, but I'd rather prefer taking Eszopiclone. So, I'd recommend taking Eszopiclone, "Lunesta", for sleep.

Oh, and about those other Meds your on. Get your doctor to change a few things. If you want to.

First, Have your doctor change your Antipsychotic from Quetiapine to Olanzapine and as a last resort ask for Clozapine.

Second, Have your doctor change you Mood stabilizer from Lithium to Depakote.

Third, Stay on the Clonazepam.

Oh, and try to get off of Auvelity because it can trigger Mania.

These are all just recommendations.

 

[daturetard]

Clonidine is one that most people have no recreational effects from, but can also be a fantastic sedative and is sometimes prescribed off label for insomnia

 

[3DQSAR]

Clonidine is one that most people have no recreational effects from, but can also be a fantastic sedative and is sometimes prescribed off label for insomnia

Clonidine is certainly an unusual one. It's structure and activity are somewhat like xylazine. It's not something commonly encountered in the UK. For a short period Britlofex (lofexidine, another compound related to clonidine) was touted as a comfort medication for people undergoing opiate detoxification but it seemed to disappear quite quickly.

So I can only bow to those who have practical experience in the use of such agents.

 

[MindlessBilly]

I used to take 300mg of Seroquel at night and I would get 12 hours of solid sleep.

Remember the dosage on quetiapine goes up to 700mg/d so if lower doses aren't effective, you may need to take more.

One of the meds I keep in my current stash is amitriptyline but you have to build up a tolerance to this before experimenting with 150mg doses before sleep.

According to wikipedia, carbamazepine is a miscellaneous ADHD med. This option is not as strong sedative as the above 2 options though.

Those are huge seroquel doses for sleep. 25mg is more than enough to knock me on my ass and wake up the next day with a head full of gravel, even on a heavy meth bender 100mg at most and that would be with tolerance

 

[BK38]

I used to take 300mg of Seroquel at night and I would get 12 hours of solid sleep.

Remember the dosage on quetiapine goes up to 700mg/d so if lower doses aren't effective, you may need to take more.

One of the meds I keep in my current stash is amitriptyline but you have to build up a tolerance to this before experimenting with 150mg doses before sleep.

According to wikipedia, carbamazepine is a miscellaneous ADHD med. This option is not as strong sedative as the above 2 options though.

Excellent advice

 

[Smyth2]

Last night I had 200mg CPZ (also in my stash). This seems to work wonders for my sleep.

The last drug I have in my stash that I only use if I want really strong sleep is Primidone 250mg tablets.

All the medicines I have mentioned are available to buy online, although this site won't let me give you an actual vendor.

Except the quetiapine you should be getting through your doctor.

 

[BK38]

Nyquill perhaps?

 

[3DQSAR]

Nyquill perhaps?

I've only just noticed that in the US there seems to be about a dozen different versions of Nyquil!

 

[Flynnal]

200mg CPZ

Carbamazepine seems to work for insomnia but I'm starting to wonder if it'll make my reactive tinnitus worse. I'll give it 20 days and evaluate it. On 400mg (2 x 200mg Tegretol CR) for ear neuralgia. If it works without worsening tinnitus, it would be good as it vastly improves my sleep.

 

[ex-amine]

i probably got the weirdest , (but probaly) the easiest available one : it's being used as a surfacant & against corrosion protection while drilling for oil on land.
it's a fatty acid, so take it with a meal : Oleamide.

 

[Liser]

If you are wondering about hypnotics whose action isn't mediated by GABA activity, the orexin antagonist class is the most modern and considered to have the lowest abuse potential ALTHOUGH that's a claim that has been made for EVERY new class of hypnotic.

First generation antihistamines such as diphenhydramine and promethazine are available without prescription in many nations and work well for some people.

Neuroleptics such as Seroquel are best avoided unless absolutely required. They represent the sledgehammer option and are replete with quite nasty side-effects and risks.

I know some people value melatonin which is available from health food stores.

I suppose it's a case of just how severe insomnia is. If you go for long enough without sleep, you will eventually suffer seizures but that's generally only after 10-12 days without any sleep. I know this last one since it happened to me once. Ironically, after the seizure, I was pumped full of Diazemuls and placed in a dark room for 24 hours. But that's an extreme example.

My advice is never to allow it to reach that stage. Go to a doctor if OTC options do not help.

Hello I recommen you talking before you consider taking orexin antagonist because They are not recommended for people with mental disorders
First-generation antihistamines are good for treating acute insomnia that can resolve in a short time. But these types of medications are not recommended chronically because they considerably increase the risk of suffering from dementia.

 

[Littana]

i just heard abt this!

No, Dayvigo (lemborexant) isn't a benzodiazepine, it's an orexin receptor blocker. The way Dayvigo (lemborexant) works is different from a benzodiazepine in that it blocks a chemical in the brain called orexin. Orexin helps keep you awake. Blocking this chemical can help people who suffer from insomnia fall asleep.

 

[3DQSAR]

i just heard abt this!

No, Dayvigo (lemborexant) isn't a benzodiazepine, it's an orexin receptor blocker. The way Dayvigo (lemborexant) works is different from a benzodiazepine in that it blocks a chemical in the brain called orexin. Orexin helps keep you awake. Blocking this chemical can help people who suffer from insomnia fall asleep.

I find it interesting that some nations have already enacted legal controls on these new OX1/OX2 ligands. Now I cannot imagine them having any abuse potential per se, so maybe they produce rebound insomnia so people can become physically dependent?

 

[tryptakid]

I find it interesting that some nations have already enacted legal controls on these new OX1/OX2 ligands. Now I cannot imagine them having any abuse potential per se, so maybe they produce rebound insomnia so people can become physically dependent?

i just heard abt this!

No, Dayvigo (lemborexant) isn't a benzodiazepine, it's an orexin receptor blocker. The way Dayvigo (lemborexant) works is different from a benzodiazepine in that it blocks a chemical in the brain called orexin. Orexin helps keep you awake. Blocking this chemical can help people who suffer from insomnia fall asleep.

I was on/off zolpidem for 20-25 years (first rx was in 2001/2002). I would go through stretches of 30x10mg a month prescribed, then stop using it for a while before relenting and going back for another RX. I was getting tired of the back and forth, and it was causing my sleep quality to suffer. I tried a few other z drugs (zalepon, zopiclone, even triazolam at one point) but ambien was the one for me. This past fall I started reading about the OX1/OX2 inhibitors and settled on trying out Dayvigo.

My doctor gave me 14 pills (5mg) and I started taking them at night. The first few nights I got heavy sleep and had some grogginess in the morning, but felt clearer-headed by the time I'd be at work. At night, I felt less 'relaxed' than zolpidem would make me feel when taking effect but more tired and able to fall asleep.

Within a week, I no longer needed to take any sleep aids. I just started falling asleep on my own. I still have like 4 or 5 dayvigo tablets in my dresser, but haven't felt the need to ask for zolpidem since September.

I couldn't be more appreciative of a drug than I am for that stuff. It may not work the same for others, but the relief of not struggling with insomnia while not needing a drug to overcome it is indescribable.

Notably - I've utilized a lot of CBT strategies for sleep in conjunction with various drugs - I spend very little time in my room aside from sleeping, I don't use my phone in bed, and I wear a sleep mask. I also have nightly rituals that I do as I wind down, which also helps. I also will get up and go into the other room after 20-45 minutes of laying in bed if I can't sleep - stay up for a bit, and then re-enter the bedroom. Sometimes I find that "trying to stay up" when I can't sleep, actually helps make me fall asleep. If I go try to be up in the living room and stay awake, I'll feel that sense of sleepiness kick in and want to return to bed.

Overall, since Dayvigo, I've mainly just done the routine stuff and no screens or excess time in the bedroom stuff, and haven't needed anything stronger than chamomile before bed.

 

[toe]

Hello I recommen you talking before you consider taking orexin antagonist because They are not recommended for people with mental disorders
First-generation antihistamines are good for treating acute insomnia that can resolve in a short time. But these types of medications are not recommended chronically because they considerably increase the risk of suffering from dementia.

I don't think this is accurate. DORAs are being studied for use with sleep disorders in dementia patients. But since they have been on the market less than 10 years I doubt there is much evidence of them causing dementia yet.

I have had a good experience with them. You don't develop a tolerance, nor any dependence as far as I can tell. I can't discern any recreational value whatsoever and-depending on the time of year (and hence my affect) lemborexant* is either a sufficient add-on or more-than-adequate for my needs.

*Lemborexant appears to be the most potent of the three DORAs commercially available at this time, with a devastating half-life that takes some getting acquainted with

 

[LucidSDreamr]

Hey everyone,
Hope everyone's week is going well.

So I'll try to keep this short I was recently diagnosed with Bipolar 1 after being diagnosed ADHD and given Adderall for over a decade. The Adderall has definitely caused some permanent damage to my sleep as even taking just one at times would put me into mania for days.
I don't take it anymore but am prescribed Seroquel , lithium, Klonopin ( for panic attacks), and auvelity, and ambien (for sleep)

My biggest issue is my sleep as if I don't sleep it will start to trigger a manic episode. The ambien definitely helps but hardly... it doesn't make me feel tired but it will lot of the time just knock me out of I take enough which is too much. I just wanted to ask if anyone had any experiences like tha with ambien but had better results with a different z drugs that offers more sedating effects to help get my mind mentally ready to sleep as opposed to randomly passing out.

I have tried everything for sleep benzos make me hyperactive sometimes, I have taken antihistamines for years like benadryl but I wayyyy overdid it and is why I'm trying to find other options as taking as much as I was nightly was not healthy.
I've also taken other antidepressants for sleep too like trazadone and remeron with no help also antipsychotics like seroquel only help for a few days before they lose that effect on me.

Does anyone have any ideas for other options for more sedating z drugs?

Amitriptyline is used off label for sleep. It definitely helps but it’s not as good or powerful as a benzo or z drug. But it’s also not dependency forming (too much, withdrawl is very minor)

Melatonin is the only benign thing I can think of, but again, not as powerful as a benzo