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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Sleep medication, what next?

Thanks for all the great replies!

In response to one of the posters, I'm deathly allergic to codeine so I couldn't take that.

I've heard a lot of good things about Seroquel (sp). Maybe I will talk to my dr about that after researching it more. While I've heard a lot of good things, I've heard some bad also. So I guess I need to do a lot of research on that before asking for it. And I agree with another poster that I need something other then Xanax. So far I've been researching Kpins as I hear they're longer lasting rather then short acting Xanax.

I have no problem staying asleep it's just getting to sleep that's the problem. I'm up till 3-4 in the morning most nights. I could be exhausted as hell and not be able to sleep.

I have a good diet (as I'm diabetic so I have to be strict) and I try to follow a routine of waking up at a certain time everyday, making the bed, doing my hair and make up and feeling awake. It helps me know that my day has started and I can't just sit around doing nothing in PJ's all day LOL

And would Kpins help with sleep? B/c I've been thinking of asking my dr for them for my panic as they last longer then my Xanax. (as I mentioned above).

I've also tried Benadryl to get sleepy and I think I'm immune to it. I've taken up to 100 mgs to try to sleep.
 
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Psychedelic Jay said:
Seroquel is the devil.
Tachycardia will hit you in high enough doses.
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Okay that scares me enough to not want to try it! What would you recommend for insomnia? I already take all the drugs I listed, a total of 12 pills at night. My Xanax was just increased to 5 mgs a day and I don't feel much different. Still up late and can't sleep. I try to force it by keeping my eyes closed no matter what, but then I end up just day dreaming for an hour or two. It's getting ridiculous!

I already have severe panic attacks, I don't need to panic about tachycardia!
 
Always... :)

If your doc tries to give you some big outrageous dose, deny as hard as you can, if not, tell him to just make your dose in 25 mg increments. This will make it stretch really far in the long run.
 
BabyGurl3171 said:
Here's what I take at night to go to sleep (supposedly) but as you see I'm wide awake at 2:21 am. What else should I ask my dr to try?
Right now, at night, I take:
  • Trazodone
  • neurontin
  • xanax
  • requip
  • geodon

What would be the next best thing to ask my dr for to help me actually sleep? And I can't take Ambien. I took it once and quit breathing, had an ambulance ride and all that night. What could replace some of these meds? I'm basically looking to lessen what I take now with something that works well.

Anybody have any experience?
Click to expand...

I also have really bad problems with insomnia because I suffer restless leg syndrome which is a real bitch. Not only because of that though.

First off, I don't recommend that ANYONE take Seroquel for sleep unless you also suffer from paranoia or more serious mental disorders like bi-polar. I'm assuming that you so though since you are prescribed Geodon which is also an antipsychotic. Taking two antipsychotics is not a choice. No doctor would prescribe both, possibly in replacement. Both drugs have the same chance of serious and longterm side effects.

I would recommend you replace the alprazolam with temazepam, a much more powerful hypnotic benzodiazepine. Much more effective for sleep. Also you could switch from the neurontin to Lyrica. They are both similar but Lyrica is more powerful and very effective for sleep, with or without restless leg syndrome or other muscle problems. I really emphasize the Lyrica. It could also replace the requip. Less medications is always best, especially when one is better than two. I'm not your doctor but I think a better combo would be temazepam, trazadone, geodon and lyrica.
 
PJ, my doctor is one to go for the gold and give you crazy high doses right off the bat. For example, when he started me on Effexor he went right to the 225 mgs! Worse case scenario I could cut the pills right? I'll tell him with my panic attacks and being afraid of new medications, I want a low dose to start with and we'll go from there. :)
 
K'd-OUT-in-AZ said:
I also have really bad problems with insomnia because I suffer restless leg syndrome which is a real bitch. Not only because of that though.

First off, I don't recommend that ANYONE take Seroquel for sleep unless you also suffer from paranoia or more serious mental disorders like bi-polar. I'm assuming that you so though since you are prescribed Geodon which is also an antipsychotic. Taking two antipsychotics is not a choice. No doctor would prescribe both, possibly in replacement. Both drugs have the same chance of serious and longterm side effects.

I would recommend you replace the alprazolam with temazepam, a much more powerful hypnotic benzodiazepine. Much more effective for sleep. Also you could switch from the neurontin to Lyrica. They are both similar but Lyrica is more powerful and very effective for sleep, with or without restless leg syndrome or other muscle problems. I really emphasize the Lyrica. It could also replace the requip. Less medications is always best, especially when one is better than two. I'm not your doctor but I think a better combo would be temazepam, trazadone, geodon and lyrica.
Click to expand...

I do have bi-polar. I think I'm on to many pills honestly. It seems like he's playing guinea pig with me.

I also have RLS, which is why I have the Requip. It was really great at first but now it doesn't seem to be working as it use too and I have to take more Percocet for the pain now then I did a month ago.

I've been wanting to try Lyrica after reading another post from you on RLS. It seems that would be a multiple solution for me. Then I could come off of some of these meds. I take 4 Neurontin at night and it doesn't seem to do a single thing for me.

So Temazepam is a benzo? Is it better then Xanax or Kpins? Will it help with my anxiety and panic attacks? If I could get on that combo and it works for me I could get rid of so many of my medicines that don't work.
 
Kpins would work just fine. Try them. I have Insomnia so i have tried many different things to sleep. Other than the things I listed above, I would definitely try some kpins
 
I see, you also suffer anxiety/panic attacks. I don't know if a doctor would prescribe you both Temazepam and Xanax, although some doctors are willing. I'm prescribed Klonopin for my sleep and anxiety. I think that it (Klonopin) would be a better option for sleep than Xanax because it lasts longer and also helps with RLS due to its stronger muscle relaxant effects. Then of course it works for anxiety/panic attacks as well.

I also have bi-polar and my sleep medications include Klonopin, Lyrica & Risperidone and the combination works. It took a long time trying to get the medications right though. The Lyrica tied the knot because it helped both my physical sleeping issues and anxiety. In fact the Lyrica works better for my anxiety than the Klonopin. I mean, I've been on clonazepam/alprazolam for over 10 years that it barely works anymore.

The thing is, Lyrica is new to the psychiatry business so not all of them are well educated with it. I switched doctors and my previous one introduced it to me and had put me on it for my anxiety/RLS/insomnia/fibro but my current doctor knew nearly nothing about it, I needed to tell him all about it and what it did. He was nice enough to work with me.
 
K'd, My daughter takes Risperidone so I do know some about that.

As for the Xanax, I would be willing to give it up for something that works better/longer. It doesn't have much of an effect on me anymore but I've also been on it for a year.

As for the Lyrica, I'm going to ask my psych when I go next month. He's usually pretty good at giving me what I ask for...usually. Now I asked for Kpins and he upped my Xanax instead, but I think something like Lyrica he'd allow me to try at least.

Thanks for all the info! I'm going to do some more searching on your combinations you've given me and write it down & see if my dr will be willing to give it a go.

I definitely want off Geodon, heard bad things about it and I don't feel any difference with it.
 
In the U.S., the absolute best hypnotics on the market (besides any CII or CIII barbiturates) are triazolam (Halcion) and temazepam (Restoril) hands down!
those 2 are well above and beyond any other benzos or z-drugs.

a distant 3rd i'd say would be estazolam (ProSom).
 
LSDMDMA&8469417 said:
temazepam works well. 30mg would KNOCK my ass out.
Click to expand...

When I first got that script it would too - or it wouldn't forcibly knock me out or put me on my ass, but if I went to bed, I had 20mg pills and one would definitely make me sleep soundly. However, I soon went up to 30mg a night, but then back to 20mg, 10mg, and stopped, 'cause the stuff causing the insomnia disappeared (ie. life took a turn for the better).

I found they were alright for recreation with weed, a few beers, and a dose of say 80-140mg, but I didn't use them much 'cause I didn't find them to be all that - much rather save them for sleep, comedowns, hangovers, whatnot (which I would not do with many other benzos).

I've recently been on the shit end of a few things so I've got sleeping problems again, and I tried the old temazepams - 60mg would not put me out. It's been ages so my tolerance must be down, but either way, I went to get my script changed to nitrazepam - 10mg of that (equivalent to 20mg temazepam) worked wonders. Much better for recreation, too, but the problem is it made me feel way groggy in the morning, and I dunno if it's all that cool going to work still fucked up.

I asked my doc to change the nitrazepam to something else cause it lasts too long (although I liked it otherwise); he pretty much said zolpidem, zopiclone, temazepam and quetiapine (Seroquel) were the only others that were really suitable. And I know that's bullshit, there's plenty of other stuff. I've had all of those (except Seroquel, which I do NOT want) and they haven't worked - either way, he put me back on 20-40mg temazepam per night. It is not working. :X

Gonna go to a different doc, explain the situation, and demand some shit that works. They can't tell me those are the only options when I know there's other ones. If nothing else, I'll take the nitrazepam back and go with that.
 
I haven't read all the posts so I apologize if I'm just repeating something someone has already said. I've had an impossible time falling asleep for as long as I can remember, I'm almost never asleep before four am.

The things that work best for me as far as drugs are concerned are Klonopin, because it's long acting, (i used to be on Xanax, switched to K's for this very reason) and Lunesta (zopiclone I think?), I know Lunesta is related to Ambien so that may not work for you. I've used Doxylamine Succinate with good results many times, but without my Klonopin there's no chance in hell that I'll fall asleep.

Morphine and Codeine make me very relaxed but not always sleepy, I rarely want to sleep when I feel that good, so I wouldn't suggest those.
 
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