Posted by Viridis on March 27, 2003, at 14:02:58
In reply to Recommendations for SLEEP assistance, please!, posted by Janelle on March 26, 2003, at 16:24:50
For relatively mild sleep problems, the over-the-counter pills that contain diphenhydramine can be helpful (although I'd check for interactions with your other meds).
I tried Trazadone for insomnia for a while, when I was in a state of very agitated depression, and it was OK. I started with 25 mg, but found that the real drowsiness kicked in around 50 mg. My pdoc is a big fan of Trazadone for insomnia, because he says it doesn't interfere with normal sleep cycles. However, it did leave me feeling quite groggy the next morning and just slightly weird, so I stopped it. By the way, the AD Serzone is a very close "improved" relative of Trazadone, so might be worth asking about.
I find Xanax best for insomnia. I take 0.25-0.50 mg occasionally for anxiety. At that level, the Xanax isn't sedating for me, but 1 mg really makes me sleepy.
My pdoc doesn't like people to use benzos regularly for insomnia, because he says that tolerance to the sedating effects can develop quickly, requiring higher and higher doses (although tolerance to the antianxiety effects appears much less likely, and hasn't occurred for me). Also, apparently benzos can interfere with sleep architecture, so you don't go though the regular, necessary sleep cycles.
However, he's fine with me using Xanax occasionally to help me sleep, and it leaves me feeling very rested. Luckily, with the Klonopin and other meds I take regularly (Adderall, Neurontin), insomnia is rarely a problem any more. But when it is, Xanax is a big help.
poster:Viridis
thread:213149
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030325/msgs/213496.html