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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Rainee on June 24, 2003, at 22:33:44
I can't sleep without taking a benzo I take lexapro and trileptal. any suggestions? Will those over the counter things be ok with that combo?
Rainee
Posted by beppe3 on June 25, 2003, at 0:06:44
In reply to I can't sleep, posted by Rainee on June 24, 2003, at 22:33:44
> I can't sleep without taking a benzo I take lexapro and trileptal. any suggestions? Will those over the counter things be ok with that combo?
>
> RaineeI would try chamomile tea and calcium/magnesium supplemnts first. I wouldn't be afraid to combine over the counter meds with an SSRI or trileptal. Benadryl would be my first choice.
Sleep disturbance will be dependant on how long you've been taking benzo's. Kicking benzo's has been one of the most difficult things I've ever done. Try and get aerobic activity every day and wake up the same time every morning until your body naturally gets into a new rythm of sleep/wake.
Good luck and be patient. Popping a pill is much easier than taking active action. I know from experience and still crave benzo's after not taking one for 8 mos.
Posted by Sabina on June 25, 2003, at 0:38:59
In reply to Re: I can't sleep, posted by beppe3 on June 25, 2003, at 0:06:44
Given what you've just said about still craving benzo's after not taking one for 8 mos., would you advise someone to perhaps never start taking them? I'm just gathering opinions for my own good, as I'm thinking of adding one to my arsenal. Which one(s) were you on, if you don't mind me asking? Thanks,
Bina
Posted by Rainee on June 25, 2003, at 9:53:52
In reply to Re: I can't sleep » beppe3, posted by Sabina on June 25, 2003, at 0:38:59
If you van avoid them do so. But some people just can't get a handle on anxiety with out them. Years a go Took klonopin hot and heavy for 2 years supervised by a Dr. Withdrawl was awful I thought I would go crazy. That doc managed me poorly and all I knew was I had no more panic attacks.I made the mistake of taking them to go to sleep in my depression during the day whenever I didn't feel like dealing with anyone or anything. Sorry didn't mean to ramble but you gotta be careful with benzo's if your the addictive type like me.
Rainee
Posted by Sabina on June 25, 2003, at 11:16:17
In reply to In my opinion about benzos, posted by Rainee on June 25, 2003, at 9:53:52
Posted by McPac on June 26, 2003, at 0:33:49
In reply to I can't sleep, posted by Rainee on June 24, 2003, at 22:33:44
"I can't sleep without taking a benzo"
You could get some low-dose Remeron (7.5 mg would do it)
Posted by beppe3 on June 26, 2003, at 0:59:37
In reply to Re: I can't sleep » beppe3, posted by Sabina on June 25, 2003, at 0:38:59
> Given what you've just said about still craving benzo's after not taking one for 8 mos., would you advise someone to perhaps never start taking them? I'm just gathering opinions for my own good, as I'm thinking of adding one to my arsenal. Which one(s) were you on, if you don't mind me asking? Thanks,
>
> Bina
I was on zanax, ativan, valum, and klonepen (sp?). I found anti anxiety medication very beneficial and extremely addictive at the same time. For the short term relief I received in return for long term pain it wasn't worth it for me. If you plan to add benzo's to your regime, ask yourself what is the long term benefit and how painful will it be to withdraw? Make sure you have a set plan of duration and if you find yourself straying from the plan or making up excuses why the plan has changed you'r in trouble.
I'm sharing from my personal experience of taking meds as prescribed and when medication alone didn't cut it I added alcohol and developed a pretty ugly addiction to benzo's and alcohol innoccently.
I do suffer from chronic clinical depression and have found the one thing that gets me out of bed I'm not responding to my medication is that motivation comes after action and that no 2 days are alike. No matter how negative my thoughts are I need to act or else I will remain in bed all day.
Please feel free to ask more questions and be careful when taking any addictive medication.Take care,
beppe
Posted by disney4 on June 26, 2003, at 9:52:06
In reply to I can't sleep, posted by Rainee on June 24, 2003, at 22:33:44
I tried Remeron for both insomnia and depression, but it aggrivated my restless leg syndrome like benadryl, maybe because of its antihistimine effect at lower doses. I now rely on neurontin and a 1/4 mg of klonopin to get to sleep. I have recently added serzone and that seemed to help my sleep a lot. I will probably discontinue the klonopin soon. Neurontin may be an option for you. A small bedtime dose of maybe 300 mg would probably be enough. Check with your doc. Good luck and keep in touch.
Posted by utopizen on June 26, 2003, at 13:33:14
In reply to Re: I can't sleep » Rainee, posted by disney4 on June 26, 2003, at 9:52:06
Okay, it's unfortunate, but here's the reality: unless you only have transient insomnia, chronic insomnia it generally NOT treatable merely through sleep hygiene efforts. I'm well aware of all of them, and continue them, but they will not treat chronic insomnia.
Chronic insomnia is persistent. Ambien is generally well-tolerated, better so than most stims are, and yet stimulants are prescribed far more in this country than Ambien. Even though far more people suffer from chronic insomnia.
Why? Because let's face it, the old sleeping pills (Seconal, Quualude, Halcion) were not so safe. As a result, they ingrained this prejudice for the category of "sleeping pills" that has no rational basis today.
For one thing, telling someone who has chronic insomnia that they shouldn't take Ambien for longer than 7-10 days because they'll get "rebound insomnia" is like telling someone who's dehydrated not to drink water because they'll get "rebound thirst." The person wasn't sleeping to begin with, so exactly how is "rebound insomnia" an issue? Oh no, they might go back to their original state. How tragic!
In the meantime, you can lose your job, people can think you're taking drugs at work because you appear so spacey, and your family can leave you because you're so irritable or generally unpleasant to be around while tired. Contrast that to taking Ambien. There's a 1-2% chance of indigestion. Good thing docs avoid it so much, huh?
This is the end of the thread.
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