Sleep meds

[marti]

Are you insomniacs taking sleep meds on a regular basis? I take half of an Ambien once in a while. But I'm taking half of a Klonapin every night now. I guess it's ok, but it sure dries out my mouth!

So many meds give me the hangover effect. Like Baclofen and Neurontin.

Anyway, insomnia is torture and I've decided I HAVE to sleep and I need help so I'm taking "something" to help almost every night.

[MSW1963]

I think I've experimented with just about every possible technique to treat my 10+yr of MS insomnia. My techniques were to avoid 'as recommended' dosing, so I was usually in sleep depervation mode, or on the rare occassion when I used sleep meds, I was 'hungover'.

The mistakes I made were avoiding taking sleep meds on a regular basis, or when I did resort to taking a dose, it was so late/early am, that I usually did wake with the dreaded 'pill hangover'.

I also used a couple of meds that were not effective, just made me drowsey but did not induce sleep.

BTW, I didn't resolve insomnia via sleep meds. My natural sleep was restored about 3mos after starting a MS DMT.

[limppy]

me too

I have lots of trouble staying asleep also, take 20 mg baclofin at bed time to relieve the shakes ( I get them when I lay down and try to relax) so I get 2-3 hours at a time ,seem to be getting by. sometimes I take tylenol PM at bedtime it seems to help. Just another wonderful part of MS.

[aspen]

I've tried everything ...

and have the best sleep with amitriptyline, 30 mg. I HAVE to take it between 8 - 8:30, and have to go to bed one hour later (I wake with the sun no matter what time rises and no matter what I take). It's a bit of a drag, but I'm getting a pretty solid 7 hour sleep now, compared to the 0-3 hours I had been sleeping for months. None of the typical sleep meds did a thing.

[phxjcc]

Try trazadone, an anti-anxiety drug often prescribed for sleep issues. Available as a generic to Desyrel, the brand name.

I only need 50 mg, but I am sensitive to CNS drugs.

My 90 y.o. mother in law was taking 200 mg and she was 5 ft tall and weighed 95 lbs, so your YMMV.

Ridiculously inexpensive--something like $9 for 90 days worth at Costco. I get the 100's and break them in half--same price as the 50 mg.

My side effects: dry mouth in the morning, alcohol sensitivity.

[marti]

Thanks all. Part of my question should have been this:

How long (as in months, years etc) have you been on any meds for sleep or anxiety? And is there any reason for us to stop taking them after several years if we still can't sleep or calm down without them??

I think Trazadone is the one that gave me hallucinations. I know it began with "T", but can't remember for sure now. I am kind of sensitive to some medications. I am 4 ft 8 inches and 94 lbs. So a little goes a long way for me.

[grammy2many]

Trazadone Works Great For Me

My doctor prescribed Trazadone (up to 200 mgs/day using gradual increases as needed) to combat my sleeplessness. I've been using 1/2 a pill (50 mg) a night for over a year and it's like a miracle for me. I get drowsy within 30 minutes and sleep like a baby (except potty breaks) for a good 6-8 hours sleep. I feel "normal" (whatever that is) when I get up.

[zilphia01]

taking them for 2 years

My neuro convinced me that I HAD to sleep. Trust me when I say I went into nightly doses kicking and screaming.

Tried many many that gave me awful side effects (horrid constipation, sleep hangover, cranky),

Now I take a very low, small nightly dosage of Ambian (2.5 mg) along with Lexapro (5 mg). Neuro said taking them together is much more effective, and the Lexapro is not for the antidepressant effect, but to help make the Ambian work better.

He started me at 1-mg ambian and 25 mg Lexapro, but I kept breaking them in half and half again till I felt normal in the normal.

good luck. I do feel better now that I am sleeping.

karen

[maitrimama]

Trazadone is an atypical antidepressant that has been around a while. For most people it doesn't work that well as an antidepressant partly due to the fact that it makes people very sleepy but it does work as a sleep aid. I had trouble with grogginess and weight gain so it didn't work well for me.

After trying many different meds & combos I take 5mg ambien or melatonin or both or none at all. My goal is to take the least amount possible and get consistent, restful sleep.

[Tracelyn]

I take 200 mg of trazadone at night and I typically sleep very good on it. If I find that I cannot go to sleep within an hour I take 2 bendryl and its "night.. night baby!"

[4boysmom]

I had the trouble of many of the meds given me to help with sleep would make me itch! Trazadone didn't work at all.

Neuro finally started me on Temazepam, cyproheptad, and xantac when I explained that I fall asleep okay, but when I awake up a few hours into the night, my brain just cycles and cycles like a hamster in a wheel!

I did all three for about a year before giving up the temazepam, and now only take the cyproheptad (I think it is an antihistamine) and the xantac.

That has worked well for me so I can work the next day with no groggy feeling.

[phxjcc]

Thanks all. Part of my question should have been this:

How long (as in months, years etc) have you been on any meds for sleep or anxiety? And is there any reason for us to stop taking them after several years if we still can't sleep or calm down without them??

I think Trazadone is the one that gave me hallucinations. I know it began with "T", but can't remember for sure now. I am kind of sensitive to some medications. I am 4 ft 8 inches and 94 lbs. So a little goes a long way for me.

I have been on Trazadone for 15 years (pre MS Diagnosis).

My guess is that your hallucinations were caused by Tamazepam.

[Seasha]

Trazadone works well for me too, although it takes awhile for it to kick in. I take 50mg 2 hours before bedtime. I never wake up groggy as long as I get a full 8 hrs of sleep and if I wake up during the night to go to the bathroom, I can get right back to sleep.

[marti]

I have been on Trazadone for 15 years (pre MS Diagnosis).

My guess is that your hallucinations were caused by Tamazepam.

I took Tamazepam for a long time. No problems. This was either Trazadone or Tramadol. Something like that. Once I have a weird reaction to a med nothing can make me try it again. And it was WEIRD!

[GardeningMSer]

sleep meds

Are you insomniacs taking sleep meds on a regular basis? I take half of an Ambien once in a while. But I'm taking half of a Klonapin every night now. I guess it's ok, but it sure dries out my mouth!

So many meds give me the hangover effect. Like Baclofen and Neurontin.

Anyway, insomnia is torture and I've decided I HAVE to sleep and I need help so I'm taking "something" to help almost every night.

I find that vaporizing a pea sized quantity of medical MJ knocks me out. I use an inexpensive vaporizer about 30 to 60 minutes before I want to fall asleep and it works well. I live in CA and a 1/4 ounce lasts months.

I'm a 64 yo male and when I took trazadone in 2000 it gave me long lasting painful erections the second night. Not at all pleasant. At the time, my now ex (HURRAH!) was beginning the start of her continuing craziness - perhaps brought on by way too many tabs of LSD, Qualudes, mushrooms, etc in her teens and 20s, and love, affection and sex had vanished from my marriage.