Posted by JohnL on August 15, 2001, at 18:00:29
In reply to Re: Remeron vs Ambien, posted by Betts on August 14, 2001, at 9:13:41
> I've been taking amitriptylene so I can sleep at night. I have fibromyalgia, and lately the pain has been waking me up several times during the night. My doctor switched me to Remeron last night, and I was awake most of the night. I feel sluggish this morning, and definitely not refreshed. Is this drug all he says it is?
>
> BettsI think St James is correct, in that it will take a little time to adjust.
Remeron is kind of weird because it can be more sedating at low doses and less sedating at regular doses. I used to take as little as 2.5mg to 7.5mg for sleep. Any more than that would actually wake me up and make me sleep lousy. Even the minimum dose of 15mg was way too much. I would cut or break the pills into smaller chunks. Those tiny chunks are amazingly sedating.
That being said, I like the tricyclics much better for pain and sleep than Remeron. I don't think Remeron has any action at all on pain. With me it actually created some joint pain which went away after I stopped taking it.
Also, no matter what dose size you take, the grogginess you feel during the day will go away. It takes a week or two. But that hangover feeling when you first wake doesn't go away. At least not for me. It would go away after my first coffee, but it was there every morning for over a year.
The best med I've tried for sleep is Zyprexa. It doesn't knock me out fast like other drugs did, but when I do fall asleep I sleep excellent. The early morning hangover is child's play compared to Remeron or the tricyclics. Very mild. After a week there is not daytime grogginess at all. I also have had weird minor pains for a long time, and they have all disappeared completely with Zyprexa. I don't think there is any clinical evidence for Zyprexa being used for pain, but I thought I would share my positive experience with it in case it might be helpful to you. It's been one of the best meds ever for my treatment resistent depression, pain, sleep, and it has also nearly completely eliminated the long time ringing in my ears.
John
poster:JohnL
thread:67237
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010814/msgs/75190.html