Posted by SLS on October 1, 2002, at 15:23:43
In reply to Nardil veterans...how do you sleep?, posted by dlevine on September 30, 2002, at 22:32:15
> I've been taking Nardil for several years for SP and depression with great success, but have NEVER been able to sleep well on it.
>
> Currently I'm taking .5mg Klonopin & 50mg Trazadone every night and I still barely manage to get 5 solid hours of sleep. I love the antidepressant benefits of Nardil--but the insomnia is killing me.
>
> Nardil vets, any secret sleeping tips?
Hi.How much Nardil are you taking?
I have had bouts of total insomnia with Nardil in the past. The things that have worked best with me have been combining a powerful, short-acting drug like Halcion or Sonata with a longer-acting one like Ativan or Restoril. The former helps put you to sleep while the latter helps to keep you asleep. I think the regimen I used years ago included Halcion 1.0mg + Ativan 4.0mg. Many doctors are uncomfortable with prescribing Halcion, but it is the strongest of the benzodiazepines for sleep, and I have never had any side-effects or memory problems with it. I can't offer you any realistic idea as to how prevalent these occur in real life. Perhaps Sonata would provide the necessary impact.
I don't think Klonopin is as effective a hypnotic as these other drugs. Are you sure you need it to treat your SP? How often is Ativan effective for SP? Do you think substituting Ativan for Klonopin and adding one of the short-acting drugs might be worth considering?
Good luck.
I'm not having very much of my own in trying to treat bipolar depression. Are you taking Nardil by itself? What drugs or drug combinations have you tried in the past?
Thanks for any input.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:121735
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020930/msgs/121844.html