Posted by indivmed on June 19, 2003, at 23:42:33
In reply to Need help with INSOMNIA, posted by streich3 on June 18, 2003, at 0:24:29
> I am currently taking 150mg Trazadone, 10 mg Ambian,1 mg Reseridal,100 mg Topamax and 3 25 mg Benedryl to get to sleep. But I am still having brakthrough insomnia even after taking my meds.
> Often not fallng asleep until the hours of 2 until 5.
> It's hearthwrenching and I an suffering.
> I have been using wine in the evenings to sort of calm things before the storm but even that takes more than I am comfortable with.
> MY P-Doc says that he is relectant to prescribe any thing else sicne the drugs that I am taking are not working that we;ll anyway. And that if I go day enough in a row without sleeping that my body will eventualy sleep. I'm not so sure that I buy it
> Can anyone please offere suggestions of sleep aids that I can ask my doctor for a scrip forthe chronic insomnia?
>
> Andrea Streicher
>Andrea--
Nothing for me makes me more crazy than not sleeping properly...you might want to give a low dose of Seoquel a trial run...Ambien did nothing but make me hallucinate (total psychosis), Trazodone was worthless unless at high doses yet but I hang the hangover effect...What has worked the best for me is Restoril (Temazepam 30 mg)...it is more of a hypnotic. If your pdoc isan't all weird about it, ask for a trial of Klonopin (1 mg) or Valium (10 mg) or at the very least Tranxene. Benzos can help and I think taking one benzo would be better than the grab bag you are taking now.
Two other things that you might want to look into is low-dose Depakote (500 mg) and or Neurontin (400-800 mg at night). They work like a charm also and keep your mood stabilized. It seems like you are taking A LOT of meds at night!
Or course, I'm sure you have hard the whole, "don't drink caffeine (which I would eliminate IMMEDIATELY from your regimine, cigerattes--you'd feel like a 100 bucks after these two, and work out after you get finished with work. These sound like the status quo answers and are all politically correct, but doing these things and taking Restoril (or maybe even a Xanax if it is getting to sleep that is the problem) will do the trick.
Hope that helps. I summer from really bad insomnia at times and usually will result to the benzos--it's usually a transient trial, but enough to get me back into the swing of things--the mood stabilizers will definitely help. It's odd because it's no so much that I can't fall asleep, but I have severe anxiety about GOING to bed...my parents used to stay up and beat each other in alcholic rages so I had to stay up and make sure nothing got out of hand...a lot of residual issues from that...no, I'm not 26 or anything :).
Hope that helps
Rick
poster:indivmed
thread:234699
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030619/msgs/235300.html