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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sam K on December 7, 2008, at 16:24:46
Ive been taking Fluvoximine for a few weeks and its good. But I take it at night and get horrible insomnia. I get sedated, but I cannot go to sleep. I roll around in bed for hours and hours. Id take some Trazodone, but I hate the increased appetite (it brings me so much stress). Melatonin makes me depressed and Unisom is like that too. I wanted to try gabapentin, but I cant find my old perscription.
Has anyone ever had this insomnia?? Its pretty stressful.
I dont understand, people respond to medicines great, I get troublesome side effects on every single one..
Seroquel works but antipshycotics make me feel super strange. Does anyone feel really wierd when taking APs too?
Benzos could help but are depressants. I took Klonopin for a year or so at one point and I cant really remember ALOT of it.
Posted by Phillipa on December 7, 2008, at 21:21:15
In reply to luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine, posted by sam K on December 7, 2008, at 16:24:46
Hi Sam I'm also on luvox no insomnia take dose at night the biggest dose should be at night as luvox is listed as a sedating antidepressant. I also take low doses of benzos as was and have been on them most of 37 years. Take 12.5mg valium and .5xanax at bedtime and sleep soundly. Tried seroquel once the docs pulled me off it as I wanted to speak and no words would come out and almost fainted. In hospital that time. Klonopin for me was very depressing and had to come right off it. Love Phillipa pa now up to 100mg luvox and when get to 150 50mg will be am.
Posted by cactus on December 8, 2008, at 15:59:07
In reply to luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine, posted by sam K on December 7, 2008, at 16:24:46
Hi Sam, I used to take my luvox in the morning, I was up to 300mg a day. I was prescribed it in the morning from my 1st dose at 50mg. They do say it should be taken in divided doses once you get to around 150mg, but my dr and pdoc said that 300mg in the morning was fine and you don't alway have to split a luvox dose, but it depends on the person.
I didn't find it sedating at all. Maybe you could try taking it in the morning and see how you go. It might take a few days to get use to but you might sleep better with less in your system. It's up to you and your doc. That was a long time ago, but I seem to have a different reaction to most meds, like quite a few other people in here do. Luvox was also the only SSRI/SNRI that did anything for me at all, at least I got about 1 year out of it before it pooped out on me. Good luck, peace C
Posted by Phillipa on December 8, 2008, at 20:27:56
In reply to Re: luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine » sam K, posted by cactus on December 8, 2008, at 15:59:07
Cactus I'm betting that the benzos prevented the insomnia. When you took all in am was it activating? I did get to 250mg at one time and it pooped in about two weeks. Love Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on December 8, 2008, at 23:00:19
In reply to luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine, posted by sam K on December 7, 2008, at 16:24:46
> Ive been taking Fluvoximine for a few weeks and its good. But I take it at night and get horrible insomnia. I get sedated, but I cannot go to sleep. I roll around in bed for hours and hours.
Is this for anxiety or depression, because depression itself can cause sleep disturbances or disorders, and vice versa that not enough REM sleep can cause other issues.
When I can't sleep I also tend to toss around which probably just increases the frustration, its hard to stay still.Maybe at that point you could do something not very stimulating (you don't want anything to stimulate you more) like relaxation tapes or listening to "dream" soothing sound devices?
Do you take any naps during the day, because that could take away some of the sleep at night? And do you do stimulating things like using the computer or even watching TV to some extent just before bed, that sometimes can make things worse. I assume you don't use too much caffeine?
Exercise of some sort at least several hours before bedtime can improve your chances of sleep also.
Id take some Trazodone, but I hate the increased appetite (it brings me so much stress).Yes, it definitely can do that, especially just after taking it and in the morning.
Melatonin makes me depressed
Its a hormone, it can make some people depressed I suppose if they're sensitive to the HPA axis.
So I wouldn't suggest Ramelteon then.and Unisom is like that too.
Did you taking the diphenhydramine (Benadryl) formation of Unisom or the doxylamine succinate?
I happen to use the latter which I use at a fairly high dose (75mg) because I have run out of possible options.
Doxylamine is a little different and a bit stronger than diphenhydramine.
But there is another possibility, you could take 10mg of amitriptyline (stronger) or doxepin at night, I wouldn't exceed that, and yes, its possible to make you hungry too, but I'm not sure as much as Trazodone.
Its also possible that one of these TCAs could improve depression as well as sleep even at that low a dose, as an add on.
I wanted to try gabapentin, but I cant find my old perscription.
I take gabapentin for other reasons but only at the beginning would it have ever had any aspect on sleep. For me, the grogginess and slurred speech and whatnot quickly disappeared. But some people swear by it. There's also Lyrica, which is a bit stronger than Neurontin.
If you want to do the Neurontin, why not ask your doctor for a new prescription ?
> Has anyone ever had this insomnia?? Its pretty stressful.
I've had pretty bad insomnia for years. I may get a sleep study because there could be something there too, I tend to snore and now I apparently talk in my sleep, especially when I am about to wake up.
> I dont understand, people respond to medicines great, I get troublesome side effects on every single one..
I'm pretty sensitive to medications -- everyone is different on here remember, we all have ever so slightly different DNA, biochemical imbalances, medicine combinations, its important to take that into consideration. I have odd side effects from a select few, including APs, but I also am a fast metabolizer and require higher doses on others.
> Seroquel works but antipshycotics make me feel super strange. Does anyone feel really wierd when taking APs too?They can be blunting, which could explain that "wierd" feeling of having your affect, more or less your mood and how you feel, flattened -- that is their job actually for severe cases of schizophrenia and the like
I don't know, I am on Seroquel for an offlabel reason differently, and it doesnt provide full sleep anymore, hence other agents. Does it contribute to feeling disconnected or is it necessary to prevent that going further -- its hard to say?
> Benzos could help but are depressants. I took Klonopin for a year or so at one point and I cant really remember ALOT of it.
Benzodiazepines can be amnesic, depending on how much you were taking. They're not necessarily depressants, Xanax appears to people to be a slight antidepressant just because of the quick uptake and being slightly stimulating. I wouldn't suggest getting on Xanax 24/7 though, short term benzodiazepines can be more habituating over time, for some people.
As for taking Luvox in the morning, that's possible, although it's often dosed twice daily, if you're not taking a lot of it, you could do that I believe. If you're on a high dose, maybe the bulk of it in the morning and the rest in the early evening.
It's usually one of the two "sleepy" SSRIs, although Paxil is more -- but then again everyone is different so your response could be slightly different from the average.
-- tidings
Jay
Posted by cactus on December 9, 2008, at 2:53:42
In reply to Re: luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine » cactus, posted by Phillipa on December 8, 2008, at 20:27:56
> Cactus I'm betting that the benzos prevented the insomnia. When you took all in am was it activating? I did get to 250mg at one time and it pooped in about two weeks. Love Phillipa
No it wasn't the benzo's at all.
Zoloft, efexor, aropax(paxil), prozac, cipramil(celexa) etc... all SSRI's and all made my insomnia and anxiety worse except for Luvox. I wouldn't say it was activating but it didn't make me anxious or snappy like the others did. It just lifted me out of a hole for a while.
I'm just one of those people who cannot tolerate SSRI's, I'll never take them again, but they work wonders for others who can't tolerate the meds I take. Everyones is different, but I can tell you now it had nothing to do with the benzo's. I don't like you to assume on my behalf for me. Thankyou for your input though, I appreciate it, but it's not correct. Peace C
Posted by sam K on December 9, 2008, at 17:42:46
In reply to Re: luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine » sam K, posted by Phillipa on December 7, 2008, at 21:21:15
thats cool your on luvox. Im seriously so impressed by luvox.. Ive taken SO many different antidepressants and this is pretty tolerable. My mother is a doctor so Ive been able to get meds and try out my ideas without begging a pdoc. (Im very smart, some people think its not good I take meds like that) I am very blessed that way. Plus I have a super good doctor. And I have an extremley loving mother too. (makes life easier!) Thanks phillipa and have a good day!! hope the best for ya
Posted by sam K on December 9, 2008, at 17:47:12
In reply to Re: luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine » sam K, posted by cactus on December 8, 2008, at 15:59:07
hey thanks for the reply. I appreciate you mentioning that you took the dose in the morning. I did that today and so far so GOOD. Ya, I have different reactions to meds too, this site is perfect for our type. Some people can take anything and do good. A lot of the time I get worse on meds.
Hey sorry about the meds pooping out on you. That hasnt happened to me.. yet. :p I hope you find or have found a good solution!!
Posted by cactus on December 10, 2008, at 3:16:32
In reply to Re: luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine, posted by sam K on December 9, 2008, at 17:42:46
Thankyou Sam. I finally have found a fantastic med combo for me after years of trying so many different meds, and thankyou again for your kind words. I really hope the morning dose of Luvox works for you, like it did for me, and finally gives you a good nights sleep and some respite from your condition. Lack of sleep is a very fickle thing and for me it's quite dangerous.
I have been all over the place for the last 15-20 years but over this last 12 month period I have never felt this stable and grounded. It's been fantastic, and now I'm trying to give back a bit to babble that has help me so much over the last few years. One of the most important keys to my recovery has been finally finding 2 amazing people around the same time. One is my GP who is quite possible the most nurturing woman (sorry mum) I have ever met and my psychologist who is an outstanding and compassionate man. The key factor about these 2 people is that they actually listen to me. It is just so emphatically important to be heard properly in times of crisis and I have never had that before, you are so luck to be in the same situation.
Australia has a pretty good health system in place, it's not the best in the world and the mental health system could be better, but after years of searching I have finally found what I need for now. Good luck on your journey in life, I hope you find the inner peace we are all so desperately seeking, best wishes and peace C
Posted by Larry Hoover on December 10, 2008, at 17:47:16
In reply to luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine, posted by sam K on December 7, 2008, at 16:24:46
I had horrid insomnia from fluvoxamine. I don't recall when in the day I took it, though, as it was a decade ago. Over time, I got less and less sleep, until I was unable to sleep altogether. I hope you find a solution.
Lar
Posted by Phillipa on December 10, 2008, at 19:01:03
In reply to Re: luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine » sam K, posted by Larry Hoover on December 10, 2008, at 17:47:16
Lar did you combine it with a benzo? And how high a dose? Thanks Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on December 10, 2008, at 20:07:18
In reply to Re: luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine » sam K, posted by Larry Hoover on December 10, 2008, at 17:47:16
Lar also wierd as when pdoc here took me off a mere 50mg of luvox and gave extremely high doses of benzos I didn't sleep for two weeks ended up in ER and they said go back on did and was fine????? Wierd Huh? Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on December 10, 2008, at 21:54:46
In reply to Re: luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine » Larry Hoover, posted by Phillipa on December 10, 2008, at 20:07:18
> Lar also wierd as when pdoc here took me off a mere 50mg of luvox and gave extremely high doses of benzos I didn't sleep for two weeks ended up in ER and they said go back on did and was fine????? Wierd Huh? Phillipa
Define "extremely" high doses... there's something missing there because if you were on the Luvox/Valium mixture there's some potentiation and then chance for withdrawal ?
Also you might not have been able to sleep because of reasons not due to the Luvox directly, causality not always causation, like your thyroid problems?
Posted by Phillipa on December 11, 2008, at 19:12:10
In reply to Re: luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine » Phillipa, posted by yxibow on December 10, 2008, at 21:54:46
Jay extremely high doses for me were 6mg of extended release xanax 3mg twice a day and then he switched it to 8mg of ativan never took more than 6mg though. I also wanted to thank-you about another thread. So what do you feel? Love Jan
Posted by yxibow on December 12, 2008, at 23:23:24
In reply to Re: luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine » yxibow, posted by Phillipa on December 11, 2008, at 19:12:10
> Jay extremely high doses for me were 6mg of extended release xanax 3mg twice a day and then he switched it to 8mg of ativan never took more than 6mg though. I also wanted to thank-you about another thread. So what do you feel? Love Jan
> Jay extremely high doses for me were 6mg of extended release xanax 3mg twice a day and then he switched it to 8mg of ativan never took more than 6mg though. I also wanted to thank-you about another thread. So what do you feel? Love Jan
Well going by the tables, the first one, that's only about 60mg of Valium a day, the other about 40mg, so if you only took 6mg of Ativan, about half of the Xanax, except its XR so I can't really say exactly what the equivalency would be, probably about the same.
But Xanax is a little activating, which is why some people say it has an "anti-depressant" effect, so maybe you had some idiosyncratic / paradoxical reaction.I think it depends on how your body is processing things too because you have been taking rather low doses of Luvox that normally wouldn't be considered terribly psychoactive -- still Luvox is sedating so there is so many variables going on here, withdrawal from Luvox, possibly a reaction to the benzodiazepines at the same time until the Ativan, that's a real tossup I must say.
But since you went back on Luvox, and you were able to sleep then maybe you did withdraw from even that small amount, although after 2 weeks is a long time.
I'm not sure where ending up in the ER occurred though, since not sleeping by itself is not life threatening in the very short run, eventually it happens, 2 weeks is a bit long, it usually straightens out before then, I'm surprised they didn't suggest something like Lunesta, but then you have been used to Valium so I don't know how well it works.
I mean I'm glad you got the advice you needed at the hospital about this, that's about what I can sort out from it not knowing really other variables that they may have figured.
-- tidings
Jay
Posted by Phillipa on December 13, 2008, at 17:46:43
In reply to Re: luvox INSOMINA! fluvoximine » Phillipa, posted by yxibow on December 12, 2008, at 23:23:24
I think my brain likes the luvox and now the benzos are making me tired and never used to so cutting down on them. Well I knew I was wierd. Love Jan
This is the end of the thread.
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