[crazymusiclvr]

Can anyone share their experiences with drugs that have helped you get a good night's sleep and that you use for long term use? I understand that everyone is different and that no one is a doctor but i'm just curious to learn about other people's experiences with the other drugsthat are out there. I currently take Seroquel and i've been taking it for two years. It has worked but it takes a good 1.5 to 2 hours to fully work. Does anyone take anything for sleep or mood and sleep that works a little faster? I really appreciate your response. Thanks a bunch!

~Lia

I found seroquel to work the best, but my pdoc has me taking extra clonazepam with Zyprexa and it seems to do the trick but takes much much much longer.

I was taking zopiclone, which worked very quickly however after two weeks it didnt do anything anymore. I tend to develop tolerance quite quickly however.

[bizi]

I took benadryl for a couple of years then it stopped working.
then I was on klonipin and geodon...when I weaned off those meds my restless leg syndrome came back and I could not sleep....
so then I started on lunesta which worked fine for a lbout a year...then stopped working.
Now I am taking ambien cr 12mg...which works really quickly for some...they say to take it right before bed time.
It doesn't work that fast on me but 30 minutes later I am needing to be in bed...if I wait any longer than that I cna't remember what I ahve done or wrote or posted etc.
hope this helps...
good luck sleeping...It is so important for us to have regular sleep hygiene!
bizi

[onlymedid]

Yeah, I am taking Ambien too. I have the same reaction where I can plan on taking it 1/2 hour before I want to go to sleep and I am usually out.
Yeah, if I wait any longer I too have similar reactions to bizi.
Also, my eye sight gets blurry so I have to close my eyes because I can't read or focus anymore.
Hope this helps some.

i take .05 mg xanax and a 100 mg darvocet (for breast pain) and it works well together now.

[Sarah116]

Seroquel was given to me not only for sleep but other reasons, it knocked me out like anesthesia!

[psisci]

Low dose seroquel (25-50mg) or remeron (7.5 mg) work well, as do Ambien and Lunesta. I would avoid benzodiazepines as they interfer with the normal sleep cycle, and that has been linked to worsening of most psychiatric problems as well as energy etc.

Dr.S.

I used Xanax for 17 years cuz I had a lot of anxiety that disrupted my sleep. It worked well until I went through a manic stage a few months ago & I couldn't sleep more than 3-4 hours even with taking the Xanax so now I've been put on Trazadone & Klonopin. They are helping. I'm averaging about 6 hours a night now.--Suzy

[abilifyguy]

Seroquel is good, but takes a while to work, like you said. I've used seroquel, but now I use trazodone. It is absorbed faster and peaks in the bloodstream in about an hour. I find that if I take it 30 minutes before bed, it's just perfect timing.

Good luck getting good sleep!

[jlove973]

I take Clonazapam it works well. I don't have the hangover feeling with it as I have had in the past with other meds.

[1Dar]

I recently started taking Melatonin. I started taking this because everything else knocks me out. Melatonin is a natural sleep aid because it is one your body makes. Some depression meds can cause a decrease in the production of melatonin in a persons body. I curently take 300mcg which is just less than 1/2mg. It comes in a variety of "strengths" and is an over the counter, but recomends asking dr before use. It works in about 30minutes. I have never woke up groggy and didn't have to have that 8-10 that most Rx drugs need. In fact one night i got like 6 or 7 hrs of sleep and I was still ok. I wasn't dragging.

The site below is a great site for information.

http://www.consumerlab.com/results/melatonin.asp

Hope the info is helpful.
Dar

[okiedokie]

Hi Dar,
Is there one brand better than another?
Thanks,
Sandy

[okiedokie]

Hi Dr. Scott,
Is 5 to 10 mg of ambien going to be addictive? Will I get dependent on it and unable to sleep without it? I already beat one addition to benzos so don't want to go there again. Is it better to trade off between benadryl one night and ambien the next? Your thoughts please?
Thanks,
Okie

[psisci]

There is a risk for dependence, but not as bad as the benzos. Using every other night is a good idea. PM me if want more info, things get a little contentious when I post here for some reason...

[JonB]

For those who take (or took) Seroquel for sleep, what dose did you take?