[pepperoxenfree]

Hello everyone !
Recently ive been having some trouble sleeping, as I have throughout my life intermittently. Ive also had an increase in my anxiety from multiple factors.
I told my pdoc this and he suggested ambien as a sleep aid. He said it may also help the anxiety. I took the script to my pharmacists and while I was waiting I started looking up side-effects. The sleep walking possibility scares the **** out of me! As someone who has experienced mania w/ psychosis it makes me very very nervous of any drug that could induce that or some situation where I am not acting myself. As it stands, I grabbed some melatonin and did not pick up the ambien.

Im interested in other options for meds, and I know a friend of mine has taken klonopin for sleep & anxiety. It worked well for her, but I dont know how to really ask for it or something like it from my pdoc. Upon research it seems klonopin and drugs like it do not have sleepwalking side effects and are even prescribed to people who sleepwalk to prevent it.

So my questions are: how do I approach my pdoc about klonopin? Is there another anxiety/ sleep aid that may work? And if anyone could share their experiences with benzos etc id appreciate it!

There are a number of threads on the Meds board about benzos and about k-pin in particular.

I have been on k-pin for about 20 years. I would not, not recommend it for sleep. Any p-doc who would prescribe k-pin for sleep would not be someone I would trust at all. The tolerance factor with k-pin is a very big problem.

[sewerrats]

There not sleep meds , BENZOS anxiety that's all

[nummy]

Originally Posted by pepperoxenfree

Hello everyone !
Recently ive been having some trouble sleeping, as I have throughout my life intermittently. Ive also had an increase in my anxiety from multiple factors.
I told my pdoc this and he suggested ambien as a sleep aid. He said it may also help the anxiety. I took the script to my pharmacists and while I was waiting I started looking up side-effects. The sleep walking possibility scares the **** out of me! As someone who has experienced mania w/ psychosis it makes me very very nervous of any drug that could induce that or some situation where I am not acting myself. As it stands, I grabbed some melatonin and did not pick up the ambien.

Im interested in other options for meds, and I know a friend of mine has taken klonopin for sleep & anxiety. It worked well for her, but I dont know how to really ask for it or something like it from my pdoc. Upon research it seems klonopin and drugs like it do not have sleepwalking side effects and are even prescribed to people who sleepwalk to prevent it.

So my questions are: how do I approach my pdoc about klonopin? Is there another anxiety/ sleep aid that may work? And if anyone could share their experiences with benzos etc id appreciate it!

I think it's potentially dangerous using benzodiazepines to sleep. Why not Visteral? (Sp?). I took one yesterday n I knocked me O.U.T. and I slept better than in months. And that was on lowest dose, like 10. Would you consider trying it?

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by sewerrats

There not sleep meds , BENZOS anxiety that's all

Ambien is not a benzo. It's in the Hypnotic class of meds.

Correct, however about not wanting to use a benzo for sleep.

To OP, do you have someone, who can be there, to monitor IF you are going to have a side effect?

Had this script since '10(?). Make sure, you take it, while in your bed, and settled for the night. Worst I've done was typed an email, nothing terrible, and forgotten. I wasn't quite ready for bed, thought oh, I've got a couple minutes...nope...when it sets in, that's it...
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[Moodswing]

I use either xanax or ambein for sleep. Ambein does not always work depending on how much my thoughts are racing. Xanax calms my anxiety, turns the volume down on overwhelming feelings and gets me peaceful enough to sleep. There have been times I took them together and still did not sleep. Again in has to do with what is happening external to cause internal issues.

[healingme4me]

^^ I don't use xanax for sleep. If I do happen to have needed a xanax, at night, it does help with sleep. An ambien, i did once take, when xanax was still in my system...never even turned off my light.just done.

Been lucky, lately, in my new place. Med free, falling asleep as if I were on meds..external factors can affect us.

Meds are helpful, getting back to where we'd like to be, priceless

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[Altered Moment]

I would not recommend a benzo for sleep at all. Only for real bad anxiety. The odd behaviors with ambien are real but not everyone gets them. I took ambien for awhile and did not get them. My docs have always given me either Remeron or Trazadone for sleep. They work good. They are antidepressants and as far as I can tell harmless. Most common side effect with Remeron is weight gain. Visteril worked for one week for me and then quit working altogether.

[sewerrats]

I have chronic anxiety and take 6mg lorazapam a day but not at night , I take 2 mg 9pm but don't go to bed till 2 am , I like a a nice chilled evening with the TV after 9pm. What is the point of sleeping trough a BENZO buzz you get nothing for your addiction , you may has well enjoy it while awake. BY 2AM im ready for sleep and go off natural with just the tail end of the BENZO still working. I am passing on years of experimental use of BENZOS and taking 1 and going straight to bed is a pure waste of time,:: I bet you wake 3 hours later.

[gayleggg]

I take Ambien for sleep and have for sometime. I haven't had any real side effects. The only thing I've had is that if something wakes me up I don't remember it. Like the dog barking.

[-jimi-]

I have taken both ambien and benzo based sleep meds. I take halcion now that is a benzo for sleep. Benzos meant as sleep meds are better for sleep usually compared to benzos meant for just anxiety.

Ambien was a super good sleep med for me but I got allergic to it. But I can understand the fear. I did not have much weird sleep behaviors on it but I can't lie, I had some. I found it a little scary. I did not know about those effects starting it because they were not officially known.

The most important thing is to go to bed at once when you take the med and if you can't sleep and feel wired, do NOT get up. Also I have used "traps" I set up so I know for sure I have not left the room at night.

I've also been on nitrazepam and flunitrazepam for sleep (the later not sold in USA), pretty good meds for sleep. Also been on imovane. It is not sold in USA but its next gen lunesta is. Lunesta is similar to ambien but with less reported night time episodes. They can still happen but lunesta is not as stimulating as ambien. Downside with lunesta is that you feel like you sucked on a coin all night. Ugh. LOL.

[Altered Moment]

The very bizarre thing for me was Lunesta didn't do a damn thing. It may as well have been a sugar pill.

[-jimi-]

You can be immune to z meds. Then ambien and lunesta will not do anything. No matter dosage.

[Altered Moment]

Ambien it took three of them to do anything but I was having major anxiety at the time. I don't think 10 mg klonopin would have touched it.

[pepperoxenfree]

Originally Posted by Moodswing

I use either xanax or ambein for sleep. Ambein does not always work depending on how much my thoughts are racing. Xanax calms my anxiety, turns the volume down on overwhelming feelings and gets me peaceful enough to sleep. There have been times I took them together and still did not sleep. Again in has to do with what is happening external to cause internal issues.

Oh xanax sounds like it would help me a lot! A lot of my problems with falling asleep are anxious thoughts running through my head.

[pepperoxenfree]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I didnt know klonopin wouldnt be such a good sleep aid. I will look into the othrr suggestions and tlk to my pdoc

[Sneezyyy]

I take both but kolonopin not for sleep for anxiety

Sneezyyyy

[sewerrats]

Most people in England have never heard of Xanax its not on are GP Or SHRINK list, the strongest benzo used is lorazapam or the real Ativan . loz is generic Ativan if anyone did not know, NO BENZOS TWICE ATIVAN STRENTH like XANAX OR KLONIPIN is scripted that I no.

[SingDanceRunLife]

I took Ambien for about 2 1/2 months before stopping. It lost its effectiveness, AND I was sleep walking and sleep eating which was scary.

I tried trazodone which had the opposite effect on me and had me *wired* as did Lunesta.

Have you thought about Seroquel? Lots of people use that for sleep. It works pretty well for me, though in periods of high anxiety, I take klonopin to sleep and it works quite well with no ill effects as far as I or my pdoc can see.

[Altered Moment]

I dunno if I mentioned it already but I use Remeron for sleep and it works good. If you can take it without gaining weight. I would recommend that before a benzo or Seroquel.

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by zinco14532323

I dunno if I mentioned it already but I use Remeron for sleep and it works good. If you can take it without gaining weight. I would recommend that before a benzo or Seroquel.

zinco you can guarantee weight gain on %90 of takers on Remeron you can feel you body swelling up .I went up a jean size a week , 3 weeks and I was bloated fat.

I gained more weight on Remeron than on any other med I've ever been on. The Remeron, however, has been helpful emotionally.

[-jimi-]

Remeron was way too druggy for me. I only took one pill and never again. It was scary.

Didn't slow my friend down a bit though. She didn't even get tired from it.

[sunrise]

Originally Posted by pepperoxenfree

So my questions are: how do I approach my pdoc about klonopin? Is there another anxiety/ sleep aid that may work?

All you need to do is tell your pdoc you would like a sleep medication but don't want Ambien because of the sleep walking. Your pdoc will suggest some options. Hopefully he will not suggest klonopin for sleep.

Here are some ideas:
Non prescription: Melatonin, Valerian, Magnesium
Presciption: Vistaril, Remeron, Trazodone, Seroquel, Temazepam

For shutting off your mind prior to sleep (persistent and/or racing thoughts), an SSRI might help..