Sleeping Meds Suggestions?

Hi everyone ... for the last months can`t go to bed before 2-3 am and usually wake up around 8-9 ... not enough sleep ...

I don`t mind sleeping in once i`m truly tired ... I mind the sound but I just play dead untill I sleep ... but it is so loud lately I can`t get myself to go to bed ... I keep doing things to distract myself.

now I just need to have a push sleeping for some weeks to get my rythm back ...

-What sleeping meds are mild but help and are `safe` to take?
-Which ones are strong?
-Which ones make the T worse?

Thanks for any input ... also your ways to fall asleep are welcome.

thanks,

nills

 

Hi Nills,

You're so far into this shit, I doubt if I can tell you anything you don't already know.

Benzos & Z-Drugs -- these will knock you out for sure, but sleep quality may not be great, dependence is a problem, and these drugs are known to cause tinnitus.

Antihistamines - dramamine and doxylamine succinate both have sedative effects, but may not work too well for really severe insomnia.

Melatonin - very subtle; safe, but probably won't help much.

Valerian - basically an herbal benzo; stronger than melatonin, weaker than ambien.

Marijuana - indicas and other CBD dominant strains can be heavily sedating, but can cause spikes for lots of people, and may cause anxiety and additional insomnia if you're not already a heavy user.

Once in a great while I resort to an ambien or something, but mostly I just deal with insomnia when it happens. Laying in quiet darkness next to my wife and/or cats is fairly healing for me, so even when I don't sleep, I don't tend to get very stressed by it these days.

When I was at my worst with insomnia, I was listening to 10 and 40 minute guided breath meditations off of Youtube; these helped me sleep to some extent, and definitely made me feel more calm about my insomnia.

For whatever reason my ringing doesn't seem to keep me up at night or wake me up, even though it drives me fucking crazy while I'm awake. I can loll in bed in the morning, and I'm aware of my T but somehow not very bothered by it until I have to get up and start doing shit. Thank god for small favors I guess; I hope you get back on track sleep wise pretty soon, I know that when I don't sleep well my T goes up to level 11.

For me, keeping a regular and stable bedtime and committing to laying in quiet darkness for the same 9 hours every night, is essential. If I start staying up really late, I get messed up for weeks.

 

Nice summary @linearb, I wonder if getting off of ambien would help lessen my tinnitus? I realize it may get worse before it gets better though. I've been on zolpidem for so many years, but I'm still not sure if it causes or makes worse your tinnitus?

 

I've seen speculation in both directions, but I really don't know. I understand why the withdrawal from these drugs can cause T; it's pretty straightforward -- downregulation of GABA receptors, drug withdrawal, glutamate storm. But it's a lot murkier how these drugs contribute to T if you're just taking a stable dose of them long term. Some of the benzos specifically mention T in the drug literature (Xanax, for instance) -- but the Z-drugs do not, as far as I know.

If you've been taking it for that long, it may not actually be doing anything helpful at this point, but if you decide to go off of it, definitely do it very slowly!

 

Thanks linearb for the thorough post ... I never took sleeping aids so don`t know anything about them.

I have been (abusing cannabis for the last 3 months ... it might be the reason why my T is so up the roof now although it seemed to help in the beginning .. before when I didn`t smoke and would smoke a bit, my T got crazy ... T hallucinations like church bells ringing and all sorts of drones and hisses and metallic sounds. Now it is just loud hiss with a piercing whistle. I smoke about 1-1.5 grams a day and smoke a few joints the hours before bed ... it is just I can`t make myself go to sleep ... I just need something that knocks me out before ... without me even remembering.

I will try the valerian and move up if I need to ...

never heard of Ambien though? (googling now)

 

• zolpidem ( Ambien , Intermezzo): These medicines work well at helping you get to sleep, but some people tended to wake up in the middle of the night. Zolpidem is now available in an extended release version, Ambien CR. This may help you go to sleep and stay asleep longer. You should not take zolpidem unless you are able to get a full night's sleep -- at least 7 to 8 hours. The FDA has approved a prescription oral spray called Zolpimist, which contains zolpidem, for the short-term treatment of insomnia brought on by difficulty falling asleep.
• eszopiclone ( Lunesta ): Lunesta also helps you fall asleep quickly, and studies show people sleep an average of seven to eight hours. Don't take Lunesta unless you are able to get a full night's sleep as it could cause grogginess. Because of the risk of impairment the next day, the FDA recommends the starting dose of Lunesta be no more than 1 mg.

i like to try this next one ... I only need it to feel sleepy and go to sleep, once I sleep i sleep ...

• ramelteon ( Rozerem ): This is a sleep medication that works differently than the others. It works by targeting the sleep-wake cycle, not by depressing the central nervous system. It is prescribed for people who have difficulty falling asleep. Rozerem can be prescribed for long-term use, and the drug has shown no evidence of abuse or dependence.

also interesting ...

• zaleplon ( Sonata ): Of all the new sleeping pills, Sonata stays active in the body for the shortest amount of time. That means you can try to fall asleep on your own. Then, if you're still staring at the clock at 2 a.m., you can take it without feeling drowsy in the morning. However, if you tend to wake during the night, this might not be the best choice for you.

• doxepine ( Silenor ): This sleep drug is approved for use in people who have trouble staying asleep. Silenor may help with sleep maintenance by blocking histamine receptors. Do not take this drug unless you are able to get a full seven or eight hours of sleep. Dosage is based on your health, age, and response to therapy.
• Benzodiazepines: These older sleeping pills -- triazolam (Halcion), temazepam (Restoril), alprazolam (Xanax), and others -- may be useful when you want an insomnia medication that stays in the system longer. For instance, they have been effectively used to treat sleep problems such as sleepwalking and night terrors. However, these drugs may cause you to feel sleepy during the day and can also cause dependence, meaning you may always need to be on the drug to be able to sleep.
• Antidepressants : Some antidepressant drugs, such as (trazodone (Desyrel) and (mirtazapine (Remeron), are particularly effective in treating sleeplessness and anxiety.

 

I did not want traditional sleep meds from the GP, I tried valerian and it made my T go crazy, so I settled on melatonin, not easy in the uk whete we can't buy it. But it worked so well with a strict bedtime routine.
Candles low lighting, magnesium spray and magnesium foods, quiet tv, no gadgets like iPads after 9pm, light supper, melatonin taken at 10pm, bed at 10.30 read until 11 and then lights out, perfect. I fall asleep quickly, I wake once or twice but that is normal for me. I sleep until at least 9am. I only take 0.50mg now.
I have done this strictly now for 4 months. I am now off propranolol and T is a lot lower, and terrible bilateral spikes gave stopped.

 

I tried melatonin knocked me out but nighmares. Dramamine really helps me. My dr just prescribed me valium. Nights are rough for me too. Havent tried it yet. Ill let u know how it goes

 

Propofol, Nembutal, morphine.