ADs for insomnia: amitripline and trimipramine, anyone tried?

Yes I do.the grogginess is very difficult

 

I find it difficult to have the energy during the day that you usually do. I keep thinking this is going to get better soon and I will be OK but now I am thinking I may have to get used to it and learn to function optimally on very little sleep. You're my insomnia hero. I knwo you're struggling today but you have been surviving this for 3 years. That's incredible.

 

HM

Thanku hm x not feeling strong today

Off label drugs and sleep aids may not work always as expected during withdrawal. Often a dose adjustment can be required. It's common being hit stronger first time you take a drug. I advice to avoid overthinking about "why isn't it hitting me like as usual?" - it happens also to me sometimes and it just brings more anxiety.

Trazodone is considered preatty safe and widely used. The AD effect starts at 150mg and more. There is a wide margin for trying it as a sleep aid. There is also an XR extended release version which lasts longer and is a little bit weaker. It doesn't hit hard but it may work better for increasing middle or late sleep. Every option should be discussed with a doctor. Some people sleep better taking XR, other people just experience an extended grogginess. It depends by age, weight, metabolism, etc. In my experience doctors prescribing Trazodone tell me to try at least for 5-7 days at the same dosage and then decide if keeping, updosing or quitting.

 

Fisherwallace looks like a home version of magnetic transcranial stimulation. I have no idea how it works, btw you have a 30 days trial period. I hope it will give you some relief. It's better than taking drugs. Unfortunately insomnia hit hard and many people like me while tapering, and after, need a minimum amount of sleep for being functional. Being drug free looks like a dream now for me, I just want a decent life but, as my psy told me last time, detoxing isn't a nice journey.

 

How about trying a different brand of sleep aid besides Unisom? 

Added 15mg Amitripline to Trazodone and Seroquel, slept almost 4h. Basically no gain compared to Trazo + Seroquel combo.

 

With hindsight it has been a stupid move because I was scared of another 2-3h night. Eventually amitripline should be tested as an alternative to Trazodone.

 

Better going back to a safer zone (low dose trazo and quetiapine) accepting the outcome. I hope you had a better night mates.

 

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"How about trying a different brand of sleep aid besides Unisom?"

 

What do you mean with a different brand? Unisom is doxylamine (an anthistamine).

 

There are other OTC sleep aids besides doxylamine.  Google it.

Yes I know it. But what do you mean exactly? Another antihistamine, natural supplements or off label RX drugs?

I don't take OTC sleep aids, but I know there are others besides Unisom.

I don't take OTC sleep aids, but I know there are others besides Unisom.

 

The only OTC sleeping aids you can buy are Doxylamine, Diphenhydramine, and Melatonin. (If we are discussing drugs).

 

Supplements that are sedating you can also buy OTC, like Valerian, Melissa, Passionflower, etc etc.

It's what I meant. Basically OTC sleep aids are antihistamine, drugs which are likely to deliver similar results, supplements and melatonine.

You could try L-tryptophan. It's available OTC. There are documented references to its efficacy in promoting sleep. Just Google for them. I've been taking it for a couple of months and find it far superior to anything else I've tried, and lord knows, I think I've tried everything. It is not addicting, requires no "ramp up" like ADs, has a short half-life, so no morning grogginess, requires no prescription, and acts immediately.

 

Some people choose to take 5HTP instead of L-tryptophan (the precursor to 5HTP and eventually, melatonin) but the dosage for 5HTP has not been as well studied as the dosage for L-Tryptophan.

 

Hope this helps someone,

 

Katz