Anyone tried Silenor?

I've recently developed bad insomnia.  It was not bad after I jumped, but has become a real problem.  My doctor wrote me a script for Silenor.  It does not act on GABA receptors and is not known to cause dependency.  I want to remain drug-free and only use it on an occasional basis when I really need sleep.  Please share your experience if you have tried it.  Thank you.

 

GettingMyLifeBack

It's great!  I take 4 mg a nite. No more adrenaline wakeups every couple of hours! Sleeping a good six hours nightly. If your doctor will subscribe liquid doxepin ( generic) it's the same thing and could perhaps save you some money. Hope you have the same good luck with it that I do.

Jeanie

This is a tricyclic antidepressant. Please beware. These, like SSRIs, like Benzos are nightmarish to come off of.

Just some concerned input 

yeah, antipsychotics are even worse than antidepressants to come off of but AD's are pretty bad too.  Sometimes I think they intentionally make it hard to come off of them so they keep getting your money.  Be careful.

 

 

True for some people. However It is not an antipsychotic. a therapeutic dose for depression is 50-300 mg. 3-6 mg for sleep is a miniscule amount.  It has worked like a miracle for me but of course everyone is different.

Jeanie

Hey GlynG,

Am i reading that you're clean since sept 2011?

If so, how are you sleeping? Did you have sleeping problems prior to starting Meds?

And not to sound weird, but you look strong. I am in excellent shape for my age and hate, hate, hate the thought of a year or more of sleeplessness and atrophy. Afraid to get off, but know I need to.

Any input/advice?

Thanks.

At that low of a dose it probably wouldn't cause any dependency issues.

 

LifeLongInsomniac -- Yeah, I've been clean since September.  I'm sleeping a lot better but I had months of really bad insomnia.  I started to notice big improvements around the 3rd and 4th month.  My problems with sleep all started after I was doing meth when I was younger and they put me on Zyprexa because of the problems form meth.  I was never on meds before this.  That was 7 years ago when I was 18 and I'm 26 now.  I haven't touched meth since I was 19.  I think the Zyprexa is somehow interfering with my body's natural ability to sleep because if I don't take it I can't sleep at all.

 

I'm in pretty good shape and I work out a lot.  I know what you mean about the sleeplessness and atrophy..if I get insomnia I can't go to the gym.  I try to make it on the days that I sleep though.  I don't think you would have a whole year of problems.  By month 4, I started getting 8 hours of sleep most nights again but I'm also on Zyprexa which makes you sleep a lot.

 

I think you will be fine getting off and the problems won't be as bad as you think, or at least they won't last as long as you think.

Thanks for the replies.  I decided to try it last night and it did work great.  My dosage is 3 mg.  I slept 6 hours until my neighbor started his Harley at 5:30 a.m.  I went back to sleep until 8:00.  I plan to use it every third night, or less often if not needed. 

 

Healing and sleep to all,

GettingMyLifeBack

 

Yeah!!!! So glad it worked for you. It worked for me immediately too!  I think at that tiny dosage you can safely take it as needed. Very happy for you!

Jeanie

Thanks Jeanie.  It has also helped me during the day.  I was a little foggy this morning, but no anxiety or neck/shoulder tension.  Yay!!!

Is this the same as Elavil?  My doctor said he could call that in for me.

Hi Tina.  elavil is one of the older tricyclics but I have not heard that it has sleep promoting qualities.  You will need to do a little research on that.

 

Silenor/ doxepin is known to promote sleep. In fact, doxepin works so well, silenor, which is the same med, is marketed separately as a sleep aid, not an antidepressant! 

 

Wonder why your doc is suggesting another. Personally, I wouldn't take elavil. 

Jeanie

Dr. Ashton recommends Elavil for insomnia.

 

"From their therapeutic effects in depression and anxiety, some antidepressants have a sedative effect which patients who are particularly plagued with insomnia have found helpful. Low doses (10-50mg) of amitriptyline (Elavil) or doxepin (Sinequan) are remarkably effective in promoting sleep if taken at bed-time. These can be taken for short periods of a few weeks and stopped by reducing the dosage stepwise or taking the drug every other night. Withdrawal is not a problem when small doses are taken for short periods or intermittently."

 

Sounds good. Give it a shot!  I'm just familiar with doxepin so I stick with it.

I know you've been having a rough time and really hope it brings you some relief. Please let me know. Start with a tiny dose and you can increase if needed.

 

Jeanie

Jeanie--why wouldn't you take it?  How are you doing these days?  I am crossing over to Valium and it is ROUGH.  Ativan has a strong hold on my receptors.  How many more cuts do you have?  Are you still bedridden?  Hugs, Tina

I am not in good shape. Yes. Bedridden. I am possibly dealing with a neuromuscular illness exacerbated by cipro toxicity and Ativan withdrawal. Perfect storm of bad meds.  I am cutting by .0013 every five days if possible. Each cut is horrendous. 20-30 more cuts to go depending on if I go to zero. Like you, it has a horrible grip on me.

 

Try the elavil. It will probably be fine for you.....I just don't know much about it. 

Xo  Jeanie

 

Ps. I'm in s. calif

Tina,

 

If you try the elavil, please let me know how you respond.  The doxepin is definitely good for sleep, but it has caused some bad constipation.  I hope to find ways to deal with it, but only using it occasionally is probably the best way.

 

Take care.  I hope things improve for you soon.

GettingMyLifeBack

I tried Elavil before and it didn't work.  Had no effect at all.  So far, every antidepressant I've tried is really weak and has no effect.  When you're used to major tranquilizers, it's hard for anything else to work.  I want to try Silenor though.  Personally I just don't think antidepressants have true sleep helping qualities to me.  It seems like a marketing scam.  That is just my personal opinion though..lol.

Hi Tina

 

In South Africa Elavil is retailed as Trepiline (amitripyline being its active ingredient)  My GP also prescribed it as a "sleep aid" during my taper.  Like Glyn I have always used major tranquilizers and abusive amounts of z-drugs to sleep so initially I found it ineffective.  However since tapering down I have found that when I wake after only a couple of hours or if I just can't get to sleep (even with my Z-drug dose) I take 50mg Trepiline and 100mg Atarax (Vistril) and I usually can get a few more hours sleep.  A couple of my friends do take Trepiline every night and one has being taking it for 25years - never had any tolerance problems - however it is known to increase your weight.

Good info...

hmm, silenor sounds interesting.  think i might investigate this further to aid the insomnia as i continue the taper....

wow, just did some research on silenor and the reviews/research sounds really great/promising.

 

i'm wondering why more people here are not using it for their debilitating insomnia?? doesn't work on gabba, not 'addictive'...though that's what they said for ambien as well!

I just started 7.5 mg of remeron for insomnia and it seems to help. Does anyone else have any experience with this? It is an AD as well.