Please only answer this poll if you have tried all (or at least 3 out of 4) of the medications listed. I am curious to see if our local docs are at the very minimum acknowledging our sleeplessness.*We already know for the most part they ignore our pain. Thanks for your input, I am looking forward to getting the results of this.

4mg of Xanax. Granted, my PCP only prescribes me #30 2mg though.....

Yes, my PCP used to prescribe me .5 X 4 a day (120 a month)Well, after being on that for 3 years, I told her that it simply wasn't working anymore for me. I guess I was assumming that she would up me to the 1mg tablets. Instead she put me on Ativan. I absolutely hated it... It did nothing for me but make my tongue feel weird. That is when I had to go looking for an online doctor to address my panic issues.. She said "well I don't like to go above a half a milligram on any Benzo.( that is a tataol of 2 mg a day, yippy) Since the XAnax isn't working for you anymore, we'll try the Ativan since it is supposed to last longer than the Xanax." What a joke..The Xanax would have worked fine if she just would have upped the dosage of it. I am no doctor, but even I understand a person can build a tolerance for a drug after being on it that long. Even when she was giving me the .5's, it just simply couldn't get me through the month anymore and she alwasy wrote on my script "no early refills" . O well, what can you do? That's when I decided I might as well depend on the online docs until they all go bye bye She would not change her mind on the issue either. I begged her to put me back on the Xanax to no avail. Even to try some Valium, nothing. "Take the Ativan on a regular basis, whether you need it or not and it will quell your panic attacks.. yea right.

I guess nobody likes my survey

Or maybe this just means nobody has insomnia?

chloral hydrate 500mg

Or Dalmane 30mg.

Wow I have not seen or heard of Dalmane for ages, was a really popular med in the late 70s and early 80s. Flurazepam I think from memory, it's half life though it pretty darn long so I think that is why people went to shorter acting stuff and then came the horrific Triazolam... Halcion, that is what Bush was on when he threw up on the prime minister of China.

When I was a teenager I stole some Halcion samples from my dad to try to get high, I took too much, wound up walking around in a psychotic daze doing really weird things for hours and hours like trying to light the house on fire, trying to get my girl friend to have sex with me and 4 other people at the same time and calling friend of mine really racists names.... it was truely a psychotic episode, to this day my parents think I took some LSD, I never told them it was halcion, but that was 25 years ago.

IN ANSWER TO THE SURVEY, MY PREFERENCE IS 2-4 MG OF ATIVAN OR 2-4 MG OF XANAX.

Never had lunesta or ambien or any of the new stuff. Klonopin works too but again long half life and good for a 10 hour sleep instead of 7-8 hours.

Tranxene (Chlorazepate) 3.75-7.5mg q hs.

I like 2mgs xanax followed by 2mgs rivotril. Wonderful sleep combo.

2MG xanax works like a charm for my insomnia.
PCP gave me some a boat load of samples of Lunesta 2mg and while it did make me drowsy...it failed to keep me asleep(not to mention the horrendous taste it leaves in your mouth.)

I would have to say, 2 Soma. works like a charm, i am out like a light about 20 min. later.

I've had ambien, lunesta (way before it was sold in usa) temazepam,(restoril) trazadone, valium and xanax. I dont like valium or xanax for sleep, but good for anixety. Lunesta leaves a metal tast in your mouth. temazepam works but takes a good long while for it to kick in. Ambien works faster ( and will be a generic verision in usa somtime after oct 2006 according to what I'v read about ambiens patent)
trazodone does not do much, I dont think it was originally made for sleep but depression and sleep ( i think it is simmilar to an ssri.) My doctor gives me temazepam for long term use, so I have not asked him to give me any other benzos. IF I need any other benzo's I dont want to risk my doc taking me off temazepam. So other benzo's must be found another way. But to awnser the question I feel ambien is best for sleep. (ps I know ambien is not a benzo, but it is close enough)

Xanax is actually not intended for long term use as a sleep aid. Call a pharmacist or doctor and they will tell you the same thing. There are plenty of other sleep aids out there that are less addictive and much more effective for a sleep aid. I take Restoril (30mg) which is a benzo and Remeron (30mg) which is an anti-depressant with strong side effects that make you very drowsy. So those two combined help me alot. I have taken Xanax for a long, long time and I am taking 4mg per day. I can tell you from personal experience also that it is not the best medication in the world for sleep. Can you use Xanax to go to sleep? Sure you can, but you would be better off in the long run getting the proper medication for sleeping.

I like Ambien but by itself, it doesn't put me to sleep (except at about 30mg, which I don't like to take at 1 time). For me ambien + 10mg Valium works well. At nights that I have to get to sleep fast, I prefer Ambien + 1-2mg xanax. I would not recommend nor do I take xanax daily. It is very addicting and tolerance increases rapidly. As the song says "don't ask me how I know, I just know!)

ludes dude ludes... LOL..

I really am sorry I missed out on the qualude thing, it was long gone by the time I was old enough to experiment as teen or now need medications appropriately as an adult, but I must say I would have liked to have given it a try.

For any of y'all that have taken it for anything at any time, is its effect similar to anything that I may be familiar with?

Is is like a high dose Ativan type effect or something?

Just curious

Careful, your showing your age!

Smoa....how could I forget that one! 4-5 of them and I am down for the count. How in God's name did I forget those?

I think everyone's gone through all the sleeping meds, but I just take about 50-75 mgs of benadryl(diphenhydromine) and that usually does the trick. Very cheap and OTC, $5 for a bottle of a 100 about anywhere.

10mgs of valium works for me. It doesn't leave me hungover in the morning like xanax or ambien but relaxes me and takes my mind off stuff. Trazodone is about as worthless as sonata and seroquel seems pretty heavy to take just to sleep. I dislike ambien cause when I take it I can't sleep sometimes and nothings worse than not sleeping after you've taken it, you feel like a zombie. At least if I don't sleep after 10mgs of valium I don't feel as bad and can always take another 10mgs and watch tv till I fall asleep.
Some ludes would be nice.

How do you know? HehHeh. Not casting the first stone. I'm not proud of it, but I dipped into Grannie's meds a time or two. Not piggishly, just a few, although I certainly realize, in retrospect, that it was wrong, and my pilfering days are long behind me.

One can rationalize and think, well, they have a billion of them, or they aren't taking them, but it still amounts to "appropriating" someone else's property, and it ain't cool. I'm sorry I did it. But believe me, the karmic wheel has turned, and I've paid. By the way, I'm addressing myself, not the prior poster.

As to my favorite sleeping pill? Tuinal, hands down. Along with Seconal, Quaaludes, Placidyls and a few others -- The Real Deal. The other stuff they have now -- great, if it works for you, but I think it's bunk, with the over-priced and ineffective (for me) Ambien leading the pack. No offense if it's been a "lifesaver" for you. As William S. Burroughs intones so eloquently in the film "Drugstore Cowboy," rather sounding like W.C. Fields on narcotics, "This is. . .for the. . .squares." When Matt Dillon's character presents Burroughs (portraying a defrocked, junkie priest) with a bottle of powdered Dilaudid, Burroughs changes his tune. "Bless you, my son." It's pretty sick, but also funny in a gallows, deadpan sort of way.

But there's too much potential to actually feel good on these meds, which is wrong, of course. Or die, an even worse proposition.

WOW!! I have learned a lot here!!! That is very interesting to learn so many people take their benzo's for sleep. I wasn't suprised by the number of people NOT taking Seroquel. You can sleep for days on 200mg of that stuff. Then when you do wake up, you are zombiefied for the rest of whatever day you wake up. My shrink has had me on all the ones listed on my poll and she made it look like that was the only choices out there. I HAVE to take one of my Xanax with my Ambien, or it does nothing for me. SOmetimes it STILL does nothing for me, I have to take another Ambien. Then low and behold, 30 days rolls around and I have been out for days. (Doc writes for 30 days at a time) Thank you to everybody that has responed so far. I have written down the names of some of those medications that you all have listed to google them. I just have simply never heard of some of them. To think I THOUGHT I was schooled and knowledgable in the sleeping medication category!! Wow, I didn't even begin to touch upon how many other effective drugs are out there. Please keep them coming, I find this very interesting!! BTW, I agree with everyone that has tried the Lunesta. That taste is HORRIBLE!! It doesn't go away after you wake up and get going wither. It lingers all day long. If they could get rid of that side efect, that would be a great medication. Ativan makes me have that same taste in my mouth. SO does anybody know if the part of your brain that controls your sleep also controls your taste somehow?? I would be interested to find out the answer to that one. Because it is strange that all of us that have taken Lunesta get the nasty unexplainable taste..

There are plenty of OTC drugs out there that I use. Like Melatonin,Unisom and Valerian (always works) smells really, really bad though!! Trazadone is another one I sometimes use.

I was surprised to see how many people swear by benzos to help them sleep. Anyway, I've been prescribed so many different meds to help combat chronic insomnia....lunesta, ambien, seroquel, etc. etc. The seroquel (25mg, if I remember correctly) works quite well to induce sleep. I always couldn't keep my eyes open 45 minutes max after taking it, and I slept like a baby. The only problem was that it was very difficult to wake up the next morning, unless I had gotten at least 9 hours of sleep. It also had some rather unpleasant interactions with alcohol, but I won't go into those.

The thing I have found to be the most effective for me personally is a few miligrams of melatonin about 45 minutes before I want to be asleep. Melatonin is produced by your pineal gland to stimulate your sleep cycle. As we get older, our body produces less of it (especially in women, I think) which can lead to sleep problems. You can buy it from iherb.com (my favorite, as I've found they have the best prices on just about every kind of supplement, vitamin, or herb) for about $6 for 180 pills. Most of them come in 3mg doses, and if I take two or three of those, I'm good for the night. I sleep well, but I don't feel drugged when I fall asleep, and I don't feel hungover or groggy in the morning. It's really worth a try IMHO if you have sleep problems.

My PCP told me to huff ether when I can't sleep.

I used it for a while, but I switched to chloroform. It is more carcinogenic, but it doesn't leave me feeling hung over the next day.

Hey d_e_s!

I've tried the melatonin too, and it is quite effective. But as a sufferer of chronic depression, I've found that the melatonin caused me to crash to the bottom of the "Deep Abyss."

Was wondering if anyone else has experienced that effect.

Regards,
~Daff~

I have yet to find anything that lets me sleep a full 7 to 8 hrs a night. Soma works ok, sometimes a half of a 1mg xanax works well to where I will sleep strait through for about 5 hrs but I dont want to get hooked on that just to sleep so advil pm for the most part.

I used Sonata for a couple years now, works great as I only have a problem falling asleep ( once I do I'm out like a light haha but it takes me hours to fall asleep) Ambien made me feel groggy the next morning as did Trazodone- I like that Sonata wears off quickly so if you only have those 4 hours you can still take it. I know its not the most popular med but its effective for me!

When I still had insurance I was prescribed the Sonata- but that was years ago.

Emmie

That's why you ask about Goldpharma, eh?! I've got it from them but like I said, great in Europe.

Xanax or K-Pins work for me

Yeah- Its really hard to get find NROPs the offer it! I have records but some companies are weary of accepting records from a psychiatrist not a PCP (lame I think) I got all my maintanence meds from my psychiatrist and went to a walk in clinic for physicals etc.

poor me haha


Emmie

Cold sore preparations may contain flexible collodion, which is prepared from diethyl ether. It forms a protective coating over skin, and ether is the solvent. It doesn't make you sleep unless you continue to inhale it whilst you are sleeping, which is why you need an anaesthetist to administer it, or risk death.

Either way, you'll feel nauseated and may vomit even after sub-anaesthetic doses. It's horrible stuff!

trazodone works for me right now
I have used everything well except for benzos
well that's not true cause I used restoril which really didn't work without anything else
I loved ambien. I'm too afraid to ask my new doctor for it now.
So I made an appt. with a family practice doc and I'm hoping to get it back.
back to the trazadone you know everyone says that it makes them feel hungover but Ive found that if I take it 10 hours before I have to wake up that I get up with no problem and no you don't need 10 hours to sleep it actually doesn't really kick in for 2 and a half hours for me. so 8 hours and I wake up feeling great. I would just rather take my pill a little bit later and so I want my ambien back! good luck

The trazadone really takes that long for you? I had one Dr. prescribe me the 50mg's 1-2 as needed, and told me to take 2 the first night. I never made it off the couch, I tried but I just couldn't move, and that was after maybe 40 min. They were so strong, at first, that I jokingly accused the Dr. of trying to kill me. Now I have a great Dr. that hands out Ambien like they're candy (5 refills) and he adds clonopin to help me stay asleep. He knows that I need more than 10mg to sleep. I'm with you kelbel2, I'll take Ambien over trazadone anyday. Was I gloating?

The medication may take longer to work on a full stomach, and in the lying position, which may explain the different responses above.

ativan (if i need a sleeper). it's inexpensive, works quickly, and no: i'm not zoned out when i wake up. my family doc prescribes it w/ refills if i need it. he suggested ambien and, as i said, the ativan's less spendy.

50 mg trazadone and 25to 50 mg of ellevil, you'll have to wash your pillow case every morning though, if you can get your face unstuck of it.
diaz is best when using hydro IMO, benedryl is good for a break from the heavy stuff

My hubby!!! Sorry, not making light of this topic, but am serious.

I have Lunesta, Ambien CR, Trazodone, Seroquel and Restoril (Not on list!!!!) in my warchest (medicine cabinet)

I rank:
1. Ambien
2. Restoril 30mg
3. Seroquel
4. Lunesta
5. Trazodone. the thing about trazodone is that it takes forever to help. One hour you are up, the next 8-9 you are pissed that you have to get in bed.

I would say for me:


1)Ambien
2)Xanax
3)Diazepam

and the quickest 8 hour knockout i've had is with a 15mg Midazalom (versed) --Only had a couple samples and have heard this is 1 to be careful with. It packs a punch.

Insomniac

My doctor has been giving me samples of Seroquel for a few months. The first night I took a full 100mg and could not function at work the next day and had to go home, cut it down to were I only take 50-25mgs. and am out within the hour.. and I mean OUT!! I read it's prescribed for Bi-Polar though?

Yup. It is prescribed for schizophrenia also. I have a family member that take large daily doses of it and i have heard to smaller doses work great for sleep for some.

Insomniac

I take a mixture of GAGA, 5HTP, L-Theanine, Melatonin 3mg, Chamomile tea and Unisom

If all else fails I like Zopiclone. Can't afford Lunesta. I take Ginger tea to blank out the nasty taste. The more fluids I drink with Zopiclone the less aftertaste. I'd rather sleep and have a nasty taste than not sleep.

Sometimes I take an herbal supplement with Valerian,Hops, Passion Flower, etc.

The natural stuff works well most of the time but with anxiety I still need the meds.

Better living through chemistry,I say.

Jane

Lunesta works for me. Everyone complains about the taste. I don't think it's bad at all. I would rather get sleep and have a not so great taste in my mouth then no sleep at all. The pros outweigh the cons for me. I sleep and I wake up feeling refreshed. I love it!

That's a pretty potent combo:

"a mixture of GAGA, 5HTP, L-Theanine, Melatonin 3mg, Chamomile tea and Unisom", i'd say. I've tried most of them. 5HTP is a good 1., melatonin worked for me 10 years ago but not now.

Insomniac

My mistake. I meant GABA. Can't type today.

Jane

Perhaps I should not answer since I have not used 3 of the 4 med's listed but I wanted to say what works for me when I can not sleep...

my doctor prescribes me Tranxene reguarly for my anxiety and since I do not take it that often I always have plenty on hand to help with sleeplessness or if I have a migraine I will take it if my migraine or pain med is not working to knock myself out.

Melatonin can also help one sleep and it is more friendly to one's body than prescription drugs and it isn't addicting as far as I know.

Can you give any other information about clorazepate? The odd IOP carries it, and a couple of people on here have asked about it before, but we couldn't find anyone who's taken it.

Eg. how long it lasts, any side-effects, tolerance etc.

Thanks.

My doc gave me ambien about 6 months ago and I have had more good sleep the past 6 months than I have had in the past 2 years. It gives me a great 7 hours of sleep but if I get any less I am sooo drowsy.

Thanks for this poll! Answers lot of questions for me. I have tried AmbienCR~but I wake up after about 4 hours & am tired all the next day. I have some valium and have tried it and sometimes it works and sometimes not. Have tried librium alone and that's not too hot either.

A long, long time ago a family member gave me some Dalmane and I can't remember anything but sleeping for about 12 hours. That was a long time ago (also showing my age)!

Thanks again for the poll...

Limovan but I can not locate any,any suggestions,Its been forever sense I was able to sleep that well.
V does not make me sleep.
Just helpes with muscle spasms and nerves.

Goodness,
Melatonin, is a harmone herb.
Yes it works, and will knock you in the dirt.
It will do for about three days, then after that ,the next day it makes me feel terrible,nervous etc.
I only take it when I am desperate and have insomnia and nothing else works.
Get a high dollar brand if you use it, that will help.
the cheap ones are worse.

I prefer Klonopin (Clonazepam) -- My PCP prescribes this, and has done so for 8 yeares. Never had to change dose, so a win/win situation imo.

Doesn't knock me out,.. but helps.

Usually takes me an hour to fall asleep regardless.. always has. (unless I'm just exhausted, or drank alcohol (which I rarely do these days).

Originally in the UK, prescriptions were meant to be secret recipes from doctor to pharmacist, and the patient was not meant to know what the recipe was. If the patient were to have the cheek to ask the pharmacist what was in it, they would be told, "It's confidential".

In fact, a lot of prescriptions in the olden days were for simple inactive ingredients and worked by the placebo effect, but written in latin.

Cough medicine had to be brown. Tonics had to be red, and stomach medicines had to be white.

I haven't found anything that works better than Walmart's over the counter sleep aid, 25mg. Even broken in half,, works very well!

I use the one that doesn't have the same ingredient as benadryl, but I have to take a few tablets of it. I take it to put me to sleep, then my halcion keeps me asleep.

My psych knows this and we alternate that with Ambien CR to avoid any tolerance.

Up until 2 weeks ago my vote, hands down would've gone to Seroquel, in both categories. Right now my Dr. has upped me from 25-50mg to 100-200mg's, and it still isn't working. I fall asleep, Seroquel knocks me out, but 2-4hrs later, I'm up and pissed off.

He claims to have a med, "guaranteed to work", but will only tell me it's a last resort and isn't Ambien-Thank God. My bet is Trazodone (been there, done that) or Halcion. Right now I'm running on 2-1/2hrs sleep, 4 cups of strong coffee and all I want to do is go to sleep. I can barely keep my eyes open. I've tried 95% of the Rx, OTC, and homeopathic/herbal/supplements, mentioned on the board and Seroquel was the only 1 that I knew would work- not anymore.

I assume you've tried this, but I'll ask anyway. Have you considered taking the Seroquel to knock you out along with a Benzodiazepine with a long half-life to stay asleep? Or the time-released version of Xanax?

Also I just looked it up and apparently there are clinical studies for the time-released version of Seroquel. With your history of using regular Seroquel and your doctor's recommendation you might be able to join those studies.

In this order . . . .

Tuinal
Seconal
Nembutal
Quaalude
Amobarbital

Sounds like you've has sleep paralysis Pillar. Nasty experience. There's been a few discussions on here about this condition, also known as Old Hag syndrome.

.

Hail Ceasar! We who are about to die, salute you!

Midazolam.

After been prescribed to temezepam some other benzo's and stuff, i found Dormicum 15 (midazolam). All the longuer ones keep me skipping work. This is a fast dooer.

Take it in bed. Reade a page. Gonner

abien cr worked awsome for me when i needed it

So whats better than ambien?

This is a good point; for a few years the shortest acting hypnotic we had in the UK was probably lormetazepam. The shorter-acting benzodiazepines triazolam and alprazolam had been struck off the formulary and the Z-drugs hadn't been introduced. And for some people, even lormetazepam acted long enough to cause oversleeping the next day.

Now that we have zopiclone, zolpidem and zaleplon I can't see oral midazolam ever making it to the UK, except perhaps for hospital use.

On the voting post question, Which sleeping medication does your "REAL" local doc prescribe to you?

I couldn't answer because it was none of the above.

I forgot to say I take Clonazepam for sleep.

ZZZzzzz...whoops, good mornin'Journey. My doc has me taking lunesta, but as mentioned, at $4-$5 a pill its way too expensive. My mom takes restoril and swears by it. So, when I see my doc again I'm going to have me switch to restoril. My doctor is very young, and I don't think that he is familiar with prices. Also don't think that he is up on some of the older meds that've been mentioned. Is midazolam or dormicum 15 available in the US ? & if so, does anyone know the approx. price? Thanks everyone, some great info. on these meds. Steve

I too have to take something everynight to be able to get some sleep. When I try to go to sleep on my own I have to be exremely exhausted, literally sitting/standing about to fall over, before I can lay down in bed and actually fall asleep. Most times this does not happen until 2/3am. Getting up a 6am is a real B--@! After a week or even 4-5 days of trying to go without sleep-aids and getting 2-3 hours sleep each night, I will have a day where I come home from work, sit down or lay down and am out for the count until 6am the next morninng. Then I feel as though I have wasted a day
I have tried all the OTC stuff, sometimes they work, most times not.
I have used Ambien - worked very well if I took it when I got into bed and layed down immed.
Have tried Lunesta - too expensive and did not keep me asleep.
Am currently taking Restoril 30mg (Temazepam) and as w/ the Ambien, I have to take when I get into bed or the 'window' of sleep will be gone. The probblem I have is the Restoril does not keep me asleep. I find myself waking at different hours of the night.

Its common for many people to wake up after a few hours of sleep on Ambien in particular. (some others as well) Ambien can be a double edged sword. Some people love it because they get a full nights rest and wake up w/out any residual effects. This is attributed to Ambien's short half life. The downside is people like myself wake up as the med starts to wear off into the night. This med is to get you to sleep, not really "keep" you asleep. I've found a safe and cheap alternative to be trazadone. At first I had trippy dreams and felt hungover in the morning. However after over a year of taking it my sleep schedule is as reliable as a swiss timepiece. Something I never thought would happen. Plus no hangover feeling and no freaky vivid dreams. I've tried just about every medication for sleep from benzo's to traz which is technically an anti-depressant. However it needs to be taken at a very high dose for it to be useful as an anti-depressant. I only take 50mg for sleep and I'm 190lbs. My doc says it needs to be taken in doses as high as 500mg's for anti-depressant effect. I can't imagine taking that much. As 50mg knocks me out for a solid 8 count.

I have been taking something to sleep every night for about 20 years.

Ambien: Been on since it came out. I end up having to use 2 pills every night (10mg). I use one and I can sleep for about 4 hrs and another to sleep the rest of the night. I, too, have found that it is very possible to "fight" off the sleeping after taking ambien. You take it thinking you will be in bed in 10 min and then something comes up and it is actually 20 minutes before your ready to go to bed. By then you have "fought through" the effectiveness and I actually get a HUGE energy bump and will be up the rest of the night cleaning house. So I literately have learned to take it as I am getting in bed with water on my bedside table. My doc will only give me 30 a month which means if I want to sleep for more than 1/2 the month I am forced to by the other 30 on a iop. I used budgetmedicines.com for FOREVER. They just switched names and I went to buy it and they now don't have ambien so I am on a desperate search.

Trazadone: I have this too but I hate it. 50mg tablets and I use it only when I haven't slept for 3 nights and I am beginning to lose my hold on reality (hallucinations... I actually also have a seizure disorder but I ONLY have seizures when I haven't been to sleep for 3 days). Trazadone leaves me with a HORRIBLE dry mouth and I have nightmares something awful.

What you have described about being paralyzed happens to me all the time too. I have had studies done because this is actually an indicator for narcolepsy. Your body always becomes paralyzed during REM sleep. Usually you don't know this because your brain is dreaming. But for some of us, your brain wakes up before your body does and you are left with the most horrifying of all things. It is always a nightmare that wakes me during rem sleep so I am laying there paralyzed and sure someone is in the house. Unable to scream or move I lay there for what seems like an hour horrified. Trazadone makes this 10X worse.

Seroquel: Same thing as trazadone. But in addition it has recently been studied and proven that seroquel causes seizure disorders and can cause diabetes II. (I have both). I got both of these things after taking seroquel. Wether it was the CAUSE or not, I don't know. But the hang over effect (I can barely pull my body out of the bed 12 hrs later) is not good for living. Trazadone does this too.

I have used Halcion, Xanax, Ambien CR, Restoril, Trazadone, Clonopin, Seroquel... pretty much everything over the last 20 years. Ambien works the best.

There are some serious warnings about ambien though that I would give. I have done some strange and dangerous things after taking ambien. Ambien will make you starving and the problem is if you get up and eat you will pass up the window of sleep opportunity and be up all night. There is serious rebound insomnia if you stop taking it. (The second night after you quit you will not be able to sleep). I have driven to the store and shopped, came home and put things away and the next day I don't even remember going anywhere.

Even still... I will take ambien for the rest of my life. I just get my DH to take the keys away from me when I do.

Tricia

Ambien blackouts are scary. Here's a good one and it really happened - I brought an Rx (other than ambien) in to be filled one eve after I took the ambien, and I didn't remember doing it (pharm is only a few blocks away luckily) so for DAYS I thought I'd lost the paper that the Rx was written on (there were 2 on one page actually) and the whole time it was sitting there filled at the pharmacy. It's funny but not funny at the same time of course.

Do you have a place online that you buy ambien? an nrop? I am looking for somewhere safe. Luckily I have had only good experiences. I lucked into a good place but they don't sell ambien anymore. Any ideas?

No I don't buy it online, I get from local doc. If I run out early I just have to put up with not being able to sleep. I am scared to tell the doc that 1 tablet does not work for me. I have the same problem as you, only lasts 4 hours, not the 8 it's supposed to.

I have never tried Ambien or Lunesta, because I have had ideal results with both Xanax and Lorazepam. For me, they both work about the same, keep me asleep for a good 7-9 hours. It's wonderful to be able to sleep finally.

For some background, I am a total insomniac and also have a pretty severe (and rare NOS) sleep disorder on top of it, so I don't sleep much at all. When I do, I wake up every 45 mins or so. My eyes are chronically red, both from sleeplessness and because I sleep with my eyes partly open. (Serious.) This is part of the disorder, that my body just *will not* go down. I am always sort of half-awake, even when I'm dreaming.

I started taking OTC sleep meds (diphenhydrinate? Or whatever it is). This helps for a day or two, but then stops working, even if I increase the dose, which gives me nausea. My chronic pain (OMG... Insomnia + chronic pain? Holy hell. You get NO SLEEP at all. I am awake for days sometimes) has kept me so occupied with doctors that I have really not investigated the sleep problems with my doc yet.

As a random experiment, I ordered some Xan and Loraz from an IOP. I have been so amazed at what it is like to be able to sleep. I had forgotten how nice it is, to be rested. To be able to close your eyes and actually relax.
Just to be able to interrupt that "infinite time cycle" that I'm always in. That place where you never sleep, where there is no day and no night, only hours and hours and hours, over and over. It is like being in hell, sleepless eternity.

Both of these meds reduce my eye bloodshot considerably, too. I take 1-2 mgs of one or both at the same time, right before I'm ready to go to bed. (Wow... "Go to bed." It's so cool to be able to do that !! WAHH!! I look forward to it so much now.) It starts to make me drowsy, and I can fall asleep in maybe half an hour. Incredible.

In conclusion, Yay for sleep. Yay Xanny, Yay 'Pam. Sleep is heavenly.

SeaBreeze I can relate to the never sleeping thing, but Xanax is a Benzo and so I think I'm even more afraid of addiction to Benzo than I am to not sleeping. I have enough problems with Ambien (and struggling to get off pain meds), rather not try something that's physically as well as mentally addicting. I've heard withdrawal from Benzos can be very dangerous.

OH YES this happens to me a LOT (when I can sleep, that is) - I feel like there's someone in the house or the room and I cannot move. My fiance will often hear me trying to scream and will shake me awake and hold me to "unscare" me. I didn't know this paralysis thing was common. IT SUX!

Also, Seroquel - I've taken that as well, lower doses actually work better for me (25 mg is ususally sufficient and don't get hangover) - if I take 100mg or more I feel like I'm having a heart attack (was originally Rxd the 100mg pills) - it seems to have the OPPOSITE effect at higher doses. Thought I was ODing at 300mg once because the palpitations were so bad, then read that that is actually considered a "normal" dose for mania/psychosis. For me, it CAUSED mania/psychosis!

I gotta chime in here. I was taking Ambien then my doc moved away and I have had to ration them out for when I really really need it. Soma works well for me, but what I found works even better is a nice little cocktail of 1 Soma and 1/2 ambien or 5mg, knocks you out fast and keeps you asleep and wake up no problem 8 hrs later.
Hated Lunesta, nasty taste and didnt work that well at all.

I like 5-10mg of ambien with 25mg of Doxylamine(Unisom or walmart brand Sleep-Aid) which is not the same as benadryl but it is in the same family of antihistamines. Although I am use to antihistamines sometimes it makes new users feel like they are dragging all day.

Yes, I think about this at times, but then, I don't take any Benzo for anxiety - only at night for sleep. I do *have* anxiety, but the benzos make me so drowsy that I could never take them during the day anyhow. I also skip a day at times, where I will take it 2-3 nights in a row, and then take a night off. So I am not as worried about addiction as the people who have to take them all the time. I'm thinking it would be easy enough to taper off, too, if need be. (?)
I have heard this about Ambien, that people get hooked on it very easily. I have never tried an *actual* sleep medication like this, so I have no idea how it would be for me. Because my sleep disorder is so peculiar, I have just been happy to find anything that works. (A doc once put me on something that actually made it *worse*, so I am going the self-medication route for now, I guess...)

So far, through my journey of pain and insomnia, addiction has not been much of an issue. I think I got lucky there. But if I had Ambien, I'm sure I would try it... Maybe alternate days between that and the benzo..? It must really give a quality sleep, for people to get so dependent on it.

I find benzos ineffective as sleep meds, with the possible exception of valium. I currently use a hypnotic for a sleep med when I need it. It's not Ambien, it's more obscure so I'm not going to bother spelling out the name on this thread.

I've gotta say Ambien 10 mg. Works like a charm, although I'll admit that it's made me a little stupid sometimes. Nothing dangerous. I've tried Lunesta, but I have to take twice the recommended dosage to get to sleep. Over-the-counter sleep aids don't do much, if anything, for me. Sonata was useless.

Although Ambien is my fave, the only problem with it for me is having to devote enough sleep time after I take it. I work an odd work schedule, and when I know I can only devote 2-4 hours to sleep, I'll take lorazepam. I prefer to save the lorazepam for anxiety episodes though and not use them for brief periods of sleep.

Ambien has even fried my short term memory, and I'll tell the same story over and over. However, you've gotta get some sleep, and this med is what does it for me.

20mg Mogadon (Nitrazepam)- Knocks me out for 7-8 hrs solid,

Its the best sleep med IMO.

Are perscribed this by your Doctor???

klonopin

Hands down Xanax works the best for sleep. For me, taken with an organic sleepytime tea, it really works. I do not take them in the daytime so I do not feel that pull for an addiction. Some nights I just drink the tea & if it has Valerian in it, I'm out. There are so many brands of tea it really doesn't matter - to me anyway - which one I have.
When I was younger and my father died the DR prescribed Restoril which really put me out. Now that I have kids I
prefer not to be knocked out but some people have posted that hospitals still use it & how great it works.
P.S. I had a wierd reaction to Klonopin so I threw it away. Ambien was something I just never wanted to try for the same reason others gave, you have to have so many hours to devote to it.

Xanax is what works the best for me as well. The short half life is one of the main reasons I choose to take Xanax. I work a weird schedule and take care of my two sons during the day, so I have to be able to function the next day. I only take it 2 or 3 times a week so I am not all that concerned about addiction.

Very interesting and informative thread. My thanks to the OP.

Another vote for Xanax here too. I usually only use it on Hydro breaks, but it really does the trick for a goods night sleep for me. It does not, however, work for my husband at all. So weird. I will doze off and a hour or so later re-awake to hear him watching tv in the living room, still not able to sleep.

benzos don't make me sleep. ambien makes me sleep walk, cook, eat, and put things like windex in the freezer so i stopped as if i was doing all those things on ambien when was i sleeping?

if they still made quaaludes -- i would not waste it on sleep.

so now i take restoril 30mgs and i get some sleep but since i have been taking lexapro i could go with a benzo but don't like to -- only last resort.

i don't get why anyone would take 20mgs ambien and do all the things i do and say that it is okay and be on it for the rest of your life. i would never make it as i am sure i would burn the house down or gain 400 pounds and explode.

also i lose memory on ambien.

60mg Restoril (temazepam) will do it nicely.

The only one from that list I've tried is Ambien and Ambien-CR. Neither of them really work for me. Make me loopy as [censored] but I still can't sleep.

hmmm, what would you "waste" them on then? what are thet good for other than a recreational treat? I have always thought of them as a rec. drug of the 70's, may be the reason they quit making them.

temazepam does work well, but takes a while to shake the fog in the morning sometimes. clonazepam does the same thing, only fog lasts all next day.

I have found valium to be the best for me, but I can stay awake thru any sleep drug when I need it most because of an early morning coming up. I sabotage myself worrying that the pills not working.

ambien

Hi Scruf,
Methaqualone is still made legally by 1 lone wolf
pharmaceutical manufacturer.....Medochemie Ltd. of
Limassol, Republic of Cyprus, for export only, to the
country of Switzerland, where it is still legally pre-
scribed, as "Toquilone Compositum" (the same formula
of the former Roussel product "Mandrax" (methaqualone +
diphenyhydramine).
Regarding the subject of this post...I have in my
possession a published study (from Sleep Professional
Journal, Vol 22, No. 3, 1999, titled "Ten-Year Trends
in the Pharmacological Treatment of Insomnia" by J.K.
Walsh, Ph.D & P.K. Schweitzer, Ph.D ....to summarize...
The top ten drug mentions by patients from office-based
physicians in 24 specialities, comparing 1987 to 1996.
The top ten meds (in order of use year 1987) "insomnia"
1. Triazolam (Halcion) 3,199
2. Flurazepam (Dalmane) 1,677
3. Temazepam (Restoril) 1,201
4. Amitriptyline (Elavil) 421
5. Alprazolam (Xanax) 397
6. Lorazepam (Ativan) 346
7. Doxepin (Senequan) 263
8. Trazodone (Deseryl) 222
9. Clonazepam (Klonopin) 28
10. Zolpidem (Ambien) 0

The top ten meds (in order of use year 1996) for insomnia
1. Trazodone (Deseryl) 1,328
2. Zolpidem (Ambien) 1,218
3. Temazepam (Restoril) 904
4. Amitriptyline (Elavil) 784
5. Lorazepam (Ativan) 398
6. Flurazepam (Dalmane) 373
7. Clonazepam (Klonopin) 330
8. Doxepin (Senequan) 269
9. Alprazolam (Xanax) 250
10. Triazolam (Halcion) 209

The article noted a 22% drop during this ten year period
of the pharmacological treatment of insomnia 1987-1996.
The article also noted the substantial increase of the use
of antidepressants during this ten year period.

I take a 1mg xanax and 10 mg of Valium and sometimes a swig of nyquil to get a good night sleep. I have the WORST insomnia i can go for 3 days without sleep sometime if i dont take something my mind just goes a mile a minute when i lay down...Klonopin used to do it for me backin the day when i was new to benzos but then i started taking it for anxiety/panic instead of just at night for sleep so it didnt work as well for a sleep aid anymore.

I just ordered 40 of them to try I have heard mixed reviews some say they are very strong others say weak i guess ill find out soon!

scruf,

it was just a joke. meant no harm -- wish you'd cut me a break one time.

you're right as those who know of it know it from a different time. most did not use it for sleep once they tried it. it wasn't pcp or lsd -- it was a sleeping med. i'm not arguing the fact that they took it off the market because of the abuse. but i do remember some fun times and think that one should be allowed to comment without such disdain about any experience from 30 years past. or this board should be called something other than DB.

sorry off topic, sort of.