If I can't have benzos, can I have Imovane?

[tryp]

So I may or may not be in the market for a new sleep med.

Done the Remeron route, have been on Seroquel for awhile, but I think I've got the MRSA of busy brain.

When I piss and moan about this, pdoc usually offers me Imovane.

I always decline.

However, I'm getting a little desperate.

Benzos make me depressed and suicidal. Anyone want to wager on the odds that Imovane will have me hanging off the ledge?

[Silver]

I wouldn't bet on it with my brain.

How do you do with zolpidem/Ambien?

[tryp]

Never taken it. I don't even know if it's available in Canada.

I don't know if I want to bet on it either, but my sleep has been way off these past couple weeks and I'd like to nip it in the bud before I go mental again.

Maybe Traz? Or a tiny amount of Remeron? But that'll be the same histamine hit as Seroquel, which isn't really cutting it at the moment. And I can't have benzos, so that leaves me with the Z's or melatonin, unless I'm forgetting something.

[Silver]

how much Seroquel? If it's really "busy brain," is it enough? If you're using it as an anxiolytic/antihistamine, is it too much?

Tiny dose doxepin, tiny dose Remeron, trazodone, cyproheptadine are sort of the basics.

Clonidine?

This is really not my most organized post of all time. I'm more or less throwing stuff out there that you can look up. I don't recall what else is on your med list, so don't throw rocks at me if clonidine comes back as a nasty interaction.

You could always try a single dose of Imovane. It's fairly short acting.

Sleep hygiene is... how?

Cognitive techniques?

Any chance this is perimenstrual/hormonally exacerbated?

Are you using any seasonal allergy/asthma medications or decongestants or remedies that could be disrupting sleep? Lot of that going around right now.

[daisy]

So I may or may not be in the market for a new sleep med.

Done the Remeron route, have been on Seroquel for awhile, but I think I've got the MRSA of busy brain.

When I piss and moan about this, pdoc usually offers me Imovane.

I always decline.

However, I'm getting a little desperate.

Benzos make me depressed and suicidal. Anyone want to wager on the odds that Imovane will have me hanging off the ledge?

I have NO idea what the scientific answer to your question is. However, I find that for me there was a huge difference between Lunesta and benzos. Lunesta didn't give me that super chill feeling that benzos do. Then again, it didn't particularly work for me either. That being said, I did not notice any fluctuations in my depression when I was on Lunesta, while I do think benzos have caused some fluctuations in my mood. Of course, that's just my personal experience, and I don't have an objective answer to your question.

If your depression isn't very severe right now, you could always try it for a few nights just to see how it affects you. Sleep deprivation can also affect your mood quite a bit, so it might be worth a try. As for causing depression, that's something that won't come on strong right away. You won't take it one night then wake up suicidal the next day. If you do try it and find yourself getting even just a little more depressed, then you can always stop right away.

Edited to Add: I missed the part where you mentioned maybe trying Trazodone. That might be a safer choice if you're concerned about becoming depressed and suicidal.

[tryp]

Thanks, Silver.

I don't think it's hormonal.

I'm not on any asthma/allergy meds really. I take the occasional Flonase with my Seroquel for the congestion, and the occasional Zyrtec when I'm particularly allergic, but nothing regular.

Actually, I've been using my fast acting inhaler a LOT recently, which might not be helping.

Sleep hygiene is pretty passable.

I'm on 150 mg of Seroquel at night, which is my sweet spot for sleep - have tried going lower and higher without a change.

In total honesty, I think this is situational, because I'm lying awake having busy brain about situational stuff that's hammering me at the moment.

My pdoc is usually not very much into experimental/off-label stuff, so I don't know if she'd give me any of your fancier suggestions, but it's still worth looking up.

[spork]

If it were me, I'd talk with a doctor (or pulmonologist-if that applies for you) about your symptoms and increased fast-acting inhaler usage. I'd bring the p-doc into the loop on this also.

For information about the side effects of broncodialators, see #4 in the link below...

Information about asthma medication from WebMD

I'm not a doctor. I love someone who has asthma. Hope this helps.

[thunderstorm]

The bad news: Imovane isnt going to give the chillax feeling benzos give most of us.

The good news: I find it particularly useful for sleep, at least during the initial sleep phase. On just Imovane, i wake up around 3ish, which isnt too bad, because my seroquel makes my sleep shitty til about then, then knocks me out, so they compliment each other quite well.

I've also not noticed any similarity between the two, mood wise.

It wont hurt to give it a bash

[tryp]

In case anyone finds this later and is interested - turns out Imovane gives me the same dysphoria that I get on benzos. Good to know.

[beetle]

Thanks, Silver.

I don't think it's hormonal.

I'm not on any asthma/allergy meds really. I take the occasional Flonase with my Seroquel for the congestion, and the occasional Zyrtec when I'm particularly allergic, but nothing regular.

Actually, I've been using my fast acting inhaler a LOT recently, which might not be helping.

Sleep hygiene is pretty passable.

I'm on 150 mg of Seroquel at night, which is my sweet spot for sleep - have tried going lower and higher without a change.

In total honesty, I think this is situational, because I'm lying awake having busy brain about situational stuff that's hammering me at the moment.

My pdoc is usually not very much into experimental/off-label stuff, so I don't know if she'd give me any of your fancier suggestions, but it's still worth looking up.

I have asthma. My gdoc recently told me that if you're using your inhaler (mine is albuterol) everyday, several times a day then your asthma is not being properly controlled. I used to used to have to use mine all the time everyday and in the middle of the night, which is another sign that you need better control. But I just thought this was normal for my bad asthma.

Then after living like this for years I went to the doctor and got put on Advair and it was amazing. I went from needing my albuterol everyday, several times a day to never needing it at all...maybe very occasionally when exercising or doing something strenuous.

That worked out well for me for a long time until I got put on the geodon and didn't want to take two meds with the QT interval complication thing. So, I got my gdoc to switch me to an inhaled steroid only (no long acting bronchodialator like Advair has) and I still don't need my albuterol often if at all.

Sorry to ramble. I don't know how much you've explored your options on controlling your asthma. If you're having to use your rescue inhaler more often, it could mean you might need a preventative medication. Like I said, the steroid only inhaler seems to be working out well for me with no side effects that I can tell.

[tryp]

Oh man, preventative medications.

I've been through them all. In January, I was on Singulair + Flovent + Serevent + Pepcid + Flonase + Zyrtec all together in an effort to control my shortness of breath. And I was still gasping for air.

But on a working AD, I feel better than I ever felt on all those meds. Which leads me to believe that it's my psych stuff exacerbating what is probably only mild asthma.

[recoverymouse]

remeron made me sleep like a baby. the dosing went up over the years but it continued to work for about 7 years. maybe 9.

when I went off remeron (not because of a side effect but because I was on too many meds) I tried trazadone. it was hit or miss and caused a terrible side effect that only happens to men (prostate related).