Need sleep! Suggestions?

[Rabbit37]

I am exhausted, please, if anyone can help with suggestions for pdoc in a couple of weeks.

I currently take lithium and lexapro, and my depression has eased. Taking 50mg seroquel and 100mg trazodone "for sleep"... it's not working. I'm lucky if I get to sleep by 3 or 4am (I take them at 10), and usually only get 2-4 hours sleep, then I am wide awake but exhausted. I don't nap during the day.

Benadryl is useless. I've heard bad things about lunesta. Husband took ambien for a while, and would frequenly hold two hour conversations with out daughter that he couldn't remember. No. I was once prescribed halcion, would wake up in strange places, like in front of an open fridge, or even more frightening, standing over our daughter's crib. Hell no.

Im uninsured ATM, so it must be generic. The seroquel is the IR version, "generic" HA, cost me $194 for a 30 day supply. Can't afford that right now.

I try to practice good sleep hygiene... dark bedroom (I don't even turn on the light when going to bed), faced away from the clock, comfortable bed/pillows, strict routine before bedtime (no tv or Internet). Does anyone have a suggestion?

Sorry for rambling, my mind's mush tonight. Thank you.

[San]

Here's a site to help with the expense of meds, if you're in the US. (I'm a Canuck, but I've heard good things about this site, people can save a lot, I'm not exactly sure how it works though) GoodRX, 

Seroquel IR helped me for a bit. Then it didn't. I tried zopiclone (Canadian name, Imovane, a z-drug like lunesta,  I believe) which knocked me out for 1 night, the next night I was awake all night. I saw my GP the next day and he put me on Elavil (a tricyclic antidepressant) for sleep, and have slept fine since then. I take 50mg of elavil at night, and I noticed at 150mg, I slept for less time than the current 50mg. The dose was dropped due to cognitive decline, and it being a culprit. It's very inexpensive, and has been around for a long time, so there are generics. It is an option if you can tolerate it. I also find I'm less anxious in the morning on it.

Other AAP's like Zyprexa can help, especially Zyprexa Zydis (dissolvable) but that can be pretty pricey without insurance.

What time do you take the lexapro? I found lexapro to be activating, and if I took it at night I wouldn't sleep, but it was fine if I took it in the morning. This is something to discuss with your pdoc or pharmacist. Pharmacists can give you a tonne of information, free, too. They know their shit. 

Have you tried anything like melatonin? Some people have great results. Lower doses are better, and it is naturally occuring in the body. Talk to your pharmacist about it. It's about $10 for a month or two supply, sold over the counter at most pharmacies, and health food stores. When I was IP, many people took it at night, and had great results. It worked for me for a couple months, then pooped out. I know your pain, it sucks to not be able to sleep and have things out of your budget (my insurance doesn't cover everything) or stop working.

There is temazepam, a benzo, for sleep, which comes in 15mg increments, I believe. It worked for a few months for me, but then pooped out. It is generic, and I think mine, at 45mg a night (the max dose) cost $10 but was covered by insurance. 

Those are a few options in my personal experience. What worked for me may not work for you, but I hope it helps.

[Rabbit37]

Thank you so much, San! I feel like an idiot, my son takes elavil for migraines, and it knocks him out. Duh, didn't think about that. 

I've tried melatonin in the past, and it never helped much. Might try it again.

I do take all my meds at once at night, lexapro included, I'll start taking it in the morning and see if that helps.

Pdoc is anti-benzo for me, because I've struggled so much with depression this past decade.

Thank you!

[IcePrincess88]

I used to be on the exact same combo, but I slept ALOT while on it. Now I'm on Seroquel XR(no generic for this one yet) and the generic version of Elavil. I also take a Xanax at night to help shut down my brain and ease me into sleep. Medicine like Ambien, Lunesta, and other typical "sleep medications" don't work for me. I have to be completely sedated to be able to sleep. My pdoc took me off Trazadone because according to her: "sleeping that much isn't healthy"

[Rabbit37]

When pdoc prescribed me the XR version, and I called him freaked out about the price, he gave me a month's sample. Had to keep looking at the box to make sure it wasn't some sort of candy, it did nothing for me except maybe make me a little more tired the next day. I was very disappointed. 

I'll ask for the elavil.

[IcePrincess88]

Your def right about the price of Seroquel XR. It's RIDICULOUS! My 400mgs one month supply is $887! If it wasn't for Medicaid, there would be no way I could afford that.

[saintalto]

I have to sleep with white noise. I use a fan, on around medium. I cannot fall asleep without that fan. It sort of shuts down my thoughts and drowns out any outside noises that might be distracting.

[melissaw72]

I've also found that having a fan on helps me fall asleep.  Didn't know it helped until this summer when I started using it.

[Rabbit37]

I used to have an aquarium in the bedroom, I think the pump may have been a bit of white noise. I'll try a fan and see if that helps. Thanks.

[Savannah]

Ask about taking Rozerem and trazadone. Those mess gave me my life back.

[Flash]

Ambien CR 12.5mg and remeron 15mg worked for me. It was the only thing that ever gave me a normal amount of sleep when I had bad insomnia (well, seroquel and ambien cr also worked, but I felt like shit the next day). The combined punch of both knocked me out and the extended release kept me that way. Nowadays I just take my AD (doxepin) and it knocks me out for 4-5 hours. I often go to sleep without it and then wake up three hours later and take the doxepin. That gets me a decent night of sleep. You can get a small dose of doxepin for sleep. All of the other sleep aids only  typically let me sleep about three hours, which I would get without the pills. I hope you find something that works for you.

[IcePrincess88]

Ambien CR 12.5mg and remeron 15mg worked for me. It was the only thing that ever gave me a normal amount of sleep when I had bad insomnia (well, seroquel and ambien cr also worked, but I felt like shit the next day). The combined punch of both knocked me out and the extended release kept me that way. Nowadays I just take my AD (doxepin) and it knocks me out for 4-5 hours. I often go to sleep without it and then wake up three hours later and take the doxepin. That gets me a decent night of sleep. You can get a small dose of doxepin for sleep. All of the other sleep aids only  typically let me sleep about three hours, which I would get without the pills. I hope you find something that works for you.

Good lord! You only sleep 4-5 hours a night?? I can't sleep at all without my medication, but it knocks me out for a good 11-12 hours.

[melissaw72]

Ask about taking Rozerem and trazadone. Those mess gave me my life back.

Trazodone gave me my life back, but in a different way.  If got rid of about 98% of the hallucinations from me, and that inandofitself  helped me to sleep a little better.

[Flash]

Ambien CR 12.5mg and remeron 15mg worked for me. It was the only thing that ever gave me a normal amount of sleep when I had bad insomnia (well, seroquel and ambien cr also worked, but I felt like shit the next day). The combined punch of both knocked me out and the extended release kept me that way. Nowadays I just take my AD (doxepin) and it knocks me out for 4-5 hours. I often go to sleep without it and then wake up three hours later and take the doxepin. That gets me a decent night of sleep. You can get a small dose of doxepin for sleep. All of the other sleep aids only  typically let me sleep about three hours, which I would get without the pills. I hope you find something that works for you.

Good lord! You only sleep 4-5 hours a night?? I can't sleep at all without my medication, but it knocks me out for a good 11-12 hours.

Thank goodness, no. That's just generally what I get at one time. I usually get around 8, but lately has been about 10. I went through an awful period where I only slept three hours a night, though. That was awful.

[MiaB]

I went through a really bad period of insomnia earlier this year, and the only thing that helped was when I switched pdocs and was prescribed clozapine and clonazepam.  Clozapine is not very popular here on CB, but it knocked the insomnia on its ass.  I took it for a while a few years ago, but now I'm on a lower dose (100-150mg), and it's made a huge difference to my sleep patterns.  I think the issue that a lot of people have with it is (as usual) weight gain, but at the level I'm at, I haven't gained any pounds.

Good luck.. I feel your pain!

[water]

I used to have an aquarium in the bedroom, I think the pump may have been a bit of white noise. I'll try a fan and see if that helps. Thanks.

I've used the same white noise machine for years and years. Still works.
Older model but looks kind of like this one.....

Taking Lexapro at night might be an issue.  I would take the meds in the morning. I have had issues sleeping forever and taking my meds at night never worked.

Ambien worked great BUT it gave me irritable bowel.  For the first time ever I went to sleep without anxiety. My problem has always been FALLINg asleep.

After trying a SLEW of meds, I now take the lowest dose of Xanax as needed. Not every night, but more than once a week. It works great. Very little side effects. And it doesn't seem to be addictive, at least for me. 

[snd]

Try all the meds in my signature!

Hope you get some sleep!

[cedarcove]

When I had trouble sleeping I found that I had a certain time range that I had to sleep in in order to fall asleep otherwise I don't.  For me, I have to sleep anywhere from 5pm to 8pm.  If I stay up, I miss the time zone and I can't go asleep.  I tried trazodone and that worked only when I was in the sleep zone for me.  Eventually, I found out that I didn't need the trazodone at all.  50 mg is what it took when I was on it.