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You want me to do a "internet search to get a baseline??? Are you nuts?
I have spent 50 years as a clinical specialist pharmacist.
It's people with googe who are driving doctors and pharmacists nuts with pseudo-knowledge
My point is to not use an anonymous forum for serious medical advise!
Your point misses the point of the Original Poster.
She is not seeking medical advice.
She wants to know what experiences other random, everyday people have had with this medication. This is not much different than what people used to do, before the age of social media...people talked to other people...their friends, families, coworkers, neighbors, bridge group, whatever, & sought informal information that way.
No one that posted here claimed to be an expert.
I don’t think you can deny that individuals should be educated & proactive regarding their own medical care.
Well long story short, a dear person in my life ended up in rehab due to pain med addiction and what this rehab gave her for sleep which was a horrible issue for these young people so messed up on pain meds...was Seroquel and I didn't recognize her when she came out of rehab about 70 lbs heavier.
There has got to be other ways than these damaging drugs.
I agree with you, it certainly shouldn't be a first line medication....
But OP has tried melatonin, valerian root, benzodiazepines, ambien, liquor, all of which have either not worked or caused problems...to the point where OP went in for a month of inpatient treatment.
I certainly don't have the answers. But, it isn't as if OP went in and said, Doc, I'm having trouble sleeping and walked out with a seroquel script.
Almost every pharmaceutical is extracted from a parent plant, valium from valerian root sold in health food stores as a sleep aid.
Oh dear, no. Valium is a created chemical compound and potentially addictive Schedule III drug. Valerian root is a natural derivative.
It's a deceptive marketing device to call valerian "Nature's Valium" because they both promote sleep. But beyond that, particularly in the realm of patient risk, they have nothing in common.
Personally, I prefer to skip a drug that lists a mile long list of possible side effects.
That would be nearly all prescription drugs then, right? I mean, I also agree that if there's a less potentially problematic way to deal with a physical issue, then try that first of course, but all prescription drugs have a long list of potential (though rare) side effects. Still - when you need 'em you need 'em.
My mom takes a small dose of Seroquel each night (100 mg) because she is bipolar and without Seroquel she becomes anorexic and manic and anxious and doesn't sleep well. The Seroquel is VERY effective for her bipolar symptoms and she's had no issues and no side effects other than sleepiness - which is a GREAT side effect. The Seroquel really helps control her bipolar disorder and her otherwise jacked up sleep (or non sleep is more like it) schedule. It also increases her appetite slightly - makes it more normal. She has gained a small amount of weight on it which is healthy for her.
In her case (as in many cases involving conditions and prescription drugs) the benefits far outweigh the risks. And since she is so averse to taking any prescription drugs, she often tries to "go off" the Seroquel - and I can tell she's off of it within just a few days, because her bipolar symptoms, especially the anxiety and confusion, increase dramatically within a week or so.
She does much, much better on the low dose of Seroquel than without it. I wish she'd started taking it decades ago. We might have all had a happier life together.
There are serious health risks with insomnia and bipolar disorder as well. Pick your poison I guess. It sucks to have a disorder but thank goodness for modern medicine. Back in the day who knows how she would have been treated?
Last edited by KathrynAragon; 12-07-2017 at 08:00 AM..
Competition is the reason.
If patients were allowed to grow high CBD dominant strains of cannabis for insomnia, there would be no need for their pills.
Almost every pharmaceutical is extracted from a parent plant, valium from valerian root sold in health food stores as a sleep aid.
· Valerian is a natural herb while valium (diazepam) is a synthetic chemical compound. These two drugs have NO derivatisation relationship. The reason why Valerian is called "natures valium" is that both Valerian and valium can treat anxiety and insomnia, with valerian being a natural compound.
That would be nearly all prescription drugs then, right? I mean, I also agree that if there's a less potentially problematic way to deal with a physical issue, then try that first of course, but all prescription drugs have a long list of potential (though rare) side effects. Still - when you need 'em you need 'em.
My mom takes a small dose of Seroquel each night (100 mg) because she is bipolar and without Seroquel she becomes anorexic and manic and anxious and doesn't sleep well. The Seroquel is VERY effective for her bipolar symptoms and she's had no issues and no side effects other than sleepiness - which is a GREAT side effect. The Seroquel really helps control her bipolar disorder and her otherwise jacked up sleep (or non sleep is more like it) schedule. It also increases her appetite slightly - makes it more normal. She has gained a small amount of weight on it which is healthy for her.
In her case (as in many cases involving conditions and prescription drugs) the benefits far outweigh the risks. And since she is so averse to taking any prescription drugs, she often tries to "go off" the Seroquel - and I can tell she's off of it within just a few days, because her bipolar symptoms, especially the anxiety and confusion, increase dramatically within a week or so.
She does much, much better on the low dose of Seroquel than without it. I wish she'd started taking it decades ago. We might have all had a happier life together.
There are serious health risks with insomnia and bipolar disorder as well. Pick your poison I guess. It sucks to have a disorder but thank goodness for modern medicine. Back in the day who knows how she would have been treated?
I think the alarm comes from it being prescribed (apparently) for insomnia alone. That may or may not be the case, we don't know OP's doctors or medical history aside from what they told us. But I think we can take OP at their word.
I think the alarm comes from it being prescribed (apparently) for insomnia alone. That may or may not be the case, we don't know OP's doctors or medical history aside from what they told us. But I think we can take OP at their word.
Oh I'm not doubting the OP. I'm just saying that it DOES work for regulating my mother's otherwise jacked up sleep patterns.
Seroquel is a heavy-duty medication that can also be extremely effective when monitored closely by your doctor. Tardive dyskinesia can be minimized by taking the minimal effective dose; a process also to be monitored by your doctor.
That being said, for off-label use, I personally would not feel comfortable taking it unless all other alternatives had failed. Which, for you; is not the case:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willamette City
After retiring in 2011, my use continued as before even though I didn't have to get up for work so I didn't need to get to sleep at a certain time. In my mind I had to be asleep by 11:00 pm!
You are retired. You don't have to be asleep by 11 pm. Yes, having a different sleep cycle than 99% of the world is somewhat inconvenient. But ...
You have a history of prescription drug abuse & adverse events: The best thing for you to do now is to change your ways of thinking. If you are not tired until 5 am? Don't try to fall asleep until 5 am. You are going to ruin your health & life because you are inflexible with your schedule? And you are lucky enough to not have to be inflexible?
No. This is an easy one. For you: You will be healthy & happier if you don't need drugs to fall asleep. The world is a better place when you are not sleep deprived, or twisting your jaw around repetitively like a crack addict.
Oh dear, no. Valium is a created chemical compound and potentially addictive Schedule III drug. Valerian root is a natural derivative.
It's a deceptive marketing device to call valerian "Nature's Valium" because they both promote sleep. But beyond that, particularly in the realm of patient risk, they have nothing in common.
And there is a lot of research out there about the benzos and dementia link. I got hooked on valium yrs ago before I learned so much that I now know....thanks to the net.
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