Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Health and Wellness > Mental Health
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 01-27-2011, 10:16 AM
 
5,546 posts, read 9,965,693 times
Reputation: 2799

Advertisements

I've been taking Ambien and Klonopin to sleep. However, they have lost their ability to really work. Now my Dr. wants me on a very low dose of Seroquel for insomnia and Zonegran. These are heavy duty drugs. Last night I took the Seroquel and still woke up at 2:30 (as I do each nigh). Made some coffee as my alarm clock was broken (was supposed to be somewhere at 9) and decided to go to Walmart and buy an alarm clock. As I was driving I went southbound in a northbound lane and had to correct and nearly went over the median. Sigh. I guess I won't be doing that again.

Anyway, don't know what to do anymore. Ambien and Klonopin won't keep me to sleep for more than a few hours. Seroquel is supposed to really knock someone out. Anyone had experience with Seroquel or Zonegran for insomnia?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 01-27-2011, 10:58 AM
 
Location: In a house
13,250 posts, read 42,633,620 times
Reputation: 20198
Klonopin isn't a sleep aid. It's an anti-seizure medication that's also prescribed for panic attacks.

Seroquel is also not a sleep aid. It's an anti-schizophrenia drug also used to treat severe bipolar mania and depression.

Zonegran, like klonopin, is also an anti-convulsant, and not a sleep aid.

You need to talk with your doctor and find out why he's giving you anti-psychosis and anti-convulsant meds for a sleep problem. Maybe he feels that your sleeping problem is only a symptom of a more serious underlying mental disorder.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-27-2011, 11:10 AM
 
Location: Mostly in my head
19,855 posts, read 65,591,515 times
Reputation: 19374
Try Benadryl. Two tsps put me out for hours. and yes, talk to your doctor or find another one. Those meds are not appropriate for sleep aids.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-27-2011, 11:25 AM
 
5,546 posts, read 9,965,693 times
Reputation: 2799
Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah View Post
Try Benadryl. Two tsps put me out for hours. and yes, talk to your doctor or find another one. Those meds are not appropriate for sleep aids.
I have and it does nothing for me. I also take melatonin. I am very med resistant. Also, a lot of these drugs are used off label which is what he is doing for some good reasons.

I've been on a ton of psychotropics but am just somewhat resistant to both taking seroquel and zonegran. Just wondering if anyone has taken either. Schizophrenia is treated with seroquel at doses of 400 plus mgs, and 25 mgs is nowhere near that. I just want to sleep. Thanks.
.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-27-2011, 11:34 AM
 
5,546 posts, read 9,965,693 times
Reputation: 2799
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnonChick View Post
Klonopin isn't a sleep aid. It's an anti-seizure medication that's also prescribed for panic attacks.

Seroquel is also not a sleep aid. It's an anti-schizophrenia drug also used to treat severe bipolar mania and depression.

Zonegran, like klonopin, is also an anti-convulsant, and not a sleep aid.

You need to talk with your doctor and find out why he's giving you anti-psychosis and anti-convulsant meds for a sleep problem. Maybe he feels that your sleeping problem is only a symptom of a more serious underlying mental disorder.
No, Klonopin is a benzo, not an anti-seizure. Anti-seizures are meds like Lamictal, Topamax and Zonegran. They are used to treat both epilepsy and bipolar.

Seroquel is an anti-psychotic used to treat both bipolar and schizophrenia along with Abilify which is also an anti-psychotic used to treat bipolar and (schizophrenia?) and off label to augment anti-depressants. A lot of drugs are used off label.

I have generalized anxiety disorder, hence the Klonopin and other conditions which I won't go into here. Sigh. I am far too familiar with all these meds. Two Drs have now prescribed me Klonopin at bedtime in conjuction with Ambien for sleep.

Just wondering if anyone has tried seroquel for sleep and what your experience was.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-27-2011, 01:07 PM
 
Location: In a house
13,250 posts, read 42,633,620 times
Reputation: 20198
Seroquel isn't commonly prescribed for sleep. It isn't a sleep aid. It isn't used off-label as a sleep aid. It is not recommended by sleep specialists as a sleep aid.

Klonopin IS used for patients with epilepsy. Yes, it's a benzo. It is a benzo that is primarily used for patients with epilepsy, to control seizures. That is its primary purpose. Its panic-attack useage is comparably new.

You ARE being prescribed antipsychotics and anticonvulsants. Whether your doctor is intending for them to be used off-label, is another matter entirely. The fact of the matter is, your prescribed medications are not intended to be used as sleep aids, and so you are not likely to find many people (if any) who would have experience using them (legally) as such.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-27-2011, 01:35 PM
 
5,546 posts, read 9,965,693 times
Reputation: 2799
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnonChick View Post
Seroquel isn't commonly prescribed for sleep. It isn't a sleep aid. It isn't used off-label as a sleep aid. It is not recommended by sleep specialists as a sleep aid.

Klonopin IS used for patients with epilepsy. Yes, it's a benzo. It is a benzo that is primarily used for patients with epilepsy, to control seizures. That is its primary purpose. Its panic-attack useage is comparably new.

You ARE being prescribed antipsychotics and anticonvulsants. Whether your doctor is intending for them to be used off-label, is another matter entirely. The fact of the matter is, your prescribed medications are not intended to be used as sleep aids, and so you are not likely to find many people (if any) who would have experience using them (legally) as such.
Pardon me, but are you a Dr or a shrink, no less? This specialist I am seeing charges $350 an hour for the first consultation and $75 for a 15 minute phone call. Both Klonopin AND Seroquel can be used as a sleep aids and are. I believe I did state that many drugs are used off label and ARE. I am not seeing a sleep specialist.

Klonopin MAY be used for patients with epilepsy (I wouldn't know as I don't have epilepsy nor have I ever seen a Dr. for that) but it is prescribed for anxiety disorder AND sleep, sleep in some cases. As I told you initally, Klonopin is a benzo. TWO Drs (both speciolists and high priced) have given it to me for sleep. I think I know what I am being prescribed. And I think given the fact this is the 4th shrink I have seen in this city (one of whom I saw for six years and not that it's any of your business), they just might know a bit more about these drugs than you and what they can and cannot be used for, both on label and off. And I have learned quite a bit in my travels as well. And I hardly doubt that four Drs are prescribing me drugs illegally.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-27-2011, 02:57 PM
 
527 posts, read 1,016,468 times
Reputation: 548
my mom (who has severe dementia) is on seroquel- 50mg in the day and 50mg in the evenings- at first it did good for her sleeping and now nothing- also be careful of the mood swings associated with seroquel. I have an appt nxt week with her neurologist, I think im gonna switch to something else for her. good luck
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-27-2011, 03:27 PM
 
Location: Barrington, IL area
1,594 posts, read 3,048,010 times
Reputation: 4957
I take Seroquel, but not for insomnia. The sedating effect is pretty strong though.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-27-2011, 07:46 PM
 
5,546 posts, read 9,965,693 times
Reputation: 2799
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackinyc View Post
my mom (who has severe dementia) is on seroquel- 50mg in the day and 50mg in the evenings- at first it did good for her sleeping and now nothing- also be careful of the mood swings associated with seroquel. I have an appt nxt week with her neurologist, I think im gonna switch to something else for her. good luck
Thanks, I accidentally took 50 mgs of seroquel for sleep one night. Woke up and was hungry. I fell asleep while eating and shattered that plate into a 100 pieces. Now THAT woke me up.

Has your Mom tried Risperdone? My Dad was on that for his Alzheimer's (it's also an anti-psychotic) and it has been around for quite some time. Maybe she'd do better on that. A lot of people (older people too) get good results with Trazadone, which is an anti-depressant with sedating properties. When I took my Mom to the Dr. I suggested it to him and he prescribed it and it did help her sleep. I tried it and it just stuffs up my nose.

Some of these drugs are better used in the elderly and some not. My dad was quite old and given Risperdone, Aricept, Namenda (which really worked for 18 months to alleviate the psychosis) and one other I cannot remember. Oh, Excelon was the other drug. I must say that Namenda was the best though. It really gave him 18 months of his life back. Then it stopped working.

Good luck.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Health and Wellness > Mental Health
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top