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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by chasesmomma on May 28, 2003, at 23:20:52
I was wondering if anyone has had a hard time getting a full night's sleep with effexor. I am at 150mg and just feel wide awake by 3 or 4 in the a.m.-then I'm tired during the day at work.
I've also gotten increasingly nervous reading the posts about the ugly withdrawals. I realize everyone's body is different and there's no way to know how you're going to be effected, but I am considering getting pregnant in the next 6 months or so and I worry what will happen when I have to stop effexor and how long it would take to get back to a normal level afterwards. I would consider another anti-depressant, but I am moving out of state in just a couple of days and won't be able to see a new dr. out of state knowing they won't qualify as a preferred provider under my current insurance. With a new move and my spouse traveling all summer I am already dealing with so much alone, that going off effexor after three months just seems like a bad idea.
Anyway, sorry to ramble here. Any ideas for sleeping that is safe to take with effexor? Thanks for your thoughts out there:)
chasesmomma
Posted by Caleb462 on May 29, 2003, at 2:11:51
In reply to Anyone having problems sleeping?, posted by chasesmomma on May 28, 2003, at 23:20:52
Have you recently gone up to 150 mg? I couldn't sleep either when I went to that dose, but it got better after about a week, and was gone within 2-3 weeks.
Pretty much any sleep aid, over-the-counter or prescription, is safe to take with Effexor. Your best bet would probably be generic diphenhydramine, which is also sold as Benadryl, Sominex, Tylenol PM (along with acetaminophen), etc.
Posted by Bill L on May 29, 2003, at 10:15:36
In reply to Anyone having problems sleeping?, posted by chasesmomma on May 28, 2003, at 23:20:52
Did you just start on that dose? Oftentimes, side effects get better after time goes on. Over the counter antihistamines work well for sleep. Discontinuation of Effexor can be rough. But taking Prozac while weaning off of Effexor works very well in lessening the discontinuation symptoms.
Posted by Mezz_tech on May 29, 2003, at 14:29:50
In reply to Re: Anyone having problems sleeping?, posted by Bill L on May 29, 2003, at 10:15:36
OH my gosh! I just started Effexor about 3 weeks ago and have had horrible horrible sleep problems. I haven't had a good night's sleep for as long as I've been on this. In the beginning, when I was on 37.5 mg, I would fall asleep ok, but wake up around 2:00 or 3:00, sometimes 4:00 and , like you, just find myself WIDE AWAKE. That subsided after a bit but now that I've gone up to 75 mg, it's especially hard for me to get to sleep and have layed awake , like last night, for 2 or more hours trying to sleep. It's terrible. You're not alone. My doctor was giving me Neurontin for anxiety and suggested that I take it for sleep as it makes a lot of people sleepy. It has helped a little but that seems to be wearing off. Let me know if you find anything that puts you to sleep, ok? I could use the info too. I'm soooooooo tired during the day.
Posted by Tony P on May 30, 2003, at 10:07:32
In reply to Anyone having problems sleeping?, posted by chasesmomma on May 28, 2003, at 23:20:52
I've used all of the following for A/D induced insomnia:
Imovane/Zopiclone (Rx) is fast, short acting, and less likely to develop tolerance/addiction than benzos (but can happen in long term use - I've gone from 7.5 to 15 mg over about 1.5 years).
Desyrel/Trazadone (Rx) works very well for most people and is safe in most combos, also has some additional A/D effect. It is longer acting than Zopiclone and feels more like just getting naturally sleepy. I find I develop some tolerance with regular use, but it is generally considered non-addictive (unlike benzos).
Serzone/Nefazodone (Rx) is a "daughter" of Trazodone - less long-acting, milder sleepiness, more A/D effect. I've seen some people post that it works OK with Effexor - haven't yet tried that combo myself.
Caution - if you have liver problems or history of such, both Trazodone and Serzone have recently been slated with a warning for causing liver damage. Moreover, they both are metabolized by the same liver pathway as Tylenol, DXM and many other common drugs, so there can be an additive effect, and that pathway has a ceiling on its total capacity above which serious damage can develop quite quickly. Some other meds can also adversely affect the control of the pathway. I was OK on Trazodone 100 mg. until I started Celexa as well, when I immediately began having liver symptoms - when I took the Traz, not the Celexa. Stopped the Celexa, the liver problem went away.
Posted by nmk on May 30, 2003, at 11:27:55
In reply to Anyone having problems sleeping?, posted by chasesmomma on May 28, 2003, at 23:20:52
I have the best combo for solid sleep : 25 mg of seroquel + 15 mg of remeron. It has never failed me. Now, if only I can get the daytime meds straightened out.
This is the end of the thread.
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