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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by 4WD on April 28, 2008, at 5:47:40
The Nardil is causing me to wake up in the morning at anywhere from 1:30 - 3:30 am. What's the best med to take when that happens, Sonata or Ambien? My pdoc & I have already discussed this briefly and I believe he favors Sonata since it is shorter acting but I'd rather know what you guys think.
Marsha
Posted by Racer on April 28, 2008, at 8:59:33
In reply to Waking at 2am : Sonata or Ambien, posted by 4WD on April 28, 2008, at 5:47:40
Personally, I'd go with Rozerem, since it's the one that's helped me most with sleep -- quality as well as quantity, by the way... It's not so much a PRN medication, it's best to take it daily, but its benefits increase the longer you take it.
For me, Ambien doesn't knock me out very well -- at least, not since I had those hallucinations on it... And Sonata is pretty great for getting to sleep -- but I invariably wake up about four hours later... That's only one person's experience, though -- and if you only need the few hours more, Sonata would certainly be my choice. Ambien would knock me on my tuckus if I took it and got up again a few hours later. I need the full eight hours of being ASLEEP -- not dozing, but asleep -- or I feel like an old fashioned lumbering movie monster for the whole next day...
Good luck.
Posted by Nadezda on April 28, 2008, at 10:15:28
In reply to Re: Waking at 2am : Sonata or Ambien, posted by Racer on April 28, 2008, at 8:59:33
I usually wake up 2-3 hours after taking sonata, and would go for ambien. However, occasionally on ambien if I take a whole tablet, I find in the morning that I've been up and done things, without any memory of having done so.
I personally would take 1/2 ambien if it were 2 am, and a sonata if it were closer to the time I planned to get up.
But, as you know, this varies so much from person to person-- you have to try them out and see.
Nadezda
Posted by Phillipa on April 28, 2008, at 11:46:02
In reply to Re: Waking at 2am : Sonata or Ambien, posted by Nadezda on April 28, 2008, at 10:15:28
Marsha when is your last dose of klonopin? Is it betime? Maybe at bedtime in combo with one of the two which have no experience with it would work longer? Don't know? Love Phillipa
Posted by ncrainbow on April 28, 2008, at 14:40:33
In reply to Re: Waking at 2am : Sonata or Ambien, posted by Phillipa on April 28, 2008, at 11:46:02
I ave to agree with Phillipa here. I have always had sleep issues and have never found a sleep medicine that could do all three of the following:
1. put me to sleep
2. keep me asleep
3. not make me groggy in the morning2mgs of klonopin about 1 or 1 1/2 hours before bed does #1 and #2 nicely. I do find I am foggy in the mid-morning but all the veterans on this board promise that will fade. (this is a new cocktail for me). Plus klonopin is fine in generic form and cheap!
Posted by Sigismund on April 28, 2008, at 17:48:06
In reply to Re: Waking at 2am : Sonata or Ambien, posted by ncrainbow on April 28, 2008, at 14:40:33
Short acting things might have a place if you are going to take them at 1 or 2 in the morning when you wake up.
Otherwise they will get you to sleep but not keep you there.
Posted by octothorpe on April 28, 2008, at 19:36:35
In reply to Waking at 2am : Sonata or Ambien, posted by 4WD on April 28, 2008, at 5:47:40
I take Ambien CR, and have for a couple of years. It works fine for me most of the time, and I usually awaken refreshed. This includes the past 8 weeks on Nardil. I don't think I could manage without it right now because of the Nardil induced insomnia.
Posted by Fathe on April 28, 2008, at 20:25:36
In reply to Waking at 2am : Sonata or Ambien, posted by 4WD on April 28, 2008, at 5:47:40
I take regular Ambien. I cannot say it keeps me asleep all night but if I do wake up, I am able to fall back asleep and I am never groggy the next day.
It is very weird though, when I take it about 30 minutes before going to bed, that whole 30 minutes is almost completely wiped from my memory the next day. I also am prone to start eating alot in that 30 minutes and not remember that either. Quite freaky but I still like Ambien otherwise.
Posted by undopaminergic on April 29, 2008, at 4:24:27
In reply to Waking at 2am : Sonata or Ambien, posted by 4WD on April 28, 2008, at 5:47:40
Sonata may be the best one to take upon waking in the middle of the night, but it would probably be rather useless to take at bedtime due to its short duration of aciton.
Ambien is a good choice for administration at bedtime.
However, I would consider the antihistamine cyproheptadine (Periactin) first, as it's also a serotonin 5-HT2-receptor antagonist, and serotonin is likely to be involved in the pathophysiology underlying MAOI-induced insomnia. Furthermore, EEG studies suggest that cyproheptadine improves sleep quality, whereas other antihistamines are neutral, and benzodiazepines are detrimental. Sonata and Ambien are most similar to benzodiazepines in their actions, and may share similar effects on sleep quality.
Posted by 4WD on April 29, 2008, at 17:00:26
In reply to Re: Waking at 2am : Sonata or Ambien, posted by undopaminergic on April 29, 2008, at 4:24:27
Well, it's kind of a moot point now. My pdoc prescribed Ambien, partly because I told him that the Trazadone was lowering my BP and I wanted to use a different sleep med. but now I see that I need the trazadone for more than just sleep so I am going to take the trazadone. If I wake up at 2 am I will take an ambien and maybe sleep longer than I want but I don't really have much of a choice.
I saw my family doctor today and asked for some Sonata but he said he didn't like those drugs and suggested that if I wake up in the middle of the night, take some Xanax. So I think first I will try the Ambien and if it makes me too groggy or sleep too long, I will use the Xanax instead.
The other morning when I woke so early I took 1.5mg Xanax and only slept another hour and a half and didn't wake up groggy.
One day at a time and we'll see what happens. Ideally, the waking up in the middle of the night was an aberration because I slept all night last night, though not very well.
Marsha
> Sonata may be the best one to take upon waking in the middle of the night, but it would probably be rather useless to take at bedtime due to its short duration of aciton.
>
> Ambien is a good choice for administration at bedtime.
>
> However, I would consider the antihistamine cyproheptadine (Periactin) first, as it's also a serotonin 5-HT2-receptor antagonist, and serotonin is likely to be involved in the pathophysiology underlying MAOI-induced insomnia. Furthermore, EEG studies suggest that cyproheptadine improves sleep quality, whereas other antihistamines are neutral, and benzodiazepines are detrimental. Sonata and Ambien are most similar to benzodiazepines in their actions, and may share similar effects on sleep quality.
This is the end of the thread.
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