No sleep or sleep meds

Cindi sue, I am a long term insomniac (50 years) which only gets worse the older I get. In answer to your questions, I tried Mirtazapine, and maybe it is just my psychology, but I had terrible nightmares. When I complained to the psychiatrist, he upped my dose and the nightmares got worse until the third time the dose got upped and my nightmares took on the style of horror movies. I had never had a nightmare before that drug and I don’t have them now. I have been on everything from OTC drugs through probably a dozen RX drugs. Ambien was the best although I never got a full 7 hours sleep - only about 5. It too finally stopped working and now I make sleep cocktails out of a few different types of rx drugs which get me about 3 hours sleep and when I wake up I take a few more and get another 3 hours sleep. While on Ambien, I never sleep walked, ate or drove although I have read about that happening to some people. I am planning on asking my doctor for an Ambien CR rx since I have not had any ambien in at least 6 months. Maybe I’ll get lucky.

Cindi sue, I am a long term insomniac (50 years) which only gets worse the older I get. In answer to your questions, I tried Mirtazapine, and maybe it is just my psychology, but I had terrible nightmares. When I complained to the psychiatrist, he upped my dose and the nightmares got worse until the third time the dose got upped and my nightmares took on the style of horror movies. I had never had a nightmare before that drug and I don’t have them now. I have been on everything from OTC drugs through probably a dozen RX drugs. Ambien was the best although I never got a full 7 hours sleep - only about 5. It too finally stopped working and now I make sleep cocktails out of a few different types of rx drugs which get me about 3 hours sleep and when I wake up I take a few more and get another 3 hours sleep. While on Ambien, I never sleep walked, ate or drove although I have read about that happening to some people. I am planning on asking my doctor for an Ambien CR rx since I have not had any ambien in at least 6 months. Maybe I’ll get lucky.

It is supposedly a very old, very safe drug - for sleep low dose is the key as it is sedating at 7.5, maybe up to 15mg but after that point the appetite stimulate and anti-depressant factors come into play and it can actually be stimulating. We don't want weight gain and if we are not depressed we would not want higher doses! I'm 65, so we are in the same boat - not a lot of "safe" sleep meds for us.

My situation is exactly like yours. Can you share what sleep meds you tried that you don't want to take again? I currently take 2.5mg melatonin and 75-100mg Trazodone which help me fall asleep, but I wake after a few hours and most often can't fall back asleep. I'm also trying THC 15mg and CBN 12mg sleep gummies, but they aren't helping much. My sleep Dr only recommends hypnotic drugs, where you can sleep walk and not remember it, so I don't want to take those. I see a different Dr next week and am quite sure she will recommend the same meds. I am getting desperate to find something that helps me.

I took Ambien years ago, and it helped me sleep 7-8 hours. The problem was I still had horrific night sweats and anxiety. My psychiatrist switched me to Klonopin, which was a wonderful drug for 15 years. I took 1mg every night, never increased it and I slept so well. No night walking or sleeping or any of that, not with Ambien or with Klonopin. Now I'm not sleeping great with mirtazipine and occasional CBT/THC gummy but I am sleeping - may be broken or light sleep, but I feel ok the next day.

I took Ambien years ago, and it helped me sleep 7-8 hours. The problem was I still had horrific night sweats and anxiety. My psychiatrist switched me to Klonopin, which was a wonderful drug for 15 years. I took 1mg every night, never increased it and I slept so well. No night walking or sleeping or any of that, not with Ambien or with Klonopin. Now I'm not sleeping great with mirtazipine and occasional CBT/THC gummy but I am sleeping - may be broken or light sleep, but I feel ok the next day.

So sorry you’re going through this! Not sleeping and thinking about not sleeping every night is tortuous. Although it didn’t work well for me, have you tried cbt-I? Also, mirtazapine is used for sleep at low doses, 7.5 mg

clonazapam is what I am taking mixed with a muscle relaxant now. Unfortunately I have to take the entire 3 - 1 mg. Clonazapam at once in order to fall asleep which is actually prescribed to me to be taken 1 at a time 3x a day for anxiety. However, after taking all 3 at once, I do get to sleep and I’m not experiencing anxiety during the day either. However, I would still prefer a benzo sleep medication that works. I’m tired of doctors wanting to prescribe all the new drugs that don’t work. At my age, I’m not particularly worried about addiction although I don’t seem to get addicted to the drugs anyway. I took ambien for at least 13 years and when it stopped working I just stopped taking it and it didn’t bother me at all. I wouldn’t call what happened ambien rebound. I just went back to my normal state of insomnia.

What is your dose of mirtazipine? I tried 7.5mg one night and did sleep better, but I was so groggy and sleepy for the next 3 days that I didn't want to try it again. I had a 15mg pill than I split in half. The pill is so tiny I don't think I can break off a smaller piece to reduce the dose to less than 7.5mg. I am also trying THC/CBN capsules and gummies, taking about .17mg THC and 12mg CBN. It does help a little, but I worry about taking it every night.