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Antidepressants for insomnia

Posted , 4 users are following.

any09042
any09042

I hope you are all feeling better, because from my part its a no no, the reason why i am asking this question is to know if antidepressant are effective in treating anxiety and insomnia , i have a very bad insomnia duo to my anxiety about sleep, yesterday i only slept for like 3 hours tonight i javent slept at all i am 24 years old , my anxiety is awful but i would never and i dint want to use sleeping pills thats why i am willing to know if antidepresant are better choice for example lexapro i was using it almost two years ago and it helped me with my depression and anxiety and i slept perfectly fine in it , now that I excercise two hours daily eat healthy food i dont smoke dont drink caffe and dont do drugs dont drink alcohol aswell im thinking maybe my new health diet is having an impact in my anxiety and insomnia , but i feel hoplesss i just wish you guys can help me i would totally appreciate it !

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • 316
    316 any09042

    Posted

    Hello Any,

    Sorry to hear about the insomnia, it will pass. My first thoughts; as you probably know anxiety can lead to insomnia and insomnia can exacerbate insomnia, vicious cycle.... Try to deal with the anxiety. There are a few things that can help with that, meditation and just learning to not worry about things, everything will work out. Also 200mg of Theanine twice a day can really be effective in treating anxiety. Theanine is just an amino acid and there is no risk of tolerance or addiction.

    I would avoid taking anti-depressants for sleep, yes they can work but you may be altering brain chemicals and structure. I would avoid them unless all else fails. I would use much gentler supplements such as, magnesium Theronate 2 hours before bed, or even .5-1mg of melatonin sublingually right when you lay down. Most people take too much melatonin and it becomes excitatory, more is less. You can also try 25mg of Doxylamine succinate or Diphenhydramine, they both work but should only be taken a few days in a row and then rest for a few days.

    Lastly, come up with a process of caling your mind before bed: No computers or TV within 1 hour of bedtime, read a book, meditate and release all of your cares, fears and problems, plan your next day on paper, deep breathing and stretching, then just go lay down and clear your mind.

    BTW Caffeine in the morning can actually be good for sleep as it can help to up-regulate your brains GABA receptors, just none after noon.

    Good luck and good night!

    316

    • any09042
      any09042 316

      Posted

      Hello 316

      I ve had a great night sleep yesterday of 9 hours in total, but today when i woke up i couldnt stop thinking about today or the next day and that maybe i will suffer like this forever that i might not be able to sleep again and this is effecting my life in general so i would presume that this is an anxiety disorder such as Ocd that keeps me awake at night and i cant rest im alway worried about how im gonna ng to fucntion how im suppose to work dealing with insomnia . So this sounds more like an Ocd and maybe im better using an antidepressant because they tent to help with ocd i am also using magnesium at night and i can feel that it's helpful . Thank you

    • any09042
      any09042 316

      Posted

      Dear I 316

      I only got to sleep like 5 hours yesterday and tonight even though im tired physically mentally i dont feel so, my head feels very heavy and numb i dont know the reason why but could it be the side effect of antidepressant because right now i feel calm but sleep isnt nowhere

    • 316
      316 any09042

      Posted

      Dear Any,

      Re-read my post about amino acids. Your problem sounds like a serotonin issue. As long as you are not taking an ssri, you may have great success with either 250-500mg tryptophan or 100mg 5htp, can't hurt. After our body makes serotonin it converts some of it into natural melatonin, not enough serotonin not enough melatonin, no melatonin no sleep...

      316

  • ann82027
    ann82027 any09042

    Posted

    I was on the antidepressant citalopram for maybe 7 years and i slept ok, i came off it 3 years ago and haven,t had many good nights sleep since.   I didn,t want to go back on it because i have palpitations and svt, i felt it made them worse.  I sleep sometimes between 4 and 6 hours, a good night is 7 hours.
    • any09042
      any09042 ann82027

      Posted

      Dear ann82027

      What was the reason for you using citalopram

      ?

    • 316
      316 ann82027

      Posted

      Hello Ann,

      Right up front Do consult with your physician to discuss anything that your read from me or anyone else... I have a thought;

      As you prbably know SSRI's, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors basically recycle the brains available serotonin. Much of what you describe could be related to your brain simply not getting enough serotonin. I will list some symptoms of low serotonin below.

      There is a lot of science and research involving "amino acid therapy" for treating depression and other pyschological and cognitive issues. Specifically Tryptophan which your body converts to 5htp and then serotonin which can be used in the brain as needed. Look into it and if you'd like I can offer more thoughts for you.

      All the best,

      316

      SYMPTOMS OF LOW SEROTONIN

      It's hard for me to go to sleep.

      I can't stay asleep.

      I often feel irritable.

      My emotions often lack rationality.

      I occasionally experience unexplained tears.

      Noise bothers me more or seems louder than normal.

      I "flare up" more easily than I used to.

      I experience unprovoked anger.

      I often feel depressed.

      I find I am more susceptible to pain.

      I prefer to be left alone.

      Studies (including double blind) comparing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and tricyclic antidepressants to 5-HTP (which boost serotonin levels) consistently show that 5-HTP is as good, if not better than, prescription medications in treating anxiety and depression, with out some of the more troubling side effects associated with prescriptions.

       

    • ann82027
      ann82027 any09042

      Posted

      I was seriously depressed, lost a lot of weight  and couldn,t sleep, i was in a bad marriage, mental and emotional abuse, i retired from work and moved away from my daughters with him, over 9 months i gradually became very depressed resulting in either a hospital admission, but i chose to go back to my hometown and stay with my daughters, i now live alone and am much happier hence the reason i came off them. Citalopram gave me the strength i needed, i still tried  make a go of it for a further 3 years but the damage was done.
    • ann82027
      ann82027 316

      Posted

      I still experience some degree of depression because i had a bad childhood and bad relationships, on bad days i dwell on these and  wish i could go back and change them.  My ex husband still gets to me because we have 3 grown up children, after an experience with his spiteful toungue i get depressed for the whole day,i cannot avoid family gatherings where he usually attends. I was married 40 years and could write a book about it but i survived.

       

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