Restoril reviews/hints/tips (Full Version)

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littlewonder -> Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/6/2011 8:57:41 PM)

Does anyone have any experience with Restoril?

I just started on 7.5 mg of Restoril last Wed. but it didn't do a single thing for me to put to sleep. So I started taking two...again nada, nothing. Benadryl did more for me.

So tonight I figured I'd try 3. It's made me a little drowsy but hasn't even come close to making me fall asleep.

Yes I have a call into my doctor for tomorrow but I'm just wondering what other's experiences have been with this sleeping pill. Is there some trick to taking it, maybe something I'm missing? Some hints from anyone for it?

I already absolutely hate the idea of having to go this route for meds for this but I'm at my wit's end with not sleeping. And I really don't wanna have to go through different meds after another to find one that works. UGH





Aylee -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/6/2011 9:32:10 PM)

It worked great for me.

I took it an hour before I laid down to sleep. I also cut my caffine off earlier. No coffee after noon and no soda or tea after dinner.

You might try taking it with a Benedryal or two.

I also find reading a book rather than using the computer to be helpful.



littlewonder -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/6/2011 9:37:37 PM)

I haven't been drinking any caffeine at all since I started taking it since I also started taking celexa at the same time and now when I drink coffee it makes me feel jittery.

I've been taking the restoril about an hour to an hour and a half before I lie down although the doc said it should only take 15 minutes lol. Yeah right.

And usually i just lie in bed  but two hours later I'm still staring at the wall. I'm at my rope's end.

I think I'm just going to have to ask my dr for something else. I hate going through trials and errors.




Aylee -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/6/2011 11:50:34 PM)

I wonder if it is because of the celexa. Are you taking that in the morning?



DeviantlyD -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 12:20:14 AM)

It's possible you are an uber or super metabolizer for the class of drug you are taking. In other words, you metabolize the drug to the point where it's eliminated before it can provide the effects it's intended to give.

There is a whole field of study about it - pharmacogenetics. I tried finding something in layman's terms about it, but I couldn't. At any rate, it's not something you would be tested for in this instance, but if you were to take another drug in the same class as Restoril and it had no effect, that would be a good indication that the p cytochromes in your liver (enzymes responsible for metabolizing drugs) are metabolizing these drugs more expeditiously than the majority of the population.

I did find this interesting article though.

http://www.healthanddna.com/drug-safety-dna-testing/temazepam-side-effects

(Restoril is the trade name for temazepam.)

It sucks that you might have to try another drug, but at least you have that option. True? :)



littlewonder -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 7:28:50 AM)

yes I take the celexa first thing when I wake up in the morning and then the restoril right before bed. I'll be calling my dr. shortly to find out if she can give me something else. I'm just really hesitant to try other sleeping pills and didn't want to in the first place since I had extremely bad experiences with ambien many years ago.

Blah, meds suck.




LafayetteLady -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 7:48:22 AM)

Have you tried meletonin or valerian root? They are herbal remedies, and the valerian root you can get in a tea.

Try drinking just the tea when you get home from work (I don't know if you work outside the home). For me, valerian root will not work with just one cup and someone suggested that I sip on some of the tea throughout the day to mellow me out.

Check with your doctor about interference with other meds, but otherwise it is harmless and if it works, that's what matters most. I also suffer with horrible sleep problems and it makes me crazy.



winspiritsbaby -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 8:05:44 AM)

In addition to those posted by LafayetteLady; Passion Flower and Lemon Balm could also work. A lot of doctors shy away from herbs because they aren't FDA approved, but a good pharamacist can steer you in the right direction.
I have seen Melatonin work wonders in my oldest son when he was on celexa so it could work for you.



littlewonder -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 8:10:55 AM)

I've tried all the herbal remedies. They don't even touch me at all. It's what led me to force myself to see a dr in the first place for my sleeplessness. It's to the point where I'm not sleeping at all and I've tried all the herbal remedies and over the counter products. They all made me drowsy but didn't put me to sleep. Restoril does the same thing..drowsy but doesn't knock me out.

I have so many problems with meds. They just never seem to work for me the way they're supposed to. Dunno why.



Aswad -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 8:11:29 AM)

~fr~

To the OP,

How is your sleep hygiene generally?

To Aylee,

Please, never, ever, ever let me see you suggest mixing antihistamines with benzos to a stranger over the net again?

Health,
al-Aswad.




littlewonder -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 8:14:01 AM)

sleep hygiene??




winspiritsbaby -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 8:42:41 AM)

Maybe try using relaxation techniques before bed? You probably wont see immediate results, but it could help. What is your normal routine in the three or so hours before going to bed? Not trying to be nosy, but sometimes there is something in there to help. I have been diagnosed as treatment intolerant for some of my conditions because none of the meds help, so I know how hard this is for you.



kalikshama -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 8:55:27 AM)

I have really good luck with sub-lingual melatonin (fall asleep fast) and 5-HTP (stay asleep).

I take 1 mg of melatonin; Mom takes 3. (The body produces this less as we age.)

Restoril works for my brother, who also did not like Ambien.

Are you getting enough exercise? Mom and I both have trouble sleeping when we've been inactive. I sleep especially well when I use the sauna for 15-30 minutes after my workout.

Restorative or gentle yoga before bed might be good as well.

I can usually fall asleep to any sort of book; if I'm trying to get back to sleep I need to chose my books carefully. Jean Auel works really well for me - her detailed descriptions put me right back to sleep.

I absolutely cannot watch stimulating TV like Criminal Minds before bed.

ps - everything non-supplemental that I mentioned would come under the category of sleep hygiene. See also http://www.umm.edu/sleep/sleep_hyg.htm







littlewonder -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 8:56:37 AM)

three hours before bed? Depends....tv, homework, wasting time online, reading a book, spending time with Master. When I'm in bed waiting for the meds to kick in I always lie down in a dark room, no lights, stare at the wall and just try to zone out but eventually it just leads me to just tossing and turning and getting frustrated that I can't sleep.

I just left a message for my doc to call me back. Hopefully she can suggest something. Soooo annoying.




Aswad -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 9:25:19 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: littlewonder

sleep hygiene??


Thought so...

Shelve the benzos for now, and look it up.

No responsible doc turns to benzos before making sure the patient has adequate sleep hygiene to begin with, unless it's an emergency, and usually that means 1-3 days max, anyway, since it doesn't take long to build up rebound insomnia. You're not describing an emergency, it seems, so don't resort to the drug solution yet.

For reference, I use flunitrazepam, which isn't legal in the USA anymore, so I'm not opposed to sleep inducing drugs, I'm just saying there are drawbacks to their use and that there are usually a long list of root causes that have been ignored if a patient has been prescribed benzos without having learned the meaning of sleep hygiene first.

Health,
al-Aswad.



kalikshama -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 9:36:45 AM)

Al-Aswad is correct - Restoril is meant for short term insomnia management and as benzos are highly addictive, no responsible doctor should prescribe them for long term use without first considering sleep hygiene.

I have travel anxiety and take a Xanax the night before I fly. My doctor prescribes them to me 5 at a time. Neither of us are opposed to benzos, we are just very conservative as to their use.




littlewonder -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 9:37:25 AM)

after looking it up, yeah...I had a 2 hour conference with my doc going over every single detail of my life from my personal life, family life, sleeping patterns, eating and exercise habits, took physical and blood tests, etc....she just never called it sleep hygiene...just a whole lotta questions and tests only to once again diagnose me with chronic depression which I already knew...I just moved here and had to find a new doc for it and all that fun stuff.

I was always able to keep all of this under control without meds but I'm almost 40 and the older I get the harder I'm finding it is to manage so therefore it was time to see a doc again and find one I could establish a rapport with. I found one.

And yeah...I follow all those rules of hygiene. It doesn't matter. I still don't sleep.





MistressDarkArt -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 11:53:46 AM)

Try taking your Celexa at night, or breaking the tablet in half and divide the dose between morning and evening.

Yogic energization exercises followed by restorative postures before bed have helped me tremendously also. I'll even do them in bed if I can't get my body/mind to quiet down. If you're interested in trying some of these easy-to-do techniques, pm me on the other side and I'll try to point you in the right direction.

What is your and your doc's take on medical cannabis? For many people an indica-based edible about an hour before bed gets them to sleep and keeps them there for most if not all of the night. Ingesting this way (as opposed to smoking or vaporizing) eliminates a lot of the psychoactive (THC 'high') effects but still delivers the CBDs and CBNs so you just gradually relax as it metabolizes. You can also get or make a glycerin-based cannabis tincture (make sure it's an indica, not a sativa) that is held under under your tongue for half a minute or so before swallowing. Because it's absorbed by the vascular network under your tongue, it works much faster than an edible. It's easy to control the amount 'til you find just what you need to get sleepy/relaxed without feeling goofy. Cannabis works synergistically with most rX meds (again, consult your doc) so that often you need less of everything. It can be used as needed without fear of physical addiction or stop/start use (though like any mind-altering substance some people just like having it on board whether there's a medical need or not...it's up to you.)

It isn't a 100% miracle drug for me like it is for many lucky people, but it sure helped cut down pain med use when chronic pain was an issue. I'm not in severe pain anymore but I'm still a crummy sleeper; using a few drops of tincture or an edible before bed can make the difference between wired tossing and turning all night or actually getting some quality sleep.


Insomnia is effing miserable and takes years off your life; you have my complete sympathy. Wishing you a peaceful night's rest.



littlewonder -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 1:09:53 PM)

I think if I suggested cannabis to my dr she'd have fits of laughter and asked me if I was joking lol.

Still waiting for the doc to call back. Looks like it probably won't be today so I guess it's gonna be another night of chamomile tea and 3 doses of restoril and keep my fingers crossed that it works.

As for taking the celexa at night, I know a lot of sites say it's supposed to make you drowsy but it really doesn't do that to me. It does just the opposite. I've more energy now than I've had in a long time...still not completely energetic like I should be but it's getting better day by day. Unfortunately this doesn't help my insomnia lol.




winspiritsbaby -> RE: Restoril reviews/hints/tips (11/7/2011 2:09:34 PM)

Maybe take a look here http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_relief_meditation_yoga_relaxation.htm

A combination of mindfulness and progressive muscle relaxation might help some.
That site doesn't go into major details, but I can't scan the file I have on relaxation techniques, but the site looks like it has the major points in there so maybe?

Good luck littlewonder, hopefully your doc will get back to you soon.



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