Gabapentin for Sleep

[Mustachio]

Sorry about your nerve damage. My neuropathy is mild. My dr recommended 100-300 mg, but I always like to take the least amount that is still effective. You've had good experiences with Trazadone? I was given that for occasional insomnia (this dr doesn't prescribe xanax anymore) but it just sits on my nightstand because it scares me a little.

trazodone is less frightening than aspirin. seriously. there's a trick - take it exactly 15 minutes before bed and don't take more. if it fails, it fails.

i have an auto immune disorder so thanks for the kind words but it can be managed and the "foot pin cushion" is a hit at parties. but yeah, trazodone good experiences if you are active and the trouble is just insomnia. if it's pain or rls, 100 mgs gaba with trazodone a few times a week sounds good. no doctor will suggest it, but if rls is the main culprit propanolol is extremely safe and was a mild help. the rls dragon slayer is clonidine. also super safe, not addictive as far as i know, but that was like a five year plan.

i think the gaba will work well, i have heard females complain of it making SAD worse and men have problems with finishing.... you know? good luck! if i see anything down the line i'll give you my opinion.

 

[PoS]

Consider melatonin sleep help for occasional insomnia.​

Melatonin for Sleep: Does It Work?

Melatonin supplements promise sound, natural sleep—and are even touted as a “miracle” for people with sleep disorders. Here’s what you need to know about your body’s natural melatonin production and melatonin sleep aids.

www.hopkinsmedicine.org

This. Ever since I became a writer Ive had a hard time sleeping since Im thinking way too much. Melatonin has helped me out by a lot.

 

[Demon]

trazodone is less frightening than aspirin. seriously. there's a trick - take it exactly 15 minutes before bed and don't take more. if it fails, it fails.

i have an auto immune disorder so thanks for the kind words but it can be managed and the "foot pin cushion" is a hit at parties. but yeah, trazodone good experiences if you are active and the trouble is just insomnia. if it's pain or rls, 100 mgs gaba with trazodone a few times a week sounds good. no doctor will suggest it, but if rls is the main culprit propanolol is extremely safe and was a mild help. the rls dragon slayer is clonidine. also super safe, not addictive as far as i know, but that was like a five year plan.

i think the gaba will work well, i have heard females complain of it making SAD worse and men have problems with finishing.... you know? good luck! if i see anything down the line i'll give you my opinion.

Very helpful, thank you. No rls, at least yet. Its the stiffness in my toes and about the first half of my foot when I lay down that drives me nuts. Insomnia is occasional and really hasn't happened since I started the gabapentin. It actually puts me to sleep pretty well, and if I have some weed I'm pretty well out for the night. I'm really going to have to try an edible before bed. I don't love them, but the high lasts so much longer than vaporizing that I assume the pain relief lasts much longer, too, and might last through the night on its own, without the gabapentin. I don't know if it will help you, but I'm taking acetyl l cartinine - its actually supposed to help with nerves but it seems like it takes quite a while to work.

 

[Mustachio]

Very helpful, thank you. No rls, at least yet. Its the stiffness in my toes and about the first half of my foot when I lay down that drives me nuts. Insomnia is occasional and really hasn't happened since I started the gabapentin. It actually puts me to sleep pretty well, and if I have some weed I'm pretty well out for the night. I'm really going to have to try an edible before bed. I don't love them, but the high lasts so much longer than vaporizing that I assume the pain relief lasts much longer, too, and might last through the night on its own, without the gabapentin. I don't know if it will help you, but I'm taking acetyl l cartinine - its actually supposed to help with nerves but it seems like it takes quite a while to work.

i'll check it out, haven't heard of it but the neuropathy was a 1/1,000,000 thing with a cyst years ago and i got used to it. sure wouldn't mind trying, make sure your magnesium levels are good, i know the feeling you're talking about, magnesium seems to play into it. glad to (hopefully) assure you gaba is safe especially if it works. obviously i endorse weed. you have a really solid and super safe toolkit there. if you have any questions i'm much better to ask than most doctors, but sounds like you understand we all have to be our own in a way

 

[noonereal]

Gabapentin (Neurontin) Dosage for Sleep & Anxiety | Insomnia Sleeping Treatment

Gabapentin Medication Treatment increases slow-wave sleep and is safe. Neurontin is an effective treatment for Insomnia, Anxiety, and Alcohol dependence.

www.sinclairmethod.org

Gabapentin (Neurontin) increases slow-wave sleep and is a safe, effective treatment for insomnia. It is a widely prescribed medication in neurology and psychiatry. In neurology, it is used for seizures, neuropathic pain, migraines, and restless legs syndrome. In psychiatry, it is used for insomnia, anxiety, and alcohol dependence. It is also helpful for hot flashes, fibromyalgia, and teeth-grinding.

Benefits of Gabapentin​

• It improves sleep quality by increasing slow-wave sleep
• It is not a controlled substance
• It does not cause respiratory depression
• It can be combined safely with alcohol
• It has a wide safety margin
• It is not metabolized by the liver (may need to be reduced with impaired kidney functioning)
• Few drug interactions
• 
  
• Between 100 & 600 mg/night has been shown to have a good effect on folks with problems getting to & staying asleep.

Any drug that reduces the firing of neurons as does this will cause problems if used extensively and then stopped no matter how be pharma fixed the study results.
Just an FYI

 

[Demon]

i'll check it out, haven't heard of it but the neuropathy was a 1/1,000,000 thing with a cyst years ago and i got used to it. sure wouldn't mind trying, make sure your magnesium levels are good, i know the feeling you're talking about, magnesium seems to play into it. glad to (hopefully) assure you gaba is safe especially if it works. obviously i endorse weed. you have a really solid and super safe toolkit there. if you have any questions i'm much better to ask than most doctors, but sounds like you understand we all have to be our own in a way

I usually check these thing out by looking them up and then reading about them in any of the medical journals that pop up, and nih. I don't always understand the articles in the nih, lol, but usually I can pull what I need from the discussion and conclusion portion. I just wanted to reassure you that I don't go looking at woo woo kinds of sites and say 'yeah, that will help'. Magnesium is supposed to help, but at the level I've been taking it (400 mg + whatever is in my multivitamin, which isn't much) it doesn't seem to be helping, I'll check out what the safe upper levels are and add more if I can. I'm taking benfotiamine, which is supposed to help, alpha lipoic acid (which does help with the pain - I had to stop for a minor surgery and noticed the difference once I started taking them again). I don't always trust drs. with their prescriptions - the kickbacks from pharma companies, the fact that the side effects from these medicines (at least the bad ones) don't happen often, but the dr won't be the one it happens to. I like hearing from people who have used them and how they've felt with them. And camn, mine is just mild neuropathy! I do appreciate all you input, and like I said the acetyl l cartinine seems to take a long time but does seem to help in the end, according to the nih studies.

 

[JacksinPA]

Melatonin works surprisingly well and sometimes I'll pair it with valerian root. Lavender hasn't seemed to work as well as I'd hoped. My next try will be magnolia bark.

While nothing new, my hunt for sleep aids hit pay dirt this past week.

The naturally-occurring amino acid L-tryptophan has shown itself to be surprisingly effective at promoting sound sleep when taken in amounts of 2-3 grams (capsule contents). The other night I took 3 capsules before bed (1030). I woke up 5 hours later.

Why does this work? Your body metabolizes this into melatonin in 4 enzymatic steps. And melatonin causes you to sleep without you waking up feeling groggy. L-Tryptophan is a legal substance & is neither toxic nor habit-forming.

I am impressed with how quickly this stuff works because it has to be metabolized in 4 enzymatic steps in less than an hour. Your digestive enzymes work very efficiently.

Effects of L-tryptophan on sleepiness and on sleep - PubMed

Over the past 20 yr, 40 controlled studies have been described concerning the effects of L-tryptophan on human sleepiness and/or sleep. The weight of evidence indicates that L-tryptophan in doses of 1 g or more produces an increase in rated subjective sleepiness and a decrease in sleep latency...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of L-tryptophan on sleepiness and on sleep​

Abstract​

Over the past 20 yr, 40 controlled studies have been described concerning the effects of L-tryptophan on human sleepiness and/or sleep. The weight of evidence indicates that L-tryptophan in doses of 1 g or more produces an increase in rated subjective sleepiness and a decrease in sleep latency (time to sleep).

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Stick with the Melatonin if you can. It's natural and much better for your body!

It's natural, as in: Your own body MAKES the stuff, it's just that it sometimes fails to make enough so you're just adding a little more if you take it in pill form.

 

[Demon]

While nothing new, my hunt for sleep aids hit pay dirt this past week.

The naturally-occurring amino acid L-tryptophan has shown itself to be surprisingly effective at promoting sound sleep when taken in amounts of 2-3 grams (capsule contents). The other night I took 3 capsules before bed (1030). I woke up 5 hours later.

Why does this work? Your body metabolizes this into melatonin in 4 enzymatic steps. And melatonin causes you to sleep without you waking up feeling groggy. L-Tryptophan is a legal substance & is neither toxic nor habit-forming.

I am impressed with how quickly this stuff works because it has to be metabolized in 4 enzymatic steps in less than an hour. Your digestive enzymes work very efficiently.

Effects of L-tryptophan on sleepiness and on sleep - PubMed

Over the past 20 yr, 40 controlled studies have been described concerning the effects of L-tryptophan on human sleepiness and/or sleep. The weight of evidence indicates that L-tryptophan in doses of 1 g or more produces an increase in rated subjective sleepiness and a decrease in sleep latency...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of L-tryptophan on sleepiness and on sleep​

Abstract​

Over the past 20 yr, 40 controlled studies have been described concerning the effects of L-tryptophan on human sleepiness and/or sleep. The weight of evidence indicates that L-tryptophan in doses of 1 g or more produces an increase in rated subjective sleepiness and a decrease in sleep latency (time to sleep).

That's what's in turkey isn't it? If it metabolizes into melatonin, is it more effective than just taking melatonin, and why?

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

If one can control their consumption, a small amount of weed about 1.5 hrs before bedtime can help with sleep.

One side effect of weed is that it also can increase, shall we say, a certain part of the anatomy to experience enhanced circulation and performance.
I am sixty-five and I still notice this. Of course if I take a few more tokes, the desire for sleep eventually wins out.

 

[JasperL]

Yeah, thanks. I've taken it for years. Very careful with it as I don't want to be addicted to anything. I only use it occasionally, when I just can't get to sleep, and I usually only take a half dose.

That's how my wife uses it. She was given 4 pills a while ago, and she only needs 1/4 of one to work. It's her "last resort" option when she REALLY needs a good night's sleep.

 

[Demon]

That's how my wife uses it. She was given 4 pills a while ago, and she only needs 1/4 of one to work. It's her "last resort" option when she REALLY needs a good night's sleep.

It works better than anything I've ever tried. I'm hoarding mine now as doctors are becoming more reluctant to prescribe it.

 

[JasperL]

I have a problem in my right arm that causes pain due to an infection. I was taking Alleve (naproxen sodium) but a nurse told me that it has some nasty side effects if you use a 220mg pill more than once or twice a day. There are topical analgesics. Forget aspirin & acetaminophen (Tylenol). Voltaren is one.

Have you tried taking Advil and Tylenol (the combo)? There are formulations out there now - Dual Action Advil I think - but you can get the same thing with 1/2 dose of each. The research indicates it's more effective and safer than either by itself, and safer because they're processed in different organs, liver versus kidney.

 

[Common Sense 1]

It's natural, as in: Your own body MAKES the stuff, it's just that it sometimes fails to make enough so you're just adding a little more if you take it in pill form.

And?

 

[JacksinPA]

Have you tried taking Advil and Tylenol (the combo)? There are formulations out there now - Dual Action Advil I think - but you can get the same thing with 1/2 dose of each. The research indicates it's more effective and safer than either by itself, and safer because they're processed in different organs, liver versus kidney.

No but my PCP told me to take Alleve twice each day. Stuff works better than aspirin, Tylenol, etc..

 

[ataraxia]

I actually love xanax - I'll be asleep in 5-10 minutes and sleep the entire night. But the Dr I currently have doesn't like to prescribe it.

For good reason. You have a smart doctor. Be careful with that Xanax stuff. It is strongly habit forming if taken regularly. It is like alcohol. That class of medicines is actually used to treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms in alcoholics in the hospital- but only for short periods. Any longer and you are just substituting one addiction for another.

And also, both Xanax and alcohol may help you fall asleep, but they decrease the amount of restorative, deep REM sleep. There are better choices. Talk to your doctor. It sounds like he/she knows what they are saying.

 

[JacksinPA]

It works better than anything I've ever tried. I'm hoarding mine now as doctors are becoming more reluctant to prescribe it.

You don't need an Rx to buy L-tryptophan. Don't tell your doctor that you are using stuff they didn't prescribe.

 

[Demon]

You don't need an Rx to buy L-tryptophan. Don't tell your doctor that you are using stuff they didn't prescribe.

That bit was about the Xanax. But I did have a question about the L-tryptophan, above

 

[Demon]

For good reason. You have a smart doctor. Be careful with that Xanax stuff. It is strongly habit forming if taken regularly. It is like alcohol. That class of medicines is actually used to treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms in alcoholics in the hospital- but only for short periods. Any longer and you are just substituting one addiction for another.

And also, both Xanax and alcohol may help you fall asleep, but they decrease the amount of restorative, deep REM sleep. There are better choices. Talk to your doctor. It sounds like he/she knows what they are saying.

I am careful - see my posts above. Had a prescription for years and never abused it or became addicted.

 

[JacksinPA]

You don't need an Rx to buy L-tryptophan. Don't tell your doctor that you are using stuff they didn't prescribe.

One clue as to the effectiveness of L-tryptophan to induce sleep is at the top of this chart on the amino acid composition of turkey meat: https://tools.myfooddata.com/protein-calculator/171496/wt9/1

L-Tryptophan is in the meat at nearly twice the reccoomended daily amount:: https://tools.myfooddata.com/protein-calculator/171496/wt9/1. It is the cause of diners on Thanksgiving falling asleep after consuming a lot of turkey meat.

 

[JacksinPA]

I am careful - see my posts above. Had a prescription for years and never abused it or became addicted.

You will develop a tolerance from taking X on a regular basis. Doctors will not cut you off because there are unpleasant effects from abruptly quitting: convulsions, insomnia, etc. After taking 3mg/day for years my PCP is 'weaning' me off it: from 3 mg/day she has me back to 2.5 mg. That's 75 tabs per month instead of 90, so it's a big shift.

 

[Demon]

You will develop a tolerance from taking X on a regular basis. Doctors will not cut you off because there are unpleasant effects from abruptly quitting: convulsions, insomnia, etc. After taking 3mg/day for years my PCP is 'weaning' me off it: from 3 mg/day she has me back to 2.5 mg. That's 75 tabs per month instead of 90, so it's a big shift.

I never took it daily - only when I couldn't get to sleep by any other means. And I would usually only take 1/2 of a .50 mg tablet.

 

[Demon]

One clue as to the effectiveness of L-tryptophan to induce sleep is at the top of this chart on the amino acid composition of turkey meat: https://tools.myfooddata.com/protein-calculator/171496/wt9/1

L-Tryptophan is in the meat at nearly twice the reccoomended daily amount:: https://tools.myfooddata.com/protein-calculator/171496/wt9/1. It is the cause of diners on Thanksgiving falling asleep after consuming a lot of turkey meat.

Thanks, but that didn't really answer my question - if it turns into melatonin, why not just take melatonin?

 

[JacksinPA]

Thanks, but that didn't really answer my question - if it turns into melatonin, why not just take melatonin?

Curiosity. I had a bottle of melatonin tabs but they had no apparent effect. I was delighted when 3 grams of L-tryptophan produced 5 hours of restful sleep.

 

[Demon]

Curiosity. I had a bottle of melatonin tabs but they had no apparent effect. I was delighted when 3 grams of L-tryptophan produced 5 hours of restful sleep.

Odd. I will keep it in mind. I have to say the gabapentin is working well, and if I do have any trouble, 5mg of cyclobenzeprine does it.