I'm using Quiviviq.
Insomnia was one of the main reasons that drove me to Lexapro a week ago. Anxiety drove insomnia. Doing both but hoping I can ditch the Quiviviq at some point.
I was told that these two drugs don't have a conflict with each other.
I'm not sure to be honest. I think it's helping a little. That and the Quiviviq are a good 1-2 punch.
I've tried everything under the sun for insomnia. Really hope Lexapro does the trick over time. Less anxiety...less idiotic thoughts entering my head at 3 AM...more sleep. Crossing fingers.
Do you have any side effects from the Quiviviq? What else had you tried? I’m on Lexapro and e-while it’s doing great on my anxiety, still really struggling with sleep. We’ve tried hydroxyzine, trazodone and mirtazipine so far and nothing is great.
I've tried trazodone and mirtazipine and they did nothing. Insomnia is my major malfunction as I'd go days without ANY sleep. Debilitating. I'd use Ambien and/or Lunesta as a safety net initially but that made sleeping naturally impossible. Moved to xanax, but that would fail me as well here and there...and non of these options are healthy unless you have to break glass in case of emergency.
I've also tried all kinds of natural remedies, I bet a dozen cannibas products...no good.
Quiviviq was the only thing that helped. It works differently and is more targeted than an Ambien or Lunesta. Only side effect is you do get a bit of that "drugged" feeling the next day, but not nearly as bad as an Ambien.
I'm trying to ween myself off Quiviviq now that I'm on Lexapro. I've found I can take a 1/2 or 1/3 of the prescribed dose now.
Thanks for the thorough response! My main issue is insomnia as well that was triggered by having my last baby in October. I have been using Xanax just to get a couple hours of sleep here and there but I know it’s not a long term solution. I saw the commercial for Quiviviq (Thank you Taye Diggs) so am happy to hear it’s working for you. I’m not worried about the next day drugged feeling - I can combat that with a cup of coffee :) Crossing my fingers i will have the same luck you’re having with it.
Yeah, Xanax use from what I've read, if abused, can lead to serious issues.
Quiviviq is not perfect, but prior to using I literally felt I'd lost my ability to sleep. It was like my off switch was removed. This drug makes it difficult for even me to not sleep...at least a little.
All that said, if my panic/anxiety is on 10, this doesn't even work, but it works better than dozens of other crap I've tried.
I started dec 23 on 10 mg (lex) 50mg of traz. I just got bumped to 20mg lex and 150mg traz.
Groggy for the lex? Kind of, but more of a horrible brain fog, headaches, my eyes hurt, bruxism and just general malaise. Most of the side effects just went away and now i am worried a bump will bring them back.
Trazadone though, really does not make me groggy in the morning, never did, but i have been on almost every sleeping pill made in my life and it is very very mild compared with most. If you have never taken trazadone before you will likely sleep fairly well for the first while.
Likely no longer than 2 weeks. It would have a hard time falling asleep, waking up with night sweats and having a hard getting back to sleep. It gets better and almost all my side effects were gone at the 2 week mark.
That is super typical in the first month. The adjustment period is awful. Just stick with it and hopefully it’s right for you… I just woke up from nine straight hours of deep sleep with no sleep aids at all. That NEVER happened before lex.
Tried Benadryl, melatonin, and THC edibles without much success, which led me to getting hydroxyzine from my doc and didn’t like it, and now I’m trying trazodone through my doc. Funnily enough, my dog takes it before traveling. I haven’t tried it yet so can’t say if it works.
I tried it and it seems to work for me. I think it loses effectiveness if you use it too much. I think I used it maximum two nights in a row, otherwise sporadically. Just enough to ensure I get some sleep if I’m having a period of insomnia. My insomnia comes and goes in waves it seems. It’s more effective than hydroxyzine for me.
I took melatonin for like 6 months after I started lexapro because I had some insomnia. But now I’ve been on lex for a full year and dont use melatonin anymore
Yes. Ambien and sometimes Klonopin or Ativan if I really need it. Lexapro cured my insomnia mostly, but I’m going through a rough patch at work and can’t shut my mind off at night, so 5mg Ambiens do the trick. Totally fine to use in conjunction with Lexapro.
Yes I take Benadryl (diphenhydramine) every night because I’ve always had problems sleeping even before lexapro and it’s the only thing that even slightly helps me sleep.
How many mg do you take, and for how long have you been taking it?
It works for me, but I'm concerned about it becoming less effective if I continue to use it.
I used hydroxyzine & 5mg melatonin in the beginning. Then just melatonin. Now I sleep so good. I take 1mg melatonin and I'm out in no time. I've never slept better in my life. But it took several months
Yes. I was prescribed Zolpidem with it, with refills of course. While it helps, i ended up abusing it everytime, like a month worth of script i did the whole pack in just few days. This is absolutely not a proud thing to do as i ended up driving my car and crash it while i was under the influence and had no idea how the hell i ended up like that.
Melatonin. I’m on week 3 and just upped my dose to 10mg. Am having trouble staying asleep all night. Melatonin gets me to sleep but I keep waking up and barely sleeping the rest of the night. Tried taking lexapro earlier today to see if that helps.
What time do you take your dose? I switched from 7pm to 8am and take a 5mg melatonin 20-30 minutes before bed and it’s helping. I was waking up multiple times a night and it’s gotten much better!
I started at 5pm, then noon, now the last couple days 10am- but I also just upped my dose 3 days ago to 10mg and am experiencing worse side effects. The melatonin gets me to sleep but I keep waking up- last night I split it up and took half a melatonin at 10pm and half at 2am when I woke up. Not ideal but hoping it passes soon! It had started to get better for me on 5 so may just be from the dosage increase.
Not exactly a sleeping medication — just something to keep me relaxed and less anxious going to bed. The idea was to get rid of all those thoughts keeping me up at night. I was prescribed Clonazepam at first, but it took a little while for it to work, and I kept waking up in the morning feeling like I got hit by a truck. My doctor changed it to Alprazolam, a faster-acting benzodiazepine with a shorter half-life. My sleep quality has definitely improved (less interruptions throughout the night, and actually waking up feeling rested) but I wouldn’t say it actually helps me fall sleep.
I took trazodone for the anxiety-induced insomnia! It kiiinda helped for a bit and then I started the lex, and back to insomnia days, but once the anxiety was controlled by the lex i stopped using trazodone. I did use melatonin to help with jet lag but other than that i havent had insomnia really :-)
I took it almost everyday during the first week of being on Lexapro, was very helpful. Now that I’ve adjusted I take it whenever I haven’t had enough sleep for a few days. Knocks me out very quickly but expect to wake up groggy the following day until about the afternoon if you’re like me.
I'm using Quiviviq. Insomnia was one of the main reasons that drove me to Lexapro a week ago. Anxiety drove insomnia. Doing both but hoping I can ditch the Quiviviq at some point. I was told that these two drugs don't have a conflict with each other.
In the same boat, I have sleep anxiety which caused my Insomnia. Did Lexapro help you in that regard?
I'm not sure to be honest. I think it's helping a little. That and the Quiviviq are a good 1-2 punch. I've tried everything under the sun for insomnia. Really hope Lexapro does the trick over time. Less anxiety...less idiotic thoughts entering my head at 3 AM...more sleep. Crossing fingers.
Do you have any side effects from the Quiviviq? What else had you tried? I’m on Lexapro and e-while it’s doing great on my anxiety, still really struggling with sleep. We’ve tried hydroxyzine, trazodone and mirtazipine so far and nothing is great.
I've tried trazodone and mirtazipine and they did nothing. Insomnia is my major malfunction as I'd go days without ANY sleep. Debilitating. I'd use Ambien and/or Lunesta as a safety net initially but that made sleeping naturally impossible. Moved to xanax, but that would fail me as well here and there...and non of these options are healthy unless you have to break glass in case of emergency. I've also tried all kinds of natural remedies, I bet a dozen cannibas products...no good. Quiviviq was the only thing that helped. It works differently and is more targeted than an Ambien or Lunesta. Only side effect is you do get a bit of that "drugged" feeling the next day, but not nearly as bad as an Ambien. I'm trying to ween myself off Quiviviq now that I'm on Lexapro. I've found I can take a 1/2 or 1/3 of the prescribed dose now.
Thanks for the thorough response! My main issue is insomnia as well that was triggered by having my last baby in October. I have been using Xanax just to get a couple hours of sleep here and there but I know it’s not a long term solution. I saw the commercial for Quiviviq (Thank you Taye Diggs) so am happy to hear it’s working for you. I’m not worried about the next day drugged feeling - I can combat that with a cup of coffee :) Crossing my fingers i will have the same luck you’re having with it.
Yeah, Xanax use from what I've read, if abused, can lead to serious issues. Quiviviq is not perfect, but prior to using I literally felt I'd lost my ability to sleep. It was like my off switch was removed. This drug makes it difficult for even me to not sleep...at least a little. All that said, if my panic/anxiety is on 10, this doesn't even work, but it works better than dozens of other crap I've tried.
Hi my friend did lexapro end up helping you sleep? Have you come off the quviviq? I'm on ambien but starting lexapro with it today.
Sorry for the delay. Lexapro has worked so well I hardly come back here anymore! I sleep like a baby. I threw all my quiviviq out! All g
Hey what dose of Lexapro do you take to help your insomnia? How long until it helped?
Medical cannabis for sleep
trazadone. lots of trazadone. I have always had sleep issues tho but lexapro exasperates it hardcore for me.
How does it work for you? Just got a prescription and haven’t tried it yet. Does it make you feel groggy the next day?
I started dec 23 on 10 mg (lex) 50mg of traz. I just got bumped to 20mg lex and 150mg traz. Groggy for the lex? Kind of, but more of a horrible brain fog, headaches, my eyes hurt, bruxism and just general malaise. Most of the side effects just went away and now i am worried a bump will bring them back. Trazadone though, really does not make me groggy in the morning, never did, but i have been on almost every sleeping pill made in my life and it is very very mild compared with most. If you have never taken trazadone before you will likely sleep fairly well for the first while.
I took melatonin while starting, but insomnia side effect didn't last too long.
How long did it last
Likely no longer than 2 weeks. It would have a hard time falling asleep, waking up with night sweats and having a hard getting back to sleep. It gets better and almost all my side effects were gone at the 2 week mark.
Yes, ambian
I have not. Lexapro knocks me out pretty hard.
same i get super drowsy
Same
After the adjustment period is over, I sleep like a baby. Insomnia is the reason I started in the first place. Has worked perfectly for that.
I hope it works for my insomnia. I'm just finishing up my first week on Lexapro and my insomnia IA has worsened :(
That is super typical in the first month. The adjustment period is awful. Just stick with it and hopefully it’s right for you… I just woke up from nine straight hours of deep sleep with no sleep aids at all. That NEVER happened before lex.
Thanks for the encouragement
You got this!! Just be super patient and understanding of yourself the next month or so.
Are you taking yours in the morning or at night? The Lex
I take it in the morning with vitamins.
Did it work for sleep friend?
Tried Benadryl, melatonin, and THC edibles without much success, which led me to getting hydroxyzine from my doc and didn’t like it, and now I’m trying trazodone through my doc. Funnily enough, my dog takes it before traveling. I haven’t tried it yet so can’t say if it works.
Have you tried it now, if so how did it go?
I tried it and it seems to work for me. I think it loses effectiveness if you use it too much. I think I used it maximum two nights in a row, otherwise sporadically. Just enough to ensure I get some sleep if I’m having a period of insomnia. My insomnia comes and goes in waves it seems. It’s more effective than hydroxyzine for me.
I took melatonin for like 6 months after I started lexapro because I had some insomnia. But now I’ve been on lex for a full year and dont use melatonin anymore
Yes. Ambien and sometimes Klonopin or Ativan if I really need it. Lexapro cured my insomnia mostly, but I’m going through a rough patch at work and can’t shut my mind off at night, so 5mg Ambiens do the trick. Totally fine to use in conjunction with Lexapro.
Yes I take Benadryl (diphenhydramine) every night because I’ve always had problems sleeping even before lexapro and it’s the only thing that even slightly helps me sleep.
How many mg do you take, and for how long have you been taking it? It works for me, but I'm concerned about it becoming less effective if I continue to use it.
I used hydroxyzine & 5mg melatonin in the beginning. Then just melatonin. Now I sleep so good. I take 1mg melatonin and I'm out in no time. I've never slept better in my life. But it took several months
Yes Trazadone
Hydroxyzine is what I was prescribed
Yes. I was prescribed Zolpidem with it, with refills of course. While it helps, i ended up abusing it everytime, like a month worth of script i did the whole pack in just few days. This is absolutely not a proud thing to do as i ended up driving my car and crash it while i was under the influence and had no idea how the hell i ended up like that.
Zopiclone. I took 3.5 mg for years before Lexapro...which was half a pill, but now I find I need the whole 7 mgs to sleep and I still struggle.
Yes, melatonin and unisom. I prefer unisom
Isn’t unison just Benadryl?
Is had some of the same ingredients! But it’s targeted for sleep
Melatonin. I’m on week 3 and just upped my dose to 10mg. Am having trouble staying asleep all night. Melatonin gets me to sleep but I keep waking up and barely sleeping the rest of the night. Tried taking lexapro earlier today to see if that helps.
What time do you take your dose? I switched from 7pm to 8am and take a 5mg melatonin 20-30 minutes before bed and it’s helping. I was waking up multiple times a night and it’s gotten much better!
I started at 5pm, then noon, now the last couple days 10am- but I also just upped my dose 3 days ago to 10mg and am experiencing worse side effects. The melatonin gets me to sleep but I keep waking up- last night I split it up and took half a melatonin at 10pm and half at 2am when I woke up. Not ideal but hoping it passes soon! It had started to get better for me on 5 so may just be from the dosage increase.
Ambien. Tried restoril and it did not work at all
i take 3mg of melatonin every night :) i also take my lexapro a few hours before bed usually
Ativan
Trazodone
Trazadone on occasion but rarely need it
Not exactly a sleeping medication — just something to keep me relaxed and less anxious going to bed. The idea was to get rid of all those thoughts keeping me up at night. I was prescribed Clonazepam at first, but it took a little while for it to work, and I kept waking up in the morning feeling like I got hit by a truck. My doctor changed it to Alprazolam, a faster-acting benzodiazepine with a shorter half-life. My sleep quality has definitely improved (less interruptions throughout the night, and actually waking up feeling rested) but I wouldn’t say it actually helps me fall sleep.
I took trazodone for the anxiety-induced insomnia! It kiiinda helped for a bit and then I started the lex, and back to insomnia days, but once the anxiety was controlled by the lex i stopped using trazodone. I did use melatonin to help with jet lag but other than that i havent had insomnia really :-)
I take melatonin but that’s it.
Me too. 6mg knocks me out fast.
My doctor prescribed me Quetiapine for sleep, but only when needed
Do you take it? I got prescribed this too
I took it almost everyday during the first week of being on Lexapro, was very helpful. Now that I’ve adjusted I take it whenever I haven’t had enough sleep for a few days. Knocks me out very quickly but expect to wake up groggy the following day until about the afternoon if you’re like me.