I understand that Rifampin lowers the effectiveness of a lot of drugs. It has done this for my Lunesta. I read on drugs.com that some estimates indicate as much as 80% reduction in Lunesta's absorption.
I can tell you, my Lunesta has been doing squat! And I NEED sleep medication.
For Ambien, drugs.com was more vague, just saying that there was a mild interaction, and Ambien may be a little less effective.
Well, last night I tried Ambien, which usually knocks me out and gives me great sleep, but it didn't help at all!!!!!
This is becoming a serious problem. Thanksgiving is next week, and I look like a corpse because I'm getting very very poor sleep.
I have some Xanax and some Klonopin, but I'm afraid of getting chemically (not behaviorally) addicted to benzos, so I hardly ever use them. Should I use them?
I need sleep, but I will only be on Rifampin for a short time in the scheme of things, so I don't want to pick up a habit I can't break later when I go off Rifampin.
What would you all recommend?
What drugs helped you sleep while you were on Rifampin?
My doctor also prescribed me some Restoril (another benzo, i know), but I'm waiting for some insurance stuff to go through.
I also have some Elavil (tricyclic antidepressant), but when I have tried that in the past I got really constipated.
Based on all this, what would you guys recommend? Should I just double my Ambien dose and take two of them (they are the standard 12.5 mg)? I'm afraid to experiment, but it may come to that....I am killing myself slowly by not sleeping.
My psychiatrist is a good source of info on this stuff, but he is 4 hours away, and he won't do phone consults. I was hoping that since many of you have tried Rifampin, I could get some good input.
Thank you!
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
Hi Hoos,
Trazadone helped me with sleep while on bart treatment.
Ambien did nothing!
Hope you get some zzzzzzzzzzs, Cactus
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
I am taking Lunesta with xanax. I went from sleeping about 3 hours straight to about 5. I was taking Lyrica with xanax, but that stopped working. Just started trying the Lunesta, xanax combo. 3 nights so far. I take a half mg of xanax and 2 mg Lunesta. May up the xanax to 1mg.
Insomnia is a huge problem for most Lymies. I think you just have to keep experiementing until you find the right cocktail for you. You can also throw in Melatonin.
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
Thanks cactus! I saw that Trazadone doesn't interact, so yay! I think I have some laying around from a couple years ago, so I"ll try it tonight.
UPDATE: I just found the Trazadone in my pill drawer...it expired in January of 2008, so I'm thinking that is still okay? I'll try it tonight.
Sutherngrl,
Are you currently taking Rifampin too? Because Lunesta used to work for me, but Rifampin has now messed up the absorption of it.
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
my llmd said use 5htp and melatonin and it worked.
since my amalgams are out i don't need sleep meds anymore
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
lpkayak,
Do you take 5-htp at night? I think I have tried that before, but I took it during the day.
Melatonin used to work well for me.....it does make my POTS symptoms worse however. But worth a shot I guess. Thank you.
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
Let us know how you sleep tonight - I hope the traz works for you!
If so, get your doc to write a scrip for fresher pills. Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
Thanks!
Yeah, tell me about it...these Trazadone are ancient!
I'll let you know how they work! Posted by lymephobic (Member # 17556) on :
I am currently taking rifampin and I had som valium from before Lyme That my GP had given me months before because I was going on a plane.
That definately helped me sleep.
I ran out of that and now have gotten some xanax and it does not seem to help as well as the valium so I double up.
I have taken benzos in the past (pre-lyme) and have never become addicted. I know that there are a bunch of conflicting opinions on benzos, but they have helped me before and continue to do so now.
I have always been a med-phobe (so lyme treatment is pretty tough on me in itself) and never wanted to take the benzos and become addicted as you have stated Hoosiers. I never have (stopped when I was ready and asked for it if I needed) and it has helped. just my experience.
I hope the trazadone works for you!
Posted by CD57 (Member # 11749) on :
Zyprexa Xyrem trazodone low dose Lyrica (this has been the best for me) Lunesta
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
i took the 5htp and melatonin together at night in a specific ratio the llmd told me to. it worked. now since my amalgams are gone i don't have insomnia so don't need it
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
Well the Trazadone "sort of" worked.....but I feel REALLY hung over today. I think that is why one doctor took me off it in the past.
For some reason I also have anxiety surrounding going to bed, so I do well with something that knocks me out quickly, which Trazodone doesn't seem to do.
Does anyone know if Trazodone can be combined with Xanax?
How about Xanax with Ambien?
Or maybe I'll just do Xanax alone.
I need to keep trying things....every day that I'm not getting solid sleep I'm feeling worse. If I don't get sleep tonight, I won't have time to recover before Thanksgiving.
Well I think I'm gonna do some sort of Xanax combo tonight. Too bad wine is out of the question! That would probably work well.
Posted by merrygirl (Member # 12041) on :
having insomnia myself. No fun!
Yes you can take Xanax with trazadone.
I have been taking 100mg Trazadone and I was up til 5am this morning!
ugh.
I usually take ativan with it but have been out of it the last 3 days.
Good luck Hoos!
Melissa
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
Don't take rifampin! Still the Lunesta only worked for a few days. Last night I took Lunesta and 1 mg xanax and only slept about 3 hours. Insomnia sucks! I too need to get some sleep before Thanksgiving, but I guess nothing is going to work.
Posted by CD57 (Member # 11749) on :
Lpkayak, what's the ratio of 5htp to melatonin that you mention?
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
Yes, I would like to know this too.
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
Just to update....I have been using 0.25 mg of Xanax nightly and it seems to be helping. Some people may need 0.5 mg.
I am so relieved I have found something that works while I am on Rifampin, because insomnia is a huge issue for me!
[ 06. December 2008, 02:21 PM: Message edited by: Hoosiers51 ]
Posted by AP (Member # 8430) on :
For me, it was Trazadone, Lyrica, Lunesta, and Valium. The pharmacy flipped out 'cause I was on more than one sleep med, but I got a couple hours of shuteye at least.
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
well the llmd told me to "play around" with the combo
up to 200 5htp
up to 15 melatonin
but i'm heavy---that's what i was told to take and i think it was 9 melatonin and 200 5htp that worked for me
but i don't want to be telling you guys what to take-check with your docs or research it or something...
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
my doc initially gave me lunesta which drove me nuts.
then ambien, one pill knocked me out completely so i had to cut it in half which seemed to work.
unfortunately he only gave me a month supply but cutting the pills in half gave me more.
wednesday i'll ask him to renew.
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
My daughter took Rozerem.
It's expensive if you don't have insurance.
Posted by troutscout (Member # 3121) on :
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