Xanax / Ambien for sleep

[2manyquestions]

Having trouble with sleeping.  I have Ambien and it works OK, I just don't want to take it every night for fear of getting hooked.  I now alternate Advil PM and take a few nights off. 

My doc prescribed Xanax, which surprised me but I guess Benzos are good for sleep too.  The question is... Should I try it?  Keep using Ambien or just suffer now and see if I can get through it?

I know these are powerful meds...  I watch celebrity rehab, I see what can happen ;-)

[Matty the Damned]

Having trouble with sleeping.  I have Ambien and it works OK, I just don't want to take it every night for fear of getting hooked.  I now alternate Advil PM and take a few nights off. 

My doc prescribed Xanax, which surprised me but I guess Benzos are good for sleep too.  The question is... Should I try it?  Keep using Ambien or just suffer now and see if I can get through it?

I know these are powerful meds...  I watch celebrity rehab, I see what can happen ;-)

Xanax has an addictive potential too. Have you discussed your concerns about addiction with your doctor?

MtD

[2manyquestions]

He feels that if you use medication properly, it's all good and if I'm missing sleep we should try to fix the problem.  He just suggested I try it and see if it helps.  So I figured I would reach out and see if others use it successfully (without addiction or withdrawal).

I have always felt that if you don't *need* it, I mean really need it, then pass. 

However, I want to sleep better, it's pretty important to my daily happiness and I wonder if this would improve my quality of life.

[Matty the Damned]

He feels that if you use medication properly, it's all good and if I'm missing sleep we should try to fix the problem.  He just suggested I try it and see if it helps.  So I figured I would reach out and see if others use it successfully (without addiction or withdrawal).

I have always felt that if you don't *need* it, I mean really need it, then pass. 

However, I want to sleep better, it's pretty important to my daily happiness and I wonder if this would improve my quality of life.

He's right. I used a benzo called oxazepam for years to deal with insomnia that exacerbated my epilepsy. My GP carefully monitored my use and I never became addicted.

Work closely with your doctor and things should be ok.

Personally, I'd prefer to use a benzo to ambien.

MtD

[2manyquestions]

Thanks MtD,

Not certain yet if I'll proceed but I'm leaving it open as an option.  I half expected a pile of posts telling me to forget it because Benzos are the devil!  This gives me some hope that if I can't get over this soon, I have another path.

Your signature tag reminds me of a story speaking to a highly religious person in the south who once asked me how it was that if I wasn't also very religious and god-fearing... What kept me from sexually abusing children or other horrible crimes.  I literally had to walk away in shock.  I didn't know that people could still surprise me like that.

[osric]

The day I got the confirmation that I was HIV positive, the doc have me a prescription for Xanax. He said just from looking at me that I might need it.

So I took one at bedtime. I slept for a good 14 hours and woke up feeling awful. Kind of like a rally bad hangover.

I never took it again.

These days I take Klonopin, since that's what my neurologist recommended to go along with my seizure meds. Gets me to sleep and I wake up feeling moderately refreshed.

[Torchwood]

I don't suggest starting on the Xanax unless you need for anxiety. The addiction sucks. I take Xanax, Lunesta and Advil PM to sleep every night and have been this way for years. Ambien was nasty to me. I would wake up in the middle of the night, do business transactions, send emails and not remember any of it.