Adderall and sleep promblems

GinaC · 11-08-2006, 03:32 PM

Does anyone know of a good sleep medicine to take? I have been taking Adderall XR 20 mg for about 2 months. I don't have ADHD, but my doc is using this cause it is a stimulant and I have severe fatigue due to having Multiple Sclerosis. So far, this has been a great help during the day. Originally, I was taking this in the morning, then Trazodone at night to help me sleep. The problem with the Trazodone is, I have to take the max prescribed dose (I can take 1-3 50mg) for it to make me sleepy, and then I literally can't get out of bed in the morning. (by the way, I was still getting 10-12 hours of sleep normally, so I don't think the problem was I wasn't sleeping enough). I have stopped taking the Trazodone because of this. Plus, I'm not too happy about taking antidepressants when I don't have depression.

Any ideas of a good sleeping medication that would be helpful, and not make me feel so bad in the morning? I really don't want them to take these pills away since they have helped so much. I was taking Focalin 10mg prior to the Adderall, but we needed to up the dose to 20mg, and my insurance wouldn't approve it, and it was to expensive to pay out of pocket. Thanks everyone!!

index.html · 11-08-2006, 04:01 PM

I have to preface this by saying, Gina, the safest thing for you to do if you have problems sleeping while taking Adderall is to stop the Adderall, not to add another drug.

That said...

It depends on your idea of safe.

Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is probably the safest.

Some would say that Melatonin is all-natural and therefore safe. My concern is that is hasn't been as extensively researched as prescription meds have. But, you might consider it.

Trazadone is more often used, these days, as a sleep aid than as an antidepressant. Fact is, it isn't that effective as an antidepressant. It does work well, though, for many people as a sleeping pill and on the continuum, I think it's relatively safe.

Benzodiazepenes (Ambien, Dalmane, Restoril, etc) are what most people think of as prescription sleeping pills. The problem with them is that they may be addictive. They are useful for short-term use, but if you're looking at the long-term, they probably aren't a good idea.

Mood stabilizers/antipsychotics are also sometimes used as hypnotics. Examples are Seroquel and Zyprexa. Some would say that they are too powerful to be used for sleep. Personally, I'm no more worried about them than I am about the benzodiazepenes.

Your best bet is good "sleep hygiene" - no caffiene (especially not within 6 to 8 hours of bedtime), exercise (but not within 4 to 6 hours of sleep), avoiding alcohol in the evenings, sleeping the same hours every night - even on weekends, etc, etc.

Good luck!

jen1008 · 11-09-2006, 06:20 AM

I have a similar problem with Adderall, most likely because I work during the day and go to school at night-so those recomendations to not take it so many hours before you have to go to sleep just doesn't work for me. I had been on Trazodone for sleeping for a while, but it messed up my blood pressure to the point where I had gotten up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and I fainted and smacked my head on the bathroom counter. I couldn't stop taking the adderall because work and school would otherwise be impossible so my pdoc gave me a script for Ambien which works, but I only take it if it is a last resort. I find that benedryl works just fine (I take 2) and Unisom also works. This and making myself stick to a regular sleep-wake up schedule has worked for me. Good luck!

GinaC · 11-09-2006, 12:14 PM

How long is it safe to take an OTC sleep medication? I have thought about just taking a sleeping pill for a while (maybe a week or two) to try to re-adjust my schedule. Also, since I usually don't wake up until 10-10:30am, I have thought about setting an alarm around 8am to take the Adderall, then just going back to sleep for a while. I just hate to get out of bed for that, and I'm a little uneasy about putting the pills in my nightstand just incase the kids would get nosey (my girls are 3 and 5).

I'm also getting a new mattress delivered tomorrow, so hopefully that will help me fall asleep faster, or at least I can hope, right?

index.html · 11-09-2006, 04:38 PM

The first thing you need to do, Gina, if you want to sleep at night is MAKE yourself get up earlier. Of course you're not sleepy if you sleep so late!