Insomnia

[ThatGuy6]

So I've just started on meds for the first time for my GAD / Depression. The doc and I agreed on going with a small dose of Paxil to start out. I know that in theory it takes a while for things to settle in (10-12 weeks, I'm told), but I am very sure I feel it in my system already. No noticable side effects yet except for ugly insomnia. My question is simple: anyone else who has experienced insomnia from meds... have you found that taking it at a different time of day helped with that? Doc recommended taking it with dinner to avoid nausea, but that doesn't seem to be an issue... I'm wondering if taking it with breakfast might help avoid sleep troubles.

Thoughts?

[insights]

My question is simple: anyone else who has experienced insomnia from meds...

It is a common problem with many antidepressants.

have you found that taking it at a different time of day helped with that? Doc recommended taking it with dinner to avoid nausea, but that doesn't seem to be an issue... I'm wondering if taking it with breakfast might help avoid sleep troubles.

It may do, but there is only one way to find out. If it doesn't,  small adjuvant doses of the sedating antidepressant trazodone probably will. These days it is mostly only prescribed to counter antidepressant induced insomnia. It might also counter some of the ongoing side-effects that really bug people, particularly sexual dysfunction.

BTW-if possible, you should consider dividing the daily dose between morning and night once you're at the target dose. This might be more costly, but many do better with split dosing because Paxil has a short half-life, even the CR extended release version (but don't cut CR tablets).

Ian

[stevo1111]

I second the trazodone. My TCA was causing me pretty persistent insomnia even after a few weeks, so trazodone was added in at 25-50mg at bed time. I find that the calming effects last well into the next day, but do not feel sedated. Dare I say, it feels more effective to me for my anxieties than the main antidepressant. If you are one who wakes up with their head all buzzing about you may find trazodone helpful.

Also, I find that antidepressants that are generally considered "sedating" often cause me sedated feeling when trying to be awake and an inability to enter deep sleep at night. In my opinion, this is probably an overlooked yet significant contributor to the increased anxiety when starting an antidepressant.