Posted by karaS on September 14, 2004, at 9:38:08
In reply to Re: Trouble sleeping - please help » karaS, posted by Sad Panda on September 14, 2004, at 3:06:17
> > > >
> > > > > Hi Kara,
> > > > >
> > > > > That's really strange, Doxepin is about 5x stronger than Amitriptyline as an antihistamine. If you take them continuosly, the zombifying effects of H1 blockade will eventually go away, but you will always sleep very well due to 5-HT2A blockade.
> > > > >
> > > > > Cheers,
> > > > > Paul.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Paul,
> > > >
> > > > That is strange. I always assumed it was the other way around based on my experience. I may have been prejudiced though because I started out on Amitriptyline at too high a dosage initially. I took doxepin and then maprotiline for many years and the zombifying effect didn't go away completely either. I was still quite groggy for half of the day. Maprotiline was better in this regard but still I was somewhat groggy.
> > > >
> > > > Kara
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > It might be the antimuscarinic side effects making you more groggy. Amitriptyline is the worst TCA & is about 4x more powerful than Doxepin as an M1 blocker.
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > > Paul.
> > >
> >
> > That's got to be it then.
> >
> > The first time I took Amitriptyline it was in a 75 mg. dosage. I didn't know how high that was. A doctor gave me a handful of samples of it as well as doxepin and Ativan and propanolol and told me to "be my own detective". Fortunately I am very afraid of medications so I didn't try a lot and not all at once as she had recommended (except I was to try doxepin and amitriptyline separately). The 75 mg. of A. knocked me out so much that I slept for more than 2 days straight. That was many years ago but even hearing the name of that medication still frightens me!
> >
> >
>
> 75mg for the first doseage of Amitrip is hefty! 25mg would have been good. I'd start Doxepin even lower at 10mg. I am finding Amitrip to be very good for me. I am taking 100mg at night & have lowered my Effexor to 75mg. Amitrip is the Swiss army knife of AD's. It's reduced my bowels to just one/day, reduced my stomachs acid output, gives me an excellent nights sleep & is very anxiolytic. It's great if you can tolerate it's side effects.
>
> Cheers,
> Paul.
>
>Glad it's helping you a lot. (The appetite stimulation also got to me.)
-K
poster:karaS
thread:388936
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040909/msgs/390618.html