Doxylamine for sleep?

[Sam93]

Hey everyone

 

Well, one of my biggest problems is falling asleep, it always has been pre-hppd and the problem has increased by orders of magnitude post-hppd.

 

I was looking through some OTC sleeping pills and found Doxylamine, which is an anti histamine with supposedly powerful hypnotic properties.

 

I looked on the Wikipedia page and read some reviews and it would appear it is one of the strongest sedatives available OTC, and studies have shown it to be as effective as Phenobarbital, sounds good in theory and certainly preferable to Z drugs and such, however I can't say I've ever used an antihistamine as a sleeping aid so would there be any problems with this in us HPPD'ers?

 

Based on reviews by users it states that it knocks you flat out which sounds great, and has been deemed more effective than prescription hypnotics in a few reviews I've read. It is also extremely cheap at £10 for 192 tablets.

 

Any thoughts?

Cheers!

[Syntheso]

I would check your histamine levels before taking.. if you are histapenic it would be a bad idea. Check to see if you have the symptoms first, if you want to be more sure you could do a niacin flush. It's important because from my understanding histamine is key in regulating neurotransmitters, so if there is an imbalance, you should correct that first. 

Have you tried valerian root or melatonin? 

[Sam93]

I have terrible hay fever pretty much all year round and other allergy issues and take OTC antihistamines pretty much daily, so I would assume my histamine levels would be higher than normal? I was interested in this as it states it has anti allergy properties superior to most antihistamines bar Benadryl

 

I have tried Valerian root but it gives me pretty weird dreams and leaves me feeling groggy the next day, I haven't tried melatonin though but I thought that was quite mild and I can't seem to find a cheap source in the UK. The only other thing that works is Benzo's which is not the route I want to go.

 

Thanks!

[Syntheso]

I have terrible hay fever pretty much all year round and other allergy issues and take OTC antihistamines pretty much daily, so I would assume my histamine levels would be higher than normal? I was interested in this as it states it has anti allergy properties superior to most antihistamines bar Benadryl

 

I have tried Valerian root but it gives me pretty weird dreams and leaves me feeling groggy the next day, I haven't tried melatonin though but I thought that was quite mild and I can't seem to find a cheap source in the UK. The only other thing that works is Benzo's which is not the route I want to go.

 

Thanks!

In that case it would probably benefit you in more than just sleep.. worth a shot.

Does valerian root work consistently for you? I can say two capsules sure sends me to sleep. I can't say I recall any groggy-ness the next day.. but what's wrong with weird dreams   ? I haven't used it for a while but used to quite a bit.

Melatonin is something I've started using for reasons other than just sleeping, but take it before I go to bed to make use of it's sleep aiding qualities. I've fallen asleep okay every time since I've taken it thus far.

Do you find it difficult to sleep at night because of your visuals?

[Sam93]

Yeah, I guess for £10 it's worth a go!

 

Valerian does work, however it doesn't really have a profound effect and I've also experienced sleep paralysis on Valerian which was quite frightening haha.

 

I'll have to look for some melatonin as I've struggled to find a source in the UK, and those that do sell it seem quite expensive.

 

Yeah, I get quite bad closed eye visuals on occasion and also have some hypnagogia issues, namely muscle spasms when I'm drifting off that jerk me awake, never had this issue prior to HPPD!

[onedayillsailagain]

Damn if I really can't sleep I go all the way with whatever I have: Damiana, Melatonin, 20-spices tea with honey lemon and milk, Magnesium, sometimes Passiflora.. Recently also CBD has been awesome for sleep, which I'll give another go tonight to confirm. I really just make do with whatever I have available. I know Kava was pretty awesome for sleep as well. Ashwagandha in particular I only take at night, but I've only taken it a few times. Though there comes a point where I wonder how it'll all interact, so usually I don't combine too many things. I still have this one product "Instant Tranquil-ability" with Mulungu, Wild Lettuce, California Poppy, and a bunch of other herbs that I haven't tried yet, for the reason that it has so many ingredients! But generally speaking I know nothing about histamine so I don't mess with it consciously.. Not sure if histamine drugs are the way to go for sleep, but what I've listed usually helps with sleep, some better than others, so perhaps give those a try

[Sam93]

Yeah Magnesium does help but I've found herbs to help me relax and provide anxiolysis but not induce sleep for some reason, my brain has never been wired to fall asleep haha. 

 

The only thing is that Doxylamine is a 'potent anticholergenic' apparently which worries me slightly, although I don't know if this is common with all antihistamines as I assume this is what gives them their deleriant effect in excessive dosages. 

 

I've yet to try Melatonin though, the problem I have is my HPPD leaves me feeling quite stimulated, so I've been looking for something to knock me out, without going down the route of Z drugs or excessive BZD use.

 

Thanks!

[Syntheso]

Not sure if histamine drugs are the way to go for sleep, but what I've listed usually helps with sleep, some better than others, so perhaps give those a try

I agree with this, but if you are histadelic then it would be worth correcting that and getting your sleep aid simultaneously.