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Rozarem. Is anyone taking it?

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
I had been taking Trazodone successfully for years to help me sleep but last week it went haywire and starting giving me heart palpitations. This was not good news because it's about the only thing I have been able to take for sleep. Pretty much everything else either totally drugs me out, makes me feel like I'm on speed or in the case of benzos, I like them way too much.

I'm going to try another generic to see if that helps (Apotex was one I could take) and I also got an RX for Rozerem. My doctor had never even heard of it but my pharmacist recommended it.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried this. I never had much luck with melatonin but maybe this works better.

Thanks for any info.
 

Hugocfs

Senior Member
Messages
121
Location
U.S.A.
Most people who try melatonin use too high of a dose. Generally 300 mcg is enough. If not, you can increase it to 500 mcg, but no more. Personally, I take 400 mcg. Vitamin World sells 200 mcg tabs, so I take two at bedtime. With melatonin, you also should trial it for a few weeks to see if it works for you. It doesn't work overnight (pun intended).
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
I took Rozerem several years ago. As I recall, it helped while I was taking it, but did not solve the problem. I had a trial pack from my doctor (& her drug rep), but it was too expensive to buy then.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
I took Rozerem several years ago. As I recall, it helped while I was taking it, but did not solve the problem. I had a trial pack from my doctor (& her drug rep), but it was too expensive to buy then.

Thanks Little Bluestern. I got it for $40 for one month which I think is reasonable if it works. I got the Apotex generic and I had no problem with it. Interesting Thursday night I took the trazodone that gave me the problems and it was fine.

I''m going to try the Rozerem tonight. I think it would be a good idea if I can find 2 things that work and then interchange them every few days. If I can get at least 5 hours of sleep a night I can function.

Thanks
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
UPDATE: I took one at 10 pm when I was feeling tired. I read for about 15 minutes and tried to sleep. 45 minutes later I was more awake than I was when I took it. By 11:30 I was having some heart palpitations which could have been either the med or me, not sure. I took a Trazodone and fell asleep. So $40 down the toilet.
 
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80
I could never get the melatonin supplements to work for me. I tried different brands, different forms (capsules, tablets, sublingual), and every dosage possible. Then I tried Montmorency cherry juice (full of melatonin) and that seems to be totally different. Plus no side effects! You can find it in the refrigerated juice section at the grocery store. It has to be the concentrate....thick like cough syrup....not cherry juice. Take 1 or 2 TBsp in water. Works best for me if I take it in the afternoon, between 2:00 and 4:00. Then I also take Seriphos right before supper. And 6 mg amitriptyline about 8:00. I have been getting about 8 hours of sleep, which is unheard of for me. I have tried everything and was taking amitriptyline , ambien, and Klonopin . Still suffered from insomnia. This is the first thing that has worked for me. Hopefully it keeps working!
 

Ocean

Senior Member
Messages
1,178
Location
U.S.
I hated this pill. Took it and it worked but was dead to the world in the morning. This was prior to my bad CFS crash so I'm not sure if it would even work now for putting me to sleep but at the time it did put me to sleep but I could not get out of bed in the mornings.
 

Ocean

Senior Member
Messages
1,178
Location
U.S.
UPDATE: I took one at 10 pm when I was feeling tired. I read for about 15 minutes and tried to sleep. 45 minutes later I was more awake than I was when I took it. By 11:30 I was having some heart palpitations which could have been either the med or me, not sure. I took a Trazodone and fell asleep. So $40 down the toilet.
It may be that it needs time to work, as in a few weeks. I'm not positive since it's been a while since I took it but I think it may be like that. Might not work immediately at first. Maybe check the prescribing info or ask your doctor. I seem to recall that's how that pill was.
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
I just got a bottle of Montmorency cherry juice. It is good in seltzer. I am considering trying it in tea. The price may be a little off-putting, but remember that a 32 oz. bottle will last you a month.

minkeygirl, I don’t think the generic was available when I was taking it. $40/month does seem reasonable, so I think it cost a lot more then. Since you said the heart palpitations “could have been either the med or me”, were they bad enough to rule out a second try at maybe ¼ pill?

Ocean, now that you mention it, it really knocked me out too. I guess I am a bit of a die-hard, but I continued to take a full pill for three nights. The first one left me dead to the world in the morning. The second one left me dead to the world until past noon. The third one left me dead to the world until evening. At the point I stopped for several days, then resumed at ¼ pill. That worked pretty well for me and the sample lasted a long time.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
Hi all, I've tried the tart cherry juice. It gave me a slamming headache which I think was something in it.

Ocean. My doctor never even heard of this. I can wait to see if it works but what do I do in the meantime? The Apotex Trazodone, which I took for years is now totally drugging me out. I'm going to lower my dose and see how that goes. I also took one of the Mutual brand which I started to give me the heart palpitations and I had no problem so who knows what is up.

@Little Blue Stream, The pills can't be split because they are coated. The heart palps weren't bad so I don't know. I was really awake so could be from that. But I felt this odd "flip" in my chest. Hard to describe so that sort of scared me. Still name brand but my insurance covers it. $40 is good if it works.

I just bought some tryptophan to try. Years ago when you had to get it compounded it made me feel like I had smoked some Maui Wowie. But we shall see.

I would think if melatonin doesn't work it says something about how or brains don't function.

What is Seriphos ? I just read where it can be stimulation for those with insomnia.

Another problem I have is if I get out of bed past 9:30 I get really wound up so I have to stay in bed and just roll over to get what I need.
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
Have you asked your pharmacist or doctor if the pills can be split? I recall being unsure whether mine could be split (maybe because they were coated), so I asked my doctor. She did not know and said to call the pharmaceutical company. I did and they said the pills could be split.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
Have you asked your pharmacist or doctor if the pills can be split? I recall being unsure whether mine could be split (maybe because they were coated), so I asked my doctor. She did not know and said to call the pharmaceutical company. I did and they said the pills could be split.

I have since realized that it is the trazodone that is drugging me. For over 12 hours! So I'm really in a mess. One Traz drugs me, the other causes heart palpitations.

I've been ups since 2 a.m. I was tired but my brain just won't stop. I ordered some tryptophan and valerian root which I hope to have Thursday or Friday.

I may ask my doc for some halcion. I hate benzos (because I like them so much) but this has a short half life so not nearly as worried as if it was xanax or klonopin. I need to sleep.

I'm not sure what to take that will just shut my brain off.

Minks
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
Were you taking the rozarem with the trazodone? If so, maybe it would be OK if taken without the traz.

What dose of valerian root are you getting? I first tried 500 mg capsules. They left me groggy in the morning. I now have a couple of OTC sleep combos that contain 200 mg valerian root and have no problem with them. Before the OTC pills I tried some teas that had 20 - 25 mg valerian root.

I take several things to calm my brain and body and get to sleep. Small doses of several things seem to work better than a large dose of one/few thing(s) for me.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
Hey Little, I can't find the dosage of the valerian I got. It's this one: http://pureformulas.com/valerian-ro...s-by-natures-answer.html#sthash.znP5TdNm.dpbs

I took it without the Traz and it did nothing. Some say you have to stay on it awhile but I can't take it if I am taking melatonin, valarian or tryptophan.

I have no idea what doses I need and if more is better. I did find out I can't cold turkey off the traz so there is that to contend with.

The worst is the trial and error and figuring out what works at what dose. I hate sleep deprivation. It's up there with teh worst.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
So here is an update. The valerian Root is 500 mgs. With 50 mgs of Trazodone I took 2 doses the first night, was a little groggy the next day but now I"m fine. Also 3 mg time released melatonin. Thursday-Saturday I slept. I could feel the palpitations from the trazodone but I slept til 3, woke and got back to sleep. Thought I had turned the corner then last night the heart palpitations were back. I have some Tryptophan which may or may not be giving me a headache.

I'm going to get trazodone compounded because none of this puts me to sleep. Only the Traz turns my brain off.

With my doctors ok I also did a shot of vodka around 3 a.m. Seemed to help. Not sure if I'm already building tolerance to the valerian. Thinking about Pharma Gaba chewables because I just can't take one more pill.