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Is Ativan or Ambien a better drug for insomnia?
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Jay T Arnott
Is Ativan or Ambien a better drug for insomnia?
Depends on what is causing your insomnia, you know it better than anyone else. While Lorazepam is for very nervous people so after they calm down the sleep, Ambien is for most causes of lack of sleep.
You need to compare both with yourself, your genetics and write which one works better for you.
Depends on what is causing your insomnia, you know it better than anyone else. While Lorazepam is for very nervous people so after they calm down the sleep, Ambien is for most causes of lack of sleep.
You need to compare both with yourself, your genetics and write which one works better for you.
I mean, everyone reacts differently to differently to different medications. However, Zolpidem (Ambien) would probably be the best out of the options given for most people. Benzodiazepines like Lorazepam are Positive Allosteric Modulators (PAMs) for the GABAa receptor. PAMs increase the “punch” of the available GABA in the system. Zolpidem and other Z drugs are full on GABAa agonist. This suggests some slight hallucinogenic effects of Ambien, similarly to muscimol, but not quite the same.
Anyways, neither are good to be on for the long term. Most drugs influencing GABA through the A site end up doing for harm than good for a couple of reasons.
Tolerance to GABAergic drugs can develop quickly, leading to physical dependance because the body gets used to its fix of it and resets the bar to cope. GABA withdrawal can lead to anxiety and insomnia.
While most of them are used as sedatives, the quality of sleep you get from taking either one is garbage, and leads to you feeling drowsy and fatigued the next day.
I wouldn’t go with either one for sleep. Ambien and Ativan is really fun to take every once in a while for shits and giggles or panic attacks, but they are kinda shit tier for the things they’re actually prescribed for. Not to say they don’t have any therapeutic value whatsoever, there’s some research being done on Zolpidem at increasing neuroplasticity in patients with brain damage, such as stroke victims or those with neurodegenerative disorders.
I would recommend looking into other medications for your problem.
You could take Mirtazipine, a tetracyclic antidepressant that is tolerated really well and helps with sleep.
Trazodone and similar SARIs.
A number of tricyclics like Amitriptyline, Doxepin or Imipramine. Though a lot these are anticholinergic and are not good for your brain in the long term.
A GABAergic drug that acts on voltage-gated calcium channels such as Gabapentin or Pregabalin, though dependence on these can build as well.
A first generation antihistamine such as Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Hydroxyzine (Vistaril), or Doxylamine Succinate (Unisom). DPH loses efficacy after only a few times of use, whereas Doxylamine tends to be better for the long term. That said, some of these are also quite anticholinergic and present the same problem as the aforementioned TCAs.
Orexin receptor antagonists like Suvorexant. These are also only good for so long before dependance develops.
Tons of options to choose from. Then you have natural supplements such as Skullcap, Kava Kava, Lemon Balm, Melatonin, 5-HTP (for the short term), GABA, Jujube, Valerian Root, Magnesium and others.
Best of luck to you, and get together with a doctor to see which course is best for you.
I mean, everyone reacts differently to differently to different medications. However, Zolpidem (Ambien) would probably be the best out of the options given for most people. Benzodiazepines like Lorazepam are Positive Allosteric Modulators (PAMs) for the GABAa receptor. PAMs increase the “punch” of the available GABA in the system. Zolpidem and other Z drugs are full on GABAa agonist. This suggests some slight hallucinogenic effects of Ambien, similarly to muscimol, but not quite the same.
Anyways, neither are good to be on for the long term. Most drugs influencing GABA through the A site end up doing for harm than good for a couple of reasons.
Tolerance to GABAergic drugs can develop quickly, leading to physical dependance because the body gets used to its fix of it and resets the bar to cope. GABA withdrawal can lead to anxiety and insomnia.
While most of them are used as sedatives, the quality of sleep you get from taking either one is garbage, and leads to you feeling drowsy and fatigued the next day.
I wouldn’t go with either one for sleep. Ambien and Ativan is really fun to take every once in a while for shits and giggles or panic attacks, but they are kinda shit tier for the things they’re actually prescribed for. Not to say they don’t have any therapeutic value whatsoever, there’s some research being done on Zolpidem at increasing neuroplasticity in patients with brain damage, such as stroke victims or those with neurodegenerative disorders.
I would recommend looking into other medications for your problem.
You could take Mirtazipine, a tetracyclic antidepressant that is tolerated really well and helps with sleep.
Trazodone and similar SARIs.
A number of tricyclics like Amitriptyline, Doxepin or Imipramine. Though a lot these are anticholinergic and are not good for your brain in the long term.
A GABAergic drug that acts on voltage-gated calcium channels such as Gabapentin or Pregabalin, though dependence on these can build as well.
A first generation antihistamine such as Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Hydroxyzine (Vistaril), or Doxylamine Succinate (Unisom). DPH loses efficacy after only a few times of use, whereas Doxylamine tends to be better for the long term. That said, some of these are also quite anticholinergic and present the same problem as the aforementioned TCAs.
Orexin receptor antagonists like Suvorexant. These are also only good for so long before dependance develops.
Tons of options to choose from. Then you have natural supplements such as Skullcap, Kava Kava, Lemon Balm, Melatonin, 5-HTP (for the short term), GABA, Jujube, Valerian Root, Magnesium and others.
Best of luck to you, and get together with a doctor to see which course is best for you.
Depends on what is causing your insomnia, you know it better than anyone else. While Lorazepam is for very nervous people so after they calm down the sleep, Ambien is for most causes of lack of sleep.
You need to compare both with yourself, your genetics and write which one works better for you.
Depends on what is causing your insomnia, you know it better than anyone else. While Lorazepam is for very nervous people so after they calm down the sleep, Ambien is for most causes of lack of sleep.
You need to compare both with yourself, your genetics and write which one works better for you.
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I mean, everyone reacts differently to differently to different medications. However, Zolpidem (Ambien) would probably be the best out of the options given for most people. Benzodiazepines like Lorazepam are Positive Allosteric Modulators (PAMs) for the GABAa receptor. PAMs increase the “punch” of the available GABA in the system. Zolpidem and other Z drugs are full on GABAa agonist. This suggests some slight hallucinogenic effects of Ambien, similarly to muscimol, but not quite the same.
Anyways, neither are good to be on for the long term. Most drugs influencing GABA through the A site end up doing for harm than good for a couple of reasons.
Tolerance to GABAergic drugs can develop quickly, leading to physical dependance because the body gets used to its fix of it and resets the bar to cope. GABA withdrawal can lead to anxiety and insomnia.
While most of them are used as sedatives, the quality of sleep you get from taking either one is garbage, and leads to you feeling drowsy and fatigued the next day.
I wouldn’t go with either one for sleep. Ambien and Ativan is really fun to take every once in a while for shits and giggles or panic attacks, but they are kinda shit tier for the things they’re actually prescribed for. Not to say they don’t have any therapeutic value whatsoever, there’s some research being done on Zolpidem at increasing neuroplasticity in patients with brain damage, such as stroke victims or those with neurodegenerative disorders.
I would recommend looking into other medications for your problem.
You could take Mirtazipine, a tetracyclic antidepressant that is tolerated really well and helps with sleep.
Trazodone and similar SARIs.
A number of tricyclics like Amitriptyline, Doxepin or Imipramine. Though a lot these are anticholinergic and are not good for your brain in the long term.
A GABAergic drug that acts on voltage-gated calcium channels such as Gabapentin or Pregabalin, though dependence on these can build as well.
A first generation antihistamine such as Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Hydroxyzine (Vistaril), or Doxylamine Succinate (Unisom). DPH loses efficacy after only a few times of use, whereas Doxylamine tends to be better for the long term. That said, some of these are also quite anticholinergic and present the same problem as the aforementioned TCAs.
Orexin receptor antagonists like Suvorexant. These are also only good for so long before dependance develops.
Tons of options to choose from.
Then you have natural supplements such as Skullcap, Kava Kava, Lemon Balm, Melatonin, 5-HTP (for the short term), GABA, Jujube, Valerian Root, Magnesium and others.
Best of luck to you, and get together with a doctor to see which course is best for you.
I mean, everyone reacts differently to differently to different medications. However, Zolpidem (Ambien) would probably be the best out of the options given for most people. Benzodiazepines like Lorazepam are Positive Allosteric Modulators (PAMs) for the GABAa receptor. PAMs increase the “punch” of the available GABA in the system. Zolpidem and other Z drugs are full on GABAa agonist. This suggests some slight hallucinogenic effects of Ambien, similarly to muscimol, but not quite the same.
Anyways, neither are good to be on for the long term. Most drugs influencing GABA through the A site end up doing for harm than good for a couple of reasons.
Tolerance to GABAergic drugs can develop quickly, leading to physical dependance because the body gets used to its fix of it and resets the bar to cope. GABA withdrawal can lead to anxiety and insomnia.
While most of them are used as sedatives, the quality of sleep you get from taking either one is garbage, and leads to you feeling drowsy and fatigued the next day.
I wouldn’t go with either one for sleep. Ambien and Ativan is really fun to take every once in a while for shits and giggles or panic attacks, but they are kinda shit tier for the things they’re actually prescribed for. Not to say they don’t have any therapeutic value whatsoever, there’s some research being done on Zolpidem at increasing neuroplasticity in patients with brain damage, such as stroke victims or those with neurodegenerative disorders.
I would recommend looking into other medications for your problem.
You could take Mirtazipine, a tetracyclic antidepressant that is tolerated really well and helps with sleep.
Trazodone and similar SARIs.
A number of tricyclics like Amitriptyline, Doxepin or Imipramine. Though a lot these are anticholinergic and are not good for your brain in the long term.
A GABAergic drug that acts on voltage-gated calcium channels such as Gabapentin or Pregabalin, though dependence on these can build as well.
A first generation antihistamine such as Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Hydroxyzine (Vistaril), or Doxylamine Succinate (Unisom). DPH loses efficacy after only a few times of use, whereas Doxylamine tends to be better for the long term. That said, some of these are also quite anticholinergic and present the same problem as the aforementioned TCAs.
Orexin receptor antagonists like Suvorexant. These are also only good for so long before dependance develops.
Tons of options to choose from.
Then you have natural supplements such as Skullcap, Kava Kava, Lemon Balm, Melatonin, 5-HTP (for the short term), GABA, Jujube, Valerian Root, Magnesium and others.
Best of luck to you, and get together with a doctor to see which course is best for you.
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