Postpartum Depression
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ativan
I am having issues with insomnia and depression post partum. My dr prescribed celexa and ambien but ambien wasnt helping so she is giving me ativan to help until the celexa kicks in. Anyone have experience with this? Did it help you sleep? Were you able to come off it easy enough and still sleep? She said I would use it 2-4 weeks and stop the ambien.
~Mel~
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Re: ativan
I recommend Trazodone and Ativan. It's what I am taking now for sleeping and it's what ultimately helped me last time when I had severe PPD. Ambien only keeps me asleep for a few hours, and then I was waking up and feeling like a mess for not being able to sleep, and then the cycle of anxiety begins. Now I take a low dose of Trazodone and .50-1mg of Ativan (though I took 1.5 earlier on). I took Ativan and Ambien together about a month or so ago, and it didn't really work for me.
I also was diagnosed with PPD/PPA and my symptom was SEVERE insomnia. I've never had sleeping problems in my entire life, so this was an awful experience. My doctor did the same thing as yours. Gave me Celexa and Ativan .5 to take before bed. The Celexa did nothing and I gave it 6 weeks to work and...NOTHING! I was still miserable and my doctor only have me 10 ativan and wouldn't keep prescribing them. I tried Ambien too and it helped me fall asleep, but not stay asleep. I felt awful and like nothing would help. My first mistake....talking to my general doctor about this...not good. Get an apointment with a psychiatrist...fast! They are the ones who really know these meds like the back of their hand. Also find a therapist that can help you too.
I second the Trazodone....it even says it is prescribed for sleeplessness. I take 100mg every night. The ativan worked for me, but then it eventually stopped, so now I am on Klonopin (2mg) and it works sooooo much better than Ativan. It is a benzo, so it is in the same drug class. It has a much, much longer half life. It stays in your system for like 20 hours and helps with panic attacks and anxiety. I also use a drug called Serequel (600mg). It is normally prescribed for people who are bi-polar, but it has a sedating affect and it also helps calm a racing mind so that you can STTN.
I know that sounds like a lot of drugs, but I have to do what I have to do to get sleep. You cannot live your life without sleep. I have been on these meds now for about a year or more and plan on starting to wean off of some of them this summer. You won't be on meds forever, but if you need them for a few weeks or months or years, so be it. People who have diabetes take meds, people who have heart problems take meds. People with a mental illness need meds as well.
Good luck and I hope you find the right drug combo and start sleeping again.
Mom to Carter (6), and Calianne (1).
Proud VBAC, natural birth, breastfeeding, cloth diapering momma!