Safe...ish ways to improve sleep?

Symptoms Physical
#1

So it has been nearly 2 years off of the drug, and I have seen a lot of improvements lately. However, the constant for me is poor sleep, and it is the side effect that worries me the most at this point in time (I think of how detrimental it must be to my health in the long run). I get to sleep easily, but wake up several times and never feel refreshed in the morning. Either sleep is getting worse for me as the months go by, or sleep deprivation is finally catching up to me after all of this time. Now I begin seeing the dark rings around my eyes growing and my night vision is suffering a great deal. I feel like if there is any way to stop or slow this somehow, I will do it. I know most guys suffer from this, and I feel like a broken record in that I’ve probably asked this numerous times before, but can anyone recommend some legitimate options? I have avoided most sleep meds long-term, as I read about their side effects (memory problems, mood problems, etc.), and I take fish oil regularly before bed. I have been on Wellbutrin for about a month and a half, and have recently started cutting back on my dose as I feel it could be contributing to this more than I realize. Can anyone relate to Wellbutrin and real sleep impairment?

Anyone with advice? Semi-desperation mode here with the sleep… thanks much.

#2

You might consider trying 500mg or 1gram L-Arginine before bed once in awhile, but cycle to avoid tolerance. You may find you experience a deeper sleep, more vivid dreams and feel more refreshed.

L-Arginine is a precursor to Nitric Oxide, and NO is implicated in sleep/wake cycle and REM sleep. Do a search on the forum for more info.

#3

Eucommia didn’t help me sleep, but it made the quality of my sleep improve drastically.

#4

Anybody wake up with palpitations?

#5

i like apple cider vinegar, i feel it has helped my sleep out, if you do get it, make it a good one like “braggs” … good luck

#6

I have used remeron for years on and off. (only post Propecia). It was a lifesaver in the first year+ after I quit propecia. I used it every night for over a year and it quit working as well. I still use it here and there. The only significant side effect was weight gain for me.

If I had to do it over again, I would have cycled it instead of using it every night.

#7

250 mg of magnesium before bed has helped me sleep. It has also been linked with nitric oxide production which mew mentioned above helps with sleep. I still wake up a lot at night, but I sleep deeper and longer when I take magnesium.

#8

I tried xanax and citalopram prescribed by doctors to calm me down and ‘cure’ my symptoms. Don’t take them. Just go natural to improve your sleep, it made things fukin worse. Xanax wasn’t so bad though.

#9

take l-glutamine (major precursor to gaba) before you goto sleep at night and try sleeping on your back. good thinking to stay off the prescription sleep meds… you really don’t want more chaos happening in your body after dirty propecia ruining our sleep cycles. but the glutamine really helps… you can buy it cheap and it’s very safe. just don’t overdo it, stick with recommended dose.

#10

Xanax was great for me.

#11

I take 1 Melatonin before bedtime, this is a natural sleep aid you can buy anywhere and this really has helped me sometimes. Also, taking a half of a Xanax for me has proved to be beneficial also, it does calm you down.

#12

I also have to report that xanax works great for me. it calms me down whenever i get desperate feelings and lately i take it before bed and i have noticed improved deeper sleep. I cut out remeron which i have been using for months. I think remeron makes you sleep in an unatural way and the quality of sleep is bad. Also, it made me lethargic. I will give a try to glycine also, as it appears to have stimulatory effects in allopregnaonolone production.

#13

Hi

I also have severe sleeping problems. I usually fall asleep at night without big problems, but the quality of the sleep is crap. It has something to do with hormone cycle (cortisol and melatonine and maybe even underlying causes to that), which I have been tested for. I usually wake up between 5-15 times during the night and I dream a lot (a lot of nightmares).

One of my danish friends who also suffers from PFS, has been on Mirtazapine 15mg (Remeron) for like 5 months. Since he started taking the drug, life slowly came to him. Sleep is nearly perfect, his digestion is almost back to normal and he is starting to regain muscles and so on.

As soon as I have talked to the sleep doctors on the hospital, I will request a prescription for Mirtazapine. I am so fatigued and frustrated that I am willing to try it. And since my friend was having almost all the same symptoms as me, I believe that this drug will work for me too.

I will return with an answer, but if I forget, then contact me by e-mail:
mskovsen@gmail.com

Sleep well guys,
Morten DK

#14

Hi guys,

Last night i tried 3grams of glycine and it helped me a lot. I will use again
Tonight ill use it again maybe at 4 or 5 grams as it didnt solve the prob completely.

Theres some studies using it for sleep at 3g.
I think it works through NMDA.

I have used it in the past with ± good things to say.

My main problem is early morning awakening and inability to go back to sleep after i wake up.

#15

Hi,

The past two nightd i slept better, still waking up at 5-6am, but able to fall back asleep.

I havetaken on both days 2g of l-lysine and l-arginine. I have done so because the combination is thoguth to reduce stress hormones and cortisol, as well as stress depleting lysine. L arginine increases nitric oxide which helps u sleep.

Today i woke up with huge libido and strong and lastibg morning wood, which means the l arginine id having effect.

Unfortunately i also had an attack of fasciculationd yesterday afternoon. Im much worse in that sense…

#16

Has anyone else seen this patent?http://www.google.com.ar/patents/WO2004058160A2?cl=en

#17

have you tried diatomacheous earth…
amazon.com/Diatomaceous-Eart … eous+earth

it workked wonders for me

#18

I can attest on 3,5 mg of mianserin as well.
No early morning awakening, less Wake up after sleep onset and decreased sleep latency. Seems like also better sleep quality and deeper sleep!
I brake the 30mg pill of mianserin in 8 pieces and take only one.

Today will be my 3rd night doing this.
What is happening is im hitting H1 and 5ht2c i hope.
At some point will try to mix with 12,5 or 25mg trazodone to hit as well 5ht 2a. This way i can take care of my sleep issues hopefully.
I hope it also provides relief of depression because it will allow 5ht1a to resebsitize and normalize…at least i hope so…if someone wants to opinate on my biochemistry knowledge please do, i need second opinions…

#19

3rd night on mianserin 3,5mg: so far so good, insomnia is finally gone.

Might try as well oleamide in the future as its a natural fatty acid which is antagonist at 5ht2c,5ht2a, agonist at 5ht1a and agonist at CB1!! Seems like the perfect molecule.

#20

9th night on 3mg mianserin. No side effects, erections are strong as well, orgasm seems slightly enhanced.

Its such a relief to be able to sleep… 8.5hours sleep everynight compared to 5…
I had this sitting in my drawer for a long time…if i had known this before…

Im not working for the moment so im sure that is as big of a factor as the mianserin