Does anyone know if herbal sleeping pills can stop ADs working??

[allgonebellyup]

Ive been on ADs (citilopram 20mg)for about 7 weeks, and had to use sleeping pills to help me sleep. But they really made me feel dead the next day so the pharmacist recommended herbal sleeping pills instead, even though on the back of the packet it states "not for people on ADs". i still took them though, and they help me sleep!

Now i feel like the effects of my ADs may be wearing off as i feel quite low again.
But i rang the company who makes the herbal pills and the man there assured me that they wouldnt stop the ADs working.

So why do i feel low again?

and Purpleone i hope you feel better soon, can you use normal sleeping pills for a while?

allgonebellyup, read your second to last post "i feel lighter in my mood, perhaps its just in my head" This made me smile. Yes it IS all in your head, all of our problems are in our heads, but that doesnt make them any less real What i am saying is, if you feel better, even slightly, thats fantastic. STop with the herbals, go back and ask for an increase in dose and if the sleep problems return ask your doctor for some sleeping pills.

Hugs

Isn't insomnia a side effect of SSRI's? I had dreadful insomnia with lustral, and switched to amitriptiline because of it

There are anti depressants that work and make you sleep e.g trazadone

Also about herbal sleeping pills. Kava kava is another herbal remedy that can cause depression, but is good for anxiety

yes insomnia does seem to be a classic symptom of ADs, well for me anyway, so not sure how upping my dose will help me to sleep??!!

ADs have always helped me to sleep! In the short term this has been their most useful effect. And then in the longer term (sixish weeks and after) they bring a steadyish improvement in mood.

I'm sure it's worth talking to your GP about which AD works best to discourage insomnia.

(WereSSRIs cause insomnia, I think this is part of their very rare negative effects that have made some of them unpopular. I don't think its a standard side-effect.)

My doc did warn me that insomnia may hit me once i started taking the ADs, but as for helping me sleep - no way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i have also lost a stone through lack of appetite and am now a scrawny size 6-8 and with a horrible "lollipop head".

allgonebellyup, which sleeping pills did your doctor give you? was is a benzodiazepine?

Cant remember the name of the original sleeping pill i was given, but the ones im talking about on here i bought from the chemist, called Natrasleep.

Maybe you need to be on a higher dosage or if you're been on citalopram for a long time, maybe you need to try a different medication? Maybe some exercise in combination with your ADs? I take. Escitalopram and sometimes if I do short 10-min bursts of exercise (like step aerobics to music) -that sometimes helps me.

It makes sense that the two could work against each other. It's quite a lot of processes going on in the body. One is slowing things down, the other is creating more connections. I realise that's not very scientific.

I just wanted to say the important (and hardest) thing is to remember that it will pass and you will feel better again.

I find an Epsom salts bath helps with sleep and lavender products. There is a good sleepy time tea by Tick Tock called Bedtime. It contains lemon balm which has L Theanine which is good for anxiety and mood.