I just started taking Lexapro for depression and anxiety. I was wondering if I could take herbal sleep aids to help sleep at night such as melatonin. Or possibly Tylenol 'Simply Sleep'.
2007-02-10 15:19:54 · 6 answers · asked by NicK Fury 2 in Health ➔ Mental Health
I am taking Lexapro. I beleive the instructions said that any sleep aids you want to take have to be allowed by your doctor. The risk of the two interfering is great. You could make your depression, or your mania, worse.
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2007-02-10 15:26:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Kava kava is a big DON'T USE if on SSRI's like Lexapro. Most of the over the counter sleep aides are addictive and over time require higher dosages to work. They're okay for infrequent use, but otherwise, not a good alternative. Anti-anxiety meds are also addictive, so you should talk to you doc about what's up with the Xanax. I'd switch to a different one before I agreed to up the dose. Ask your doctor what natural, non-addictive alternatives that won't conflict with your meds are available. I've heard that melatonin can help, but don't know much about it. If you've been on Lex for a couple months at the same dose, it might be time to talk to your doc about trying another AD. I had the same experience with Prozac, and any minimal depression benefit seemed more than off-set by lousy sleep. PS - my experience on Prozac doesn't mean you'd have the same. Unless you've got major or chronic depression, your doc may have over-prescribed with the Lexapro. Back to your original question... go to a health food or nutrition store and talk to someone there who's knowledgeable. That'll probably give you the best list of alternatives to take back to your doc. It's where I'm about to go for pretty much the same reason!
2016-03-29 01:41:12 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Call any 24 hour pharmacy anywhere in the US and they can and will tell you exactly whether you can take a sleep aide or not.
2007-02-10 15:30:13 · answer #3 · answered by Steph 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am on Lexapro and my doctor offered to prescribe me Ambien. I didn't take it, but obviously its ok. I'm also on Lorazepam for anxiety and that knocks me out at night anyway.
2007-02-13 09:56:39 · answer #4 · answered by WiserAngel 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whats up? Little pills and papers are conflicting with your sleep I read. What's more important? To be worth anything you must sleep. This may not make sense until the future but I expect you to remember.
2007-02-10 16:21:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I DONT THINK SO,THERE IS A BIG THING NOW ABOUT TAKING MEDS WHILE ON ANTI-DEPRESSANTS.IF YOU CALL A PHARMACIST THEY WILL TELLYOU!!!!
2007-02-10 15:23:55 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋