11-18-2020, 02:05 PM
Z@lpid£m is my go-to and I swear by it - but I dont take when I've had alcohol as don't like how it interacts.
But I wanted to share an OTC trick I stumbled across that I use at weekends if I've had a drink. Doxylamine Succinate is a non-addictive antihistamine that causes drowsiness. There's a well known brand called Kirkland Sleep Aid. The suggested dose is one pill of 25mg, however when I took this on it's own (on a night with no alcohol) I didn't find it that effective and made me waaaayy groggy the next day. But I found that if I cut the pill into QUARTERS, so approx a 6mg dose, and take it approx 20mins before sleep on nights when I've had some alcohol earlier in the evening, it it sends me straight to sleep but doesn't have the groggy effects next day. (I usually have a couple of glasses of wine early evening, then take the Doxy as I'm going to bed, a good 2-3 hours after I've stopped drinking).
Now I know there are issues around mixing certain medication with alcohol, but Doxy is said to have a 'moderate' interaction with alcohol in that it 'can increase the nervous system side effects of doxylamine such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating', so the advice online is that you should 'avoid OR LIMIT alcohol when taking Doxy'. Personally, because its such a small dose at 6mg, I find this an acceptable risk but each to their own.
In general, alcohol has a terrible effect on my sleep quality and even 1 glass of wine will give me a restless night of 'light' sleep. But if I have the small dose of Doxy after alcohol I sleep really well with no side effects. I have noticed that if I increase the dosage even a little above the quarter pill, then I feel quite sleepy in the morning and it's harder to get out of bed. So 6mg seems to be the sweet spot for me.
I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has any thoughts on this approach?
But I wanted to share an OTC trick I stumbled across that I use at weekends if I've had a drink. Doxylamine Succinate is a non-addictive antihistamine that causes drowsiness. There's a well known brand called Kirkland Sleep Aid. The suggested dose is one pill of 25mg, however when I took this on it's own (on a night with no alcohol) I didn't find it that effective and made me waaaayy groggy the next day. But I found that if I cut the pill into QUARTERS, so approx a 6mg dose, and take it approx 20mins before sleep on nights when I've had some alcohol earlier in the evening, it it sends me straight to sleep but doesn't have the groggy effects next day. (I usually have a couple of glasses of wine early evening, then take the Doxy as I'm going to bed, a good 2-3 hours after I've stopped drinking).
Now I know there are issues around mixing certain medication with alcohol, but Doxy is said to have a 'moderate' interaction with alcohol in that it 'can increase the nervous system side effects of doxylamine such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating', so the advice online is that you should 'avoid OR LIMIT alcohol when taking Doxy'. Personally, because its such a small dose at 6mg, I find this an acceptable risk but each to their own.
In general, alcohol has a terrible effect on my sleep quality and even 1 glass of wine will give me a restless night of 'light' sleep. But if I have the small dose of Doxy after alcohol I sleep really well with no side effects. I have noticed that if I increase the dosage even a little above the quarter pill, then I feel quite sleepy in the morning and it's harder to get out of bed. So 6mg seems to be the sweet spot for me.
I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has any thoughts on this approach?