one night I sleep the next I don't

[[Si...]]

Thanks bencart, I know it's only been two weeks, but it feels like 4 months! LOL I got about 5 hours of sleep last night. Fell asleep around 10pm and woke up around 3am. Then fell asleep again around 5:30. The only thing that woke me up was my wife's alarm at 6:15. Which is actually good, because I need to force my self up on the nights I do sleep to try and start balancing it out. I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep the second time until I remembered that I actually had a dream. I must be going quickly into REM since I'm actually dreaming more than I did before the Benzos. My main goal right now is to actually sleep two nights in a row. I don't even care if it's 4 hours each night, as long as I can get something. Good luck with your recovery as well.

[[8d...]]

I was on Zopiclone for 4 months, went off CT, and have been on Seroquel 50mg for 2 weeks.

 

Starting tapering last night to 37.50mg, and had a rough night. Barely slept.

 

How long can the rebound insomnia stick around for?

[[be...]]

I know it's only been two weeks, but it feels like 4 months!

 

That's what I really, really, really, really hate about insomnia. Everyone who has insomnia knows how long the nights can be. A week seems like months. But those of us who suffer from anxiety are typically thinkers who like to ruminate too much about things. No sleep means no break from ruminating!

 

As for dreaming, I've ready about REM and dreams, but from personal experience I'm not convinced that REM is the only state in which we dream. I have dreams in very, very shallow sleep.

 

[[8d...]]

Is it normal to have trouble sleeping when you reduce the dosage?

[[be...]]

Is it normal to have trouble sleeping when you reduce the dosage?

 

I would say yes. I was coming off of Klonopin, and it was going below 1mg that always began to affect me, including insomnia.

[[8d...]]

I tried to sleep last night without using Seroquel, and after 3 hours, nothing came.

 

It's so frustrating!

 

I'm not sure if I should continue taking Seroquel, or if I should face the sleeplessness head on, and go with that.

 

I'm also not sure if CT'ing the Zopiclone on May 5 is what is causing this awful insomnia. If so, is there anything I can do to reduce it?

 

And, does anyone have an opinion on Trazadone vs. Seroquel for rebound insomnia?

[[be...]]

Damien,

 

An insomnia book I read advocated for fighting through it without medication. Your body will function better than you think on no sleep, and eventually you will sleep when you need to. Just don't take naps or sleep during any time except for your regular sleep time.

 

That's just advice. But you are the best person to choose the approach. Go with what your gut is telling you to do.

 

As for Trazadone vs. Seroquel, I've only taken one dose of Trazadone years ago and it was simply awful for me. My wife was on Seroquel for a couple of years. After she stopped taking it, she tried to go back on it and then felt awful. So she stopped. Just watch how you feel if you start taking Seroquel again.

 

I'm on five straight nights of sleep, averaging around 4-5 hours. The amount of sleep is not great, but the quality seems so much better to me than sleeping longer via sleep meds.

 

 

[[8d...]]

Damien,

 

An insomnia book I read advocated for fighting through it without medication. Your body will function better than you think on no sleep, and eventually you will sleep when you need to. Just don't take naps or sleep during any time except for your regular sleep time.

 

That's just advice. But you are the best person to choose the approach. Go with what your gut is telling you to do.

 

As for Trazadone vs. Seroquel, I've only taken one dose of Trazadone years ago and it was simply awful for me. My wife was on Seroquel for a couple of years. After she stopped taking it, she tried to go back on it and then felt awful. So she stopped. Just watch how you feel if you start taking Seroquel again.

 

I'm on five straight nights of sleep, averaging around 4-5 hours. The amount of sleep is not great, but the quality seems so much better to me than sleeping longer via sleep meds.

 

I appreciate your reply.

 

I'm starting to think that it's going to come down to me just facing the insomnia. It's such a tough plunge to make, but I think the hard road is the only road here.

 

I'm concerned about what my body/brain will be doing to me since I CT'd the Zopiclone just 15-16 days ago. Not sure what the best way to approach this is. And if I just come off the Seroquel, won't that only add to the sleeplessness?

 

Thank you again

[Guest [st...]]

I'm going through a similar struggle. Two nights no sleep and then I sleep some.

 

I *always* sleep with Lunesta (3mg) but have been trying to stop taking it. My wife says it is extended release so I can't split the tiny pills, but I have not checked that out further. Need to do that.

 

I was making some progress but then got a bad virus and absolutely had to sleep (sleep was a needed escape—even more than usual). So I took Lunesta for almost two weeks straight. Now I'm trying to get off of it again since others here have advised me that it could be delaying my withdrawal. And there is the morning after Lunesta brain fog as well.

 

 

Yes it's a Z drug and acts on the same GABA receptors so the adivce others have given you is right. Here is an article posted 5 hours ago regarding FDA suggesting that the usualy doses of Lunesta be halved b/c of the cog fog the following morning. You might find it interesting?

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/15/health/lunesta-fda-doses/

[[ga...]]

Jenny...Hope you're getting some sleep by now.  You know the difficulties I have experienced recently.  I came through it with multiple nights of descent sleep.  Slipped last night and only got a couple of hours and feeling tired today.  Good news is I don't have to be at work until tomorrow.  Hopefully, tonight will be better.  I really hate the anxiety and depressed thoughts that I seem to experience when I don't sleep.  Just puts more pressure on me to get some sleep.

[[Si...]]

So this is still happening to me. I'm still only sleeping every other night. I was so tired last night I passed out and slept so hard I didn't move at all for 8 hours. I tried sleep restriction a few times and still doesn't seem to level it out. What's also really weird is that on the days I do sleep, when I wake up, I have no problem falling back asleep. Those are the brief moments where I feel almost normal like before benzos. Have my second appt with pdoc on Thursday. I don't really want to take more drugs, but any idea what they may be able to give me to put me back in track? If I could just sleep every night, I'd heal (and feel) a lot better.

[[ga...]]

I would be so happy to get the 8 hours of sleep you are getting every other night as I am sure many here would.  I really hope your doc doesn't talk you into drugs.  Try to be happy that you are getting that great sleep every other day. Be patient, better days ahead.

[[Si...]]

Thanks Garton. Yes very true. I have a resolve not to take any more crazy pharma meds. I guess I'll just have to power through this problem the best I can until I come out on the other side. What sucks too is I had been working hard on getting my BP down from around 140/90 to around 117/72 from the DASH diet and exercising for a few months before this fiasco happened. Now this no sleep thing keeps spiking it up. Thanks for encouragement. I'll try to be patient and keep a more positive attitude.

[[ga...]]

Siggy...I am 58 and have had the slightly elevated BP as you do.  Had it for years and have been taking 50 mg. toporal for it.  I eat fairly well and have always exercised...even when sleep deprived.  My BP is well under control and absolutely no side effects from the toporal.  I really don't worry about the BP at all now.  Great if you can control it through diet and exercise as many do...if not, might want to consider the medication.  No where as bad as the benzos.

[[8d...]]

I am taking Seroquel now for almost a month. I hate the fact I'm using meds for sleep still, but I am just hoping it's buying me time to heal from the Zopiclone withdrawal.

 

Does anyone have any opinions on this... Is it a good idea to get some sleep on the Seroquel for now, as the withdrawal process continues?

[[Si...]]

Sorry I don't know much about those. I'm trying my best to not take any more meds and be out of this hi,e once and for all. Maybe someone else that's been on them will chime in. I not sure what the recommended length of time for taking Seroquel is. I read so where in here that someone's wife took it for about two years.

 

Wanna hear something crazy? I have a really good friend that took About 5mg a day of Ativan for about 5 years and just quit taking it. Said he didn't have any side effects at all! He says he now takes promethazine and lots of beer to sleep.

[[je...]]

Its carzy but it can happen. I took xanax twice before for 6 months at a time and stopped taking it with no problem. This last time I was on for 3 years and I was not expecting the tidal wave of withdrawl sx--its been a nightmare.

[[Si...]]

Yeah same thing with me. I had a low dose of Valium when I was in my early 20's (think it was probably .5 or 1mg, don't remember exactly). Think I had it for a few months. It was prescribed by my urologist (had kidney surgery as a kid). I also was given a nearly full bottle (20 - 30) klonopin by a friend in college that didn't like them. I took the whole bottle over about a week and stopped after that with no problem. I didn't even know that benzos could cause this kind of withdrawal. Basically 15 mg of Ativan over 2-½ weeks got me (I ended up doing a very poor and uninformed rapid taper over the next two weeks with 10 more). I'm wondering if certain benzos people can come off of and then other brands they can't? Maybe it why some doctors think there isn't much problem with short dosages?

[[Si...]]

I thought I'd update everyone. I reached the first time I've slept in two days on Saturday. I fell asleep from 2:30am - 4:30am and then again from 8:00am until about 8:45am. Slept 8 hours on Sunday and then again for about 4 hours last night. Hopefully this trend will keep up and my sleep will improve. At least my brain doesn't feel like it's plugged into an electrical socket anymore. I just reached my 35 day mark of being off this garbage. It feels like it's been 6 months.

[[8d...]]

Really happy to hear you're doing well.

 

I'm 36 days out and feel like hell. I'm not sure if the Seroquel is helping or hurting at this point.

[[8d...]]

Does anyone here have problems with sleep onset (falling asleep, not staying asleep).

 

I had this before the sleeping pills.

 

I worry that if I had trouble sleeping before pills, now after, it's going to be impossible.

 

Anyone?

[[Si...]]

I didn't have much problem before, so I'm not sure what you can expect now. Also I've fallen back into a better pattern of sleeping for the last week (every night now actually). While I do have a slightly harder time falling asleep than before, it is leveling out. A few nights I've only gotten about 3-5 hours, but most nights I am now averaging 5-7. I'm getting sleepy a lot earlier than I use to. I use to go to bed between 12pm - 1am. Now I'm typically going to bed around 9 or 10pm and then waking up around 5. I think sleep will probably return to what your previous normal was, I just can't say how long that might take. I'm guessing you may have to be off all meds for it to really come around though. My insomnia lasted about 6 weeks with every other night being 0 hours. Very weird. Last Saturday night was when the pattern broke and all has been pretty good since. The only thing I've been taking to help most nights is Tart Cherry Juice. Not sure if that was exactly what helped, but I won't argue with it. Good luck though, insomnia certainly makes all the others symptoms less tolerable.

[[...]]

Hi all;

I got off the remeron may31. It was making me sick for months and didn't help for sleep anymore .

Now my pattern seems to be 2 very poor nights of sleep then out of exhaustion a good sleep on the third night. Last night was my my third night so tonight may be a long one.

 

Been dealing w/ remeron WD which has been extremely nasty last couple of weeks. For me it's been as bad as the benzos if not worst. I'm hoping symptoms peak and start turning the corner in the next week or two.

 

Sleep is so essential for us going through this mess! I wish I would have never taken the remeron but I needed sleep at the time and shocker, I was not advised on the possibility off another WD.

 

Been taking small dose of vistaril 12.5 mg only occasion (4times last two weeks) but have held back because possibly causing next day depression.  Just took 1mg of a 4mg muscle relaxer (zanaflex) and that's not setting well. From now on its just magnesium !

 

Wishing all good sleep

[[8d...]]

I'm sorry to hear the Remeron WD is giving you a tough time.

 

Remeron never worked for me, but I wish it had. I'm on Seroquel now and it just doesn't make me feel right.

 

When you say you have a couple of rough nights, do you sleep at all?

 

If you do, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself.

 

For me, I have tried going off the Seroquel, and I just don't sleep. After 2 days I give up.

 

Anyone else like this?

[[Ha...]]

Siggy try doctors best brand magnesium.just start slow if you take to much it can give you loose stools. Good luck I use mid nite from Walmart it helps me sleep way better than any prescription I ever had!!! Check it out!

 

Happy me