Dying

[Guest [ba...]]

I agree with EC62.  We may not always get the sleep we want, but I think we get the sleep that we need.  Maybe not every night, but it works out in the long run.

 

I got started on klonopin (then Ativan) because I didn't like that I was only sleeping 5-6 hours a night.  I thought that I should sleep 7-8.  These days I sleep 5-6 hours a night and am satisfied with it.  Earlier in withdrawal, I had to be content with 2-4 hours many nights, but was able to get through it (and work).  These days I often wake up (for good) between 4:30 and 5:30 am.  That used to bother me.  I'm good with it now.  I can get ahead on the day's emails, FFL moves, news, FB and even shoot off a few messages to my friends here at BBs before breakfast.

 

I know how tempting it is to reach for something to cause you to sleep, but you'll be so much better off in the long run if you can just relax about the whole sleeping thing and let your body find its own natural sleeping rhythm again. 

[Guest [Mo...]]

Tried Vistaril again, thought it might work this time (hasn't really in the past), but no such luck. Tried to get the brand name over the generic, but the pharmacy said the brand name isn't available right now.

 

Too afraid to try Seroquel because of the side effect profile. I may have to break down and try 1 mg Lunesta. Far from ideal, but I can no longed function at home to take care of my family because the sleep deprivation is so bad.

 

Compared a picture of myself from this summer to last summer. The withdrawals have aged me 15 years easy. If this is what it has done to the outside, what is it (and especially the near total sleep deprivation) doing to us on the inside?

 

Lunesta is a Z drug.

 

http://www.benzosupport.org/the_z_drugs.htm

[Guest [ma...]]

Hi Misty,

 

So I know this will not be a popular suggestion, but you could try a low dose Seroquel.  It's a mood stabilizer used commonly for bi-polar, but becoming more commonly prescribed off label for insomnia. I was really at my wits end at not being able to sleep.  Everyone's tolerance for low sleep is different.  I'm an 8 hour girl, so when this all hit the fan and I started sleeping 1 to 4 hours per night, I went downhill VERY quickly.  My doc was desperate to help me.  I'm the breadwinner of my family and had been off work for 3 months, so we finally decided to try Seroquel.  It worked like a dream.  It is very sedating to most peeps and you will feel quite groggy when you first get up in the morning for a while, but from my perspective, it saved my life.  I was able to sleep and go back to work again and start my taper from Xanax. 

 

It worked miracles on my sleep and also anxiety.  Sleep isn't perfect.  I usually get a pretty good 6 hours and then some broken sleep after that.  The side effect profile is terrible, but my doc tells me the side effects are dose dependent. He said that a therapudic dose (what they would use for bi-polar) would start at 200mg. I even looked it up on line and it says that at low doses it really only hits your histamine receptors.  So your nose will feel stuffed up when it starts to kick in.  I recommend the immediate release type rather than extended release. 

 

 

Hi and yes the binding affinity of Seroquel for various neuroreceptors is dose dependent. At low doses usually below 150mg it has an extremely high binding affinity for the adrenergic receptors as well as histamine. The lower the dose the higher the binding affinity for both adrenaline and histamine. As you well know, any psych drug should be tapered slowly and in the case of low doses of Seroquel and the possibility for rebound adrenaline this really applies. I know this first hand.

 

I would also like to point out that Seroquel is an atypical anti-psychotic. It's not a mood stabilizer. It was "designed" to be used for Schizophrenia in part (mostly) b/c of the high binding affinity for the Dopamine receptors at higher doses. There is an epidemic right now with regard to the prescribing of Seroquel for off label uses such as insomnia and BP2. Any off label prescribing of a drug means that no studies have been done for that drug at that dose.

 

Take care, mandala

[[ba...]]

my dr prescribes seroquel and trazadone to me i CANT take neither one , apparently my dr isnt a very good Dr , luckily i resaearched those medications theres warnings against them to take if you've had seizures before such as i have

[[eg...]]

Misty,

 

So night 5 without Ativan.  I was prescribed Remeron 15 mg when I started the taper.  Remeron is a sedating antidepressant and I have been getting about 2 - 3 hours of interrupted sleep and bad dreams.  I was prescribed Hydroxyzine (Atarax) an antihistamine that has proven to help with anxiety and withdrawal symptoms.  I have slept some what fitfully all night and I feel strange.  I am going to stay the course.  My personal trainer is working with me as well.  She wants me to come in regardless of my energy level.  We did an easy workout and walking on a treadmill.  I really miss the Ativan/Ambien combo I was on but know it was not good for me .  Hang in there...we are strong and we will have our success stories posted here  .

[[eg...]]

Remron: I take it very occasionally when I have not slept - it is a strange drug- the less I take the better I sleep. Have a 15mg script so I split into 1/3rd - tiny - that 5 mg works better than 15 or even 7.5

[Guest [ma...]]

Remron: I take it very occasionally when I have not slept - it is a strange drug- the less I take the better I sleep. Have a 15mg script so I split into 1/3rd - tiny - that 5 mg works better than 15 or even 7.5

 

If you read up on the binding affinity/specificity of remeron at various doses for various neurotransmitters, you will see that at lower doses it binds Histamine more and is therefore more sedating.

[[Sh...]]

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