Ativan to Valium, 6 months terrible insomnia, wds.?, or worse?

[[ro...]]

Crossed over to valium after 12 years of Ativan. Been tapering down from 10 mgs to 5.5 mgs v.

I was in tolerance last year with the Ativan.

Sleep was getting bad....only 2 to  4 hours...didn't want to increase Ativan dose, started to taper from meds thinking at age 61 this was healthy..now I hardly sleep.ppl don't believe me..but I slept. Maybe one hr last night..no clock nearby, but I was wake, tried YouTube, reading...no help.

I took my 3.75 v, 100 mg trazadone and 3 mgs melatonin.

Hot bath, epsom salts..I'm upset..

I have tried remeron, sapfris 5 mg, unisom, Advil pm, trazadone, visteril, etc...elavil for 4 days...maybe I didn't try the elavil long enough..I don't know...

Traz helped for 3 nights, now after week and half, no help.

May try Seroquel again. 25 to 50 mgs...I was worried about seizures. I take the valium, but I'm 62 and worried...

I've tried to use nothing.  And that's no help...I thought my brain was healing and that I would see sleep return. I originally took the Ativan for menopause onset sleep loss...went four weeks no sleep and dr put me on it 12 yrs ago...I slept......my start with benzos...it did help for many yrs..

Now I'm sleepless and makes me so depressed.. I make it thru day, but suffer. Just returned from a 3 day trip and did my best, but no sleep in hotel or 5 hr drive thru country...

Is this just wds?

Any experts out there?

I think there is a terrible problem...even at higher valium in beginning and 3 or 4 week holds, no difference in sleep....

Is this just wd?

Please chime in please..I'm in bed resting, it is 9:30 am...feel drained..

But bed is not good, get anxious just being here.

So so not functioning..and it is pretty outside. I have so much I want to do, but groggy from trazadone I guess and no sleep..after travel with family, i realized again how much I'm missing out on things, I'm okay with no jitters during day, no pains, but ths sleep loss is my PROBLEM.... :'(

I hate this

 

Please help..any feedback appreciated very much.. This is a lonely process for me..

I've been here to post before..

Desperate, sad..

Thank you. Rose

 

[Guest [...]]

Hi rosegal, I feel your pain and have been going through similar situations for years as well.  Know that you are not alone. I have a full time job and am always tired because I barely sleep either.  And I have an energizer husband who always wants to go out, or entertain at the house, etc. I also work out hard on a regular basis, mostly running. None of those drugs work for me either, except some benzos and the z-drugs. I managed to taper off the benzos over 8-9 mos, finishedin aug, but am now using the zdrugs which I also need to get off of.  Trazadone, seroquel, remeron, elavil - none of those worked for me.  I have some doxepin but I'm afraid to try it after the poor experiences I had with the others. The thing that does help, although it can be hard to stick to it, is sleep restriction therapy, and sleep hygiene. Google it and you 'll find some links.  Also, have you tried using a blue light first thing in the morning for 20-40 minutes?  Also try to get 15 min of morning sunshine on your bare skin each day fir Vit d3.

[[bn...]]

this has been my worst symptom. I feel if I could get refreshing sleep I could be 100% healed. I am taking 15mg of Remron 20 min before bed and have Seriquel for my emergency back-up. I have the 25mg pills of Seriquel. Will take 25mg and wait for an hour..than take the other 25mg as needed. I have noticed that if i think about my sleep the night before...or lack of. I am starting to recall dreams. So, sometimes when we feel we are just lying there, we are getting a tad bit of sleep. I am so thankful that I do not have to get up and work!

[[ro...]]

Thanks katygirl and bnzodie,

I have an assortment of things, I just keep rotating them and pray...

If I can get 3 hrs, I'm a happy camper..

Hugs rose

 

[[be...]]

Thanks katygirl and bnzodie,

I have an assortment of things, I just keep rotating them and pray...

If I can get 3 hrs, I'm a happy camper..

Hugs rose

 

Rose:

 

You're such a champ! I used to get 2-3 hours of sleep per night for a year and I was surely NOT a happy camper. Bets

[[al...]]

This is what helped me at the height of my benzo w/d insomnia when I was frantically looking for something to "fix" it. http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=78924.0 It has been 10 months since I have become a great sleeper for the very first time in my life. I had insomnia since my teens and I am in my forties now. I sleep like a baby now. It was hard work. But worth it. If I have a bad night sleep, due to w/d which is out of my control, i go with it. It never leads to multiple nights of bad sleep and anxiety and terror of the bedroom...lol.... I sleep like a baby now. Never in my wildest dreams did i ever ever ever think i would say that. Bama.xo