Need supportive words...

[[al...]]

Hi Blandthrax,

I'm doing pretty good. Every night is not a winner when it comes to sleep, by many are. The main thing is that I feel good and am thinking about my withdrawal in the past tense now. Funny how when one problem or complaint is no longer on center stage, others will step up to fill the void. That is part of growing old I guess.

 

On weekends or days that you can sleep in, does going back to sleep help you wake up in a better space when you have one of those overly deep sleeps? I was just wondering if you are waking up initially from a deep sleep cycle rather than a lighter R.E.M. state.

[[bl...]]

 

On weekends or days that you can sleep in, does going back to sleep help you wake up in a better space when you have one of those overly deep sleeps? I was just wondering if you are waking up initially from a deep sleep cycle rather than a lighter R.E.M. state.

 

No, once I wake up, I'm basically up. If I lay there and try to go back to sleep, I just get frustrated. Waking up from REM sleep seems to be better than waking up from deep sleep. I don't know though, because some nights are far more dreamy than others and those night seem to be more restful.

[[al...]]

Blandthrax,

Long before this withdrawal crap, I read about people who tend to fall asleep and wake up at about the same time every night stating that they sleep very deep and do not dream. It was suggested that they try tweeking their wakeup time by setting an alarm about 15 minutes or so earlier than they normally wake up. This can result in their waking up during REM sleep with a head full of dream memories.

[[Si...]]

I've had some rough nights lately. I too had a few beers (I don't dare mess with liquor) and it seems to have thrown me off some. What's weird is sometimes I can have a few beers and be perfectly fine and then other times is just really screws me up.

 

I use to have those deep sleeps where I never rememberd dreaming at all. I sometime remember dreams and I guess that's from not sleeping as deeply or possibly being woken up more often. Usually I can go back to sleep after waking up. Not always but most of the time. I feel better when I get deep sleep though.

[[bl...]]

Blandthrax,

Long before this withdrawal crap, I read about people who tend to fall asleep and wake up at about the same time every night stating that they sleep very deep and do not dream. It was suggested that they try tweeking their wakeup time by setting an alarm about 15 minutes or so earlier than they normally wake up. This can result in their waking up during REM sleep with a head full of dream memories.

 

Problem really just are mornings. I don't wake up at any regular time, or I wake up and fall back into light sleep. Dreams aren't consistent either. I will either have a really dreamy night with 4 or 5 sessions of REM sleep, or none, or I have REM sleep but it's very brief. There's no rhyme or reason to it.

 

I really think I need to get off the Remeron asap. I keep saying I'm going to patiently taper but I think it's causing me more problems than not.

 

 

[[8d...]]

I still always wake up at some point earlier than I wish to. Lately, I've been able to fall asleep again. Over the last week, I think I've had about 4 days of 7+ hour sleep. Probably one of my best weeks.

 

I did have a beer about a month ago, and then that week, I was waking up and not being able to go back to bed. Was that connected to the beer? No idea! But it's not worth it to me, so I basically just stay away from alcohol now. Too bad, because I loved a nice white beer!

 

[[8d...]]

How is everyone doing?

 

Just checking in to get updates and say hi!

 

Thankfully no sleep issues to complain about. Been pretty good lately. Just need to get to bed earlier!

 

Hope everyone is doing well

[[Ma...]]

To me helped hypnotic sleep meditation very much.

[[Li...]]

How is everyone doing?

 

Just checking in to get updates and say hi!

 

Thankfully no sleep issues to complain about. Been pretty good lately. Just need to get to bed earlier!

 

Hope everyone is doing well

 

Congratulations on winning the battle over meds and insomnia.

[[al...]]

Hi Damien,

I'm glad to hear that sleep is going well for you. Proof that this insomnia stuff can't last forever. My sleep has greatly improved. It is not always as good as I would like, but my bad nights are now much better than my good nights used to be and I feel pretty much normal during the day now. This week I had to get up at 4 am for a business trip so I tried going to bed at 8 pm and ended up getting a full normal night's sleep. That was the first time that I took one of those trips without being in a daze all day since this withdrawal mess started. That was a big test for me.

[[8d...]]

Thanks LifeInChaos

 

The sleep isn't perfect, but I can deal well with what I'm getting

 

Aloha, glad to hear you're also doing a lot better. Amazing how messed up we were just a short while back after taking those evil drugs.

[[al...]]

Just wondering how the gang has been doing these days. Murph, I read that you were having a bit of a wave recently. I hope that resolved itself by now.

 

I recently injured my back and have some pretty crippling sciatic pain. My sleep did not stabilize enough to withstand the nighttime discomfort and all the pain meds that I have been taking so it is a trip down bad memory lane for me lately. It will be nice to get cut a little slack, but I guess that will have to wait.

[[mu...]]

HEy Aloha

 

Sorry to hear about your back!!  I know the feeling it is hard to get comfy when something aches.  Usually it is my neck and shoulders from stress.

 

Yea last 4-5 days been kinda wack,  I was sleeping better more + nights then - nights but these waves come and go.  Luckily I have learned from the past that I will survive these shitty episodes and get back into a better groove again.

 

Crazy how sleep is so spuratic now.

 

Hope everyone else is doing good.

[[bl...]]

My sleep has been pretty shit lately. I think I'm getting 4-6 hours at best. I was doing really well, getting 7-9 hours a night, but recently it's gone downhill. I'm handling it well and of course, every night I believe with no uncertainty that I'll sleep well. I've turned back to Yoga to try to help things along since I was getting my best sleep when I was stretching 4 or 5 times a week.

 

I will say that I've been determined lately to nap. I don't know why, I just feel like I'm close. It hasn't happened though I will say that yesterday it seemed like I almost drifted off only to have some random startling thought pop into my head, which woke me up straight away.

 

I believe this will all pass. Compared to 8 months ago, I get through the night with at least some some sleep. I'm not in any position to complain.

[[al...]]

It is crazy that this can be such a long process, but it is always good to be able to look back at how much worse things were in the early days.

[[me...]]

I believe this will all pass. Compared to 8 months ago, I get through the night with at least some some sleep. I'm not in any position to complain.

 

Hey Blandthrax--haven't seen you in a while! Glad to hear that you've got a good attitude, despite the setback. I've got new challenges right now with dental pain, but I'm sure once this is ironed out, I'll be sleeping much better. It's always something!

[[bl...]]

Turns out I spoke too soon. I slept like a brick last night. I had a couple of pretty crazy dreams but otherwise it was a good night. It's encouraging when I have nights like this. I get the sense things are going to really normalize in the next few months. As it is, I no longer go to bed with sleep anxiety, even on nights after I haven't been sleeping well. I always know I'm going to sleep, even if it's just a few hours. That's all that matters, and then I have nights like last night and I feel wholly human again.

 

I truly believe that by the time I reach a year off, I'll be sleeping through the night. This process takes time, but it's not as mysterious as we all think it is. It just takes the brain a while to get everything right. I am starting to feel stronger, like I have more control over what thoughts arise and being able to wholly counter them and thus keep my mood stable.

 

We'll all get there!

[[Si...]]

That's great bland! Sounds like you're getting there.

 

Sorry you're having some trouble. My mom had knee surgery and had problems sleeping for a few months. Once the pain and discomfort go down, I'm sure you'll get back to your normal schedule.

 

Murph you sound a lot like I was towards the end. I was really up and down for a while. I'm still doing pretty well. Only an occasional rough night, but nothing anywhere like it was last year.

[[bl...]]

I was really up and down for a while. I'm still doing pretty well. Only an occasional rough night, but nothing anywhere like it was last year.

 

I know exactly what you're saying. I'm totally cool with occasionally rough nights. This time last year, I wasn't sleeping for days and days. Now I have one or maybe two poor nights a week, and it can usually be traced to something I've been doing, either a dietary change or stress and anxiety. It's pretty easy to fix sleep now that the benzos are out of the picture!

[[al...]]

You have got to be kidding me! I just found out that my back/sciatica problem is due to a dysfunction of my sacroiliac joint. Once I had a name for the problem I was able to google it to learn more. It seems that it can take a long time and a lot of therapy to resolve it. I also learned that it is very common for the pain to flare up at night due to lack of movement. Insomnia and depression are listed as common side effects of the condition. I am just recovering from insomnia and depression due to withdrawal and now this!!? 

[[mu...]]

sorry to hear that Aloha 

 

At least you know how to deal and cope with the insomnia/ depression part better now.  I would try to get working on getting that back better as soon as you can.

 

Back pain has gotta suck though!

[[al...]]

Thanks Murph,

I didn't think that I would need to use this thread again other than to say hello to the old gang from time to time. Sometimes we just don't get cut any slack.

[[wa...]]

Aloha - I'm just jumping in here because I think I might have a sacroiliac joint problem, too on R side from old surgery.  How were you diagnosed?  Simple xray?  I am too exhausted to get to PT. right now.  Jeez - sorry to hear this for you, BTW.  WBB

[[al...]]

Hi Wanabe,

I am sorry to hear about your condition. Not fun! Mine started gradually when I noticed sciatica symptoms during my long walks. They were annoying, but since I have psoriatic arthritis I just figured that they were a new manifestation of that disease. One day I was carrying two heavy bags of gravel and I tripped a bit and my back went out. The back pain spread done into my thigh over the days and prevented me from walking. My insurance company refused my doctor's request for an MRI until after I tried physical therapy. My therapist explained my pelvic issue following an exam. I also went to a chiropractor who confirmed the diagnosis. Neither gave a name to my condition, but a google search seems to confirm that I have sacroiliac joint dysfunction. You might want to read up on that. Good luck.

[[Be...]]

Is that the ball of the upper thigh bone that is impacted with SI joint problems?  I'm having alot of trouble walking.  I have to bend forward to loosen my leg and hip joint.