Please help headed to ER no sleep 13 days

[[Re...]]

I cant go on like this what is safe to let them give me? Advice please soo scared!!

[[al...]]

Wow, 13 days is a long time, but unless you were up out of bed moving around the whole time you probably were getting periods of light sleep that you were not aware of.

 

I totally understand your desire to head off to the ER. I live just down the street from an ER and many were the nights that I wanted to run on over in desperation. Just know that ERs are all about stabilization and immediate  symptom relief. They tend to be overworked and probably will want to give you a powerful sleeping aid so they can move on to the next person in line. You don't want that. If they admit you to the hospital you will be pumped full of the same drugs and be knocked right back to where you started.

 

If you have not already tried any of them, you can try Trazadone, Remeron or Seroquel to help with sleep. You can just see or call your regular doctor to get a prescription. Otherwise, stay away from driving and other potentially dangerous activities and put in your time in bed (if only for badly needed rest) and sleep will find you eventually. In spite of your fears, you will not die from this. You will fall asleep before that happens.

[[me...]]

So sorry you are going through this. ER will likely give you a big benzo dose, if so, it isn't the end of the world. You'll just have to figure out what to do from that point on, as it doesn't solve anything. But if you can't take this, it is totally understandable.

 

Have you discussed any non benzo drugs with your doctor?--trazadone, mirtazapine, seroquel, etc..?

Are you practicing super-good sleep hygeine--no caffeine, no chocolate, no computer in evening, get some exercise every day, etc..?

Are you taking any other medications or supplements (including hormones)? In my case, the amitryptiline went paradoxical and kept me awake.

Take a look at this list and see if anything might be an issue:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=164920.0

[[jo...]]

Been where You are twice over the last 3 years that is what got Me into this mess and back on a benzo this time around. Damn insomnia from depression, I totally agree with the other two responses You received from this post. I admitted Myself to a mental hospital twice the last time around and twice this time around and ended up coming home on clonazepam in which I am trying to get off and sleep at the same time to no avail.

 

Some nights melatonin works other nights NOT. Look at all Your options including natural and sedating ADs. I wish Us both luck as I am also at an impasse.

[[fa...]]

The ER exists to rapidly stabilize a patient by any means necessary within the orders and parameters of a qualified physician. You will absolutely have to tell them you don't want any benzos or GABAergic drugs, which includes Z-drugs (Ambien, Lunesta, etc.) and others like propofol. This, of course, is IF you DO NOT want those drugs. You must consult the attending physician and ask for alternatives.

[[mu...]]

Agreed with others,  sadly the ER really isn't a viable option.  Sleep is a tricky thing.  I went to the ER once during my ordeal and all I dI'd was sit there for hours until they said I'm fine. 

 

You need to find a specialist

[[cs...]]

Hi,

 

 

Could you please update us?  I'm very sorry for your situation.

[[bo...]]

For anyone in this situation - you CAN use the ER to get admitted to a psychiatric unit to work on stabilizing your sleep, and I urge you to consider it if you've reached that point. I wish I'd gone in sooner.

 

In the psychiatric unit (at least in the US), you are free to refuse any sort of medication, and I found them exceptionally willing to specifically avoid benzos and z drugs.

 

[[me...]]

For anyone in this situation - you CAN use the ER to get admitted to a psychiatric unit to work on stabilizing your sleep, and I urge you to consider it if you've reached that point. I wish I'd gone in sooner.

 

In the psychiatric unit (at least in the US), you are free to refuse any sort of medication, and I found them exceptionally willing to specifically avoid benzos and z drugs.

Thanks for that info, BnB. I feel so bad for those who have reached that point, it's good to know that they do have some options. Sometimes just knowing that there is a "worst case" option available can give a person the strength to hold on a bit when the going is tough.

[[sa...]]

I went to ER for not sleeping before.  They gave me a few seroquel and a few brochures for therapists.  Doctors here are very reluctant to give any sort of benzos.

[[Re...]]

Hello I am still trying to get through I have had two or three days of sleep here and there for about 4 hours. They sent me home with low dose trazadone. I have not yet taken as I am scared to try it. But if i go much longer i will have no choice.

[[pu...]]

Just my opinion, but don't take the trazadone, it will probably only set you back!

 

 

I went 13 days or so without sleep. I went to the hospital and they didn't give me anything.

 

I hardly remember anything but sleep did return.

 

If you're sleeping 4 hours a night you're on the right path!

 

I thought I was going to die of sleep deprivation, and I didn't!

 

Hang in there!

[[me...]]

I know it seems brutal, but 4 hours or so is survivable. I was able to work and function on that, though not feeling too good. If you can hold on, I'm sure it will start to improve from there.

 

Take whatever crumb of sleep you can get and try not to worry about it too much. I didn't care much for trazadone, but some have called it a life saver, so it is good you have that as a back up.

[[Be...]]

The Ashton Manual doesn't have a problem with people taking an anti-depressant.  Alot of people on this forum take one and some take low-dose trazadone or Remeron.  Maybe you could just take a very small amount of it at bedtime and not the whole tablet? 

[[Le...]]

Been in this position three times. 

 

At the time I didn't know it was due to benzo withdrawal and was convinced it was Fatal Familial Insomnia and I was going to go both mad and was going to die. They of course were willing to give me clonazepam all they said was just try not to take it every night. No tapering advice no information regarding the addiction to benzos or how common this issue is.  Then took me another 3 months after researching the internet thinking that magic mushrooms had done this to me as I liked me some shrooms and find them to be awesome for depression and I liked to dose frequently.

 

Went on a forum for talk about such things and did research into any possible connection between psilocybin and chronic insomnia and anxiety found no connecting evident. Then finally someone that I was talking to on the forum told me the truth as they knew somebody else who got addicted to benzos and went through the same shit he was like :

 

" Dude you're an addict, psychedelics do not cause chronic insomnia or what you're describing here you need to look at yourself in the mirror and realize the truth that you're hooked and it's going to take months to years to get better, better to start now then later " . From there I went on to find this website and the rest is history....well it's also present and future until I recover but I know now finally what was causing me hell for over a year unfortunately I will be facing hell likely again in 6 months when I'm off the stuff altogether but it will be worth it.  I had quit Clonazepam originally cold turkey and would just drink to compensate for the increased anxiety and insomnia....BIG mistake over a year wasted with protracted withdrawal symptoms alternating between Z Drugs and booze. If only I would have known what was going on I could have been recovered by now.

 

I went stretches of 8 days not sleep( Went to Medical clinic) and they wouldn't give me anything to sleep it was both a good and bad decision on their part. Went to GP told you need to sleep here have some clonazepam take 3 x 0.5mg if you need to to sleep...FUCK. Then prescription runs out can't get into see my GP to get more or a Z drug

 

7 days of no sleep - Back to a different medi center tried to get either Zopliclone or Clonazepam denied told to try amitriptyline, trazodone or doxepine. Told doctor there none of those work( cause I'm an addict and don't realize it) Told sorry nothing they could do....UUrrrgggh

 

Next 5 Days no sleep  - Feel like my mind is shutting down dark depressive thoughts unable to think or speak properly extreme tremors admitted to ER pych ward told here's some clonazepam for two weeks and I was on my way. Even the psychiatric Doctors didn't give me the proper information or make me realize I was an addict fuck.

 

Next Doctor tries me on every SSRI, anti psychotic you can think of to fix insomnia/anxiety....no idea even popped into his head I was an addict. Nothing worked when I was pulled off Lexapro without a taper and then immediately jumped to Zoloft even though I was still taking some Clonazepam I went 3 weeks without any sleep at least it felt that way. At times I would be in a weird state of feeling awake but at the same time dreaming there's a clinical term for this but I don't recall what it is. I'm guessing you are experiencing it currently. It will eventually get better!!! Don't give up hope!! Not saying you'll be back sleeping 7 -8hours per night but the weeks on end shouldn't be permanent eventually the brain will say enough is enough.

 

But honestly like others have said here if you haven't already really give Mirtazapine a try it's worked for me now for over two months but took at least two weeks to start letting me sleep and not till I started on 30mgs most will say it's better to take less not so for me. Apparently it can stop being sedating after a couple of months that may be true but I have a feeling it starts to help your brain to recover it's natural sleep rhythm last night before even taking it I felt I was sleepy and could likely just have slept without anything( took it anyway) but the sleep was different this time didn't feel like sedation felt natural and woke up just a mere 5 minutes before the alarm clock went off and woke after just coming out of a dream. This is typical for me when I'm sleeping normally I'm going to actually discuss with the doctor now if I should try reducing the mirtazapine and see what happens or stay the course until I'm fully withdrawn and recovered from the clonazepam. 

 

Isn't funny how in so many instances it is actually legal prescription drugs which are worse for our bodies and more addictive than a lot of the illegal illicit drugs ones which do not kill people or cause physical addiction. If anything should be getting prescribed for insomnia initially it's should be medical marijuana or L-triptophane/ 5HTP. Won't help though if your insomnia is caused by benzo addiction as I've found out .

 

You can and will get better try not to google too much when you're going through this you'll start thinking you have every single serious medical condition under the sun...it's just addiction and you can defeat it!!!

[[ed...]]

You have recently had your first scraps of sleep in two weeks,

a scattered amount up to 4 hours.

This could be a trend; you might be able to get a real 4 hours nightly soon;

maybe in pieces.

I would wait to see if the trend continues before taking trazodone.

I've been hooked on it for nearly 3 years, and I want to stop as soon as I can.

My current pattern is roughly 3hrs with 25mg + 2hrs with 25mg + maybe 1hr.

 

And with your medical issues it would be great if you can turn the tide

in time without it.

The 4 hours will not be enough for health; non-drug sleep protocols are important.

[[wa...]]

I also went to er after 4 days 0 sleep. They e involuntarily will just admit you to rehab and youll just lose more sleep! They also just give more pills like trazadone, it was nightmare!

😥