Hi, I'm new. One month off short-term (3 wk) temazepam use.

[[Ja...]]

Hello all,

 

I have had chronic insomnia for 2.5 years. About six months in, I was put on a variety of chemicals, including temazepam (Restoril). I took this for about six weeks in 2015, not daily, and was able to get off that and all other prescriptions, using only Benadryl, which I continued to do.

 

The insomnia got more manageable, but never went away. This year, in 2016 rather, I had a series of stressful events that lead to multiple days of no sleep. I then got back on temazepam, doses ranging from 30mg, 15mg and then tapering down to 7.5, 5, then off. I took temazepam from Dec. 9 through Dec. 29.

 

I am now just over one month off temazepam, and three weeks off Benadryl. I now only take 1mg melatonin, about one hour before bed.

 

My sleep is worse than before I began taking temaz, which I understand to be typical. I will only get light sleep, and wake every hour or two, sometimes not being able to fall back.

 

My question for you seasoned lot is as follows:

 

can I expect this sleeplessness and fatigue to last a long time, given that I was only on temaz for three weeks? My hope and understanding is that duration and dose have a lot to do with protracted withdrawal.

 

Thank you in advance your advice, expertise and experience. I am suffering daily and don't seem to be getting any better, despite adhering to all sleep hygiene advice.

 

Jammin

[[Ja...]]

Bueller?

 

I could really use some encouragement.

[[ve...]]

To answer your questions, yes it can be. I didn't take benzos initially for insomnia but it gave me insomnia. I'm eleven months out and although most nights I'm getting the hours, I'm waking up often like you and dreaming a lot. I'm sure it's from the benzos in my case because I've never dreamt and slept like that before. Oh I was only on them for a month.

[[me...]]

Unfortunately, yes, it can really mess up our natural sleep rhythm. I was going through menopause when I got off temazepam, and starting using progesterone, which helped quite a bit, but it no longer helps. One month is not a terribly long time so I'm sure you'll start to see more improvement.

 

Since your system is still very sensitive, be sure and avoid anything that might possible make insomnia worse. I'll try and find a list I made, the list is long! Be thankful that you are getting sleep, as many here get none or very little.

 

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

 

[[Ja...]]

Thanks all for your replies. I don't seem to be getting sleep until the early morning hours - vivid dreams in real time.

 

So much of this is psychological, and I'm well aware that giving it too much attention and feeding into 'horror stories' can only make it worse.

 

I should note that I do not have any other symptoms of WD except for insomnia.

 

I was able to get off temazepam about two years ago without too many troubles, though I was not a daily user, so I am hoping this time is similar. It's different though, in that I am no longer taking diphenhydramine.

 

Went to bed last night, lay there for multiple hours until some kind of drift off. It's almost comical at this point, but I'm working from home, no stress on my life, and ultimately lack of sleep doesn't even really matter at this point.

 

Began using a light therapy box this morning so maybe that will help.

 

If there are any other short-term recoverers with success stories I would love to hear them!

 

JMN

[[te...]]

Hi Jammin,

I am a super short-term user. I hesitate to write a recovery story because I feel I am still recovering, but I can share some positives in terms of my improvement!

 

I sometimes still have those "lay there forever" nights. I also still sometimes take sleep aids, so maybe that isn't as encouraging.

 

I am almost 6 months off. After 3 months off, I saw more gradual improvement. I really saw more positive improvement after 4 months. I really believe that it will take me close to a year to really get back to where I was. I know I only took them for a VERY short time, but they did a number on me. And exacerbated other stuff that was already there (anxiety and depression). i have gone through various types of sleep patterns, including sleeping every other night, trouble falling asleep but staying asleep ok, then not having trouble falling asleep but waking up, and waking up every hour or every sleep cycle. Now I am in a pattern where a few times a week I have trouble falling asleep, and a few times a week I wake up and will be awake for a bit at night but get back to sleep, and the other nights I fall asleep and stay asleep and wake up 2-5 x a night but get right back to sleep. I would say I average between 5-7 hours broken sleep right now most nights. My body has adjusted to this so I am not as tired the next day which helps a lot with functioning! I hope it will continue to progress. I hope yours does, as well. I hope this helps! 

[[Qu...]]

Hi Jammin, I agree with everything that Teal said. I was a similar short term user, but with a long history of occasional PRN usage. I'm a bit further down the road at about nine months, and have just started to experience some consolidated chunks of sleep (4 - 5 hours) on a good night, and haven't had an all nighter for over a month, hallelujah.  However, I still get about a week of alternate bad nights about once a month. I take zero meds, supplements, sleep aids, never have since valium.  I think it's going to be at least a year before I'm back to normal. I never had insomnia before this experience.

 

Hope you get some improvement soon!

[[Ja...]]

Functioning is very low. Quality of life is zero. Trying to stave off bad thoughts. Someone please tell me I will get better. Another zero night and at an all-time low, life is not worth living these days.

[[me...]]

So sorry to hear that Jammin! Yes, you will get better. You are still in early days of withdrawal. When you are sleep deprived, the world looks so much bleaker, when you get some sleep, it will look a whole lot better.

 

Are you still using melatonin? Please be aware that melatonin can actually cause depression. I've seen that happen many times here, it sneaks up on you. If it isn't helping you, I'd get off of it. Unfortunately, you will probably have some rebound after you quit it, if you are getting any sleep at all from it.

 

If you are really desperate, you might talk with your doctor about something else to help with sleep for a while. Something like mirtazapine, doxepin, trazadone, etc...that is not GABA reactive.

 

If you are feeling truly at the end of your rope, please get some help! Even if it is just to call a crisis line, or someone you can talk with that is supportive.

[[Ja...]]

Thanks meowie. Do you really think I am in w/d, five weeks out from a three week course? My psych NP says there's no way I should still be affected by the short term use.

 

I have begun using CBD oil and am wondering if it can make things worse.. I took it late last night and will try for earlier tonight.

 

I am still taking melatonin but only at 500 micrograms.

[[me...]]

Oh yes, even a short course can mess up your system for quite a while, unfortunately. I'd like your psych nurse to try a few of these drugs herself (just kidding, kinda) then report back. I had very bad results from both CBD oil and melatonin. CBD oil gives me almost complete insomnia, if there is any THC, I get absolutely paranoid and anxious. Melatonin also gave me complete insomnia and panic attacks (first ones in years) both times I tried it. These are strong drugs!

 

Personally I prefer to take absolutely nothing and tough it out, I've had too many things go sideways on me. But I can totally understand when you are at the end of your rope and need some help.

[[Ja...]]

Meowie - how long have you been taking nothing for sleep?

[[me...]]

My situation is a little messy. I cold-turkeyed everything, then reinstated at a very small dose of amitriptiline and tapered. I took nothing for a few months. But I developed a horrid condition called trigeminal neuropathy, which is basically constant dental pain. I took opioids for a couple of months to try and handle the pain (which messed up my sleep), then weaned off the opioids with Valium now and then. It's been about a month since the last Valium, but it's like I'm starting over again with the sleep issues, arrrgh.   At least the pain level has dropped a bit.

[[Ma...]]

In any case it takes time, but WD is not linear so you cannot say.

[[jo...]]

meowie that was a good link You added to Your post but regarding melatonin its a hormone not a drug. It can also cause dreams etc like drugs do and also some natural sleep aids. Melatonin  will either work or it wont and when it does it usually puts You to sleep but rarely keeps You asleep.

 

I wake up hourly but then again so many factors can cause this some mentioned on Your list. Bottom line some sleep even light is better than no sleep. Been there for 6 straight days in a row and ended up in the hospital, if anyone wants to know what symptoms are like go 6 days without sleeping. Severe sleep deprivation symptoms ramp up the brain like benzo withdrawals do .

[[te...]]

Oh yes, even a short course can mess up your system for quite a while, unfortunately. I'd like your psych nurse to try a few of these drugs herself (just kidding, kinda) then report back. I had very bad results from both CBD oil and melatonin. CBD oil gives me almost complete insomnia, if there is any THC, I get absolutely paranoid and anxious. Melatonin also gave me complete insomnia and panic attacks (first ones in years) both times I tried it. These are strong drugs!

 

Personally I prefer to take absolutely nothing and tough it out, I've had too many things go sideways on me. But I can totally understand when you are at the end of your rope and need some help.

 

Just adding my two cents to agree with meowie and disagree with the psych nurse. We can have withdrawal even after short courses!!! I took lorazepam for less than a week!!! And there are other buddies on here who were also super short term users. We just never know how our CNS will react to these things and stopping them. I hope the CBD oil helps you. I took cannabis briefly, at first it helped but then I had a panic attack (kinda like meowie's experience above). When I need help I take unisom or mirtazapine. Keep us posted!!

[[Ja...]]

Just adding my two cents to agree with meowie and disagree with the psych nurse. We can have withdrawal even after short courses!!! I took lorazepam for less than a week!!!

 

How long until your insomnia started to get better, teal?

[[Ja...]]

Teal - having just read your story and posts, I think your prolonged insomnia had to do with being on Zoloft and other meds rather than just a one-week course of Ativan. JMO

 

I really don't think three weeks of Temazepam will have me messed up for that much longer. I can't think that.

 

However, everything is at an all time low and I'm not sure what else this could be.

[[te...]]

Teal - having just read your story and posts, I think your prolonged insomnia had to do with being on Zoloft and other meds rather than just a one-week course of Ativan. JMO

 

I really don't think three weeks of Temazepam will have me messed up for that much longer. I can't think that.

 

However, everything is at an all time low and I'm not sure what else this could be.

 

Sorry I missed your original question! I forgot to sign on for a few days. My insomnia started to improve after 3 months, but still has been up and down. I definitely think zoloft and metoprolol exacerbated the problem but I do think the ativan did affect me. I often thought how could one week do this, but my symptoms so closely matched many other people's experiences.  I try not to call what I experience insomnia anymore, i try not to demonize this or put sleep on a pedestal. I call it "sleep problems" because the patterns vary so much. I agree that your progress should be quicker because it was a short course. It's hard when we are in the thick of it to see hope but it really does come. how are you doing?

[[Ja...]]

It's hard when we are in the thick of it to see hope but it really does come. how are you doing?

Hey, sorry I fell off and didn't respond.. not that many people post anyway. February has been the month from hell. I started Lexapro, but couldn't deal with the side effects - worsened insomnia, anxiety, and self-harming thoughts. Oh those anti-depressants sure are helpful, aren't they? :/ I know, it takes 4-6 weeks to work, but there is not way in hell I'd tolerate those s/e's for that long.

 

I had a couple good days this month - literally - but the rest were zero nights or 1-2 hour nights of painfully thin sleep. I considered suicide many days, but knew I didn't have the guts to follow through. I am sad to know that I have conditioned bed with being awake. I am trying to spend less time in bed. I am trying to keep panic at bay. It is very difficult. I look awful and fear seeing old friends who will see my rapid decline. I don't drive much. I work from home, which is better than nothing, but still very isolating.

 

I had a "good day" Sunday after taking amitryptaline the night before. Have taken it twice since and it has not helped me. I am at a loss. I want to get off all meds but am scared to. I have a performance this Friday - I am a musician - and am scared of having been up for 4-5 days before it.

 

I hesitate to post here. This site is really strange. Not a lot of traffic on this board, and speaking about insomnia can definitely put the issue at the forefront of our brains, thereby exacerbating it. At the same time, I feel so alone, and no one understands sleep issues except other people who have them.

 

I am trying with all my might to be myself.. not let this beast control my mood or attitude towards others. I do not really have faith that sleep will restore itself. I have struggled with this for 2.5 years, and it is now at its worst, unfortunately controlling my life, for the most part. I don't know when to go to bed, or what to take. Sleep restriction is my only option, but I cannot start it until next week.

 

Any encouragement is helpful. Unfortunately the horror stories from this site also make things worse. It's a tradeoff I suppose.

[[me...]]

Jammin, sorry to hear you are still having such a rough time. If you think amitryptiline might help, you could consider taking it every night for a while ( I certainly relied on it for quite a while!). Oftentimes it doesn't take a whole lot, like 10-25 mg., to do the trick. I'm concerned that you are having such problems with negative thinking and hope you make sure and get the help you need.

 

If you can try and get outside a bit every day, take a walk, that can be very helpful. Your body needs the stimulation of day light to set your circadian rhythm. It's also important to be around other people as much as you can tolerate. Try to take good care of yourself in every way that you can. I think you will be surprised how well you can perform, even on little sleep, when you have to. The body is incredibly resilient.

 

I don't think sleep restriction is very helpful for our situation. I can't think of anyone who has really benefited from it during insomnia from withdrawal. On the contrary, I would suggest taking every little bit of sleep that your body offers you, despite what time it may be. For instance, last night I got really sleepy after dinner and went to "lie down" at 7:30 PM. Ended up sleeping for about 2 hours. Then of course I was awake for about 3 hours, but fell back asleep and slept for at least 5 more hours. So all in all a successful sleep night, but not at all the standard pattern.

[[Ja...]]

Thanks for the support, meowie. I do manage to get out for a long walk each day. I don't socialize much because I don't have the energy.. obviously this is a catch 22, though.

 

I am two months off a three week course of temazepam. I highly doubt I am still in benzo w/d. I originally already had insomnia for over 2 years.

 

Anyway, I've been taking amitryptaline for the last four nights, but it gives me a racing heart, which I then have to combat by taking propanolol, a beta blocker that can cause.. insomnia. This is purely ridiculous. Does the rapid heartbeat go away? I'm only four days in and thinking it's best to get rid of the Elavil and stop all the crap.

 

I'm so close to taking nothing anymore, I just have this high pressure event Friday and don't want to be awake till then.

[[sl...]]

Is your sleep getting better? I am also a short time user of Temazepam (4 weeks daily and 2 weeks on and off).

I am thinking about quitting my job, because can't function anymore. Today 6 nights without sleep.

[[Er...]]

Temazepam is poison if you ask me, the first week I took it, feb. 2016 , I got an insult during the night, woke up dizzy, problems breathing, could hardly walk and my head sounded like a blender.

The next morning my memories about this night were practically erased, it all seemed like a bad dream.  So I used it until june 2016 , thinking the side effects were the result of other health problems.  When my memory about the first night returned in may and I read some reports about benzo's and the Ashton Manual I know I had to stop taking temazepam, tapered off too fast I think, the first 4 months were awful, every two days I was a wreck, also lost my job.  Now after almost a year I still have a little tinnitus every two days and I sleep only 5 to 6 hours, used to be 7 or 8 .  My heartbeat and blood pressure returned to normal al last.    My previous doctor told me temazepam was an harmless type of medication, I think he should be put in prison and never work as a doctor again.  Now I have a better doctor but he can't advise me much on withdrawal effects.