Struggling so bad

[Guest [re...]]

My insomnia is even worse since I updosed. I took my night dose at 9pm, fell asleep at 10:00 and woke up at 1am. I am now only sleeping 3 hours a day on top of all the other symptoms I have. I took 25mg of phenergan at 2am and it didn't help at all. I can't keep going like this without sleep. I still have 8 months to taper. Please help, I'm getting close to giving up.

[[NJ...]]

An updose can take time to stabilize. I do think that doing a slower, symptom based taper is definitely the way to go if you can. Don't focus on how long it takes, just that you are over time making progress towards getting lower. Good luck and hope you get some sleep soon--lack of sleep makes everything worse. I did not sleep at all Friday night (dropped my son off at college five hours from home on Saturday), but slept great last night due to being so exhausted. Hopefully you will get some good sleep soon.

[[4G...]]

Hi redpeach. I might get shot down by some people here, but remeron (Mirtazepine in UK) really helps me. Yes, it's something else to taper, but if it helps you sleep and get off the benzo then it is something to consider.

Good luck. Gx

[[Ai...]]

I had a big withdrawal that lasted two years because of an ssri and I used the benzos to face it. Now I'm fighting to avoid another WD from benzos...if you're prone to drugs WD you'll have the same issues with the antidepressants..don't use it!

[[be...]]

Hi redpeach. I might get shot down by some people here, but remeron (Mirtazepine in UK) really helps me. Yes, it's something else to taper, but if it helps you sleep and get off the benzo then it is something to consider.

Good luck. Gx

 

:thumbsup: Remeron didn't work for me, but it helps so many others. I got lucky with the Trazodone as my sleep was just as bad as yours. Now I sleep too much. I would be afraid to say this on the insomnia board. Take care and be well.  You'll get there if I managed to. I thought I was a hopeless case who would die from not sleeping. It sucks.

[[Su...]]

Remeron has been a godsend for me...

low dose, 5-7.5mg....

SS

[[Ph...]]

I had a big withdrawal that lasted two years because of an ssri and I used the benzos to face it. Now I'm fighting to avoid another WD from benzos...if you're prone to drugs WD you'll have the same issues with the antidepressants..don't use it!

 

Just curious.. which AD, if you don't mind me asking? Remeron is usually considered a little more benign than SSRI/SNRIs.

[[Ai...]]

i had two years of Wd with 6 months of Paxil..but if you go on surviving antidepressants there are a lot of people having the same issues with Remeron. http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/8709-charlie1708-remeron-nightmare/

I can't tell if you're gonna have a WD but do you really want to spend two or three years more like a zombie? I will always regret all the xanax I took to face the panick attacks from Paxil. After what I've been through, I will NEVER take another psych med for the rest of my life.

[[Su...]]

Hi all,

Paxil is a very different med -- and yes is extremely difficult to w/d from... that is well documented unfortunately...

I'm very sorry that you had to w/d from Paxil  - it's rarely prescribed in Canada any more due to it's harshness...

 

But I really do know that Remeron is helping me as I would REALLY feel like a zombie were I not sleeping.  I've had that experience and know it's hell.... for me....insomnia is torture.

So while I understand a reluctance to add another med -- I think done judicially and on a very low dose it can be helpful.

It sure is for me.

And we all must find out own way on this journey of alchemy....

SS

[[Ai...]]

My first first Wd was from another ssri, the molecule was fluvoxamine (not telling the med name because here in Italy is different). I took a very low dose, half the minimum therapeutic dose for few months and when I stopped I had the same symptoms of Paxil wd. It lasted just 3 months because the doctor gave me the Paxil to help,  thinking that my symptoms were a bipolar disorder(I didn't know it was wd at that time). So the problem isn't the strongness or the dose of the med but the individual biology...as for the benzodiazepines, not all people will develop the prolonged wd but if you're having it from benzos, there's a good chance that antidepressants will do the same to your brain. I hope  that you don't have to go through another wd like me.

[[si...]]

Sorry to hear you are struggling so bad. I deal with insomnia too but right now taking a small dose of melatonin  ( about .3-.5 mgs) under the tongue might help if you have not tried it. Also avoid as much light especially blue light from electronics a couple hrs before bedtime helps some .  I also use a white noise machine by my bed and have room darkening shades on the windows in my bedroom. Hope these suggestions help some.

[[ne...]]

Sweet Red Peach,

 

Insomnia is awful. I didn't sleep for 10 days (give or take) when I began my withdrawal process. There could be a time insomnia will come again for me. It helps me to know that you cannot die from insomnia. I try to remind myself that many new parents go months without adequate sleep (that doesn't mean it feels good, of course). You will survive on 3 hours of sleep, and your sleep will improve over time. If you don't want to consider medication, there are always alternative methods that you could discuss with a naturopath or an acupuncturist. People always try to remind me that symptoms can change as we taper. If you didn't have insomnia like the before, it may recede again. I hope it does for you soon.