Lets Talk About What Works - RECOVERED PLEASE PLEASE POST TO

[[el...]]

I have been having some terrible insomnia issues lately, partly due to withdrawal and partly due to pipe noise issues in my apartment building. I need sleep!

 

Hi Jenbooks.

Have you tried earplugs?

[[je...]]

Hi eljay I have sinus and ear congestion issues and can't use earplugs which is a big problem. I use sound machines (three) but it doesn't help this particular kind of crackiing/banging noise.

 

I overdid the chamomile tea last night. It does make up for the "withdrawal" part of insomnia because of the apigenin, the flavanoid in chamomile that binds like a benzo to the gaba receptor, but it also binds to the estrogen receptor and gives me reactions.

 

So I slept last night but not feeling too well!

 

I want to continue my slow titration, some on here seem to be doing it faster than me.

[[el...]]

I want to continue my slow titration, some on here seem to be doing it faster than me.

 

You do whatever works best for you. There are many people here who are doing a "turtle taper" and that is just fine. That is what your body and mind are most comfortable with.. We are all different physiologically, and what works for one, does not work for the other.

Linda

[[ge...]]

Hi Everyone,

 

It's 2 a.m. New York time, and I am totally wide awake, although I'm doing a turtle taper. Why am I awake? Because I was foolish enough to watch the Presidential debate and then afterwards get into a "pissing" contest with someone whose views on the candidates reminded me of the Dark Ages. The e-mail I had to respond to was totally insane. I mean, I do not mind if someone likes one candidate over another, but, when someone starts talking about the Bible and dissing a candidate for allegedly being a member of a religion he does not belong to, I become stressed out and feel I have to respond. So, my advice to anyone who has insomnia is to let things go at night. Don't get into Internet arguments with people. Don't fight with your loved ones prior to bedtime. Just tell yourself you are a good person and that you need your sleep. I will probably be a wreck tomorrow, as if I'm not already a wreck. My advice to those who are trying to get their zzz's is simply to avoid stress. So, why can't I follow my own advice???

 

Love,

Genie  :'(

[[el...]]

Bandy, this post doesn't belong in this thread. I'll give you some time to copy and move it (then delete it here) to an off topic thread. "US Primaries" thread would be appropriate. I'll pm you too to ask you to move it.

If it isn't moved shortly, It will be deleted.

 

[[Li...]]

Hi Guys

 

I just wanted to let you all know that from tuesday night until now I have had sleep!!

Each night I have drifted off around midnight I know this as I have been playing a relaxation c.d. which lasts 43 mins and I have gone to bed around 11.20 and not quite heard the end of it!

Anyway, Tuesday night I was shocked to see that I had slept through until 6.30 a.m. for the first time in one year! Wednesday night I woke around 4 went back off again until 6.30 a.m. Last night I went off at midnightish and woke at 5.30 and then went straight back off again until 7.30 a.m.

Hand on heart I can say that I have not taken anything at all, not done anything different, so, at least I have now experienced non benzo sleep!

Time is definitely the factor and the main healer for us, acceptance of the situation and time!

I dont expect this to last consistently but I am optimistic now that I will sleep again as normal one day!

Good luck to all.

[[si...]]

hi diane - for a while i was sleeping well - and now i am sleeping maybe 4 hours - but for some reason i feel rested and not stressed about it.

 

i think all i am really looking for is not feelings stressed - although i realize i can't continue on for ever on 4 hours a night of sleep - it is ok for now.

 

i am glade you are resting well diane - i hope it continues.

[[el...]]

Bandy I have moved your off-topic posts to "more on US primaries" in off-topic.

[[br...]]

Is this thread for people who are benzo free and experience insomnia? I'm still on benzos and stopped the tapering the last couple of weeks due to personal stressors but I wanted to let you know what has helped me. I take tart cherry extract in capsule form. It's  a natural source of melatonin. My only concern is that I've been taking this for a couple of months and it is suggested not to take it more than a week or so because your body will stop producing the melatonin. Since it's working for me I'm hesitant to stop. I still only get 5 hours sleep with the klonopin and the tart cherry plus one other supplement that I take from Native Remedies http://nativeremedies.com/serenite_for_sleep_insomnia.shtml  I'm not complaining because I can somehow survive with 5 hours of sleep and hope one day I'll get back to my old self. I was just wondering if it is safe to take tart cherry extract for long term. I couldn't find info on it online. 

 

Also I notice when I get acupuncture I sleep better that night and feel sleepy.

[[si...]]

well most of us post benzo have found that sleeping supplements stop working and we need to get back our natural sleep - naturally.

 

many people while tapering have also found that sleep supplements stop working.  we are trained to think if we take something to help us whatever then everything is ok - but many have found that there just is not a pill for everything - sometimes there is not a pill for anything

 

so here we are sleep deprived trying to get it together - some are making progress and all of us are watching and reading to see just what led to that progress - so put your reading glasses on and fasten your seat belt - cause there is always another ride waiting

 

althought this last ride is not as wild as the first one

[[el...]]

I was just wondering if it is safe to take tart cherry extract for long term. I couldn't find info on it online. 

 

 

 

Hi Brite!

Just from my own experience, I used melatonin almost everynight for several years.  I don't know for sure if it lost it's effectiveness Because I was also on paxil which made me sleep like a baby.

As for it stopping the natural production of melatonin, I'm not on anything now since more than two weeks, (except wellbutrin, but this is more of a stimulant) and I have had a lot of good nights. So my body must still produce melatonin. I suppose it might temporarily suppress it, but according to my own experience, it is not permanent.

[[br...]]

Hi Eljay. I feel relieved hearing about your experience with melatonin and being able to sleep without it.  Thanks for sharing that with me. Cause worrying is the worst thing I can do for myself. I think then I might stick with the cherry unil I feel ready to stop. My brother told me the samething about Paxil, that it helped him sleep. I tried it for one day and got so anxious I stopped and didn't contiune.  I wonder if Wellbutrin would help me with the chronic fatigue.....

 

Silver, you crack me up.  As always thanks for your advice and support   BTW I'm going to this sleep clinic that is trying cognitive behavioral therapy on me. Not sure if that's really my problem as much as it is chemical but she did recommend a book wich I was supposed to have bought but didn't yet and Monday is my appt. Yikies. It sounds like it might be worth checking out:

 

"Say Good Night to Insomnia"  The 6-week solution  A Drug Free Program Developed at Harvard Medical School by Gregg Jacobs.

 

Anyone here of it or read it???

 

 

[[si...]]

honey i am so happy for you that you have that option - my insurance sucks to bad to offer me anything put drugs - and i get to pay for the drugs - it is a win win situation for every one but the patient.

 

i am absolutely amazed when i read the kind of support people get on these forums - i feel like i must live under some kind of damned rock or something.

 

and for the aggravation of really horrible health care i pay hundreds of dollars.  i am thinking about just dropping my health care - the only thing they ever offer me is drugs.

[[el...]]

 

"Say Good Night to Insomnia"  The 6-week solution  A Drug Free Program Developed at Harvard Medical School by Gregg Jacobs.

 

Anyone here of it or read it???

 

 

 

I don't know that particular book but know of the Harvard program. There are a few books based on this. It's apparently very successful, but I couldn't do it, cuz it calls for doing some sleep deprivation. 

[[el...]]

. My brother told me the samething about Paxil, that it helped him sleep. I tried it for one day and got so anxious I stopped and didn't contiune.  I wonder if Wellbutrin would help me with the chronic fatigue.....

 

 

 

Not to advocate AD's, but paxil and the other ssri's will do that at first, cause anxiousness and loss of appetite, insomnia, etc for a while, but that starts to go away after a couple of weeks.

As for Wellbutrin, it might help with chronic fatigue. The stimulant effect doesn't last though. At least not that I noticed. But it's not a pleasant effect. It was like too much caffeine. The shakes, no appetite, nausea, etc. That went away when I reduced from 150 to 100.

The best is drug free though. 

[[on...]]

Silver 

 

Well to be completely honest with you I had rare days where I had energy whilst only having 2 hrs sleep - but they were rare!

It has only really been this last couple of days that I have actually began to feel 'this is the me I remember'.

Although my sleep is still erratic and I have only had 4 hrs total a night I feel better at last! Dont know how long this spell will last, but, I am happy to have it!

I dont feel like a zombie walking about all day and dont ache all over which is great.

I have not taken anything now for sleep for a couple of weeks, I limit myself to taking Phenergan just once or twice a month. As I dont want to feel that I am only sleeping because of it, sounds silly I know but although there are times that I need to catch up on some zzz's most of the time I want to see this out and find out how long before I actually go off to sleep naturally!

 

 

 

I took Phenergan for nausea, last may, and it did help the nausea, but sure made me pee A LOT!!! I would never touch that stuff ever again, I would rather deal with 24/7 nausea, than that!

[[on...]]

hi tracy sounds like you are in the acceptance mode - that makes it much easier to deal with.

 

i wish i had better records - i know after quitting i tried to do without and it didn't work - then i was going from one supplement to another - for three nights no i have used nothing and slept well - lets hope it lasts.

 

if it gets too unbearable i think a break is warranted where a supplement may help (for a short time) but be enough to get things going again.

 

I totally agree....if it gets to the point where you are about to put a hole in the wall because of no sleep for days on end, then YES a supp. is in order. I was going to give it ONE more night and then I was going for the benedryl. Luckily I slept well and held off. But you know what? I'm going to get some benedryl in the house anyway, because none of us, no matter how hard we try can live without sleep for a long period of time.  We'll go mad for sure. I just got lucky for a night or two. I just know the insomnia party will park it's RV right next to my bed table again in short order.....LOL.....yes, acceptance is my new coping mechanism. It keeps me from punching holes in my bedroom wall 

Hugs 

Tracy

 

I did not have benedryl around till I got the hives (early december), from some earrings I bought last Dec. That was in no way fun!!! I do have some left, but don't touch them, and plus I stopped meletonin, as I need my body to start to try to make some by its self, so I don't go though bad w/d from that (what ever the w/d symptoms are)

[[br...]]

Hi Silver. I'm sorry about your insurance situation. Me? I'm on state Medicaid because I can't work due to my condition. But the reason why I can't work was because of the doctors so I rather not have had seen a doctor and I wouldn't be in this mess in the first place ironically.  I became sick last year after they gave me steroids for 6 days and I've been sick ever since. If I never got the steroids, none of this would have happened to me   I never would have even needed the klonopin because I never had sleep problems my whole life.  Sorry for griping but it just makes me sad how doctors can really mess you up even though they don't intend to.

[[si...]]

people have to be very careful about what they put in their bodies - having said that i actually was on chantex for almost two weeks - one the the most evil destructive drugs out there - but trying to get off nicotine so i did it.

 

steroids always did a real number on me to - finally i insisted that it be put in my med folder that i cannot tolerate steroid - the funny thing is - i don't think many people can - it is almost a one way ticket to diabetes.

[[...]]

I have tried several sleep aids while I have been withdrawing.  Children's benadryl, taken in a small dose, before 2AM works pretty well without a groggy feeling.  Interestingly Doxepin at 10 mg didn't work very well and I still felt groggy.  I took the Doxepin at 10 PM when I went to bed.  I took a half a tablet of Calm Forte at 10PM and then another half a tablet at 2AM and I slept most of the night.  I think I have heard from others that if I take the Calms Forte or any other supplement too long it will stop working.  I cast my vote for Calms Forte as at least something to try.  SC

[[el...]]

I have tried several sleep aids while I have been withdrawing.  Children's benadryl, taken in a small dose, before 2AM works pretty well without a groggy feeling.  Interestingly Doxepin at 10 mg didn't work very well and I still felt groggy.  I took the Doxepin at 10 PM when I went to bed.  I took a half a tablet of Calm Forte at 10PM and then another half a tablet at 2AM and I slept most of the night.  I think I have heard from others that if I take the Calms Forte or any other supplement too long it will stop working.  I cast my vote for Calms Forte as at least something to try.  SC

 

I have that too, SC, though I haven't really tried it for sleep yet. I have been using melatonin the last three nights very successfully. I take 1/2 of a 2.5mg pill at 9ish bedtime, then another 1/2 at around 2am. I have been getting a half decent 7 hours a night. I wake alot, but do go back to sleep. Tonight I will try the calms.

[[si...]]

i wonder where diane is - diane and jenilyn used to be regulars on here.

 

well i have reached the point where sleep supplements are not the answer for me - i need to get my natural sleep thing back.

 

if someone is really stressed and just not doing well  think a sleep supplement can help to put them on track - and of course if someone is have no problem with sleep supplements - why quit - no reason.

 

however many of us build up a resistance and are left howling at them moon at some point.

[[Be...]]

I just posted this on the Anxiety and Panic thread but thought it might help someone with insomnia a bit.

 

One technique that's helped me a lot - especially at bedtime -is belly breathing.  I think the key is to practice doing it when you are feeling pretty calm already so you can start doing it easily when  you start to feel anxious or panicky.  Although it's best to do lying down, I've even done it in the car.  It does feel a little weird at first and takes a little practice for it to become natural, but I do think it helps.  Besides heading off hyperventilation, I think it helps to be focusing on your breathing instead of the anxious feelings. Seems to help break the cycle.

 

Here's a link to a simple description.  Hope it helps someone. 

 

http://www.paniccure.com/Approaches/Meditation/Belly_Breathing.htm

 

 

[[Je...]]

i wonder where diane is - diane and jenilyn used to be regulars on here.

 

 

:yippee:   Here I am Silver!!  LOL  I've been skipping around trying to help where I can.  Been busy busy busy...and pooping out at night.  I fell asleep on the couch last night about 9:30 p.m.!!  Benzo withdrawal and severe insomnia sure makes you appreciate those days when you are so sleepy you fight to keep your eyes open!!

 

Love,

 

Jen

[[si...]]

I just posted this on the Anxiety and Panic thread but thought it might help someone with insomnia a bit.

 

One technique that's helped me a lot - especially at bedtime -is belly breathing.  I think the key is to practice doing it when you are feeling pretty calm already so you can start doing it easily when  you start to feel anxious or panicky.  Although it's best to do lying down, I've even done it in the car.  It does feel a little weird at first and takes a little practice for it to become natural, but I do think it helps.  Besides heading off hyperventilation, I think it helps to be focusing on your breathing instead of the anxious feelings. Seems to help break the cycle.

 

Here's a link to a simple description.  Hope it helps someone. 

 

http://www.paniccure.com/Approaches/Meditation/Belly_Breathing.htm

 

 

 

bepper thank you for providing a link - i tell people to do that but always stress to fill the lungs up all the way down on the inhale - wonder if it is the same - but different words.

 

i wonder where diane is - diane and jenilyn used to be regulars on here.

 

 

:yippee:   Here I am Silver!!  LOL  I've been skipping around trying to help where I can.  Been busy busy busy...and pooping out at night.  I fell asleep on the couch last night about 9:30 p.m.!!  Benzo withdrawal and severe insomnia sure makes you appreciate those days when you are so sleepy you fight to keep your eyes open!!

 

Love,

 

Jen

 

jeni you are doing a great job to - and i enjoy your posts very much