How long off and how are you sleeping?

[[am...]]

10 months off and sleeping almost 8 hours a night, waking 2-4 times.

 

Never taken anything to help with sleep.  I just put up with it, implemented a very strict sleep regimen, exercised daily and ate well.  I was tempted at times to throw other things into the mix, but invariably they only buy you time and in the long run you have to pay for using them.

 

Of course it is all down to individual choice, but I will never take anything that alters my brain again.  Insomnia is better than pills for me/herbs etc for me.

[[Ho...]]

Holly....that combo of 5-htp, passionflower, valerian, and rozerem help you..on average how much sleep do you get per night?

Right now, only 12 days completely off klonopin,  my sleep has been very much up and down. Last night was zero sleep no matter what I did and those nights I have to learn to accept. I have taken those listed supplements for about a year now, and in the past they have helped me greatly. I  always feel at least a great relaxation from Passion Flower. If I feel anxiety during the day, I take Holy Basil (Tulsi) and it helps immensely. Those are my two favorite herbs. Magnesium without fail in the PM to calm my nervous system. I've found the Rozerem is much more potent now compared to before I cut out Klonopin. 5-Htp elevates serontin and melatonin and makes me drowsy.   If I combine these things with an audio tape of Delta (sleep) brain waves, then it's usually pretty safe to say i will fall asleep. This combination works well for me, and it's rare that I go an entire night without any sleep, but it does happen. I'd say my average sleep is 5-6hrs per night

 

 

[[Su...]]

Thanks Holly. I am going to ask my doc about Rozerem...right now i've just got to work at getting off the Seroquel...I wish the Trazodne worked for me like it used to...I might not be giving it enough of a chance...I just took 100mgs last night and freaked that it didn't work. I'd rather be on TRazodone than SEroquel any day!

[[Ho...]]

Thanks Holly. I am going to ask my doc about Rozerem...right now i've just got to work at getting off the Seroquel...I wish the Trazodne worked for me like it used to...I might not be giving it enough of a chance...I just took 100mgs last night and freaked that it didn't work. I'd rather be on TRazodone than SEroquel any day!

If you are looking for something to knock you out, the Rozerem probably isn't it... it works over time, and i was very impatient with it at first.

 

I will start thinking about re-instating Trazodone (and therefore making lots of changes in general to my sleep supplements) for my worst nights, once I feel out of the worst phases of w/d. Trazodone always used to work really well for me, until I quit the K. I think now that my anxiety is soooo much higher, for some reason taking Trazodone just freaks me out (I worry about serotonin syndrome  ) It also does feel like it's not working the same way in my body at all.

 

Hope we both find some sleep tonight!!

Holly

[[Su...]]

I took 25mgs of Traz and 25mgs of Seroquel and did ok last night...feeling much better this morning though still a little drugged and sleepy.

 

My plan is to be off the Seroquel in 6-7 nights.

 

I know the Trazodone worked awesome with the Klonopin..I remember those nights of pure sleeping bliss vividily!  I just need something to help me until benzo w/d is fully over...so my plan is to try and see if the Trazodone will work again and if it does I will stay on it for 6 months and the start tapering it slowly.

[[ji...]]

How is everyone sleeping? I'm one month and one week off and my sleep sucks. The last two nights I've taken 5mg melatonin and fall asleep but wake up soon after and can't get back. I've usually had the opposite problem where I can't fall asleep until 2,3 or 4 am but after that I could usually stay asleep. my baby slept almost all night last night and it's so toturous to know that she's finally sleeping and I'm still up!!! Grrr. I start my new job in two weeks and I need this to get better!! Hope you guys are getting some rest!

[[ma...]]

Hi all you fellow insomniacs. I slept really well last nite...but used Unisom. Even went right back to sleep at 4 when my dog woke me to go out.

I have found the nites I take my beta blocker for my heart I can sleep with just melatonin 2.5 and nighty night tea. Just realized it has passionflower and hops which is why it helps me sleep. But those are no-no's as they also target the gaba receptors. Am going to try again tonite with melatonin and no tea. Hope I can sleep.

For those of you using Rozerum...I was told it is just a pharmaceutical form of melatonin

Jittery...the melatonin makes me drowsy, but often doesn't keep me asleep. I believe that is why the compounding pharmacist recommended taking it with L tryptophan 500mg. I learned on another website that tryptophan also works on those same gaba receptors so I am trying to do without it. My hope is to be able to use melatonin to get to sleep and then be able to stay asleep. Don't know when that will happen. Then I'd like to either drop the melatonin and switch to tryptophan and then finally nothing. I don't mind taking the tryptophan if my brain is healed and I only use it occasionally. That is my hope for the future. All I know is today I feel good because I slept...thanks to a drug...unisom. Have to keep working and having sleepless nites to heal, but also have to have some help sometimes to feel human. Maybe at some point I can go back to Calms Forte, but for now it isn't strong enuf.

Good luck and lets make sure we keep each other informed on any new sleep information...and anything that works, that will still allow us to heal.

[[De...]]

I am about  5 months and 2 weeks off and feeling good.  I am finally sleeping every night.  I should try sleeping again w my hubby....that's just about the last thing to where I can consider myself completely healed.  It's so hard to go back to sleeping with someone again.

[[ma...]]

Wow, determined. That is fabulous. You are so lucky. Are you taking anything to help you sleep? what is your sleep protocol? I will be 7 mos on the 15th and am able to sleep a bit with melatonin and nighty night tea. I thought 5 hrs was fabulous for me...you are doing great. Were you a terrible sleeper prior to benzos like me? I slept great last nite with Unisom but I am really tirred today.

Kathi

[[Su...]]

I'm taking 62.5mgs of Trazodone and sleeping pretty good..averaging 7 hours..in 1 1/2 months (when I hit the year off mark) I will start doing a taper off Trazodone, but it will be the slowest taper in human history! We'll see how it goes!

[[we...]]

6 1/2 months and slept for the last 5 nights 5-7 hrs, divided, but i'm exhausted.  many other sx.  When will I feel rested?

[[li...]]

Its coming Julie.  I don't feel rested either.  I get between 4 to 6 hrs a nite and wake up once.  I always wake up 1 hr after I fall asleep.  During dreams I wake.  I have alot of dreams.  Linder xo

[[we...]]

I used to sleep 7-9 hrs before, you?

[[De...]]

Wow, determined. That is fabulous. You are so lucky. Are you taking anything to help you sleep? what is your sleep protocol? I will be 7 mos on the 15th and am able to sleep a bit with melatonin and nighty night tea. I thought 5 hrs was fabulous for me...you are doing great. Were you a terrible sleeper prior to benzos like me? I slept great last nite with Unisom but I am really tirred today.

Kathi

 

Hi Kathi,

I am very lucky.  My insomnia started back last Aug/Sept of '10 due to stress, but didn't start taking pills until Dec/Jan.  I was either taking an OTC or benzo each night and stopped Feb 22nd with everything.  So, I wasn't on drugs for too long, but I have had to re-learn to sleep again w/o help and to deal with stress better since I was so sleep deprived for almost 7 months.

 

I'm not taking anything to sleep now, but once in a blue moon I take Fortes Calm or Theanine. Sleep is rocky around PMS, however,but other than that sleep returned.  As far as my sleep protocol, I don't exercise too late, I stay away from being on the computer late at night, and when its an hour before my bedtime, I try to dim the lights.  My husband laughs because I tell him its to help the melatonin process....lol.   

 

Before benzos, I sometimes would go through insomnia phases.... but looking back I think it was due to stresses in my life.  I have since taken up meditation, which has helped a ton.  I never thought I would be so close to the finish line.  I feel so close, but when my hubby gets in bed and falls asleep quickly, I am reminded I am awake and it frustrates me to pieces....and I don't sleep.  I never used to be like that.  Now that I sleep, I freak out about not sleeping when he is snoring next to me.

 

Hang in there Kathi.  It's a long road, but we were on the same meds, so there's no doubt you will get there. 

[[ma...]]

Thank you determined. YOu are doing a lot better than I am. Tonite I will try Melatonin only and epsom salts bath and hope for the best.

Doesn't sound like your insomnia was as long lasting as mine. I've always been a poor sleeper with the biggest problem in going to sleep. Now its going and staying there and early awakening. I feel pretty good today since I took Unisom last nite but tonite I won't. This sleep thing is just ridiculous...being off the drug almost 7 mos and now off wine 23 days. I sure thought I would be sleeping by now. Even Wellness, who has had bad sleep issues is sleeping pretty well now. I can only hope that will happen for me. It doesn't count if I take Unisom. That's just another drug. I am hoping I can get to the point where I only use it occasionally.

I'm doing everything I can think of...exercising in the morning, epsom salts bath about 4 days a week, lavendar on the pillow, listening to relaxing music on the I-pod and reading in bed...and praying for SLEEP.

Thanks for listening.

Kathi

[[ji...]]

I feel your pain. It's 430am and still no sleep for me. It's about to kill me. I took melatonin and calms forte and nothing. Having a zero hour night is torture. I feel like giving up and going back on the benzos.  I have to be able to function to start my new job and care for my baby.... Feeling so low and hopeless.

[[ma...]]

Hi Jittery. You are really new in being off the benzos. Since you used them for insomnia, like me, it is expected that your sleep would be pretty bad for a while, I would think. What worked for me at that stage, was Benadryl, 25mg at bedtime, an hour before I wanted to go to sleep. Now I also use Unisom alternating between the two. I don't want to use drugs but if I have to function, I have to have some sleep. I personally think using Benadryl occasionally is ok to get you thru this withdrawal. Some of us just have a bigger sleep problem than others. If you have to work, you have to drive and in order to function you need some sleep. If you can't do it naturally I think using Benadryl or Melatonin is better than not sleeping enuf to function. The trick is to get to the point where we can sleep naturally, without any supplements, but it just may take us longer. Most people think melatonin is ok but in my early withdrawal it didn't work for me anymore. Now it does most nites.

I am certainly not an expert but this is what I use and I do think I am slowly getting better. Last nite I took my beta blocker for my heart and only melatonin...did use Rescue Sleep spray when I awakened at 3. Got a decent amount of sleep. Good luck and let me know how you are doing with sleep.

Kathi

[[ji...]]

Hi kathi,

 

I'm glad you are getting at least some sleep. I've tried benadryl and it hadn't worked. Last time I tried it it gave me terrible restless leg. Melatonin sometimes puts me to sleep but does not keep me there. I tried it last night and never fell asleep. I have not tried unisom. I never had insomnia but maybe a few nights in my life until I had my baby. I had a difficult delivery and postpartum complications that led to the insomnia. Meds made it worse all around. I'm dying for a good night sleep. I would do anything!!!!

[[we...]]

maltese, I just now slept for 6 nights in a row, like a sleep switch i am now sleeping.  Before that it was 15 minutes here and there, sometimes 2 hrs, for months and months.  I am really in bad shape and my brain will need months before I can heal from this hell.  My sleep is not great, but it is.  I hope yours returns soon.

[[ma...]]

Oh my gosh Wellness, that is fabulous. Did it just happen all of a sudden? My biggest problem is I can't fall asleep without some help...like melatonin. that doesn't really keep me asleep, but it does help me go to sleep. I have so far never slept without some help. I have been happy to sleep with only melatonin. I feel that is progress for me if I can sleep without Benadryl or Unisom.

Congratulations. I know you need a lot more sleep to catch up, but you are doing great. We are only 5 days apart in our taper but I have not had any nights without some sleep help. I was using Nighty Night Tea but realized it has passionflower and hops and skullcap which all affect the gaba receptors so I had to stop that.

What do you think happened to make you sleep after such a terrible time not sleeping?

Thanks for the update and continued good sleeping!

Kathi

[[ji...]]

Yay wellness!!!! I'm so glad you are sleeping. Everytime one of us gets good sleep I think it's a win for all of us insomniacs!!!

[[Bu...]]

Day 12 cold turkey:

 

I sleep about six hours with at least one wake up.

 

Initially I didn't sleep at all.  My mind would spin with "stuff".  I decided to maker a list of the things I was worrying about, things I needed to do,  things left undone and the things I had no controll over.

 

I reviewed the list and took care of the things I could immediately and prioritized the things I still needed to do.  I took action on the things left pending and slowly but surely they are being taken care of.  These no longer take up space in my head. 

 

I carefully reviewed the things I could not control and made a conscious decision to turn these over to God and trust Him for the outcome.  In most cases, they were nameless terrors that haunted my nights.  They are going away, mostly, although every once in a while they just pop-up again.  When they do, I make a decision to accept the things I cannot change.  It's not all that easy, but I'm determined not to surrender to the withdrawal.

 

We can alter our brain chemistry by force of will, determination and developing a positive attitude and taking action.  All in all, I feel blessed not to have to suffer as many here appear to.  Of course, 50mg of Benadryl and 6 mg of melatonin probably help too 

 

 

[[re...]]

Wow wellness-  You are sleeping!  That's huge.  It is proof positive that your body is healing.  :yippee:

 

I am very impressed with your strength through this terrible ordeal. 

 

[[we...]]

The ordeal continues, now I'm overun by stress and depression, but at leasts i get some zzzz.  Still exhausted.  i thought that i would feel rested after sleeping, not. This wd. just keeps on giving.

[[ji...]]

How is everyone sleeping? BUMP.