Please don't go back to your original benzo for sleep!

[[Gr...]]

Hey guys, I have stuffed up in a big way, by going back to Xanax as a sleeping pill.  I kept on telling myself that I would only use it some nights and would rotate it with antihistamines, but I ended up taking at least some of it each night.  I also told myself that I was only using 0.25-0.75 mg per day now instead of my old 1 mg/day.

 

I had been completely benzo free for a period, but I began using excuses because I believed I could not be without a shortish-acting benzo as a sleeping pill; there wasn't any other craving for it or any desire to use it for anxiety.  Anyway I have switched back to Valium, 15 mg then 10 then 7.5 mg, probably 5 mg tonight.  A slower taper may not be needed as I was only back on the Xanax a few weeks.

 

Don't go back to your old benzos (or any other ones!) if you can possibly help it.  Xanax was already causing me daytime interdose withdrawals again, and when I switched over to Valium I felt intensely emotional and depressed, and there was a feeling of total hopelessness.  That's a strong withdrawal syndrome for something I only went back to for a few weeks.

 

I think I read that Xanax can have more of an emotional depressing sort of withdrawal than other benzos but the same thing could probably happen with any of them.

[[we...]]

Thanks for posting.

 

This give us a reason not to reinstate and ride out the waves.  Hope your taper will go well.  Hugs.

[[Cr...]]

Amen to that... do not experiment with benzos at all once you come off...

[Guest [Si...]]

I think I read that Xanax can have more of an emotional depressing sort of withdrawal than other benzos but the same thing could probably happen with any of them.

 

You're correct. It can / does happen with all of them. In some point of the taper it does, whether the withdrawal is linear or nonlinear.

 

S#

[Guest [Tu...]]

I've been sleeping fine from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., but I wake up every night at 2 and can't get back to sleep. Did the antihistamines help you sleep at all?

 

I'm doing a CT from Valium and on two occasions in the past month I've taken one .5 mg dose of Xanax to help cut down the middle-of-the-night anxiety so I could get some sleep. I know I'm playing with fire and have only done it when I was ready to jump out of my skin and start screaming with frustration. I also used vodka and diet ginger ale a couple of times, but felt like crap the next morning and have ruled that out. Now, I just lay there and watch the sun come up.

 

I may try benadryl and see if it helps at all. Something has to!

 

Thanks for listening to my rant...

 

Jac in Tucson

 

Me on Day 44: 

[[Be...]]

I haven't yet told my story but in short I've been researching and researching and researching benzo effects and complications etc for the past 2 years or so.. One or my main issues is blood sugar. I always had it mildly which is why I started on sleep meds 15 years ago (lack of a decent nights sleep).  So I'm writing here because I have had this exact issue  for a very long time. I finally googled (last year) "2am wake up " because it was so crazy to wake up and be done with sleep at 2am. I found an article by Jonni Good that spoke of sugar being the reason we wake up at 2am. The liver starts it's dumping process and does all kinds of things triggering the brain to release something I think glucose. (part of my klonopin issues is lack of retaining information I read).. Anyway, basically what wakes me up at 2am is a blood sugar drop the brain thinks it's too low so it produces glucose or something. Anyway I fixed this drop by taking the Extend Shakes created for diabetics. These are slow burning protein drinks that last for 9 hours and get you through the night.  I have found my hyperglycemia got much much worse due to the adrenal fatigue i got from being on benzos. So here's my advice and it's only what worked for me:  High protein breakfasts and protein snacks throughout the day. This will keep your blood sugar steady throughout the day. And try either a protein snack before bed of whole grain cracker with cheese or better is those Extend shakes. This should keep you from waking at 2am.. I'm also taking 500mg of L-tryptophan at 2am and the puts my out until 6:30am. If I take the tryptophan before 1am for some reason it doesn't work. I'm still looking for the answer to this one. My only thoughts are that L-tryptophan has a hard time crossing the blood brain barrier as it is and when you have other aminos or foods for it to battle it's pathway with it doesn't make it. I believe this has something to due with my poor digestion due to being on benzos. I'm sure I am not alone in this and would love to hear if others try this and are successful.

[[li...]]

Hi again!

 

I learned that if you take something sweet with your tryptophan (I use honey) then the glucose is released and it assists in the crossing of the blood brain barrier.  I don't know how the honey would tie in with your blood sugar issues tho.  I don't want to mess you up!

 

Hope you are still doing great!

 

Lisa