Lots of meds out of desperation for sleep and relief

[[ji...]]

I'm so frustrated...mostly with myself. I got to bed every night DETERMINED not to take anything no matter how bad I feel. Then when I lay down the weird feelings start. The restlessness, the anxiety, adrenaline rushes, weird feelings of being pulled from drowsy to hypervigalent.

 

After several hours of this and no sleep I try something...benadryl or unisom, rescue remedy, and lately I'm sad to say beta blockers and last night trazadone.

 

I did sleep with the combination of beta blockers, benadryl, and trazadone. They are all old prescriptions in my name that I was given before I figured out I was in w/d.

 

I feel AWFUL today. I'm twitching like crazy, and I'm scared the traz is making the twitching and jerking worse.

 

Why am I doing this to myself? It's likely making this wave worse and not go away.

 

I just can't stand night after night of no sleep with extreme restlessness and I get desperate. Can anyone relate?

 

Thanks,

 

Jittery

[[...]]

jittery, I can relate so much with what you are going through. When I went cold turkey I did not sleep for a month straight. The Ambien and Ativan screwed up my natural sleep pattern so bad that my mind would race non-stop night after night.

 

The way I survived weeks and weeks of little or no sleep was to not to fight it. There were many nights when I would not go to bed, I would spend the night in my recliner, and I actually felt better the next day because when I was in my bed all I did was obsess about not sleeping and then the adrenalin would kick in, insuring that I would not sleep.

 

I know it's tough, but please try not to take any sleep aids, each time you do, your brain just becomes more confused and your natural ability to sleep is compromised once again. I know that you realize all this, and I realize how desperate one wants to sleep and will do most anything to do so.

 

Our brains are programmed for us to sleep, so sleep will return to you. I wish there was something I could do or say to make it happen sooner.

 

[[Su...]]

I did the exact same thing to myself several months ago...around the 7th month mark..I started w/benadyrl, then Trazodone, then SEroquel, Unsiom, then Clonodine...all in 1 night! I felt like I was dying the next day and for a couple after that even. it was a SUPER bad idea, but I was SO desperate for sleep I didn't care. It's dangerous!

 

I decided if I was gonna take something to pick 1..so I picked the Trazodone and it worked well at 100mgs...It's 5 months later and I'm now at 50mgs of Trazodone and still sleeping most nights, except for a bad night here and there.

[[Ho...]]

Jittery,

Is it safe to take beta blockers with trazodone?

Remember what I said about how the traz often makes people hung over for  a day or two when you start it or increase the dose. I do not want to tell you what to take, and I think "combinations" can be extremely dangerous, but whenever the Traz doesn't work for me (which is usually only when I take a low dose because, like you, I feel so guilty about having to take anything) I take 1 Benadryl with it and it makes me sleep enough to fall asleep. Benadryl is pretty much the only sleep drug that I'm comfortable taking because it is safe, and it usually doesn't give me side effects. It's always smart not to combine anything without talking to a pharmacist first.

 

I'm basically the same exact way you are with wanting to not take anything and feeling so guilty afterward. I try to remember that this is only temporary, and right now I must have sleep, and pretty soon I will be drug free and sleeping well.

[[Su...]]

Jittery,

Is it safe to take beta blockers with trazodone?

Remember what I said about how the traz often makes people hung over for  a day or two when you start it or increase the dose. I do not want to tell you what to take, and I think "combinations" can be extremely dangerous, but whenever the Traz doesn't work for me (which is usually only when I take a low dose because, like you, I feel so guilty about having to take anything) I take 1 Benadryl with it and it makes me sleep enough to fall asleep. Benadryl is pretty much the only sleep drug that I'm comfortable taking because it is safe, and it usually doesn't give me side effects. It's always smart not to combine anything without talking to a pharmacist first.

 

I'm basically the same exact way you are with wanting to not take anything and feeling so guilty afterward. I try to remember that this is only temporary, and right now I must have sleep, and pretty soon I will be drug free and sleeping well.

 

Yes, Trazodone and Beta Blockers are safe to take while in WD from Benzodiazepines.  Trazodone is a Non-Addictive old Antidepressant that they now use mainly for sleep.  Trazodone is an Antidepressant of the serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI) class.  It works on Serotonin, and does NOT have any effect on the GABA Receptors.

 

Beta-Blockers are Non-Addictive as well, and work by blocking the effects of Noradrenaline, or Norepinephrine, slowing down heart rate and lowering blood pressure.  I would recommend either Metoprolol, or Propranolol.

[[Ho...]]

Jittery,

Is it safe to take beta blockers with trazodone?

Remember what I said about how the traz often makes people hung over for  a day or two when you start it or increase the dose. I do not want to tell you what to take, and I think "combinations" can be extremely dangerous, but whenever the Traz doesn't work for me (which is usually only when I take a low dose because, like you, I feel so guilty about having to take anything) I take 1 Benadryl with it and it makes me sleep enough to fall asleep. Benadryl is pretty much the only sleep drug that I'm comfortable taking because it is safe, and it usually doesn't give me side effects. It's always smart not to combine anything without talking to a pharmacist first.

 

I'm basically the same exact way you are with wanting to not take anything and feeling so guilty afterward. I try to remember that this is only temporary, and right now I must have sleep, and pretty soon I will be drug free and sleeping well.

 

Yes, Trazodone and Beta Blockers are safe to take while in WD from Benzodiazepines.  Trazodone is a Non-Addictive old Antidepressant that they now use mainly for sleep.  Trazodone is an Antidepressant of the serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI) class.  It works on Serotonin, and does NOT have any effect on the GABA Receptors.

 

Beta-Blockers are Non-Addictive as well, and work by blocking the effects of Noradrenaline, or Norepinephrine, slowing down heart rate and lowering blood pressure.  I would recommend either Metoprolol, or Propranolol.

I know nothing about beta blockers but I have years and years of experience with Trazodone. Thanks for letting me know

[[te...]]

I've found remeron helpful for sleep.  Other people here have had a bad time with it, it's also an a/d of the "atypical" class.  Very low doses (7.5mgs) induce sleep and it has been benign for me so far (I've taken it for years on and off, then in w/d's pretty much every night, then recently another dose when I wake up way too early; I sleep pretty OK).  I agree that the less we take of anything the better, but I don't think we should be feeling guilty for god's sake about trying to get to sleep.  We just have to be as sensible and careful as possible, not be too purist, not be too indiscriminate. 

[[Re...]]

I'm so frustrated...mostly with myself. I got to bed every night DETERMINED not to take anything no matter how bad I feel. Then when I lay down the weird feelings start. The restlessness, the anxiety, adrenaline rushes, weird feelings of being pulled from drowsy to hypervigalent.

 

After several hours of this and no sleep I try something...benadryl or unisom, rescue remedy, and lately I'm sad to say beta blockers and last night trazadone.

 

I did sleep with the combination of beta blockers, benadryl, and trazadone. They are all old prescriptions in my name that I was given before I figured out I was in w/d.

 

I feel AWFUL today. I'm twitching like crazy, and I'm scared the traz is making the twitching and jerking worse.

 

Why am I doing this to myself? It's likely making this wave worse and not go away.

 

I just can't stand night after night of no sleep with extreme restlessness and I get desperate. Can anyone relate?

 

Thanks,

 

Jittery

 

Oh Jittery,

 

I have been there so many times and have always had an assortment of what to pick.....One thing I realized is that once my state of anxiety reaches pretty high that nothing works as far as sleep.....My sleep lately has been ok but if I have been laying there awhile I try to take something (benadryl, unisom) before my anxiety peaks too high....I hope this makes sense....

 

I haven't read all your posts but what if you take something early.....Before you reach the "oh crap I'm going to be up all night" mode......When I take something I also tell myself at the least I hope it helps me to at least relax if I don't sleep....I realize you are in a spiral right now so that might not work.....

 

Have you read the book "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" by Dale Carnegie? It's one of my most treasured books.....He does address insomnia in there....I also have it on audio....You can research it on Amazon....

 

I pray sleep returns soon for you.....I know it's excruciating especially with a brand new baby.....

 

xoxo

Pam

[[ji...]]

Thank you guys so much for the support without being judgmental.  I'm going to try not to take stuff if at all possible other than a Benadryl. Last night I actually slept decently from  130-630

 

I only took a benadryl before bed....but I also didn't have any of the usual restlessness and adrenaline so perhaps this wave is letting up?

 

I usually start with one benadryl (1/2 the dose) or 1/2 a unisom tablet. If I take anymore I get restless leg for some reason.

 

I have considered trying the trazadone again, but since it didn't work for me before I'm hesitant to start it. I think it makes my twitching worse for some reason. Sigh.

 

perhaps I can just ride this out. If I had more good nights than bad I think I would be OK. The bad nights are just really really bad and they hadn't let up almost all month.

 

Thanks again for your support!

[[Al...]]

Hey Jittery,

 

Don't be too judgemental about yourself either. If it were me, I'd try to go without the trazadone, because it has a lot of weird effects on a lot of people, it didn't work well for you in the past, and it will have it's own W/D symptoms if you continue using and then try to stop.

 

From my experience beta blockers and benadryl should be pretty harmless. At least no W/D symptoms in stopping. So I wouldn't think taking those would cause much harm (as long as the dosages aren't excessive). That said, I'm no doctor and all that.

 

Anyway, cut yourself a break. Also, please see my reply on your other recent post -- may be some things there that can help.

 

Take care,

 

Albie

[[li...]]

I would suggest not taking multiple drugs for sleep during the night.

 

If you take beta blockers daily you can build up tolerance, this is something to be careful about.