Sleeping Well One Night & Horrible The Next

[[Ho...]]

I'm wondering if it's just me or if other people have the same problem. I can sleep fairly well for up to a few nights and then have terrible problems for a few. Sometimes it's only one or two good nights and the same with the bad nights, it's unpredictable.

 

I'm concerned that I am doing something wrong and that my problem isn't insomnia. I follow the exact same bedtime regimen every night but it doesn't seem to matter.

 

I was wondering if other people have this same problem or it is not that common.

 

Bill

[[ch...]]

Same situation as you, although I have to admit that my bedtime regimen is not strict or exactly the same every single night (I try to keep it the same though). I seem to get 2-3 nights that are relatively good, and then the following would become pretty opposite. A few other bbs have told me that it happens to them as well, unfortunately.  At this point though, when I do sleep I'm still not having the best 'quality' sleep, so I assume that my brain is still trying to repair my 'sleep system'.

 

Hope it changes for all of us eventually.

 

Chantillie

[[Ho...]]

Thanks for your response chantillie. I can't believe that we have so much in common. I'm referring to your signature as well as your sleeping experience.

 

I thought that I was alone with my ativan experience and that possibly my problem might be caused by something else. I only took 11

one milligram ativans back in October of 2011 and have been paying for it ever since.

 

Do you mind sharing what other side effects you are having?

 

Bill

 

[[...]]

Insomnia is one of the primary withdrawal symptoms. That's how it got to be a section of this forum!!

 

If you're getting some good night's sleep, that's better than I did during taper and early withdrawal. At most I got 4 hours but usually I got 2 hours a night for weeks.

 

It's only temporary. Not to minimize your misery but keep telling yourself it's temporary. You can do it on a short-term basis.

[[ch...]]

Thanks for your response chantillie. I can't believe that we have so much in common. I'm referring to your signature as well as your sleeping experience.

 

I thought that I was alone with my ativan experience and that possibly my problem might be caused by something else. I only took 11

one milligram ativans back in October of 2011 and have been paying for it ever since.

 

Do you mind sharing what other side effects you are having?

 

Bill

 

Oh no!  :'( 11mg and you're still paying for it five months later? My heart really goes out to you  Is insomnia your only remaining sx? Were you also prescribed ativan for insomnia like myself? It is actually very interesting to find someone with a similar benzo journey..when I first joined BB I was afraid that I wouldn't be taken seriously as a short-term user and also afraid I would not find people who could relate to me. I was wrong of course  But you are one of the few who might have more in common than  the majority.

 

At the beginning of my CT my sx were all over the place. I have to admit it is a long list. I had shortness of breath, tinnitus, vertigo, headaches (at the back), back+shoulder+chest ache, heightened anxiety, high startle response, weakness in my legs, insomnia, a sense of heaviness in my chest+head, throat stiffness, derealization, depersonalization, blurry or hazy vision, light/sound sensitivies, dull headaches, fatigue, strange index finger "burning" pain one night..

 

The symptoms would come in waves, some would come and go, some would take the place of others.

 

Now 6 weeks out, my main problem is insomnia. I will never know if the ativan is really the reason for why my sleep is so out of tune, considering my insomnia began before the drug. However, what I suspect is that ativan caused me to start having hypnagogic sleep (in between dreaming and waking) all night, and a lot of difficulty in getting deep sleep.

 

My sleep is improving slowly though, I can say that there is marked improvement since the beginning of my CT. Not where I want to be, but still better.

 

I still have much of the sx I listed above but at lower levels. I have a constant low humming tinnitus, and moderate vertigo since before I quit ativan. When I seem to sleep better, the rest of the sx lessen further - less heaviness, aches and pains. DP/DR is also a bit less. I can generally sense my healing is taking place despite still being on a rollercoaster insomnia ride

 

Chantillie

 

 

 

 

[[Ho...]]

Hi Chantillie. I was prescribed because my neighbor got a dog from the pound who would bark all night outside mt bedroom window. He finally got rid of it but now I'm left with this.

 

My symptoms are tinnitus, pins & needles, apathy, akathisia, insomnia, joint pain, weight loss, appetite changes, depression, chills, nausea, stomach cramping, exhaustion, jelly legs, burning & tingling on face and sometimes all over body, bad taste in mouth (plastic or metal), brain fog, dry burning eyes and red flushed face.

 

I appeared to be really improving in the third month, but the last few week have been the worst. I did have two windows last week though but it's so disappointing when the wave returns.

 

Hopefully your situation won't mirror mine and you'll continue to improve.

 

Thanks very much for sharing your story and it only goes to show you how dangerous this stuff can be for certain people.

 

Best of luck on your recovery.

 

Bill

[[Ho...]]

Thanks for the ecouragement yram...