Z-Drug Support Group (Lunesta, Imovane, Zimovane, Ambien, Sonata, Zopiclone)

[[La...]]

Hi LadyDen - Do you think the gluten/dairy-free is helping you?  Do you notice a difference when you don't?

It is so hard to follow strictly.

Deanna I did an experiment to see if my diet made a difference. I ate the same exact meal for 2 weeks. Very clean gluten free,caffeine free, dairy free, low sugar prepared at home with no preservatives or msg. The results were that I got big waves no matter what! When it was time to have one, I did. Some small, some medium and some big. These happened according to my pattern. So the next 2 weeks I chose a different meal and ate it every meal for 2 weeks. I got the same results. Waves when it was time for one. I started after that 2 weeks to eat a little cheese and it didn't make any difference. Some days I had waves eating cheese, some days I didn't eat cheese and still got waves. But I will say that I think if I ate preservatives and msg it would definitely make me worse. Because our systems are so sensitive and trying to repair. It's already hard at work repairing. So it makes sense that if we put things in our bodies that require hard work to process, we would have bigger waves or it might bring on a wave.

[[La...]]

Yesterday, we got the news that the Lockdown is going to be stricter here. My swimming pool will be closed for 2 weeks at least. Swimming is very important for me, so this is sad news.  Jerry

Sorry to hear about that jerry. Please be safe and don't take any chances with covid. It's not a joke. Wear mask and wash your hands. Go get what you will need from the store to last awhile and stay home.

[[Ka...]]

Hi Everyone,

 

Thinking of you today. Hard days suck!!!

 

Sorry about the lockdown and pool ... hope you'll be able to get back soon.

 

Ohhh diet changes,  thanks for sharing what you tried ... there is a lot to eat to choose from. I made coconut milk rice and lentil soup yesterday, with lots of veggies.

 

The SUN is out here today and it's warmer so me and my dawg are heading out.

 

I'm so grateful that I'm sleeping and tapering. Exciting to think that I'll drop down again in less than a week. Need you all here to remind me it's doable.

 

K

[[La...]]

Hi Everyone,

 

Thinking of you today. Hard days suck!!!

 

Sorry about the lockdown and pool ... hope you'll be able to get back soon.

 

Ohhh diet changes,  thanks for sharing what you tried ... there is a lot to eat to choose from. I made coconut milk rice and lentil soup yesterday, with lots of veggies.

 

The SUN is out here today and it's warmer so me and my dawg are heading out.

 

I'm so grateful that I'm sleeping and tapering. Exciting to think that I'll drop down again in less than a week. Need you all here to remind me it's doable.

 

K

Enjoy your walk with the dog. It's nice here today as well. Good to hear from you as well as everyone.

[[De...]]

Hi LadyDen - Do you think the gluten/dairy-free is helping you?  Do you notice a difference when you don't?

It is so hard to follow strictly.

Deanna I did an experiment to see if my diet made a difference. I ate the same exact meal for 2 weeks. Very clean gluten free,caffeine free, dairy free, low sugar prepared at home with no preservatives or msg. The results were that I got big waves no matter what! When it was time to have one, I did. Some small, some medium and some big. These happened according to my pattern. So the next 2 weeks I chose a different meal and ate it every meal for 2 weeks. I got the same results. Waves when it was time for one. I started after that 2 weeks to eat a little cheese and it didn't make any difference. Some days I had waves eating cheese, some days I didn't eat cheese and still got waves. But I will say that I think if I ate preservatives and msg it would definitely make me worse. Because our systems are so sensitive and trying to repair. It's already hard at work repairing. So it makes sense that if we put things in our bodies that require hard work to process, we would have bigger waves or it might bring on a wave.

 

 

Wow LadyDen that is an awesome experiment.  You have a lot of tenacity and willpower to keep to the same meal for two weeks!  Your results are exactly consistent with what I believe deep down that when it's time to have a wave you'll have one, and that MSG and preservatives are just exacerbators.  Thanks for sharing that!

 

I felt so good on Sunday, but back in a wave by Monday and feeling quite ill today.  Trying to think what I did on Saturday but all I can think of is that I had a quiet day to myself (no CNS stimulation) and good rest.  It makes me crazy that I can't figure out any real triggers.  I think month 4 is actually worse than month 3 

[[Ka...]]

Hey Deanna, your month 4 has JUST BEGUN. There's stress in the air and cold weather ... so hang in there. I love hearing your thoughts about CNS and your experience LadyDen with diet change not helping. Preservatives and msg are not in my diet ... lots of organic. Still haven't done more reading but want to. I guess my day was better due to the sun and warm; glad you enjoyed that too LD!!

[[Li...]]

Yesterday, we got the news that the Lockdown is going to be stricter here. My swimming pool will be closed for 2 weeks at least. Swimming is very important for me, so this is sad news.  Jerry

Sorry to hear about that jerry. Please be safe and don't take any chances with covid. It's not a joke. Wear mask and wash your hands. Go get what you will need from the store to last awhile and stay home.

Ha Ladyden,

Don’t worry, I am very careful. Yesterday I did a next taper step. I feel it now, but it is ok. It is barable. My father returns today from a small holiday. I will watch football, the Europa League with my favorite club AZ...

Jerry

[[Li...]]

Ha ladies, how are you doing? Today is cleaning my house day...but.... I am also cleaning the desktop of my computer. That is really a mess,  too much icons on my screen. Today day two with less zopiclone (next step) It is tough...

Jerry....

 

Btw found a very nice groovy record;

https://open.spotify.com/album/4PX8u1WgRmUO8Dr2UCXKiT?si=GArfXlBFQ5ejSOjN5l1W2w

I really like track 2, with a short but nice solo by Maceo Parker at the end.

 

Btw2 I discovered my smell is very sensitive for ‘not‘ nice smells in my house at the moment... I hope this is temporary....

[[Sh...]]

Glad u are keeping busy jerry x well down on taper x things will settle for u soon hopefully xx

[[La...]]

Thx Kachina. Yes I had to see for myself if it mad a difference. I mean the preservatives. And sure enough it does!

Deanna yes it took will power but honestly I didn't have much of an appetite for such a long time so I wasn't missing eating different meals anyway. I found myself with a plate th n could only eat a toddler portion every meal. So it dawned on me since I took the same plate I had for lunch to finish it for dinner, why not do an experiment to see if I feel better or worse. Yes you're right about your suspicions. What makes you worse is preservatives and MSG. In small amounts they're ok. But foods like Mexican, Chinese, Italian are loaded with them! So it's best if you prepare those dishes yourself. I eat steamed rice, broiled or grilled chicken and stir fry veggies ( excluding broccoli- it's mean to gaba receptors) drizzle with a little duck sauce ( made with apricots). That's my Chinese dish. For Mexican or western meal I simply get flour tortillas, grilled chicken, grilled chopped bell peppers, few small yellow onions and season all seasoning salt ( has no msg I make a grilled quesadilla and eat it with non-dairy sour cream and salsa.

Shay I hope you get some good Z's soon. But don't count sheep. Count money!  glad to see you still hanging in there. Are you still doing a sleep routine?

Jerry that was great link! Thanks for sharing it! Sorry you're feeling crappy. Just know that feeling the reductions are normal. Accept it Expect it Embrace it. You'll soon feel better. I'm proud of you for sticking to it! You and that sax got this!

Shay has a quote on her ID it says when going through hell keep going. 

I'm doing ok. Having waves still but they're less intense. I'm also working each day to get out of bed every hour or two to walk around. I've got to recondition myself so I can tolerate being upright. I reward myself for each success. It's a great way to motivate myself to make my goals. The end of the week I'm giving myself a prize.

[[Sh...]]

I’ve been listening to Paul McKenna sleep hypnosis so I’m going to do that for 2 weeks every night x it’s calming x

[[De...]]

Hey Shayna, I do a sleep meditation every night as I go to bed.  It's a nice routine that gets my brain into the right mode each night.  I hope you find it helpful. 

 

I read everyone's posts here and I think we are making progress...Unfortunately this is not my favorite time of year so I hope that doesn't make things worse, but since mid October I've been having mostly waves and I feel some of my symptoms worsening again (cortisol spikes, fibro-like nerve pain and back muscle tension).  I know it's not linear, but it's hard because I was actually more functional the previous month.

 

LadyDen, how is your boatiness, any improvment? 

[[Sh...]]

Today is a hard day for me x very emotional x hoping for some improvement soon.

 

Dee I’m sorry U have seen an uptick in symptoms x have u tried acupuncture for the pain? I find that when my anxiety increases so does my back and chest pain. I tense up so much it causes a lot of pain. If I go and get a couple of rounds of acupuncture all the tension goes and so does the pain. Something worth trying for you perhaps?

[[or...]]

I’ve been listening to Paul McKenna sleep hypnosis so I’m going to do that for 2 weeks every night x it’s calming x 

 

Good! I had/have my own calming meditative hypnotic stuff and it's always been very helpful. Here's Dr. Steven Gurgevich on you tube. Excellent. I never hear the end of this.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmgSy1ABxq4&ab_channel=Ch%C6%B0%C6%A1ngTuy%E1%BA%BFtXu%C3%A2n

 

 

 

[[La...]]

I’ve been listening to Paul McKenna sleep hypnosis so I’m going to do that for 2 weeks every night x it’s calming x

 

Awesome idea

[[La...]]

Hey Shayna, I do a sleep meditation every night as I go to bed.  It's a nice routine that gets my brain into the right mode each night.  I hope you find it helpful. 

 

I read everyone's posts here and I think we are making progress...Unfortunately this is not my favorite time of year so I hope that doesn't make things worse, but since mid October I've been having mostly waves and I feel some of my symptoms worsening again (cortisol spikes, fibro-like nerve pain and back muscle tension).  I know it's not linear, but it's hard because I was actually more functional the previous month.

 

LadyDen, how is your boatiness, any improvment?

Well Deanna I've had some improvement as far as being able to stand up now for 10 minutes. I've started sitting up on the couch couple of days ago but can only do it for 5 minutes. So it's a start.

The other thing is this..... My boatiness has switched from simple boatiness to a push pulling sometimes. I'm not sure if this change is a good thing or not. The push pulling sensation is very strong. Like being on a gravity ride at the fair. The ride that spins fast and the force pushes you against the wall. Or like an elevator going down fast so you feel the pushing down. You know what I mean?

Have you improved?

[[La...]]

I’ve been listening to Paul McKenna sleep hypnosis so I’m going to do that for 2 weeks every night x it’s calming x 

 

Good! I had/have my own calming meditative hypnotic stuff and it's always been very helpful. Here's Dr. Steven Gurgevich on you tube. Excellent. I never hear the end of this.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmgSy1ABxq4&ab_channel=Ch%C6%B0%C6%A1ngTuy%E1%BA%BFtXu%C3%A2n

Thx Katz I'm in love with the soothing relaxation YouTube channel. So many to choose from and soothing serene calming. I always imagine I'm sitting or laying right there especially the spa music with water fountain. Next thing I know...I'm asleep

[[or...]]

Yeah, I love that about the soothing music/meditation available on youtube. It sure does help insomnia . . . or just to de-stress whenever you need it.

 

 

Katz

[[Sh...]]

I’ve been listening to Paul McKenna sleep hypnosis so I’m going to do that for 2 weeks every night x it’s calming x 

 

Good! I had/have my own calming meditative hypnotic stuff and it's always been very helpful. Here's Dr. Steven Gurgevich on you tube. Excellent. I never hear the end of this.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmgSy1ABxq4&ab_channel=Ch%C6%B0%C6%A1ngTuy%E1%BA%BFtXu%C3%A2n

 

That’s Katz I will try this tonight. I just had a nod on the lounge of course my kids decided it was time to ask me something  :'(

[[Sh...]]

More like a micro sleep. I’ve had a few of those lately

[[Ka...]]

THANKS for the hypnosis information!

 

When you all listen to youtube or something do you fall asleep with your phone on near you? I don't like that idea. Or do you turn it off and then fall asleep? Or what?!

[[Li...]]

I have got a small bluetooth box next to my bed, When I go to bed I listen, via my iphone, to music or to the ‘Sleep Pillow’ app. In this app it is possible to set a timer. It has repeating sounds in it. Btw I have another tough day, tougher than the previous ones. But I am fighting, and that is the only way to win... Jerry

[[De...]]

My sleep meditation is only 13 min so I'm pretty much still awake when it ends and I remove the earphones and put the phone under my husbands pillow (he's sleeping in another bedroom last 2 years - sad about this but what else can we do for now?)...

 

Another very symptomatic day...pain moves around frequently now which is different.  Is different good?  IDK...

 

LadyDen I think I know what you mean about the carnival ride.  Interesting that your symptoms have changed too.  I guess that means something, but what exactly?

 

I'm also getting alot of "physiological" anxiety.  I say physiological bc there is no mental worry associated with it, just the tingly uneasiness in my nerves.  I used to get it in the morning with the cortisol surges, but now seems to be back and forth all day.

 

I think I'm rambling and not very mentally coherent right now.  Sorry everyone :-(

[[Sh...]]

Kachina

Yes I do have phone next to me I know that’s not great, I’ll have to sort a speaker out like jerry.

 

Jerry

I’ve been struggling too u aren’t alone x it will pass for u soon I hope

 

Deanna

I stopped sleeping with my hubby too but have recently gone back to him, but I still have nights that I sleep with my son on and off. I have those days of anxiety too where I have to tell myself there’s nothing wrong. It’s hard isn’t it. I heard someone say it’s like being in a cage with an invisible tiger. That’s so true.

 

I had a unisom last night, I don’t like to take them because I feel like I can’t see if I’m getting any natural sleep, but on the nights I don’t take one, I pretty much don’t sleep . I got 3.5 hrs last night. Woke up at 1:15 and just felt so devastated straight away. It’s awful.

[[Ka...]]

Shayna, ohhhh, children waking you!!! I feel for you, actually I got started on ambien due to kid noise amping me at night. May you sleep more and well very soon.

 

Deanna, I really like hearing what you have to say, I hope I'll learn more about the CNS and the things you talk about.

 

LadyDen, your symptoms sound really challenging, I don't like those carnival rides. You are SO strong. What is your prize?!!! What's with broccoli?! I love broccoli.

 

Jerry, congratulations!

 

ALL OF YOU are so strong. I'm so grateful to see comments.

 

I'm having bad stomach cramps, wonder if it's due to my taper off ambien, 6 weeks now, but just down 1.50mg. Has anyone else had this? It's only a few times a day, but doesn't seem related to eating or not eating...and haven't had anything like it before. I'm okay though.

 

KEEP GOING