My Sleep

Well my sleep is starting to come back in a strange way.  I have been trying to keep busy during the day, I'm working out, and I'm tired at night when I go to bed, between 10 and 11pm.  I take the Medication, but I only sleep for an hour and a half to 2 hours, then I'm up most of the rest of the night.

Then around 6 am I start feeling very sleepy, and I am able to doze off and on for 4 or 5 hours, and then I am up between 11 and 12 Noon.

I tried to get ahold of my Dr. today to talk about the way He is having me take the medications and they way they are working, but apparently he is on vacation.

I am starting to feel more "normal" but still bouts of anxiety through out the day.

[tryntogetwell]

You sound like you are well on your way shadow. Before you were not sleeping at all but now your getting some. I remember when I tried to quit subs and I was happy to get ten minutes of sleep. I bet give it a few more days and you will be sleeping for longer amounts of time. And then after that you will be sleeping great most of the time. And this is going from what I have seen many people go through.

[badshadow]

Thanks for the input.  I do feel that  am on my way, but I know I still will have some challenging days ahead.

I'm grateful for any small reprieve and I am learning how to reclaim my life.

[tryntogetwell]

Did you start the tramidol after you stopped the subs? You may have already posted the anwer to that but I was just curious.  Sorry,dont mean to sound like a pest.lol

[lookingforhealth]

That is how my sleep is also.  Except I have to get up when my baby does!!  But I know I could sleep to about 11am.  Those hours from midnight to 4 or 5 are the worst!!

[LeaAnn807]

Hey!  I forgot what meds you are taking?  My brain has been in overdrive lately!  What you are describing is kind of what I do....STILL.  I go to sleep between 10:00 and 11:00, and I wake up during the night between 2 and 4, and SOMETIMES I go back to sleep around 5 and sleep until my baby wakes me up!  And that's after 160 days of clean time!  I'm sorry to give you the bad news, and it will probably get much better.  There are nights that I sleep until 5 or 6 without waking up if I am really, really tired.  It may be something that you will have to get used to!  I hope not though!  I'm not a big sleeper.  At least that is what I tell myself to keep from going crazy!

[badshadow]

I haven't been on Subs for close to 3 years now.  I was an addict for 10 years, always looking for the "easy way out."  Subs seemed like it, since while I was on them I had no cravings for Opiates, I was numbed out, so I didn't feel any of my "real" feelings.

When I started the Tramadol this year it was for Chronic Pain Control, and I did not take more than my prescribed dose.  I was only on it for 10 weeks.  However, I am very medication sensitive and after 6 weeks of being on them I started noticing some unpleasant side effects.

That is when I did an Internet Search and found this Website.  I tried to taper for a few weeks, but that was miserable so I switched over to some Vicodin for about 10 days, tapering down off that, and then I stopped the Vicodin 12 days ago, with 1 day where I did take some because the anxiety was so severe.

For the past year I have been in recovery (12 step) I have a Sponsor and I am working on learning how to deal with my feelings without having to take something to escape them.

[tryntogetwell]

Was it hard for you to stop the subs? I am asking cause I really want off these things. I run my life around them.

[badshadow]

Actually, that sleep pattern is not uncommon for me.  I have had sleep difficulties most of my life, and have pretty much learned to work my life around them.

The Meds I'm on right now are .01 Clonodine, 200mg Trazadone, 20mg Valium, all at bedtime.  However, I'm on these meds now because of Withdrawals.  I do not take Clonodine, Valium, on a regular basis, although I have been on Trazadone for awhile now becaue it does help me sleep.

[LeaAnn807]

Oh yeah!  I would think that cocktail would keep you out for more than that amount of time.  You did right by calling the doc.  I would keep trying!  That is something they need to address.

[badshadow]

I think there is a disturbance in my Circadian Rythym Cycles.

For example, if I take a Clonodine .01 in the morning, I'll sleep for 4 or 5 hours.

If I take  at bedtime, it doesn't do anything.

Also it doesn't matter whether I've napped during the day or not, it still doesn't affect me.

I;m going to do some research on the internet about it.

You know they say if you have problems sleeping, you shouldn't do anything in bed but sleep and sex.  I really think that is a bunch of nonsense.  Your not supposed to read or watch t.v., but sex is o.k.?

I don't know about anyone else, but I find sex much more stimulating in bed than reading.

I started my self-experiment yesterday by taking Medication and forcing myself to sleep all day and night.

Today, no naps, and we'll see how tonight goes.

[badshadow]

I found this in Wikipedia.org:

Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), characterized by a much later than normal timing of sleep onset and offset and a period of peak alertness in the middle of the night.

That is definitely me.

[LeaAnn807]

The best thing I can tell ya is to be patient.  I know it's hard.  When I went to rehab the last time it was Sept of 07.  I had been taking Ambien, Phenobarbital, any opiate I could get and lots of it....basically downers in a BIG way.  Anyway, that was in September, and I did 4 months of outpatient when I got done with inpatient.  Got done with that in January and got pregnant the next month (unplanned!!!), and I probably was not sleeping 2 hours a night by then!!!  It took until probably May???? before I could actually sleep 4 or 5 hours in a row!  It was so miserable, but I made it through.  I haven't touched an ambien or barbiturate since then, and that is the reason why.  I never want to disrupt my sleep to that extent EVER again!  The tramadol withdrawal in March was bad too, but I began sleeping sooner after that than I did from the other stuff.  I sleep about 6 hours a night now....NOT in a row!

It's going to get better for all of us!!!  Just give it time like I am! : )

[badshadow]

Wow, you really have been through it.  I'm sorry you've suffered so, and I am glad you are getting your life on track.

I went without sleep for six weeks another time in my life under a similar circumstance where I was prescribed Xanax for anxiety after my mother died.  I was not told it was addictive or that you had to taper off it.

I was on it for a couple of months, was feeling better, and stopped taking it.  Never took more than prescribed.  Went into bad withdrawals.

Exercise helped me alot with that which is why I'm back at my workout routine, a little over an hour a day.

I'm not going to take Ambien, Xanax, or any of that stuff.  The Valium I was already on, so I have to wait until I'm stable again and then I'll get off that too.  Now is not the time though.

I'm going to try Melatonin tonight.

[LeaAnn807]

Yes, one thing at a time.  Just taper the valium slowly with a docs help, and you will be fine.  Xanax WD is rough, and you made it through that!  You can get through this too.  You're doing great and going to be just fine! : )

[badshadow]

Da**, it's only 5:45 and I am so sleepy.  I know if I laid down right now I would fall asleep, but it is too early.

I can't go to bed before 9:30.  If I let myself fall asleep now, I would wake up in a couple of hours and be up all night.

I have to stick to a strict schedule to get my sleep back on track.  Getting up at the same time every day, and going to bed at the same time.

Agggg, 4 more hours.

[badshadow]

I tried the Melatonin last night and I slept almost 6 hours.  No anxiety this morning, and I'm raring to go.

[LeaAnn807]

GOOD!  Keep using the Melatonin if it's working.  I don't think it helped me, but the last time I took it I was in full blown WD, so it's hard to say.  The anxiety will get better over time.  I remember when I stopped opiates years ago, I would wake up and feel like I was coming out of my skin from the anxiety!  It was horrible.  It will get better though!  

I'm glad you slept well!

[dominosarah]

6 hrs of sleep!!!  Impressive!!!  You have hung in there tough shadow.  I am proud of you!!!    sara

[badshadow]

Thanks, 5 straight hours last night.  I think it's the melatonin.  The 50mg of Seroquel seems to be helping too.  It helps with the anxiety and gives me energy. Do you think it's o.k. to keep taking it at a low dose?

I'm still having withdrawal symptoms, like a cold and a chronic cough, but that's happened before when I kicked vicodin so I know I'm not sick.