Off methadone and still not sleeping

[KiaKaha]

My hubby's 35 days clean off methadone and isn't sleeping.
His doctor prescribes him Zopiclone on a weekly script  but he's going through it in a few days.
He takes 2 and that'll give him about an hour and a half sleep then he takes another 2 and sometimes another 1 before morning. He's got a demanding job and people keep saying to him...gosh you look terrible...have you not slept?
He asked me today to go to the doctor and ask for a script for me for sleeping pills so he can take them and I refused. he's not happy about it and I feel awful, it's such a dilemma but I just don't feel right about lying to the doctor to get sleeping pills for him.  It goes on my medical record then that I have sleeping problems when I don't.
He's also on antidepressants so he can't take valerian root products and doesn't want to take benzos. He's tried melatonin and phenergan but neither of them worked...he's desperate...and that in itself worries me...
My question is... What else can he do/take to help him sleep?
Please help...why do I feel so bad...maybe I should've just gone and got the prescription??

[pdavis3234]

hot baths before trying to sleep maybe melatonin thats all natural i believe it will take sometime before normal sleep returns

[worried878]

the drug u mentioned is the American version of lunesta//it does not help me sleep either..i do think u tried phenerga...at 50 mgs it will knock most out/most at 25 mgs...ambien works better for many than lunesta and they r very similar in chemical make-up...but both are also similar to benzos...not benzos but people with a high tolerence to benzos have troyuble with ambien and lunesta for sleep..but i cant recall if he did benzos or not?

If sleep meds r not what he wants/prescription sleep drugs that is/then u will have to go outside the rx range and seek natural remedies//one more rx med i would try would be amytryptilline/elavil,,,cos it will healp depression plus it will knock him out each night for a month or so tile his body adjusts to it...i went on it after my divorce for a year..initially i was drowsy after i took it..that effect went away but i still slept normally where i had gone 3 nights with 0 sleep post-divorce..on several occasions....muscle relaxers like zanaflex can also help...nerve blockers like lyrica dnd nerontin are also safe drugs to help sleep...lunesta never worked for me...ambien does not work well either if it is anxiety that is causing the insomnis...sleep is important to recovery..he is strong!

Hints"  The body's metabolism slows down when it is cold/i have a window usint in my bedroom..150 bux at walmart...works..throw blankets on and off as needed during the night/a sleep aid i got online called "rest and sleep" helps me...valerian root plus other stuff/50-100 mgs of 5htp is also part of my nightly meds for sleep
also..if u cant sleep, it is best to get up out of bed and go to another room...the brain will asssociate sleeplessness /tossing and turning/with the bed..and that is not good..then the bed becomes a negative re-inforcer..if adequate time has passed with no sleep//get up
also..exercise early in  the day is good..not at night..stretching and gentle yoga stuff is good at night//hot baths..reading...whatever puts the mind at ease/it is not good to get in the door and try to sleep 30 minutes later/a winding down period is best..do u give good massages?  that will help right at bedtime

[KiaKaha]

thanks heaps for such an informative answer!!!
I'm on to it right away! :o)

[gnarly_1]

hey girlee...well on the bright side your hubby is still methadone free WOHOO...
on the other side the sleep thing is a real bit##....I was totally honest with both
my doctors about withdrawing from methadone and both agreed that sleep meds
(temazepam) would be ok for a short term solution ...mater of fact my phyc dr
insisted that i get my sleep to avoid a manic episode (im bi/polar) so tell your hubby
to be totally honest with your dr and tell them that your aware they are addictive
and you only want to be on them for 60days. my dr wrote me a script for 30mg
every night and allthough it dosent work perfict it HELPS immensely your hubby
deserves a good night sleep after all he has been threw...my dr told me they are
safe for short term use ,at least till he gets use to being methadone free....Gnarly

[Holliee]

I am happy that he is 35 days clean way to go!!!!!! I hate that he is not sleeping. I know when I come off benzo's I didn't sleep for quite sometime and it was awful cause I to have a good job and everyone was like what is wrong w/you. Maybe he should be honest w/doc and see what he thinks. If not try milk helped me some. Malotone helped also when I went to rehab they gave me trazadone and that helped a lot so might want ask for trazadone (helps sleep and antidepressant) Stay strong and keep is posted hopes helps hubby,

[theeagle]

Sleep is one of the last things to return......but you can help some.  The RX Trazadone is good and effective - super antihystamine like benadry that produces significant drowsiness. Benadryl is also another OTC one in 150-200mg doses.........hot showers, warm milk....... a Celestial Seasonings Tea called Sleepytime is mint and very good for help.  Do as much as you hear of that sounds good - - dont expect dramatic results for 6 weeks or so.......BUT the results will speed up and each day will get better and better - - - exercise, walk - - take L-Tyrosine (500-1500mg before breakfast/empty stomach for energy boost..........dont forget any and all of the nutritional supplements and vitamins to help you recover more rapidly.........

[madtram]

Kia ora,your hubby is lucky to have you. Zopiclone is effectively a benzo, it acts on five of the benzo receptors as do benzos like klonopin & valium. Zolpidem, (aka Ambien) only acts on 2 & is less benzo-like.

Unfortunately, I only discovered this after researching zopiclone when I had horrendous benzo type withdrawals, (from only one tab a night), when I took myself off it, which took months to recover from.

If zopiclone isn't working for him, it's not likely that any prescription sleep med will be more effective, (they are all benzos).

Here's a link to the Ashton manual, if you want to read  more about zopiclone & the other sleep meds from an expert perspective, (also plenty of withdrawal horror stories to share).

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm

I do sympathise, I ended up on zopiclone, after trying antihistamines, valerian, kava, passionflower, melatonin, meditation & hypnosis, none of which helped at all.  I didn't manage to just wait it out & I don't know if I will be stronger if insomnia ever happens to me again, but I wish that I had.

Long term opiate use disrupts the hypothalamus which is integral to sleep wake cycles but it will eventually correct itself.

  Not much comfort when u have to get up for work, every day, I know, but if he has already been on zopiclone for a month, going on to another benzo sleep med risks serious withdrawal & being right back where he started sleep-wise when he stops.

As Hollie says, trazadone works for many & can also help with pain relief & is non-addictive, so worth a try.

Best wishes,

Michelle

[Prospero73]

I have had good results from Ambien, benadryl, Dramamine, and Xanax, and not from trazadone or melatonin.  YMMV.  Of course, I am not fighting methadone withdrawals.  Congratulations on the 35 days, that's awesome!

About 20 years ago, when I was getting off booze, I was sleeping about 1 hour a night for a couple of weeks, and a doctor prescribed doxepin, which worked very well.  It is an antidepressant, and had no side effects at all (including sleepiness).  It just took care of my head.  I think there was another med that did make me drowsy, but I can't remember the name.

[mr.lucky66]

We have talked before and I understand completly. I could always sleep for a few hours after a week off methadone and then slowly more until a few months later I could sleep most of the night. I don't think regular benzos are a good idea because the rebound can cause bad anxiety. I had this problem once when I was taking too much ambien and now avoid it and all other benzos like the plauge. all the best