Ok this sleep loss is getting REALLY OLD

[reallyneedhelp76]

Ok so doctor px'd elavil to help me sleep and ive been taking it as directed but i CANNOT get to sleep before 4:30 or 5 am and then i only sleep until 9:30ish. I kinda feel like i'm taking the elavil out of habit of taking something before bed, god this is such a mind screw.  I feel like my days and nights are screwed up.  I can now lay in bed and relax but my mind won't shut off and ive tried all the herbals, taking a shower/bath until no more hot water, moving rooms, exercise everything.  I hate those pills so MUCH i will NEVER take another one.  ANy suggestions to help?  Or should i just accept this stinks and realize i put myself in this place and own my problem??  To those who been through this does sleep eventually come back?  I'm worried because i have to work really early tomm morning during the hours that i have been able to get some sleep so any help would be great.

[Rich99]

" Or should i just accept this stinks and realize i put myself in this place and own my problem??  To those who been through this does sleep eventually come back?"
The answer is yes to your first question.    Over a period of 14 years,   I tried to treat my fibromyalgia condition which caused me great sleep disruption by using so many different drugs.    In the end it caused me to have a second sleep disrupted condition along with the fibro one.     It's my firm belief that these drugs actually disrupt the brain's chemistry which controls our bodily functions one of which is the sleep/wake cycle.    Now that I've been off of these drugs for quite a while,  at least I am putting up with just one sleep issue...but at least I do have a regular sleep (though uncomfortable) pattern now,  something that was totally destroyed by adding those drugs.  

[reallyneedhelp76]

I agree totally.  I have to learn that i cannot take a pill to solve life's problems.  bored, take a pill, stomach hurts, take pill.  NO MORE and that's why last nite i refused to take anything. I knew that eventually sleep would have to come and i'm glad i did.  I threw every px in my house other than eye drops, i can't even look at a bottle right now.
Thanks everyone!

[my_mayberry]

benadryl isn't a good idea for addicts. it actually can be habbit-forming....not nearly to the degree as other sleep meds, but we CAN come to rely on it to knock us out which effectively only delay's the insomnia of withdrawal. that's if benadryl is even strong enough to work for addiction related insomnia.

i know benadryl isn't thought of as addicting...and it isn't generally psychologically addicting...but if you take it long enough for sleep, it does become rather hard to sleep without it. in this sense, it's better to simply go it full force without help for as long as you can.

if you were ONLY taking the amitriptyline for sleep, then i'm glad you got rid of it! there's no sense in taking a med like this just for sleep. you'd almost be better off with a benzo....which isn't a good idea, either.

glad you finally got some sleep!

[ImDONENoMore]

YES it's a mind screw.  I think inherently as humans we are creatues of habit.  We do something for SO long that we forget there are OTHER ways to live.  I feel tired (take a pill), I have TOO much energy (take a pill) I feel sad (take a pill), the sun's not shining (take a pill!!) -  on and on and on.

You're rewiring your brain right now and that takes time.  A NEW way of thinking is crucial to recovery.  And like with anything new, it takes some time to feel comfortable with the changes.  But soon it will be your new way of living and all of these changes will come naturally to you.

[reallyneedhelp76]

Ok, so i pose this question.  I've been thinking about not sleeping and is it a complete mind screw, meaning this, i felt like i was fighting the very habit of taking a pill, i kept thinking welll i could take this or that and the thought brought a small rush of adrenalyn.  And that's why i REFUSED to even take the benedryl, BELIEVE me at 60 plus hours of NO sleep i was desperate but i was able to recognize that NEED to fall back on taking a pill that i fought it. So does anyone think that there is any truth in that.  I am firm in my stand that other than my thyroid pill which i have to have because i don't have a thyroid and will die if i dont take, I WILL NOT TAKE ANY PILL unless life or death.  And this is really interesting, i've taken a thyroid pill since i was 7 and that is so normal to me in the morning it doesn't have any more effect than brushing your teeth.  God, i never thought that detox would effect my head so much, i thought it was just the withdrawal and stopping the pain pill thing, soo NOT.
So is it just a mind screw?????????? I wonder........

[sandstone27]

Oops! I guess I read an older post of yours and it sounds like you got  a good nights sleep after all.  Good!   But in case you have trouble again, the benedryl is still a helpful sleep aid..hopefully you won't need it.  

[sandstone27]

Hi, I posted this once before, but I think it's worth posting again, because when I had difficulty sleeping, mainly getting my mind to slow down, benedryl (otc allergy medication) really helped.  It contains diphenhydramine and is not addictive.  I would give it a try if I were you - it sounds like nothing else is working.  Good Luck!

[ImDONENoMore]

YAY for you!!!  I feel really happy for you right now - I'm so glad you're feeling a little better today and that you finally got some real sleep!!

And yup - I totally get that "I AM DONE" thing about taking any kind of pill (hence my screenname "ImDONENoMore"!!)  Good for you - hang in and keep going!!  :)

[reallyneedhelp76]

Thanks so much for all your great advice and encouragement.  I finally slept last night for almost 7.5 hours and i am so thankful for it, i did not take anything, to sleep, i just toughed it out and figured that it has to come eventually, but let me tell you, BOY OH BOY, was a NASTY person to be around yesterday, CRABBBBBBBYYYYYY!!  i know that i might go another two nights without but right now i feel GREAT and am just thankful for last night!!!  I threw out those elavil the doctor gave me to help sleep, they didn't work anyways and i cant' help but think just the act of taking them was giving in to the addiction/habit/motion of taking a pill and I AM DONE taking pills.  I HATE THEM.  SO Thanks so very much too everyone!

In day 6 now of clean and very happy but very humble!!!

And preacher just your comment above and thanks you made me die laughing!!!!!!!

[gnarly_1]

HI sleep is a tuff one.....I think I hold the record it took 2mo for me to get spotty sleep and then it was like going to the movies with dreams the whole 6 12/yr I was on methadone I never dreamed ....it was rather amusing at first but I know exactly how you feel dont read anything into it it will be what it will be for some it a week or 2 for others a month for me it was 2mo to get around 4hr a night and then it slowly increased to around the 6 to 7 I get now 6 is a normal night for me I long for the nights of a good 10hr sleep good luck and God bless........Gnarly

[my_mayberry]

if you are only taking amitriptyline to help you sleep, then i would reconsider. once you get on it for a while, it becomes hard to get off and can cause other problems. for addiction related insomnia, it seems to be a bit overkill to me...mainly because this drug is very good at treating real psychiatric problems. a side-effect is drowsiness. it partly produces this effect in a similar way in which benadryl produces drowsiness.

now if you're also taking it for anxiety/depression/mood...perhaps it's worth it. is it JUST to help you sleep? because if it isn't working, then all it will do is add to the daytime drowsiness anyway.

[BrotherFrankie]

even as a preacher, a sassy rear in skinny jeans is a great thing..


:)

be blessed

[ImDONENoMore]

Please be very careful with those benzos - after 16 days I would hate to see you trade addictions and it's really easy to do that with the benzos.  Good luck.  :)

[BamaIndian]

Ah sleep! I'm on day 18 and the only way I sleep is by a benzo, I held off till day 16 before taking it. I had ambien from the dr and it did NOT work. I feel your pain. I'm not taking the benzo today as I want to train myself to sleep without aide but the first night I took it, I slept 10 hours. After 16 days and only 14 hours of rest, I was more than happy. Hang in there.

[ImDONENoMore]

GREAT - as you already know, and wisely advise to our members here, the moving around thing and any exercise will help in a HUGE way!!!  Keep moving - you'll get there and you're HEALING along the way - so it's all good!  :) p.s. and hang in like_mom, every second that passes you're closer to the end of this process.  I promise you that.

[like_mom]

Family needs me. Silly phone!!! Anyways, I plan on taking my daughter on a walk today even if I pass out. I just have to. I know your mind is going to eventually allow for some sleep. Maybe the 5 hrs you get is all you really need at the moment??  I found that sticking with my regimen of going to bed the same way I always have let's me get broken sleep, but it's sleep. Hang in there!!! And ps, thanks for your encouragement too!!!

[like_mom]

Doesn't she?!  I hope you get some r&r before you work. I am suffering exhaustion something fierce. I move, I walk, I do chores, etc. No matter, I'm wiped!!! I'm going crazy bc I miss participating in family activities like I used to. I know it's only been 6 days since I started this hell, but my f NEEDS

[reallyneedhelp76]

Thanks, i needed that.  I do own what i did to myself and unequivocally will NEVER take another pill but the sleep thing BLOWS.  I SWEAR as god as my witness even if icut my foot off, i'l suffer the pain because oh boy do i deserve it, so I'll own it and plow through.  It's pouring rain and my poor pooch is dead exhausted from two hour long walks a day for the last couple days!! lol.  

I'm off to meijers and walk all the asiles, bet i come out a hundred buck poorer LOL. Thanks everyone for the help.  Hey, maybe i'll get my sassy rear back into my skinny jeans, i've already lost 10 pounds since i started this from the excersize i think because the last two day i've eaten like a pig!!!

Thanks again and imdonenomore, i love all your posts, you give great advice!!

[ImDONENoMore]

Hey reallyneedhelp - I know, this SU*KS - I get it.  I REMEMBER it.  And it's going to be okay - I promise you that.  And it is going to take some time - the no sleep thing was the WORST for me - by far the worst symptom.  But soon, and I do mean SOON, your body IS going to crash - and you are going to sleep.  It might only be a couple/few hours at a time for a bit, but it will be a HUGE relief you'll see.

I can't offer any insight on whether taking the elavil is going to help as I have no personal experience with that drug.  Only you, and your Dr., can make that decision.  But trust me the sleep WILL return.  And you are doing all the right things now and your head is in exactly the right place.  I know, it probably doesn't feel like that right now, but you'll see, soon you'll be looking back at these days and letting out a HUGE sigh of relief that it's over.  And it will be soon.  Hang in and keep going - I KNOW you're going to get through this.  :)

[jimmbosan]

Stay off the sleeping med and eventually you will get your sleeping back, but it takes practice and a straight sleeping regime (even if you dont sleep you should still practise going to bed round 10 and getting up round 7 or 8. Ever try melatonin? Thats stuff nocks me out anytime of the day and its natural hormone that is produce in the brain. Completely safe way of getting good sleep, plus its not addictive and once you get back to normal you can easily wean yourself off.