Sleeping Aides

[whatitistoburn]

Hi Doc,

Maybe you can help me since people do not respond to my posts. How long is it safe to take Rx sleep aides during witdrawal?

Last night I took Neurontin, Dalmane 30 mg, Valium 10 mg, and Trazodone 150 mg. I know that's a bus load, but I only slept from 5 am - 7 am. Two hours! And it was broken sleep at that.

I don't know what to do, I am so tired during the day (but can't sleep)that when I'm driving I feel I could fall asleep at the wheel...people *can* die from lack of sleep. I won't ever take as much as I did last night, but I need to get some rest. Benadryl won't work, as I take an antihistimine every day for allergies. I just don't know what to do, and also do want to know how long I can safely try sleep aides.

Thanks for any info.

Burn

[vettezr1]

Dude maybe the doc or others can be more helpful but since you seem a little stressed I will try to give you an answer. It has been a few months off pain meds for me and sleep is still a big problem. I tried Traz and Excedrin PM, Tea, Nyquil, Melotonin. It didn’t do ****. I on the other hand am not tired. The few hours at night of broken up sleep seems to be enough for me right now, yes it pisses me off and I get a little stressed myself but I don’t think it will kill me. Now falling asleep at the wheel is a different ball game. If you are that tired what is keeping you from sleeping? Like I said I do not feel tired or exhausted my problem is I am wide awake?  

[AmberHunter]

those post w/d nights of insomnia... ahhh, i so do not miss that!!! i actually b/c psychotic from lack of sleep once when i was in treatment... i walked by the "consult" room and i swear it said "occult" room!

the docs there put me on 20 mg. of ambien and i would maybe get an hour or two of sleep max... ambien causes some serious amnesia in me and it has been awful to find out the things i have done on ambien...

i take seroquel, an antipsychotic, for sleep now and neurontin... 20 mg. of seroquel and 800 mg. of neurontin every night and that seems to do it for me... the reason i have insomnia still is b/c i have hepatitis C and it causes insomnia... and like i have stated before, i am NOT a martyr, i do not believe in going w/o sleep and driving myself crazy... but i try my hardest to be responsible as best as i can, to myself, and chose as safe as possible a medication i take to sleep...

hope you get some sleep soon!!! the insomnia itself from the w/d does eventually get better, that is about the LAST thing that gets better though!! in my experience!

amber

[whatitistoburn]

Thanks you two, for your comments. I have read of people becoming psychotic from lack of sleep, that must have been horrible. No over the counter **** works for me either. I do want to do this the safest way possible, but I am very early into my recovery, and am so tired during the day. I even go to the gym every day and work my ass to exhaustion, you'd think that would help, but for some reason no matter how I exhaust myself, at night I am wired for sound. Thank God The Court Channel is on all night. Now I know all about forensic's! :)

Burn baby

[AmberHunter]

i feel ya! i really do... i HATE to not be able to sleep... i just hate it... ask your doctor about taking seroquel, maybe it will do the trick... i am a hard case to make sleep and it really has helped me...

insomnia and RLS, if there is a hell.......................

[suzieneedshelp]

Yes yes grrrrrrrr..those were the days!  TRazadone worked best for me.  Have you tried 100  or up to 200 mgs?  You may want to Try it without anything else.  Be careful.  No more than 200 and with a little milk or sum food on your tummy.  But go right to bed.  For me...if i wait even 30 min... it doesnt work anymore.  But it gets me to sleep like a baby if i go right to it.
Peace...
Suzie

[AmberHunter]

you have a very valid point... the meds i take now work best if i take them and get right in bed and even watch tv for a half hour... then i am out like a light... used to be, when i took ambien, i would wait up so i could feel it and then act crazy and not remember it!

amber

[whatitistoburn]

My doc has me on 300 mg of Trazodone. I sure don't feel the need to go any higher than that. I'm thinking of taking 800 mg of Neurontin, like Amber. I only take 600 mg at bed time, maybe that will do the trick?? I hope. Neurontin kept the RLS from hitting me at all, thankfully, but I do this thing in the morning, I sit down at the computer, then have to stand up, sit down, stand up, and on and on till I go to the gym. Could be something like RLS, and it drives me crazy.

I just realized something as I was making my green tea to sit down to read the board, it has caffeine and Ginsing in it. I drink it all day for health benefits, but that sure could be what's keeping me up all night. Better knock it off! As I said before, I'm very early into my recovery.

Thanks again for all the support.

Burn

[hippy]

they sell a decaff green tea,you may want to get that.
4 caps of 5htp help with sleep.
peace         hippy

[whatitistoburn]

Thanks, Hippee. Sounds like a good idea.

Burn

[Roxy30mg]

I don't know if this will help you or even if it is good advice. I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping through the night myself. Just recently I've been taking 25 mg's of Elavan and 2 mg's of Klonopin and I've been sleeping deeper than I have in a long time. I will probably build a tolerance to the both of them and be in worse shape than before. All I know now they work great. I'm not an authority on the correct ways to do things though and I don't want to send you down the wrong road. Their are a lot more experienced people here that can help you. If some of those people can help me too I'm all ears. I always seem to do things that get me into more deeper sh&t! I would also appreciate the feedback.
                              AL

[solveig]

Things that have worked for me (in addition to drugs :-)

1. HOT BATHS (I had a hot tub for a while , it was heaven!!)
2.Read in bed (not an exciting book, though, that will keep me up all night with no problems, but try hmmmm magazines, the bible?, BIg book?
3. Listen to tapes of relaxation,  Spacey music, Audio books, or lectures on spiritual subjects (the last one puts me to sleep like magic!!  :-)
4.  Sex sometimes work.  Specially if preceeded by a nice long massage to get you good and relaxed....

GOOD LUCK

[passenby]

Can I just ask a quick question here just how long does this sleep and RLS last after you start detox?

[theGolden1]

I think it will last about a month. Start reading about insomnia and get a doctor for this problem. Warm bath ... warm milk (no caffine) and keep things quiet and boring. No paperwork in bed.
you will develope a good sleeping pattern. Sometimes I take plain tylenol and warm milk. It works like a charm! Keep the faith .... Goldie

[passenby]

thanks can't seem to get to many answers to my guestions,guess no one thinks it is serious enough going off 6 to 8 pills but what I feel just trying to cut to 5 is not good and (I ain't no whimp) pardon the slang. But I'm going for it anyway Sat D day tring to get as much info as I can before we leave thanks again goldie.

[sundara]

first to everyone ... i amazed at the courage and honesty in this forum ... that goes to the Doc too!!! . .. to be able to relate to almost every single post . .. having kept my secret . . .and now to know i was never alone . .. to address the feeling of BEING HEEBBIE GEEBIE .. .AND PHYSICALLY EXAUSTED. .. and not able to sleep . .. for me it passed about day 21 . .. i use kava-kava liquid (mix with water) during the day . .. and at night i used valirian root extract(again with water at night) . .. and to stay on the honest end .. TWO bacardi and coke. . .am also still using part of the Thomas recipe . .. have been sleeping really good . . getting up and hour or two earlier . . but getting the physical rest i need. . .. i am so excited to have almost a month under my belt seems to have kept the depression that so many talk about at bay . . . perhaps that's because i'm didn't become addicted because of physical pain . . .got one script for a broken rib . .. really liked the feel .. .6 or 7 months later broke ankle .. got another script .. and then for 18 months bought my vicodin off the street . .. thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you . . . all of you help me get throught this day .. . know their are other human persons out there who really do know what it's like, just knowing i am not alone . .PEACE/LOVE/UNDERSTANDING

[NEW ORLEANS LADY]

Wow 21 days--that's quite an acomplishment!--I'm right behind you at 17--I posted on a higher thread that my emotions seem to be all over the place--I have felt anxious and overwhelmed most of the day--plus I am having severe radicular(nerve) pain in my right arm--(I had a neck surgery several years ago, but the bone graft they took from my hip to replace the discs they removed "did't take")--Sooo anyway my "beast" (that's what I call the part of my brain that tries to lead me back to hydro-hell) is trying very hard and using every excuse in the book to try and get me to get a prescription for hydro's--I thank God I did cancel that appointment with the pain management doc--I'm glad you found us Sundara--There are so many wonderful people on this forum that know exactly how you feel--Take care Hon--You'll be in my prayers--Peace--N.O. Lady/AKA Mystere

Anne

[RCG]

I know what you mean about the Court TV it is one of the things that keeps me sane at night when I cant sleep, the thing that sucks is that after 3 or 4 am they go to infomercials! I have tried numerous times to get off of the pain meds but with no success! It seems like the MAIN problem with withdrawal is the lack of sleep. Good luck to all who are going through this. I am new at this and I praise all of you who have come this far and I only hope to be in your shoes in the next couple of weeks. Any advice will be helpful, I need support. My family does not know about my problem and I am too embarassed to tell them. Any support is appreciated!!

[NEW ORLEANS LADY]

Hi and Welcome!--The fact that you are here means that you really want to do something about your problem!  Have you come across The Thomas Recipe?  It is a combination of ingredients that help with cold turkey opiate detox--Just scan all of the threads it has been posted many times--One of the ingredients in the recipe is for you to obtain a rx for a benzodiazipine (sp)-- such as valium-xanax-klonopin ect. If you follow the recipe those meds help tremendously with the sleep aspect of withdrawal- I am 23 days out of hydro-hell after going cold turkey (I could never taper--Those demons called my name 24/7--Also the fear of withdrawal is worse than actually going through it!  If you are serious about getting off of those pills and reclaiming your life--This is the place to be--You will find caring and loving people on this forum that know exactly what you are going through!--Read and post often--Thats what I did--And that in itself saved my sanity--Take care hon--Good Luck  You'll be in my prayers!  peace--N.O. Lady AKA Mystere (My home computer)

Anne