stopping tranquillizings

[zo]

Hello everyone;I stopped my treatment one month ago,and my doc asks me to reduce also tranquillizings .I was using tranxene in the moirning and temesta  at night.
I did it,using only half a pill a day,but...I can't sleep! So I am using sleeping pills at night!
I don't know what is worse for the body,tranquillizing or sleeping pills,but I don't know how to get out of this!
Is it better  to alternate between them?
I can't bear to not sleep,because I am working and feel very nervous and anxious when I did not sleep.
Anyone experiencing this problem?
Thank you for help
Kind regards for all

[artgal]

Thanks to you, too. I hadn't read your post when I wrote donalfonso. Geez, I just wish April 27 could be here tomorrow -- this truly is a waiting game. Perhaps one of the gifts from this whole thing will be helping me develop patience. But the waiting and wondering (as you said I don't even know how I'll react -- although since I even feel tylenol on the rare occasions I take it, my drug sensitivity does give me some cause for alarm...) is a bit tough. Thanks again for all your feedback -- from earlier posts as well.

[artgal]

Thanks donalfonso for that perspective. I think everything you said makes great sense and it's just what I needed to hear right now. You are right -- the people and information in this forum have been really helpful. Thanks for taking the time to give me a positive and hopeful outlook. I appreciate it!

[LvdByGod!]

i read that melatonin can mess with your immune system. anyone else here this?

[Docsgold]

I remember being so apprehensive about starting tx--who in their right mind would do something with so many possible side effects?  I must agree with the above advise which is that not all of us get everything.  It is surely a gamble about what you are going to or not develop.  It seemed I started out with a rash in 2 days, skin so sore showering hurt, bleeding gums, nose, muscle aches, fever, chills.............at least I knew those things were a part of the tx and could be dealt with.  Tylenol helped me just fine, so did the thyroid meds and I asked for a sleep aid, Ambien of which I have not used 1/2 of the script for my entire tx and got by without AD's.  Only you will know how the water feels when you jump in.  Good luck, just remember, others have done it and so can you. :)

[Tony-z]

Do not cold turky off of benzodiazipines(Valium,Xanax,and many other's) unless your at a very small dose say 5mg valium daily or .05Mg Xanax daily. Withdrawal off of these drugs can cause seizures and months of horrible sx. If you want off, talk to your Dr.

Research Benz withdrawals on the web

              God Bless

                TonyZ

[Laika]

Why do we always have to have this competitive talk, legal drugs v illegal drugs?  One thing doesn't work for everyone.  I'm truly happy for you and others that are able to get pot legally and it works for you.  But I'm thinking the majority of us live in states where it is illegal under any circumstances.  I'm not going to put myself in jeopardy with the law over pot...if I remember correctly in my distant past, it helped me feel like a moron and that's about all.

I disagree that taking legal drugs in moderation to help a person deal with treatment sides is "junkie talk".

Laika

[new-sojourn]

Try melatonin-a natural sleep aid.  Cut off all caffine @ noon or so.  Take long walks during the day, hot baths-to warm your core-@ nite, a sleep inducing tea-a red or 'sleepy time' by Cel Seasonings.

I personally also gave my self a foot bath-and still do-every nite and did reflexology and warm oils.

That nitely ritual calms me and makes me sleepy!

B/the one and only best remedy for sleeplessness, nausea, lack of appitate, depression and/or the blahs is to smoke a joint!

Sleep like a baby, eat like crazy and laugh all the way to svr!  And I'm a legal medical marijuanna user-so its legal if not free!

So to me, reading these posts about harmful, destructive, highly addicative drugs make me squirm.  Listen to yourselves-that's all junkie talk even if the meds are legal.

[LvdByGod!]

SORRY TRY THIS.

http://archive.mail-list.com/hbv_research/msg03065.html

[Laika]

Don A: Your post brought a big smile!  Me too, on the cooking--surprised to find that I can enjoy it when nothing really tastes very good except chocolate candy.  Another thing that makes me happy is planting.  Unfortunately, I have to quit after digging 2 little holes and planting 2 little flowers and go lie down.  But then I'm back up again in about 20 min to do 2 more.  I can't imagine being stimulated by reading recipes.  I found that my mind could just go through those hurdles so many times, putting the recipes together in my head to figure out if they would be good or not, before it would just quit...sleep.  That image of you whipping up a feast in the middle of the night -- funny!

I have found Lexapro to be very helpful so far for sleep, anxiety, being manic, being depressed.  I'm taking about 1/4 to 1/2 of the recommended dose.  I think when you're on treatment, you have to do what you have to in order to function and just keep your life rolling down the road--Ambien, AD's ...whatever..as long as its liver friendly.  For me, taking a pill specifically for sleep encouraged dependence on "taking something to sleep" --lying down in bed became a cue to take a Xanax.  I no longer remembered how to get there by myself after so many years of it (this was pre-treatment).  Now that I'm treating, I don't want to go back there...I take the Lexapro earlier in the day and one of its effects seems to be a good night's sleep.  So I'm not taking a pill to sleep, taking a pill to calm down, every little thing becoming a cue to pop a pill.  I'm glad that such a low dose of the Lexapro is helpful in so many ways.  It is a new med for me, only a few weeks...hope I'm as happy with it down the road as I am now.

Laika

[LvdByGod!]

i took zanax for sleep with tx too for awhile and noticed the worse anxiety when i would miss a days dosage. plus they gave me stomach pains. so i made myself go off them and just put up with the anxiety for about a week and then was back to just the "normal" tx anxiety...

but i wouldn't stop completely cold turkey if you have been on them daily for a long time...i would cut your dose in half, get used to that then skip every other day then stop...but make sure your dr knows that you want to stop so he can help you...

i actually started drinking herbal tea to calm down at bedtime...like camamile, or red tea with hunny...

i know you can do it!!!

:o) sandi



IMPORTANT NOTE TO ALL;

DON'T USE TRAZADONE!!! i just found out it causes liver damage. check this out!!!

"Hepatotoxicity After Short-Term Trazodone Therapy"

archive.mail-list.com/hbv_research/msg03065.html

[artgal]

I know I am going to sound like a total scaredy cat but all the talk about drugs that are needed just to deal with the treatment drugs is getting me a bit (more than a bit) frantic. I have set my date to begin the interferon/ribavirin on April 27. But frankly, reading all this stuff is making my stomach do somersaults. Some of you were enormously helpful responding to my intial post regarding the decision to begin treatment. Thank you for that. Sometimes I think since my only symptoms that I can pinpoint at this time from the Hep C are fatigue and depression, I read what all you heroic people are going through as a result of the treatment and I think maybe I should just live with this virus and try to coexist. I am in awe of what many of you are going through -- you are truly heros!

[ificu1st]

I am currently on infergen (day 22) and am taking temazepam for sleep.  What a blessing for now.  Last time through treatment I didn't take anything.  With out the sleep aid I was getting 2-3 hours of sleep at a time and it wasn't very restful.  Now I get a good 6-8 hours of sleep uninterupted.  I am still working so I need as much rest as possible between shifts.  I always say we do what we have to in order to get through this.  I still don't know if I can handle this infergen stuff for the duration.  Wish I was rich so I didn't have to work and just stay in bed.  Last treatment I took the year off but can't do it this time around.

[pepman]

I'm just a tosser-turner worrier at night Even before hepc tx I was on Ambien. One of my doctors had some concern about long term effects, and suggested Celebrex instead, but my old doctor said it would be alright to continue."You've got to have sleep", he says. I have researched this product a bit and it seems quite benign, not the same as benzodiazapines, etc.Although I'try and do without them post tx. Herbal sleep aids work for some, I guess, but not for me . Open to suggestions and counting the weeks.(and sheep) Good night all
Brian

[artgal]

Thank you Laika for such a long and thoughtful response. Your caring is evident and I appreciate it. Just having someone listen and respond means a great deal -- my husband (a sweetheart nevertheless) seems clueless about all my worries, fears, etc. He has his own to be sure (he has an extremely demanding job that often involves travel and I'm the primary caregiver for our kids). What are neupogen and procrit? I am such a newbie to all this that it wasn't till a few hours ago I knew what tx meant!

[Laika]

The interferon & ribaviron used to treat hepC can wreak havoc, as you are learning.  If your white blood cell count goes too low, a good dr will prescribe neupogen, which will boost your wbc's back up.  If your red blood cells go too low, a good dr will prescribe procrit, which will boost them back up.  A good dr will monitor closely with frequent labs and step in with these meds, if necessary.  An unacceptable alternative would be "your rbc's/wbc's are too low, we'll have to discontinue/lower your ribaviron/interferon dose".  You absolutely do not want your interferon & ribaviron dose to be lowered or discontinued unless there is no other alternative.  You want to do this treatment one time only, and your odds are much better to stay at the recommended dose for the recommended time with the hepC meds.  For the supreme effort required to treat this disease, you want to give yourself every possible chance for success.

You also want your dr to monitor your thyroid often, and should it begin to fail, be prepared to keep you on your hepC meds, also prescribing thyroid hormone.  There is at least one person who has visited this forum whose dr actually discontinued their hepC treatment because of a failing thyroid. What a waste.

There is one person on this forum who is a geno 1 with very minimal liver damage who is waiting and monitoring rather than treating at this time.  She is hopeful that by the time she must make a move, that the odds for success for geno 1's will be improved with new meds.  For geno 2's, esp. females, our odds are better, treatment shorter.  Do you have a recent biopsy?  Do you know what your viral load is?  Your ALT & AST?  It is best to gain some familiarity with these things and insist on copies of all your labs.

I too have a husband who has been fairly detached about my condition, has a stressful job which includes travel.  I have my own very high maintenance business and have hired someone to do almost everything I've done by myself the past 10 years.  It's been a big change...my #1 priority is taking care of myself.  I owe a huge debt to the people here...as I learn, I try to help people newer than myself.

Laika

[donAlfonso]

You've gotten some really good info here already.  People on this site are great.  But...if I were you, after reading all this, I'd probably be more scared than reassured.  So I just want to add that the effects of tx vary from individual to individual.  Some people breeze through tx with hardly a complaint, and I suspect that we (this site) hear from them less than we do from those who suffer more from the side effects (sx).  So please, keep in mind as you begin this journey, that you may or may NOT experience any or all of the sx that we often hear about.  This site is a great resource for learning about HCV, but more than that, it's a great group of people who WANT to know how tx and life is going for you.

dA

[cuteus]

if I remember correctly you have a short trip on tx, your worse sides might start as you are nearing the end of your tx!

I did not need any sleeping aids while on pegasys/copegus and I took the riba in the evening, sometimes before bedtime. I also did not feel the need for antidepressants in the 72 wks i trekked.  
like don al said, everyone is different, you will know which one you are soon enough. you could be one that had an easy ride.
we like to tell horror stories here, it keeps the adrenaline going...;-]

[donAlfonso]

I've taken Ambien almost every night since I started tx in January 04.  If I get to sleep without it, guaranteed I will wake up in 3 to 4 hours.  With Ambien I'm usually good for 6 hours.  So I'm hooked, and hope that quitting when tx ends won't be too hard.  But for now I figure that sleep is a priority.

Laika, for me cookbooks at bedtime are way too stimulating!  Cooking is about the only productive and pleasurable activity I've been able to do on tx.  Last summer I had a manic episode where I would find myself cooking in the middle of the night, out of control.  If I saw a recipe I liked, I had to make it, right then!  Crazy, huh?  It lasted about 2 months and looking back it was truly bizarre, though at the time I thought nothing of it.  Made some great food, too.  Anyway, no cookbooks in the bedroom anymore!

dA

[honey1616]

I also on tx,,,,woke up many a night wide awake and it could be very annoying.  I would get up and get on computer for awhile and take half an ambien and after about 45 mins was ready to go back to sleep.  First few weeks after tx,,,I was still not sleeping through night completely but now at 3 months I'm sleeping again all through the night and haven't taken any ambien for a while.  I think everyone is little different on being awake at night even normally.  Alot of people with no sickness at all seem to have sleepless nights.  Just slowly weaning yourself from the ambien should be the easiest and like LvdbyGod said,,,maybe doing calming things and trying some tea to relax you before bedtime.

haha,,,Don,,,,that is so funny about you reading recipes and then getting up and cooking. I bet your family was smelling some good stuff while they were sleeping!

Zoe,,,hope you get some restful sleep soon without the meds. It might take a little longer to adjust for you now since just getting off tx.

[Laika]

As a 2b, I am working on "just" getting through the 24 weeks.  If you need an antidepressant, a sleep aid, artificial tears, something for nosebleeds, something for itching, lose your thyroid--all that stuff is temporary (except for the thyroid, but once you get your thyroid hormone dose adjusted properly, you should be fine.)  What is NOT temporary is the progression of the liver disease caused by hepC.  As a stage 2 with the liver disease, I did NOT want it progressing any further.  Why would I wait until I was a stage 3 (more symptoms) or had cirrohsis to treat?  You really don't know what symptoms you will have from the treatment...every day or week is a surprise.  When considering treatment, you look at what your options are, decide what's best and commit to it ... whatever you have to deal with, you must do it.  Adjust your life as best you can to deal with treatment.  Come here, ask for info and the good people come forward with help to get you thru it.

There may be good reasons to put off treatment, but I would ask myself:  Will aging improve my ability to tolerate treatment? (no) Will it improve my odds of clearing the virus? (no) Will delaying treatment cause progression of my liver damage? (probably) Is there a possibility I could lose the insurance I have to cover it?  (The meds can be as much as $5,000 per month) (do any of us know that?)

I told my family:  Don't count on me to be fun or sociable.  I'm going to do what I need to do to get through this and hopefully stop this virus from trashing my liver.  It's 6 months plus a few more of de-toxing.

Here's a quote from TriHepGuy that might be useful to you.  He helped me get started here.

"My advice for anyone going into tx is be sure that you and your doctor are on the same page. This includes making certain that you will be prescribed Neupogen and Procrit pro-actively (i.e. - BEFORE you reach the point where dosage reduction is called for). Try and find out how flexible your doctor is about length of tx (eg - if you don't clear the virus by week #12, will your tx be extended?). And find out how frequently you will be tested for viral levels - the more early on in tx, the better. Your doctor and everyone in their office works for you. You have to be sure they are a correct fit for your needs before ever beginning tx. Stay on top of them the whole way. Never be afraid to ask questions or to be a pain-in-the-ass - perceived or otherwise. Your goal is to get rid of this virus for good and to have to treat only once. Doctors see many, many patients every week. You are but a blip on their radar and can easily get lost-in-the-sauce. Learn as much as you can about the things you need to know and always be a self-advocate."

Re early bloodwork, get your dr to agree to a PCR at 4 weeks (to determine whether or not the virus is still detectable in your blood).

Strange as it may seem, there can be good things about this experience.  Almost all difficult experiences contribute to one's personal growth, if you let them.

Laika

[zo]

Thank you very much for your support;it seems really that it is only a question of goodwill and patience!

I agree that it is better to the body to live without all that stuff,but  after so many years,it is like a vice,and I feel anxious when I don't take a pill.
But I WANT really to be free of
this habit,and your success cheers me .

Um grande abra

[Laika]

Before I was diagnosed with hepC, I had taken Xanax for years ...only to sleep.  After I found out I had hep C, I cold turkey'd the Xanax and re-learned how to go to sleep without meds.  I would occasionally take benedryl, if desperate, but learned that I felt MUCH BETTER without all that **** in my system.  I kept books at my bedside that were very unexciting...recipe books!  How many recipes can you read before you fall asleep?  It takes some effort to discover what will work for you and to develop new sleep habits.


Good luck..
Laika

[scruffy]

Zoe, I slept fine before tx and during tx but for 7 months after tx I had a lot of sleep problems. In your case it may have little to do with the peg but it is something to keep in mind. My sleep now, at 10 months post tx is totally normal again. I have some hep sides which have recently returned(I am a relapser-type 1A) such as joint stiffness(minor) and occasional fatigue. Otherwise I feel really healthy. Hope things improve quickly for you. frank

[bon_vivant]

Hey,
I went thru that, but personally I just cut myself off cold turkey.... I forced myself to stay up when I was not sleeping, just so I'd be so worn out the following evening that I actually started going to bed like at 7:30 or so... (Cause I'd would be up around 3:30 or 4)

So it's a major adjustment, I just recently started TX again, & of-course I have all my scripts filled for ambian, xanex... ect... but I refuse to take them till I am absolutely in need this go around.... still waking up at the wee hours, but going to bed REALLY early... so I need to adjust this yet again by a few hours... say force myself to stay up till 9 or 10, & still get up around 3:30 or 4.... I think it just takes time!
:)