I suffer from imsomnia the most iv been up is 130 hours yes it ***** but try taking meds at a controlled dosage and try to reset ur clock i get about 2 to 4 houers a night so i feel your pain i dont have all ur problems but consult ur doctor about melatonin or other medications
The side affects of not sleeping will make you report more problems to your doc,,, like wat you reported. So your medical condition of not sleeping,,,, is a medical one,?not a mental one.? The doc is treating you medical problem,,, mentally,, if this is the case ? Ask your doc my sleeping problem mental or medical. Make the doc do his job lright. No b/st make verification , and you can understand more better how to move forwards. And look at yourself, not sleeping, or fixing your sleep problem would fix a lot I bet. Keep on keep in on. I look for my sleep like I might fiend it on day , in my grave will I sleep... Free from my fight ,, my fight of sleep,, I will relax and and fiend myself dreaming, dreams once had as a lad. I'm out.
I have tried trazadone on several occasions. No luck, even with increasing the dose from 50mg to 200mg. Intense sinus headache accompanied with congestion. Others have had success with this drug.
Ask your doctor about adding trazadone to your regimen. It is an antidepressant and to be taken in the evening before bed. You would take this in lieu of the ambien. You may need to ween off the ambien a bit at first. Insomnia has always been the greatest issue for me as well with anxiety/depresssion and Trazadone has been the solution.
Good luck.
I too am in a similar boat. I have been on Ambien for 5 years and have the same brain fog effects you mention. It is a real love hate relationship with this drug. As you, I find it the only thing that really seems to give me some results. My problem is I get only 2 hours of sleep with it now. (Ambien has a very short half life 2-2 1/2 hours) I think also, tolerance has been established to some effect.
In as much as I get only 2 hours at a time with this drug, I am now taking it 3-4 times a night. But, I have been able to titrate from 10mg at a time down to 2 1/2mg X 3 or 4. I think the key is cutting back gradually, 2 1/2 mg at a time for maybe a week or two, then move lower.
A you know, with this drug, it is much more efficacious taken on an empty stomach. I also shut the lights off immediately upon taking it. No walking around, tv, books etc.
Insomnia is a terrible curse but I believe the drug industry will soon have alternatives to Ambien that work on a completely different receptor in the brain. In this manner all the folks like us will be able to kick Ambien and get hooked on something new!!