30+ days off of 22mg c/t methadone detox .. when will I start to sleep?

[BamaIndian]

I am complaining about it within my original thread but wanted to start a new one for this specific query. I've convinced myself that I need to see my DR about the insomnia at this point. I'm lucky to get 4 hours of rest a night. I work my butt off and physically I'm back to myself. I gained 10 lbs finally, I'm happy (and have been since day 5) and ready to go however I can't sleep! I don't feel I have much quality of life as the sleep aspect is robbing me of feeling human. Benadryl is a no go - same with tylenol PM, melatonin, Valerian root AND Ambien. None of these work which leads me to believe there's damage created by the methadone to my receptors in the brain.

I have taken xanax a few times with much success. Taken 1 pill at night for 3 days (I didn't want to become dependent, and desired to eventually sleep on my own) but once I quit taking them - sleep failed to return. I have a schedule which I do stick to as well. Basically, everything is as it's supposed to be but my brain fails to shut off. Benzos seem to do the trick and yes I know about the possibility of addiction to them too. My "plan" is to seek short term treatment with xanax or ativan but before I go approaching this, for those that white knuckled the insomnia - how long did it last? I'm happy to get 4-6 hours of rest verses the atypical 2 hours a night. Can I expect another 60 days of this? If it's about a 90 day insomnia period then I feel it's safe to start out on a benzo with an agreement with my DR for 60 days of treatment with a tapering process after 60 days (lasting 30 days) so that there isn't any withdrawal or min. amounts. I have taken xanax (it was scripted to me) at a VERY high dose and successfully c/t without much discomfort at all but I just put my body through horror with a c/t detox off of methadone - I rather not go through anything near that for a very long while if ever.

In a nutshell, I'm curious to know how long any of you suffered through the WORST part of insomnia (aka under 5 hours of rest a night) without taking ambien etc as well as when rest began to return. This is my gauge to help direct my treatment plan. I do not want an endless script from my DR. Again I have a bit over 30 days clean and xanax did effectively work in giving me 9 hours of sleep a night without incident.

Thank you :)

[petroglyph54]

I'm about a hundred days from oxy, prior to that I took methadone for about a year. Since stopping I have the same sleep issue's you mention and I too do not want any type of addictive meds for anything. After being awake for almost the first two weeks, I was desperate. I finally asked my dr. for some help. She gave me Ambien 10's, which worked but I'm to leary to use them daily. So making them smaller and trying to find an adequate dose and feeling like a zombie during the day, I asked for something different so as to not use to many to long. She gave me amitryptoline 50's which I cut down and started small, they work but my head feels like it's full of cotton all day. I don't want any dope feeling. I know two senior's who have been prescribed temazepam, one was prescribed it for rls, the other to help him sleep after 3 heart surgeries in as many month's. He took them for 5 months every night and stopped and said there was no problem stopping. I tried a few and they do indeed put me to sleep, however they were capsules and I didn't see an easy way to make the dose smaller. Without some assistance I do not sleep as much as 5 hours per day and usually about 2, sometimes less. I don't want a habit, but I do understand being desperate for sleep. I don't want to be a zombie either. Congratulations on gettin clean.

[gnarly_1]

HI.....i have been threw this with lots of people the lack of sleep will drive you crazy.....it happens with all narcotics but with methadone it last for months it took me a good 60 days just to start to get broken up sleep .....really restless waking often it was around 90 days that I started to sleep 4 to 6 hr a night ......now I consider 6hr a good night ......i long for the time I could sleep 8 to 10 hr but no go since I quit....6hr does it for me I wake up a bit grogy but nothing 2 cups of coffee cant fix .....as fro the benzo's I wouldent recommend it once you get use to sleeping on them good luck getting off you will go threw the insomnia thing times 10 if you take them every night fro 2 mo....its up to you but they also become ineffective after a few weeks.....I wish there was an ezer softer way to do this but its best to just ride it out your body will adjust sooner or later I wish I could tell you when but its different fro everybody
as it progresses thev sleepytime tea at walmart use to help me fall asleep my problem was waking up at 3am wired for sound your doing good getting any sleep hang in there it will get better with time........Gnarly

[t_nuh_had_nuf]

Congrats on the 30 + days- I'm at day 84 and i wish i had better news to tell ya about my sleeping-or not sleeping. I can stay asleep for about 4 hrs at a time-wake up for about and hour and go back for another 2 or 3 hrs. No other meds for sleeping -i notice on days that i exercise it is a bit longer- but you are right we have messed up something in the brain and it takes time to heal. Good luck TEENA