dont miss the vicodins but need to sleep

[munster1]

I was a weekend type vicodin user for 20 years but after the layoff I went deeper.  last year and a half I was doing about 8 a day sometimes including oxy or adderral.  quit 10 days ago.  I was definitely ready to quit and I don't miss them at all.  7 weeks before I quit I started eating better and lost 30 pounds.  problem is that the first week I got by at night with xanax which doesnt work for me to well and also ambien.  can't go on like that so I just started working out daily and bought that natural stuff melatonin, etc.  this is day 2 and I haven't sleepen yet and gettign despaarate.  when will my plan start working?  I was even thinking of trying one or even a half vikey day at night for sleep.  

[NeedsEncouragement]

Sounds like you were taking my nigthtime cocktail...mine was specificially T3, 10mg Ambien and .25mg Xanax.  I was awaken to my addiction by a severe mental reaction to Topamax.  Within a week, I started c/t off the T3.  The next week, I reduced the Ambien to 5mg each night.  The next week, I replaced the Ambien with Melatonin 1.5mg and cut the Xanax in half.  Honestly, I am still not sleeping 8hrs, but it is better (I am on day 13).  Since my sleep has started to level off at about 5hrs/night, I am going to go to 1/4 Xanax and then d/c it in a week.  I really could not tell any difference in my w/d process by adjusting the other meds....I just didn't sleep and it was horrible.....BUT it does get better.  I am still looking for normal, but I am so much better now, I can't complain.  I have no one to blame but myself for being in this spot.  Best of luck, hold on, sleep is on the way!

[Devonlee]

Well first of all Im not sure that you should have been mixing the ambien and xanax. Both are fairly strong stuff and because of that even short term use can cause rebound insomnia. Also quitting opiates will cause insomnia.  So unfortunatly you will just have to suck it up if you want to get off of all of it. You wont sleep well for awhile but it will get better. Either that or take your ambien at night and slowly decrease it. That could help for instance if you take two pills cut down to one and a half etc.  And I say one hundread percent do not take a vic for sleeeping...number one they arent made for that and number two you are addicted and abuse vics. You will just go back to using. Good luck with everything. Oh and natural stuff to help sleeping is melatonin and valerian.

[sickofpillsandpain]

hang in there! try taking a multi vitamin along with your melatonin. do you have a dr you can talk to about your sleep?? if not, youre almost there so hang in there!! you have come too far to turn back to those pills now =]

[Rippin_T]

it can take up to 4 weeks to get back to your normal sleep cycle hang in there it could be sooner, diffidently no more vics,ur prob 10-15 days till norm sleep at least ur through the dope sick you have done great don't blow it

hang tough...

[Am2BerrySweet]

Wow, you had a great plan.  I am suprised you are not sleeping.  I am trying to do the same. Get all of the "Thomas Recipe" going first.  Looks like you have done all the right stuff.  There are others on here that will be by shortly to add some good advise.

Congrats to you