Need help with sleep

[msa1633]

I have been on the clinical trial of NM283 and pegasys for 28 weeks before rising VL forced me off the trial and on to Riba. (never missed a shot of IFN) So now at week 4 with the Riba (and procrit) I can't get enough sleep. The riba seems to have me wired up a bit and I can't shut off my brain to sleep. I am a person that needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep while not on tx and now I am only getting 5 or 6 on tx. I work in a very mentally demanding job with a lot of stress.  Each day I get more stressed and this causes more problems with going to sleep. I can't do anything on weekends except re-charge by napping when I can. I maintained a very positive attitude the 28 weeks of tx in the trial, now I am starting to feel depressed and getting the riba rage. I am just before loosing it. I have to get some sleep.
I have moved my evening Riba to 4PM with a snack. Eat dinner at 6PM. On an empty stomach at 8PM take 1 to 1.5 mg zanax and one 12.5 ambian CR. Lights out at 9. Background noise of simulated rain sounds going. I usually can't go to sleep until midnight or later. I usually wake up at 5:30 even though alarm doesn't go off until 6:30. I just can't go back to sleep.
I don't want to go on anti-dep. My wife thinks I should take zanax during the day to stop from getting so keyed up. I want something to knock me out at bedtime so I can get the sleep I need. At the Hep C support group last night someone recommended amitriptyline which I think is generic for Elavil. Would this be good or are there any other suggestions? I can handle being a little groggy in the AM for good sleep.

[sunspot]

Zanaz, Valium, Ativan and Klonopin are all in the same class of drugs. I listed them in order of fastest effects and duration.
Be very careful with them as they are addictive and you will need to be weaned off of them because suddenly stopping can cause a very bad reaction.

[mycoldfeet]

Been a parmedic for 20 yrs, valium is not addictive, but some people become dependent on them as with anything,
ad's have to be weaned off, can cause a laundry list of sx including thoughts of offing yourself, nah I'll stick with plain old valium, get the same effect everytime, no surprises and it works, seen some of these wonder drugs the reps pass out to Dr,s to give out as samples, I'll stay with the tried and true.

[sfbaygirl]

Sleep seems to be a Riba problem, although I have had sleep issues for a long time. Tx made things worse. I have taken zanax and it does nothing to me. Ativan on the other hand knocks me out. When I am anxious or haven't slept, I have taken one to help out. It does!  A script lasted me over a year. I now am taking ambien, not the ambien CR and I wake up after 4 hours. Sometimes I take another, for four more hours of sleep. Does the CR really last longer?

[Forseegood]

that's interesting about the ativan, and I read that it's the most liver friendly of the tranqs, if you can even use that term...at least that's what it says on their lit...

[Mister beagle bailey]

That's what I think, you got to use to the meds your on to help you sleep.  I used Lunesta and it helped.  Maybe tell your Dr what your going through and see what he has to say.  Your wife might be right, maybe you should be taking it durning the day so your not so wired at night.  Let us know what you decide.

Beagle

[BayAreaWomen]

Shouldn't you be careful about taking Valuim; I think they are habit forming. Someone posted here a while back, can't remember who it was, but they had a hell of a time getting off them. You can't just stop taking them all at once; especially if you been on the for years. Just concerned! BAW