30 replies to this topic

[happyduck1979]

I am going through withdrawal off medication and one of the worst withdrawal effect is insomnia. I will go 3-5 days sleeping no more than 20 minutes at a time up to a maximum of abou 80 minutes a day, then at the end my body seems to just crash and burn for 24-36 hours of total non functionality. Then the cycle starts from scratch.

Forcing myself to stay away during the crash is not doable even with loud music, continuous walking and tons of caffine. Falling asleep furring the awake times is equally as impossible. I have tried sleepy time and camomile teas, lavender oil and incense, excersize right before bed, excersize a few hours before bed, small snack, no snack, melatonin, hot room, cold room, seperate room, sitting up, herbal sleeping pills, real supposedly very strong sleeping pills (up to 3of each of the previous two combined!), voltarin pain relief shots (there is some serious pain in going off the drug as well and my doctor is working to treat the withdrawal symptoms. Based on the best he and I can work out it should last about a month ish.

Is there any thing I have not tried? Any suggestions welcom.

Current mood: exhausted and miserable

[comfortingsong]

Is there any thing I have not tried? Any suggestions welcome.

I'm not sure what the medication was that you are having withdrawal from, so I don't know if it's silly to suggest you getting prescription sleeping pills, not just "very strong sleeping pills." There are plenty of sleeping pills out there which are not that addictive and you can get weaned off of slowly - right now, you might just need them to get through a night until you can function properly.

[Savannah]

My suggestions:

- Hot bath shortly before bed
- Carbs, again, fairly shortly before bed
- Yoga
- Boring book
- And the main thing: When you're awake, get up and do something that doesn't involve bright lights (e.g, television, Internet). Don't lie in bed and get upset that you're not sleeping.

[happyduck1979]

Good suggestion, but these are prescription. Supposedly the strongest stuff available at all outside a hospital. I had to get a special hitchayvut and everything.

I have considered going to miyun on, like, day three of the sleep cycle to begg for an iv sedative. Even a tranquilizer dart looks good around then. I am going insane (current starting day 2 of 20 minute naps for a total of about 80 minutes out of every 24 hours- and even that is more zoning out and halusinating nightmares than sleep by day 3

[Peanuts]

Have you tried melatonin?

Im so sorry that you are suffering so much, but getting strong sedatives will in the long run make these sleeping problems worse.

Feel better!

[happyduck1979]

Ooops should have added warm bath to the btdt list. I am also in the middle of the boring book I have ever encountered. My floors are also incredibly clean, I have totally caught up on sewing repairs and finished any needlework we had around. We do not have a tv and tonigh I have just totally given up. There is a car alarm wailing behind our building and even the best of the best ear plugs does drown it out.

As another withdrawal effect is a ringing in my ears that earplugs make worse tonight just looks like it might but work for me

[happyduck1979]

Melatonin did not work in the past. I am taking it now as the effects are supposedly cumulative, but so far no good

[Shaina]

Have you tried melatonin?

I learned on Imamother about Mel-O-Chew.

Melatonin did not work in the past. I am taking it now as the effects are supposedly cumulative, but so far no good

[Savannah]

Get at least 15 minutes of sunlight every day.

[happyduck1979]

I do. More generally.

[Peanuts]

Exercise is small doses more than 3-4 hours before bed time helps too...

[happyduck1979]

Tried that. At bed time. 2 hour prior. 4 hours prior. 6 hours even. The problem is that the minute my head touches the pillow, I am wide awake. I am like one of those sleepy baby dolls in reverse!

I have even tried having dh read me bedtime stories (he loves any excuse to look up strange news and year end lists.

[Diogenes The Cynic]

I've spent a few years, and a couple thousand trying to get rid of insomnia. Nothing really works. Just try to get whatever sleep you need, and avoid driving with less than 6 hours of sleep.

[happyduck1979]

Part 2 is easy. Part 1 is the problem. I have been an insomniac for as long as I can remember and learned to cope. I think the sort I am dealing with now may be against the Genoeva convention! I am tired to the point of halusinating. I work with fire and power tools so shaking exhausted hand are precluding earning a living (I gave me some sick leave during all this).

Worth it as I am thrilled to be off the other drugs that were causing their own problems, buti am at the point where lopping off my own head is starting to look good (of course then I might need to go back on the anti depressant).

[Diogenes The Cynic]

What do you do for a living?

[Bet Chesed]

You want a COLD bath/shower not a warm one, within an hour of bedtime. I know it sounds unpleasant but you need cold temperatures to make you tired. Likewise you want your bedroom to be in between 67-70 degrees F. Also, make sure that you do not look at any computer screens or televisions at least an hour before you want to go to sleep.

[Bet Chesed]

Also, it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyways, that everyone should be doing an hour of vigorous exercise everyday (and definitely not before bed). If you're working out the right way, exercise will keep you awake for hours if you do it late at night.

[mat`]

1. magnesium supplements
2. massage

[Savannah]

They say that CBT can help too. If they have such a thing in Israel, you could try going to a sleep lab.

[happyduck1979]

Sleep lab see

What do you do for a living?

I am a goldsmith

They say that CBT can help too. If they have such a thing in Israel, you could try going to a sleep lab.

I do not know what CBT is, but a sleep study seems pointless as I know why I am up and it is a very well documented part of drug withdrawal in this case.