November 7, 2009 - 1:03am
I think I'm at the point where benzodiazepines aren't working anymore. I was on 15 mg temazepam for a while, then the doc bumped me up to 30, 45, then 60. Nada. Then he stuck me on Zopiclone (not a benzo but whatever) 7.5 mg 2x each evening, and that &*&? not only didn't work, but made my mouth taste like metal, which was disgusting. Didn't work anyway. Finally, got Ativan sublingual, 1 mg. Didn't work. I am now at the point where I stick three of those #%^*! things under my tongue and it doesn't do anything. Am I immune to benzos? I never abused them; I only increased my dosages when my doctor told me to.
Tried every over-the-counter sleep aid... plus the old tried-and-true NyQuil, Gravol, and Benadryl trifecta (all used off-label of course...) no luck. I still can't get any sleep! Does anyone have some suggestions? They need not be drug-related; what tricks do you use when you can't get any sleep?
Sunrise is a nice thing, but if I see another one tomorrow morning, I'll cry D: I don't drink anything caffeinated or high in sugar/simple carbs too close to bedtime, but it still doesn't help. My thoughts are constantly racing, and while I can sort of meditate, it only works for short amounts of time. Ugh, advice please!
November 7, 2009 - 3:52am
#2
seroquel
seroquel works for my insomnia. i cant take my ambien during the week, i have to be up at 4 am. my dr uses it off label to help me sleep and it works great, i am at 100mgs before bed, and surprising i am not groggy or have any other side effects, just good sleep. helps with nightmares too.
November 7, 2009 - 11:10am
#3
Doral (Quazepam)
You might ask your doctor about 15mg Doral (Quazepam). Thats what I take for sleep and it has worked great from night 1. It is a benzo that has a long half-life so it may leave you "hazy" the next morning, but I have never had a problem with that. I have had zero negative side-effects, and I have been taking it every night for a little more than 4 months.
I am not a doctor, so take what I say with a grain of salt until you consult your doctor.
November 7, 2009 - 9:36am
#4
Chloral Hydrate
I am prescribed 500mg to 1g h.s. p.r.n. It's a bit pricey only one company still makes it (Somnote).If you have good insurance maybe go to a sleep clinic. Good luck!!
November 7, 2009 - 10:23am
#5
Increasing your daily
Increasing your daily exercise would help you to fall asleep easier. I know that after a day where I run a few miles and do extensive weight lifting I can barely stay awake long enough to get home and shower...
I've also heard that drinking sufficient water helps sleep problems...Maybe has something to do with your body not waking you up from thirst?
The fact that all of these rather powerful sedatives are not doing the trick shows that there has to be another cause. Are you experiencing significant stress? Emotional trouble? New medications? What other life event right now might make it hard for you to sleep. Once you identify the factor you can address it in a number of ways.
November 7, 2009 - 10:28am
#6
I can symphatize
I have terrible insomnia. I have used the benzos and run into the same problem. Eventually, they dont make you sleepy. Same with benedryl and all that stuff. Ambien, Sonata...same thing. What other meds are you on? I'm sure as you know, some will cause insomnia. Excercise during the day helps. Just wear yourself out. I know it's no fun, but it usually works. Seroquel is another option as someone mentioned earlier. That is one drug that I never seemed to develop a tolerance to. A good cocktail for sleep is Seroquel 100mg+Trazodone 50mg. Insomnia is something that can't be cured overnight..no pun intended. Just as excercise won't make you buff overnight. It takes weeks to develop good sleep hygiene. It's something you have to work on diligently. Hope this helps...
Ray
November 7, 2009 - 12:14pm
#7
seroquel
seroquel as i mentioned before works great for insomnia. i am technically rxd 200mg at bedtime but thats a lil to much for being up at 4am and working to 530pm. it also has some mood elevating properties in it, kinda helps with depression. i read the phamplet that comes with the rx and it says it is an anti spychotic med. with the opiates i take i will sometimes get violent and really messed up nightmares, and this med takes them away. EVERY night of the week i take 100mg before bed tired or not. my dox rxs ne 200mg tabs and i just split them in half, so i get 2 month supply for one copay, there is no generic on this med and seroquel is very expensive. i pay 60.00 for a one month supply of a name brand. a joke, couple yrs ago my copays were 10 for generic [still the same], and 20.00 for brand, that wasnt bad but every year its going upupupupupup and up. guess i should be blessed to have a job with insurance but for a family of 4 they take 160.00 a week out of check. thats 640.00 a month thats why i feel no guilt when they pay for my extended release cII meds. man our health care is messed up. what ever happened to all these new plans? sorry for rambling off topic.
November 7, 2009 - 4:43pm
#8
INSOMNIA!
I have been prescribed many different medications as well. My psych doctor had suggested ambien but I would sleep maybe 3-4 hours, then wide awake again. Tried Seroquel but that made me extremely hungry and I did sleep but very groggy in the morning. What works best for me is Elavil - it's also called amitripyline. Hope you find something that works for you. It sucks not being able to get proper sleep! take care, Theresa
November 7, 2009 - 7:55pm
#9
Hi everyone.Yes, I'm quite
Hi everyone.
Yes, I'm quite stressed most of the time, so that's likely a huge part of it. I've tried melatonin and a few other OTC sleep aids but nothing had an effect. I take Seroquel and it used to make me sleepy, but it doesn't anymore. I get used to meds' side-effects very easily, it would seem.
I'm seeing my shrink on Wednesday so I'll see what he thinks. I don't want to get locked into having to down a handful of benzos every night just to sleep, because with those things you get addicted and eventually you can never sleep without them. Hoping there's a better option. I should be getting cognitive behavioural therapy- I used to, but I can't afford it anymore, although now that I have a job, maybe I can- and perhaps that will help with the stress. I already take way too many drugs- less would be better than more added on, if at all possible!
November 8, 2009 - 7:08pm
#10
ASK Your Dr.
about the use of zanaflex along with a benzo, althought zanaflex is a muscle relaxer, it would enhance the effect of a benzo.
Woodstock
November 8, 2009 - 7:26pm
#11
Zanaflex, alone, can be
Zanaflex, alone, can be enough to knock you out for a few hours. At least until you get use to it.
November 9, 2009 - 4:24am
#12
Oneir, your post made me miss
Oneir, your post made me miss the gym. Are you still able to do that or is that something you used to do? I miss working out or running a couple miles on the treadmill or along the streets in my moutain home town or along the Cali beaches.
November 9, 2009 - 6:59am
#13
Pink, here is a site I found
Pink, here is a site I found thihttp://www.well.com/~?%&!/insomnia/ (the word filter is taking out the m.i.c.k. w/o the periods after the~ no matter how I code it) while researching insomnia for you, there are some pretty odd suggestions there, but who knows?
November 9, 2009 - 3:25pm
#14
Awesome, thanks for the link
Awesome, thanks for the link mrbrandman :) and I'll check out Zanaflex, Woodstock- thanks for that info as well.
November 9, 2009 - 5:02pm
#15
better sleep through chemistry...
It's true; zanaflex, as well as many other muscle relaxants are often prescribed off-label as a sleep catalyst, but the effect is often short-lived as it sounds like you've experienced with benzodiazepines. I wonder if your insomnia isn't a symptom of some greater ailment. Has your doctor revisited your thyroid bloodwork, or has your daily routine vascillated in the last few months and weeks?
I too used to suffer from terrible insomnia; best wishes to you moving forward.
November 9, 2009 - 5:32pm
#16
Insomnia caused by anxiety is hard to treat
My former doctor (psychiatrist) where I used to live tried ambien and sonata with me but neither worked at all. That's a little strange because I'm a small female and usually very sensitive to all meds. He said it was because my insomnia was a manifestation of my anxiety. Anyway, now flexiril doesnt make me sleepy at all. Until last month I took it every 8 hrs with no side effects. But a normal dose 4 mg of zanaflex used to knock me out within 30 minutes. But now, not so much. The only cure for me is a 45 minute guided meditation on a cd called "relax deeply". Ironically the speaker says in the beginning, tell yourself you will stay awake. May d it's reverse psychology! It always puts me in a deep, peaceful sleep.
have ya tried melatonin??? can be found in a the vitamin isle. This is what tells the body when it is time for sleepy time... When I worked the night shift it was a life saver....