Vedette

26 days sober (alcohol.) Saw my Dr today and he did not want to renew my rx for mild tranquilizer and non-habit forming sleep aid. They did seem to help me get through the day and get to sleep at night. Guess he wants to see if I can continue to ignore my AV w/o the meds. He did say to call him if I had a hard time. Wish me luck (and strength.)

Dee74

I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised Vedette.
It may not seem like it today, LOL but it sounds like you have a decent Dr there

D

Vedette

I hope you're right D (although you usually are.)

Mikie9

You got a mild tranquilizer and a sleep aid? Damn, I shoulda went to a Dr when I quit drinking lol. or maybe not, I am torn lol

Good luck man!

FeelingGreat

Hi Vedetee, your doctor must be pleased with how you're doing to stop the meds. It's good that you have the type of MD who is looking after the whole person.

Vedette

Thanks. He is a great Doc but he ain't getting my "sleepy time" tea!

foolsgold66

I think you'll be ok.

MemphisBlues

Define "mild tranquilizer."

sillysuzanfree

I do wish you luck! Try melatonin and warm milk (if you haven't already)...It will get easier

MythOfSisyphus

Good luck! I second the recommendation for melatonin, the stuff works wonders and is natural.

Vedette

Mild tranq = lorazepam 0.5mg three time daily

mfanch

I would not rely on luck. I would make a PLAN. Then I would follow the PLAN.

Glad you are here.

Mountainmanbob

you will probably (in time) due much better without them
sounds like true sobriety may be coming real soon to you

I would guess that
probably 1/4 of so called sober ones in AA take some kind of prescription medicine
let's say possibly 1/2 of those truly don't need the medicine
they just want to keep a mothers little helper around
kind of takes the edge off of this rough at times life

question -- are they truly sober ???

best to be clean from everything -- if possible
understood -- some need prescription medicine

Mountainman

Ruby2

Vedette, you will most likely be fine. When I was in treatment my sponsor at the time threw out my entire clonazapam prescription. I was not happy about that but I did find that I didn't need it when I got out of treatment. No booze equaled no anxiety.

Since relapsing I went to see my doctor about quitting again and she gave me a limited prescription of the clonazapam and the non habit forming sleep aid, trazodone, for me. Once I get through this early part of sobriety I don't anticipate needing them.

Hang in there. It is great that you are working with your doctor.

Seiceps

Do you guys know we have a gland in the brain that produces malitonin called the pineus gland bc it looks like a pine cone. It has a lense and retina and can detect light. The third eye. We loose the ability to utilise it as we head into adolescence. Ie no bloody sleep. Not sleeping is a major player in my drinking. I literally can't sleep no matter how tired I am. Apparently this gland starts to calcify but we can in calcify it with diet etc so natural sleep is possible again. Just discovered this. Anyone know anything more ? I just wanna sleeeeeeep !

jeeves

People who stay on lorazepam longer than needed and take it on a daily basis will develop a dependance on the drug to sleep. I was given a similar drug in rehab to help my insomnia. I was taken off of it within the first few weeks and was able to improve my sleeping patterns by simply changing what I did before I went to bed. If your sleep problems are infrequent, it is safe to take the lorazepam occasionally. Just try to push through it, and you may be surprised how much control you actually have over sleeping and anxiety. If it does not get better I'm sure your doctor will work something out, they are there to help you not make you uncomfortable

ImperfectlyMe

Vedette, while this may seem daunting trust me you're doing yourself a huge favor here! Learning to sleep naturally and manage stress early on in sobriety will set you up for success. Your Dr. Sounds like a great Dr. too many are despenceries.

Good luck and SR is always here if you can't sleep

jeeves

I'm in premed and am hoping to become psychiatrist specializing in sleep disorders. It is actually the pineal gland, and you are right it is sometimes referred to as a third or partial eye. This is because it a photoreceptive organ, meaning it's function is determined by how much light the retina is absorbing. The pineal gland will not produce melatonin if you are exposed to light. This is why it is so important to refrain from watching tv, reading, or using the computer at night. Your retina is absorbing so much light from the TV, computer, or your reading light that the pineal gland will perceive that you are in daylight, hence no production of melatonin because humans are dinural(sleep at night) animals. Conversely in nocturnal animals melatonin is produced when the retina is exposed to light. And yes, the pineal calcifies as one ages and lower melatonin levels are produced in adults than that of the prepubescent. Some people claim that the calcification is induced by diet or exposure to fluoride in water, there is no hard-evidence supporting this claim. Even though lower levels of melatonin are produced in adults that does NOT mean you can no longer achieve natural sleep. You just need to work on not exposing yourself to excess light in the night time. Also STOP DRINKING TO GO TO SLEEP! That is a horrible idea, just because alcohol makes you sedated and knocks you out, does not translate into actual rest. Alcohol suppresses rapid eye movement sleep, a vital aspect in feeling refreshed in the morning. If you need to take something to sleep talk to your doctor who will be able to work out a viable plan, self-medicating more often than not only exacerbates the condition.

flutter

Sorry Seiceps, the pineal gland doesn't have a lens or retina, but you're right it's the gland that produces melatonin. It is located very deep within our brains and wouldn't respond to light or dark, but luckily our eyes communicate with our brains!

Sounds like you have a good doc, Vedette! Good luck, I bet you'll be just fine!

MemphisBlues

Ativan or Xanax or Valium or Klonopin are all classified as "minor" tranquilizers to distinguish them from the first tranquilizers developed in the 1950s, such as Thorazine, which many associate as a lobotomy in a pill since it totally shuts down the brain.

There is no baby tranquilizer akin to a baby aspirin. Ativan is a benzodiazepine all all are classified as highly addictive.

I think the term minor tranquilizer is dangerous to addicts like me.