GwenMarie30

Hey All,

Ok this is driving me nuts. Its 4:30am and I am still wide awake. I have had alot of relationship problems with my family and everyday general things. I cant seem to get my mind to shut down and I cant sleep alot here lately. I have been wondering if it safe to take an over the counter sleeping pill for nights like this. Im afraid to take anything for fear of failing the random drug testings I have to do and certainly dont want to start another addiction just to sleep. I really dont even like to take tylenol if I dont absolutly have to.

This sleep depravation is really making me crazy(more than I already am). Im so mentally and emotionally exhausted. I just cant shut down.

eddie z.

My education and opinion are that the answer is no. Since you are really having a problem, I suggest you talk to a doctor about it. Make sure of course that they know you're an addict first and that they know you can't take anything that could possibly be "habit-forming." They may prescribe something such as trazodone or Rozerem for short-term use to get you back on track.

When question of medication arise, I find pages 98 & 99 of the Basic Text helpful as well as the booklet In Times of Illness. And of course I suggest you talk to your sponsor, too. You may also want to ask whoever is doing the testing what might be safe to take with regard to whether it shows up on the screens or not. Absolutely avoid benzos, though. They are bad news.

I also like chamomile tea when I'm having trouble sleeping and it IS safe for addicts. The main thing is to not make decisions alone, but instead to consult with others, which you are obviously doing by posting here. I hope you can get some sleep soon!!


Love and hugs,
Eddie

helpus

I wonder if Tylenol PM would be ok? It is non habit forming. I have a bottle in front of me and there are no warnings or contra indications if you are an addict. The main ingredents are acetaminophen & diphenhydramine. I have tried the one called simply sleep, same thing w/o the tyllenol but it doesn't work nearly as well. You could try www.tylenol.com and see if you can get more answers.

eddie z.

I don't think you're very likely to see such a warning on any over-the-counter product even though there are plenty out there that we really should not take. Diphenhydramine is the generic name for Benadryl and I've always been told that it is a no-no for the recovering addict. The only thing I know of available without a prescription that's probably safe for an addict is melatonin. I've never heard of anyone getting high on it whereas I do know people who have had problems with diphenhydramine and the like.

I don't recommend the Tylenol site because that's the same company that brought us tramadol and claims it's not addictive. They have a vested interest in saying that Tylenol PM is also not habit-forming. I will try to find a list of things we should not take over-the-counter and post it. I know I used all kinds of things to try to change the way I felt and I don't think I am unique in that regard. Please be careful!!

Love and hugs,
Eddie

SaTiT

A lot of peaple have sleeping problems at first in recovery.
Being an ex-meth user myself. I had lots sleeping problems.
Even after six months of being clean and sober, I stayed up for
2-3 days.

it's almost a catch 22. If you don't get enough sleep or rest,
you won't function too will.

But by working the 12 step...this will help you rest your head
at night.

No one can say whats right or wrong for you Gwen.

Getting our minds to let go of whatever is in our mind is not
the easies thing in the world.....at first.

Being in control of my mind is a growth process of my recovery.
I had to learnd how to tell it to shut the hell up.
Some of us call it the committee.lol

hang in there Gwen

GwenMarie30

Thank you EddieZ, helpus, and SaTit. I didnt take anythng yet. I will check into more options for a more peaceful rest. I havent been having to many problems sleeping until lately. I did catch some sleep today. I guess I'll take it when I get it. And SaTit, I definitely think you hit it pretty good when you talked about step work. While I sleep I feel alot of fighting, depression and fear even thou I cant remember exactly why. And when I wake up I feel exhausted and depressed. I usually am one of them people that is pretty happy when they first wake up. So yeah, I think I really need to get to work on that step work more than what I have been. And helpus, thank you too for the help. Please be extremely careful with what you take. Like Eddiez said that alot of your medications will not clue us in on if its habit forming or potential side effects like it may be habit forming. Eddie, I will keep coming back to this post to see what you found. I dont mean for you to have to bring your work home with you. I know your a pharmacist and I appreciate all the input.

eddie z.

I agree. I tend to forget the non-medication solutions to insomnia sometimes. LOL. Some relaxation and meditation exercises may also help. There are also a number of "sleep hygeine" suggestions (like not exercising late in the day) that can contribute to getting a good night's sleep. I may try to find those as well.

GwenMarie,
Don't worry about me bringing my work home with me. I love helping out anywhere and anytime I can! Speaking of work, though, I have to run now.

Have a good day, y'all!!
Love and hugs,
Eddie

Moontime

I also had sleeping problems and I would hate when my sponsor said "Nobody has ever died by lack of sleep!!" When you get a good night sleep, you may actually come to believe and have hope that there is a power out there that is helping you through this. It worked for me.

Blake

Yea I would deffinately stear clear of the tylenol PM. I used to abuse them along time ago....I would take 16 or so and stay awake, it gets you loaded when abused, and I'm lucky i still have a liver.

By a common sense deffinition of "habit forming" ANYTHING that makes you go to sleep will be habit forming for an addict. I was addicted to tylenol PM and after a while I couldn't go to sleep without them, or I believed I couldn't so I took them every night. Eventually I got my DR to perscibe me ambien and I stayed on it for a long time. When I got clean, I didn't sleep right for 6 months or so, but now it's pretty much back to normal. I just had to form some healthy sleep patterns and let them sink in.

Insomnia sucks, but like moontime said, no one has ever died from lack of sleep.

Later,
Blake

golf99

Have you tried to exercise...that helped me.

Awenasa

Yes I have problems still on ocassion. I heard the nobody ever died from a lack of sleep too. Another person in the program always says if it changes how you feel you should think long and hard about it. I also agree you should speak with your doctor make sure that your doctor(s) know your situation. Then proceed from there. Don't make this decision alone.

eddie z.

Hey, GwenMarie!! How's it going?

Love and hugs,
Eddie

P.S. Yeah, exercise helps, too. Just not in the evening too close to bedtime, though.

GwenMarie30

Hi. Sorry I've been MIA this weekend. I have 60 days in a county jail I gotta do for a probation violation, but its only on the weekends. Im trying for a ankle bracelet now that I have a job. YEP! I GOT A JOB! WOOHOOO! Any way I will be back on a little later either tonight or tomarrow evening to let you know how things have been goin. I have been doin a little better on sleep though. Thanks for the thoughts.

eddie z.

Thank you for the update, GM!! And CONGRATULATIONS on your job, too!! That rocks!! Glad you're getting better sleep and you're welcome!!

Love and hugs,
Eddie

danib

hi, i am new here but i really appreciated this first post - it's the reason i'm joining this forum - bascially because it addresses the very real issues of illness in recovery & what meds are acceptable. i am a chronic pain patient looking for support because i am having to take more than over the counter meds for the fist time. i'm 9 years sober, the long version of the story is that i have taken Aleve for my back pain only but 4 months ago it damaged my stomach & i can no longer take it. my doctor/osteopath is very aware of my addiction issues & prescribes meds very carefully for me. he has given me a muscle relaxer that is really nothing more than an antihistimine & it seems to be working for now, but in case i ever need more - i want a support system in place. i want to give back as well though, so here's my answer to your sleep question... my sleep pattern problems due to alcoholism & drug abuse got back to normal after about a year of sobriety, but my chronic pain issues still cause me to have insomnia at times & i take Melatonin or Valerian. i have never had any addiction issues with these herbal sleep remedies. i also do yoga & use meditation to help me sleep, but it took me many years of sobriety to learn to settle my mind enough for these things to help. Tylenol PM is not a good idea in my opinion, as i got very addicted to it & od'ed on it ending up with a hospital stay. i'm lucky i didn't have to have a liver transplant. i see that i am answering an old thread, but i hope my answer will help anyone else that may stumble upon it like i did today. i'm very happy to have found this discussion! thanks!

REZ

Non-drug sleep aids: exercise, relaxing hot bath, warm milk or herbal tea, dull book, meditation, s*x

Luckyv2

Hi my name is Vic and you just got me really excited because I know the person that posted this really good but yet a real let down when I found looked at the origional day of the post. My friend Gwen is in Prison still clean though but had some wreckage of the past that she was still accountable for so yeah I thought she got out of

Good to see ya here and yeah it is a blessing here ehhh.

danib

oh, sorry - didn't mean to get you excited for nothing.
i just liked her post, it helped me & got me to join this forum so you can be glad for her that she's helping a newcomer.

Luckyv2

Trust me I am glad that she could help you out and there are many others here that can help you out as well. Keep coming back and posting we need you in our recovery!

danib

i will keep comin' back, thanks. this is a really lovely forum.
i'm glad to have found ya'll - you have no idea how glad! haha!