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Hoping for sleep meds.

Old 05-13-2013, 08:35 PM
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Hoping for sleep meds.

I've had insomnia off and on for many years. But it's been worse the past week. I got laid off of work last week. Hardly getting any sleep, like 2-3 hours a night. Luckily for me I start another job tomorrow, but the hours are going to be brutal. M-F 4:30 pm to 3 am and some Saturdays 2 pm to 10 pm. But believe me, I'm just glad to be working again.

I took otc diphenhydramine last night. It helped a little. I made an appointment with my internal doctor for tomorrow morning hoping to get Ambien, Trazadone or whatever meds he thinks is best. I've never done prescription sleep meds. But I've been so jacked up lately I just can't shut my mind off. I'm afraid the insomnia will wipe me out and I won't be able to do this new job.

Which kind of doctor is best for getting sleep prescription meds?
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Old 05-14-2013, 02:05 PM
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I saw the doctor today. He prescribed me 5 mg Zolpidem (Ambien). It's not controlled release (CR) form. He said to start off with 5 mg. If that doesn't work then raise it to 10 mg.
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Old 05-16-2013, 01:54 AM
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So far so good. Much better. I took 10 mg of Ambien and got about 6 hours sleep. No unpleasant side effects. I don't feel groggy or tired after I get up.
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Old 05-16-2013, 02:31 AM
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Worrying about insomnia is a major cause of insomnia...

Have you spoken to a doc' about maybe some counselling to discuss why you're struggling to sleep (if you don't know why, then to discuss that)?

P.s. loving the latte art in your picture, not that I'm advising coffee is the way forward right now
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Old 05-16-2013, 02:54 AM
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You should try eating a banana too!
Contains melatonin which helps you stay asleep.
Also if you sleep with lights on, or daylight coming through your curtains your body won't release it's natural melatonin.
A couple of hours before you want to sleep you should dim the lights and that will help you release melatonin which will make you feel sleepy.

The ambien should help you get into a routine, but I'd try stay away from it for long term use.
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Old 06-03-2013, 07:30 PM
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I'm glad to see things are getting sorted out. Insomnia sucks. I had a lot of issues trying sleep when I first quit drinking.
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Old 06-03-2013, 07:45 PM
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I can only tell you my experience. Never had a sleep problem until something in my life happened and I ended up with PTSD. Got over most of the problems, but couldn't sleep.

I'd told my dr., the first time I met him (he's left the practice, now have a female and told her everything, too) about my addiction history.

Went through ALL the sleep meds, finally found something that worked but built up a tolerance until the risk of upping the dose just didn't justify the side effects.

I was also underemployed or unemployed a lot of this time. I've since found steady work, recently graduated from college (again....3rd associate's degree) and realized I was almost exhausted enough to sleep.

I started taking something OTC, all natural, and it helped. I also started eating kiwi before I go to sleep after a recommendation here, and reading up on it in medical journals. Gee, it has all the stuff I was taking supplements for (magnesium, potassium, and calcium).

Long story short. Though I've yet to incorporate exercise into my daily schedule (working on that), I'm usually able to go to sleep.

I will admit, been dealing with this for a few years, but for now? It's working. I have a friend who has many years in recovery, a job that has irregular schedules, and has been through sleep studies.

She works through it, as do I. I just think being honest with your doctor about any addiction history is vital. My dr. also knows that lack of sleep leads me to a really dark place. I don't use, but it's a deep depression.

We've worked out something that works for now. I would have NEVER thought a fruit or anything OTC would help me, but it helps along with working with some pretty challenging situations.

Wishing you the best of luck and some good night's sleep

Hugs and prayers,

Amy
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Old 07-07-2013, 02:43 AM
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Sleep meds can lead to dangerous amnesia problems

Sorry to share this since you think you found a great solution, but from my experience it can cause amnesia blackouts - if you don't like not knowing who is at the proverbial wheel, take caution.

I ordered stuff on the internet that I did not remember doing, the weird thing was it was stretch mark cream and I don't have stretch marks and am not overweight. (maybe there is a fat girl inside of me waiting to get out?)

Another time I left recommendations on linked-in people's sites that I didn't remember writing, and they were rather embarrassing from a professional stance, (run-on sentences, bad grammar, and I sounded like I was in fifth grade).

Several times I had weird conversations with my adult son with his friend present that made him uncomfortable and embarrassed (like how life is nothing but death, desperation, and depression, and not worth living, etc). Not the real me at all. He did not like that person I became in my blackout state and I wasn't even overdosing on the medicine.

One time I really creeped out my friend when I started referring to myself in the third person saying "She (in reality, me) doesn't know I am in control and I can walk over to the store and steal while she is asleep and I won't get punished for it, but she will (I wasn't asleep - I was "she" AND the sleep walking zombie talking to my friend). That was it - my friend ran out and when he told me the next day what I was saying , I knew that was the last prescription sleeping pill I would ever take.

I finally quit it, it is too crazy what it can do to our brain chemistry.
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Old 07-08-2013, 12:00 AM
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Originally Posted by human View Post
One time I really creeped out my friend when I started referring to myself in the third person saying "She (in reality, me) doesn't know I am in control and I can walk over to the store and steal while she is asleep and I won't get punished for it, but she will (I wasn't asleep - I was "she" AND the sleep walking zombie talking to my friend). That was it - my friend ran out and when he told me the next day what I was saying , I knew that was the last prescription sleeping pill I would ever take.

I finally quit it, it is too crazy what it can do to our brain chemistry.
Wow, that is creepy. I have a story about that stuff. I was on it for years, and I only have one story, but I think it's crazy enough to stand on its own. One night I took my dose while I was getting ready for bed, instead of while in bed like you're supposed to. I got distracted from going to bed by a friend who had visited, and started having a conversation, assuming it would only take a couple minutes and I could go to bed. But, it lasted longer, and my roommate joined in. Then, complete blank spot. Next, I suddenly "awoke." I was in a room that had nothing other than a couch I was sitting on. No walls even. I was sitting on the couch in this impossible no-wall room and I was in the middle of having a conversation with someone, but nobody else was there. Gradually during the conversation, the world began reconstructed itself around me and the room filled in... But it still seemed very much "off" somehow. And then my friend was there freaking out over my roommate's teeth. Over the next couple hours things returned to normal, and my friend stopped freaking out and my roommate was asleep, with normal teeth. I complemented my roommate on their recent artwork that was in the kitchen, and I got a strange look in return. Turns out after I blacked out, and I have NO memory whatsoever of this part, we consumed large doses of hallucinogens, which I depicted in the pictures I drew in the kitchen.

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