haven't slept in three nights

I have searched but my mind is so jumbled I need some condensed answers please...….I haven't ever taken antidepressants or antianxiety medication for anxiety/depression as I am scared of making things worse, and withdrawals. I like this forum because obviously members know the dangers of medication. I am having a really hard time right now with anx. and dep. and haven't slept in three nights. I have tried acupressure but it only puts me out for 1-2 hrs then I wake up, have tried melatonin - no help. Can someone recommend an OTC or prescription pill, and what is the diffence are rx stronger? and if it doesn't work will I be even worse off the next day, and is this something that I need to not take for too long because I will get dependent and mess up my natural sleep? Or are they better not to take at all? I just really need some relief even if it short term.

I take it that you aren't currently suffering from a benzo z-drug (Ambien, etc.) withdrawal so you can rule that out as the cause of your lack of sleep (unlike just about all of us on this forum). You then need to address your anxiety and depression as the primary cause, although lack of sleep enhances these, creating a circle that is hard to break. Antidepressants can actually help, but a listed side-effect of some is actually insomnia so you would have to be careful. The use of such meds might to considered if your anxiety and depression have been going on for a long time and they are affecting your life in other ways besides poor sleep. If these problems are fairly recent then you need to explore what changed in your life and what are you needing to do to get back on track. There probably is something.

 

Talking to a professional, getting plenty of exercise, spending time outdoors, trying meditation, perhaps trying yoga and keeping a regular sleep schedule are all natural and healthy approaches to take. I found the supplement L-tryptophan to have a somewhat calming effect that can help with sleep. It is also remotely possible that you have developed sleep apnea that you are not aware of and having poor sleeps is causing the emotional problems. Lots of things to explore, but don't jump into taking a z-drug or a benzo without first exploring them. Too many people on this website have made that mistake. These meds are only intended for use over a couple of weeks or so, but since they work for sleep so well, most people will end up wanting to use them much longer with potentially devastating effects.

Have you tried an OTC medication? I wish I had tried one of those before I took the Benzo the doctor gave me. I feel comfortable using Doxylamine Succinate once in a while if I'm really desperate. It's what they put in Nyquil to knock you out when you have a cold. If there are circumstances causing your anxiety/depression, maybe talk therapy would help? Have you tried exercise? Magnesium? Valerian? I wish I had tried all of these and more before going to the doctor and getting the Benzo--I will regret that every day for the rest of my life.

When i came off my medication my doctor brought me off too fast. I had horrific insomnia. At the worst of it I didnt sleep for 3 nights then I slept 1 night then went another 9 nights without sleep.

 

I finally starting taking prescription seroquel. At first the seroquel did very little. But as time went on i started to heal some and it took less and less of the seroquel to put to sleep. I tapered myself off the seroquel  over the following month or so. During that time I also started excercising and changing my eating habits.

 

Occasionally now while im tapering I will take a very small part of a seroquel to help me sleep. But I really try not to take anything now.

 

Hope that helps some. Good luck.

I have searched but my mind is so jumbled I need some condensed answers please...….I haven't ever taken antidepressants or antianxiety medication for anxiety/depression as I am scared of making things worse, and withdrawals. I like this forum because obviously members know the dangers of medication. I am having a really hard time right now with anx. and dep. and haven't slept in three nights. I have tried acupressure but it only puts me out for 1-2 hrs then I wake up, have tried melatonin - no help. Can someone recommend an OTC or prescription pill, and what is the diffence are rx stronger? and if it doesn't work will I be even worse off the next day, and is this something that I need to not take for too long because I will get dependent and mess up my natural sleep? Or are they better not to take at all? I just really need some relief even if it short term.

 

Lithium Orotate sometimes has helped me relax and sleep and is supposed to help with the circadian rhythm.

I have searched but my mind is so jumbled I need some condensed answers please...….I haven't ever taken antidepressants or antianxiety medication for anxiety/depression as I am scared of making things worse, and withdrawals. I like this forum because obviously members know the dangers of medication. I am having a really hard time right now with anx. and dep. and haven't slept in three nights. I have tried acupressure but it only puts me out for 1-2 hrs then I wake up, have tried melatonin - no help. Can someone recommend an OTC or prescription pill, and what is the diffence are rx stronger? and if it doesn't work will I be even worse off the next day, and is this something that I need to not take for too long because I will get dependent and mess up my natural sleep? Or are they better not to take at all? I just really need some relief even if it short term.

 

Lithium Orotate is a supplement that sometimes has helped me relax and sleep and is supposed to help with the circadian rhythm.  You could look into it and see if you think it is worth trying.

a very small dose 3-7.5 of remeron may be helpful, seroquel (very low dose!), trazadone (again, low dose), can all be a choice that may help, they are all technically mental health drugs (remeron and trazadone are ADs, seroquel is an antipsychotic), but at low doses help for sleep. Many people here got some sort of help from one of them and at low doses it'll be easier to taper later (hopefully), if it doesn't help at a low dose, then you can move up!

I cannot answer you until I know more. Are you on benzos now, or did you get off them? IF you did take them and are now off benzos, insomnia is just something you have to endure. It does go away.

I NEVER suggest anyone take more pills, if they have gotten off benzos! Suggesting someone take Remeron is NOT a good idea. None of us here are physicians. I personally think that SSRI's are a total waste of time and money plus they all have their own withdrawals.

Insomnia is a very common problem and one we all have to deal with WITHOUT reaching for yet another pill.

That is the thinking that got us into such trouble before.

 

Benzo people have to look deep inside and try to understand what drove them to take benzos originally. Even if your doctor did not tell you they are addictive, you are all grown ups with internet connection! ALL of us should have researched benzos before we ever took one. And we did not do this.

 

To the original poster: I need more information in order to help you.

east

Doesn't go away for me, I been off ativan 13 months now with no signs of insomnia leaving, I get poor, broken sleep and last night no sleep....if you had Insomnia BEFORE taking the BEnzo, chances are like me you'll still have the insomnia after WD

I would try being as active as possible during the day, meaning if you cant exercise, walk your butt off. No caffeine. No electronics, cell phone after work. (these lights affect w8ake cycle) Right before bed, listen to comedy or something that distracts your mind and your worries. Try a small amount of magnesium before bed or soak your feet in epson salts before bed. Use calming scents in your bedroom. Wear eyeshades. Good luck.

HI There!

If you can't sleep, there is a reason... Unlike most  of us here, as you say, there is not medicine involved. My first advise would be to check what happened to you since the last night you have a good night sleep. Food,family issues, work might have triggered anxiety and depression. Lack of sleep may complicate this two problems dramatically. Doctors are going to prescribe pills to fix it with future consequences. Try and see if eliminating coffee exercising and sleep hygiene help first. Cold showers and diet helped me a lot when I couldn't sleep. Tried whatever you can before going into the drug bus! Good luck! 

When i came off my medication my doctor brought me off too fast. I had horrific insomnia. At the worst of it I didnt sleep for 3 nights then I slept 1 night then went another 9 nights without sleep.

 

I finally starting taking prescription seroquel. At first the seroquel did very little. But as time went on i started to heal some and it took less and less of the seroquel to put to sleep. I tapered myself off the seroquel  over the following month or so. During that time I also started excercising and changing my eating habits.

 

Occasionally now while im tapering I will take a very small part of a seroquel to help me sleep. But I really try not to take anything now.

 

Hope that helps some. Good luck.

 

How much seroquel did you have to take?  I am like you. I go days and days without any sleep at all, total insomnia.  It is terrifying and not livable.  I have not found seroquel to be even remotely sedating at 25, 30 (they used to give 30s back when I once went to ER for total insomnia) and 50mg.  Does it become effective at higher doses?

 

I recently had something terrible happen.  My old doctor retired, and a new doctor replaced him.  This new doctor is unfriendly towards benzos, and I can't taper properly. I'm in constant withdrawal, not getting any sleep because I have so little clonaz that I have to take it oddly. Like a high dose every three to four days just so I a night of sleep, and I don't get enough for that to last until my refill.

 

I'm being forced into hell. I can get my hands on a decent amount of seroquel. I can't get my hands on much else.  I currently take mirtazapine and it can't even touch this insomnia.  I've been on mirtazapine for 14 years, and off and on clonazepam for 20 years. I've already had protracted withdrawal for many years when I was younger, but back then remeron actually helped me sleep eventually.

 

Now it does nothing. Everything I try does nothing except the clonaz and I can't get enough to do a safe slow taper.  I safely tapered off of daily use over the course of a year and a half, but still took it periodically.  Every 8 days or so, when I'd have total insomnia without it.  And only a high dose works.  Now I'm stuck with a tiny amount of clonazepam (25mg per 90 days!) and constant withdrawal and incredibly serious insomnia.

 

Has anyone else had this level of insomnia? How do you get free? It's impairing my life.  I live in Canada so getting a new doctor is a really difficult thing.  As you guys probably all know, most doctors do NOT understand benzos and will try to get you on other meds or abruptly cut you off what you already take. I can't afford to live like this anymore, it's becoming unbearable.

 

As we all know 911 doesn't work, and ER doesn't work either. In ER you at best get 2mg of ativan and a 25mg of seroquel.  The psych ward is obviously torture, because they never do benzo's properly there.  They always try to yank you off completely and give you something like gabapentin as if it's going to make you sleep, and it doesn't.

 

I honestly have no idea what to do.  I have access to a Rx of seroquel that a family member receives and simply doesn't take anymore.  Is this a chance?  I've never had success with seroquel before.

 

I've tried up to 50mg a day.  Does a higher dose even do anything more? I never feel sedated with it.

Could you see a Benzo wise doctor to get set up on a proper taper?? There are a couple in Canada for sure!

Could you see a Benzo wise doctor to get set up on a proper taper?? There are a couple in Canada for sure!

 

I can't. I'm in a part of Canada where this is really hard to do.  It takes a significant amount of time to switch doctors and there is no guarantee the doctor you are switching to understands. And you can't go around asking doctors, 'do you understand benzo withdrawal?' because you can be flagged as a drug-seeker/doctor shopper and then you're really in trouble trying to get what you need.  I'm in an area that is a benzo black hole and I recently had an injury to my neck muscles - this is what got me re-addicted to needing clonaz to sleep at all - so I can't even drive myself anywhere.  At present I'm completely dependent on a family member to get groceries, etc.  I'm really in a tight spot.   

I think drugs for insomnia is a black hole. There are a lot of natural things that can be done and should be done before medication is prescribed. Once you are dependant on medication in general, whether it's mirt or seroquel or benzos or even antihistamines, the dependence makes it so that none of those natural options will work. These drugs are not designed to solve problems, they are designed to create problems so that you continue to need the drugs. It's all about the benjamins.

 

I recommend guided sleep meditations, mindfulness and belly breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, grounding exercises, daylight in the morning or early day (or a good light box or SAD lamp), exercise during the day (enough to raise heart rate), sleep hygiene, essential oils, and low-dose melatonin (0.20-0.30 mg). Studies also show that CBT can be helpful by helping change the way you think, and therefore feel, about sleep.

I’m Canadian and was able to get a referral from my doctor to see someone, all I had to do was ask! Not sure if your near a major city but there are doctors here who know what they are doing. If you want I can give you the list I found on another thread 

I am a big advocate for herbal remedies as you cannot argue they are the most "natural" way of doing things. Indica is a great tool, sativas can cause paradoxical effects. Really weed in general however sometimes MAOI inhibition can really trigger visual .. disturbances. Light trails ect, but all in all nothing knocks me out harder than a good bowl of platinum kush. Kratom is an herbal supplement, but be cautious as kratom IS in fact an opoid, by definition. However overdose of kratom is unheard of (though some cases have been reported it was a "bad batch" with fentanyl being the lead cause). I take melatonin which helps. Kind of. They're non narcotic, but almost just as bad they're hormones so. You can decide on that one. You have breathing exercises, that whole "therapeutic approach". Excersize can get people to become tired although some people become obsessive about this and will work out like 5 hours before bed that's too much. Probably does more hard than good.

I’m Canadian and was able to get a referral from my doctor to see someone, all I had to do was ask! Not sure if your near a major city but there are doctors here who know what they are doing. If you want I can give you the list I found on another thread 

 

Absolutely Salalberry, thank you so much

 

 

Dr. Martin Judson (addiction and substance abuse specialist)

240 Wharncliffe Road

London, Ontario

Dr. Stevien M. Melemis,

208 Bloor St. West, Suite 702

Toronto, Ontario

Phone: 416-920-2982

Email: contact@addictionsandrecovery.

 

*****************************

 

Dr. Senthelol... Psychiatrist

Kitchener, Ontario

Phone: 519-749-4300

 

*****************************

 

Dr. David Slyfield

H.R Professional Building

2115 Finch Av. West, Suite 311

Toronto, Ontario, M3N 2V6

Phone: 416 746-3035

 

*****************************

 

Dr. Pierre Steyn

423 Bronson Ave.

Ottawa, Ont, K1R 6J5

Phone: 613-235-9472

 

*****************************

 

Dr Jim Wright

Vancouver Hospital

University of British Columbia

 

*****************************

 

Dr. Anvita Joglekar

Sheppard Associates

649 Sheppard Avenue West

Toronto

Ontario

M3H 2S4

Phone: (416) 630-0610

Fax: (416) 398-5712

 

 

Dr. Martin Judson (addiction and substance abuse specialist)

240 Wharncliffe Road

London, Ontario

Dr. Stevien M. Melemis,

208 Bloor St. West, Suite 702

Toronto, Ontario

Phone: 416-920-2982

Email: contact@addictionsandrecovery.

 

*****************************

 

Dr. Senthelol... Psychiatrist

Kitchener, Ontario

Phone: 519-749-4300

 

*****************************

 

Dr. David Slyfield

H.R Professional Building

2115 Finch Av. West, Suite 311

Toronto, Ontario, M3N 2V6

Phone: 416 746-3035

 

*****************************

 

Dr. Pierre Steyn

423 Bronson Ave.

Ottawa, Ont, K1R 6J5

Phone: 613-235-9472

 

*****************************

 

Dr Jim Wright

Vancouver Hospital

University of British Columbia

 

*****************************

 

Dr. Anvita Joglekar

Sheppard Associates

649 Sheppard Avenue West

Toronto

Ontario

M3H 2S4

Phone: (416) 630-0610

Fax: (416) 398-5712

 

Thanks. Looks like Toronto is the closest, that's gonna be tough. But I'm extremely grateful. Even if I can't use it. Maybe I can find a way. Or giving a call will help or I can figure something out.

 

Thank you so much Sala

Godspeed !