Do we need to upregulate gaba receptors and avoid glutamate to sleep? How?

Would those things help?  How?  I don't know what is going on. Sleep just isn't coming back. Still surviving on 8 to 10hrs per week. Never get tired. Just wide awake. Is it really just a matter of time?  Without progress I am quickly losing hope.

How long have you been off meds? I have been off over 2.5 years and I am getting a decent # of hours every night... as far as I can tell, the only thing that helps is time and avoiding stress if at all possible...

Look up all the glutamate foods.  Glutamate is in everything so there are foods that are low in Glutamate such as Cabbage, Lettuce, Eggs, Potatoes...you can go on the internet and get a list.  Sugar is the absolute worst.  Avoid all foods with sugars in them. Potatoes do turn to sugar in your body.  Sweet Potatoes are okay.  Brussel Sprouts are low G.  Just get the list and avoid the High Glutamate foods, it  may take a while but eventually does help.

Would those things help?  How?  I don't know what is going on. Sleep just isn't coming back. Still surviving on 8 to 10hrs per week. Never get tired. Just wide awake. Is it really just a matter of time?  Without progress I am quickly losing hope.

 

It takes a long time for most for sleep to return and it almost always never returns when we would like it to and in the amount of time and quality we would like.  I see you did a bunch of CTs not that long ago?  Ashton says 6-12 months for most, but it seems like it is 12-18 months for most.  Some longer, some less.  Lack of sleep won't kill you.  In fact, I never even got sick one time when the rest of my family did on 5-10 hours per week for months.  I got great advice from Aloha. When you go to bed, don't expect to get any sleep.  Yes, no sleep.  But go to bed with the idea that you are going to rest and relax your body and expect no sleep.  Then if you get some, you'll be happy?  For me, there was nothing short of another Rx drug that could help me to get some sleep and even those (over 15 different Rx drugs tried) only worked for a night or two.  I forced to tough it out taking nothing.  It sucked, but I made it through and now I sleep pretty darn good almost every single night!  You'll get there.  Just be patient and give it time and remember that 8 hours per night is a myth! 

Thanks for trying to reassure me, Theway2.  How many months did you average 5 to 10 hours per week?  Did you have constant anxiety and depression during this time?  Any head pain issues? 

 

I have had a lot of cold turkeys.  I am scared to death this is not going to get better.  There are so many people on the protracted board suffering for years with the same symptoms as me.  No supplements help.  So stuck.

About 6 months of 5-10 hours per week, then it slowly got better.  Yes, I also had a lot of anxiety and depression and head pressure, jaw pain, intrusive thoughts, suicidal ideation, etc. You'll get there, but it will probably take longer than you would like!

Theway2,

 

Was your head pressure due to insomnia? Did they fade away together? 

 

Did your anxiety and depression come with an emotional numbness where you could not feel joy at all.  For me, I can't laugh and smiling is weird like my face is frozen.  I feel nothing faking a smile. 

 

I am 4 months off in a few days.  I really messed up with stopping Remeron and then Ativan soon after.  Two of the worse drugs I think.  Remeron seems to screw ppl up as bad as benzos.  I basically put all the brakes on by taking those close together and then removed them.  Seriously need some glimpse of hope.

Theway2,

 

Was your head pressure due to insomnia? Did they fade away together? 

 

Did your anxiety and depression come with an emotional numbness where you could not feel joy at all.  For me, I can't laugh and smiling is weird like my face is frozen.  I feel nothing faking a smile. 

 

I am 4 months off in a few days.  I really messed up with stopping Remeron and then Ativan soon after.  Two of the worse drugs I think.  Remeron seems to screw ppl up as bad as benzos.  I basically put all the brakes on by taking those close together and then removed them.  Seriously need some glimpse of hope.

 

I don't think it was specifically related to insomnia?  It's a fairly common WD symptom, but the head pressure did fade more when I started sleeping better, but then again all of my symptoms faded when I started sleeping better.  Anhedonia is another common WD symptom and is basically the inability to feel pleasure or joy.  It's OK to "fake it till you make it" to get through.  I took Remeron too but only for about 7-8 weeks.  You'll get there.  I was right where you are now a few years ago and now I don't even think about WD any longer unless I come on this forum.  I live my life just like I did before Benzos and other drugs.  Hang in there, it WILL get better.  It's hard though to have hope, especially in a wave, but I promise it all ends one day.