Nonrestorative sleep and insomnia. Please advice medication.

I am at 18 months off benzos. I am in hell, my body can never enter deep sleep, profound fatigue, head pressure, nausea and vomiting (perhaps from the brain swelling), not able to eat or drink water, loosing weight. I am taking Truxal twice daily for sleep since day one of withdrawal (18 months) but this drug just knocks me out for a few hours, it's not helping me sleep. I think I also messed up on Mirtazapine taking it sporadically as needed and now I am in withdrawal from it? I was prescribed Brintellix for the depression, took it for three days and I am now worse. The last perscription was Trazodone which I haven't tried yet for sleep and anxiety but I don't want to get hooked on it. Also as far as I know Mirtazapine And Trazodone target some common receptors so I am afraid to use this drug if it turns out that I really am in Mirtazapine withdrawal. I am really struggling and out of options. Any advice?

PS. This non restorative sleep started 17 years ago, PRIOR TO TAKING ANY MEDS, and benzos were helping me throughout the years, so I am afraid this sleep problem will never go away.

I was diagnosed with Autonomic/Hypothalamic Dysfunction some years ago, which perhaps is the cause of this problem in the first place and the only drugs that seem to give me deep sleep were the benzos, Mirtazapine, Seroquel (almost died from it). I am just lost.

There are alternatives to meds that may have helped you prior to reliance on benzos and the other meds, but they probably will do nothing for you now if you are indeed in a benzo withdrawal. If I was in your shoes I would stop my seeking relief from insomnia through pills and tough out the lack of sleep on my own. It could be rough, but doable (I know this from experience). As your brain chemistry settles down from the pharmaceutical bombardment, the forementioned alternative approaches to combating insomnia may be of some use. In addition, you may find that learning to deal with withdrawal insomnia may have a positive effect on your long term sleep problems. Have hope.

Sorry you are suffering

 

Insomnia was my worst symptom by far after jumping CT.

 

You would have no way to know if you enter deep sleep other than through a sleep study or being connected to a device that can measure your brain waves

 

Actually REM sleep is slightly "more restorative" for your mental health than deep sleep that restores the physical body.

See information in this link:  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=236345.0

 

IMO, I would stop looking for something to make you sleep or to help you sleep, especially Rx drugs that all stop working given enough time

 

Some people take longer for sleep to return on it's own, but adding in Anti psychotics, ADs, etc, isn't going to allow your brain chemistry to normalize and work on it's own.

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the replies! The head pressure and vomiting went away, apparently the antidepressant was making my situation worse. I continue taking Truxal for now, otherwise my body can't handle the sleep deprivation. As for the quality of sleep, I did a polysomnography test in a sleep clinic back in 2017 and the result was very poor sleep with almost zero percent delta phase. Central sleep apnea on top of that (perhaps benzo induced). Believe me i can tell when I've had some deep sleep. The difference in my overall state is huge.