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Still on meds but struggling with insomnia - Help please


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Hi all

I have reduced my meds but still not off. I wondered if there are others out there like me who even when holding appear to be going through waves and windows.

In my wave I manage about 2-3 hours sleep then am awake for the rest of the night super anxious with horrible thoughts.

Are you the same? Can you advise?

Thank you

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Thank you for sharing theway2. It is really useful.

Does anyone have experience of losing their sleep during withdrawal or sticking at a certain amount of benzos?

 

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I’m sorry your not getting any responses. I quit ct 5 months ago and have had very little sleep since then. I hope yours comes back soon.
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Thank you xray. It is the sheer loneliness of being awake on your own with your low mood thoughts that I am struggling with most this time. How do you manage?
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At the moment I don’t manage very well. I haven’t accepted it yet. The older buddies say it gets better when you finally reach acceptance. I know what you mean about the loneliness. I lay in bed and have to listen to my wife, 4 kids, and 2 dogs all sleeping. It really does make you lonely. I’ve had this for 5 months now and I have managed to work my up to to 2 to 3 hours a night. They say it gets better and I trust God so I have to believe and have faith that it will get better for us. I don’t know what time zone your in but I’m in the central U.S. if you’re up and need someone to talk to you can PM me. Chances are I’ll be awake as well.
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Miss piggy, I am so sorry you are struggling but I can relate because insomnia was hands down my worst symptom.  I had relied heavily of clonazepam for sleep for many years so it should not have been a surprised that by the time I finished tapering, I had a terrible time with sleep.  You are so right, those long nights are very lonely and depressing.  Ultimately I got into a rhythm where I slept very little one night and then the next night I slept well because I was utterly exhausted.

 

I went on the faith in what others here said - that this gets better with time and it eventually did for me as well.  At about a year off clonazepam I began to sleep fine with the occasional restless night but nothing like it  had been.

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Thank you Kate.

Did you suffer from insomnia during your taper?

Did you have a smooth taper? I am really struggling to find my positive pants here.

Miss piggy, I am so sorry you are struggling but I can relate because insomnia was hands down my worst symptom.  I had relied heavily of clonazepam for sleep for many years so it should not have been a surprised that by the time I finished tapering, I had a terrible time with sleep.  You are so right, those long nights are very lonely and depressing.  Ultimately I got into a rhythm where I slept very little one night and then the next night I slept well because I was utterly exhausted.

 

I went on the faith in what others here said - that this gets better with time and it eventually did for me as well.  At about a year off clonazepam I began to sleep fine with the occasional restless night but nothing like it  had been.

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Is there anyone who is still in the process of reducing your meds (eg. Not off them yet) and struggling with insomnia? Also the real lack of hopelessness.
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Thank you Kate.

Did you suffer from insomnia during your taper?

Did you have a smooth taper? I am really struggling to find my positive pants here.

Miss piggy, I am so sorry you are struggling but I can relate because insomnia was hands down my worst symptom.  I had relied heavily of clonazepam for sleep for many years so it should not have been a surprised that by the time I finished tapering, I had a terrible time with sleep.  You are so right, those long nights are very lonely and depressing.  Ultimately I got into a rhythm where I slept very little one night and then the next night I slept well because I was utterly exhausted.

 

I went on the faith in what others here said - that this gets better with time and it eventually did for me as well.  At about a year off clonazepam I began to sleep fine with the occasional restless night but nothing like it  had been.

 

Insomnia began for me toward the end of my taper and it really blossomed when i finished tapering.  It took about a year for my sleep to get straightened out and to be conistent.  My taper was relatively smooth with the exception that I jumped too soon at 0.25mg and didn't do well with that.  I reinstated after a couple of days, updosed to 0.5mg, and tapered off of that for another nearly two months.

 

I think the vast majority of us have times of struggle along our benzo journey Miss piggy.  Like others here say, healing isn't linear.  I'm sorry you are in a slump but keep posting and sharing because it does help.

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  • 1 month later...

Is there anyone who is still in the process of reducing your meds (eg. Not off them yet) and struggling with insomnia? Also the real lack of hopelessness.

 

Yes. I struggle with insomnia and I am down to .5 mg alprazolam per 24 hours. I have struggled with insomnia long before I ever took a b enzo though.

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Hey miss piggy. I struggled with severe insomnia when I hit tolerance, all thru wd and even now that I’m off. But I dream now. I never used to, and when I do it’s so amazing and makes me realise things are getting better, albeit very slowly. Do what u can to get thru ur days. Rest when u need to. Having a list of what I needed to do gave me a purpose when I was really bad to get up and keep going. It’s very hard but it gets better x hang in there
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Hey miss piggy. I struggled with severe insomnia when I hit tolerance, all thru wd and even now that I’m off. But I dream now. I never used to, and when I do it’s so amazing and makes me realise things are getting better, albeit very slowly. Do what u can to get thru ur days. Rest when u need to. Having a list of what I needed to do gave me a purpose when I was really bad to get up and keep going. It’s very hard but it gets better x hang in there

 

I dream now also and I didn't when I was on benzos or at least I didn't remember my dreams.  Sometimes I wish I hadn't remembered a bad dream but like you say Shayna, I take it as a sign of healing.

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I am dreaming too.

And it is usually of famous people lol.

Last night it was Miley Cyrus.

During withdrawal I am so grateful for any sleep at all.

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Thank you everyone. I am back to getting a bit more sleep at the moment and am grateful for it. You never know when that next bloody wave is coming though. I dont think outsiders understand it at all. Take care. Sending smiles on a Sunday x
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I am dreaming too.

And it is usually of famous people lol.

Last night it was Miley Cyrus.

During withdrawal I am so grateful for any sleep at all.

 

I had a dream about Steve from stranger things the other night. We’ll just leave it at that haha

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Thank you everyone. I am back to getting a bit more sleep at the moment and am grateful for it. You never know when that next bloody wave is coming though. I dont think outsiders understand it at all. Take care. Sending smiles on a Sunday x

 

Wonderful news xx

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Thank you everyone.

I have some 2mg slow release melatonin here.

We used to stock up on it on our visits to the us - 5 and 10mg. UK dont sell it here!

Take big care of yourselves and hope your Monday goes okay.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
Hi, I'm also taking xanax and reducing it and it's almost not working. Turns me off for like 3 hours, and another 3 hours relaxing. I still take seroquel to help, but I don't think it works. And when do you intend to stop everything?
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I am not in your boat as I tapered starting May 1st, 2021 and stopped Oct 28, 2021. I have been off for 8 months. Hard to believe. My sleep has come a long way since I was tapering and since I got off. Hang in there! I am still not sleeping normally but vastly improved. I KNOW your sleep will get better over time, even if you are still tapering. Your brain is on it. Working on healing. My best to you.
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  • 2 weeks later...
[c7...]

Hi Miss Piggy,

 

I'm currently in Benzowithdrawal (3.5 mg. Diazepam). I originally took Benzos for insomnia, but since I started tapering (too rapidly) the insomnia became so, so, so much worse... unbearable. I know that the best remedy is the passage of time, but after barely sleeping for months I couldn't tolerate it anymore.

 

I must have read the Ashton Manual a few hundred times by now. Being so "sick", for a lack of a better defention and so sleep deprived, it took me months to process all the information in it.

 

I hate that I'm psychially depended on Benzos and I look forward to the day that I come off these nasty, toxic drugs messing up my brain chemistry.

 

Heather Ashtons mentions aids if sleeping is a really big problem (AND IT IS/WAS!). Now I would stay clear of Seroquel, but what does the trick for me is Promethazine 50mg. (heyfever pills). I'm sleeping better, not perfect, but it makes withdrawal bearable. Still, with every cut now, I will have a few bad nights.

 

Good luck!

 

 

Hi all

I have reduced my meds but still not off. I wondered if there are others out there like me who even when holding appear to be going through waves and windows.

In my wave I manage about 2-3 hours sleep then am awake for the rest of the night super anxious with horrible thoughts.

Are you the same? Can you advise?

Thank you

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Sorry Moah. Just seen your message. I tried to put together the temezepam and diazepam to make one benzo to reduce and since then I have really struggled. I have 16mg of diazepam to reduce. I have got the fear and frightened to start. How are you doing?

Hi, I'm also taking xanax and reducing it and it's almost not working. Turns me off for like 3 hours, and another 3 hours relaxing. I still take seroquel to help, but I don't think it works. And when do you intend to stop everything?

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Thank you heart most.

You have been very brave in tapering off. You should be proud of yourself. I have got the fear in me and got a bit stuck.

I am not in your boat as I tapered starting May 1st, 2021 and stopped Oct 28, 2021. I have been off for 8 months. Hard to believe. My sleep has come a long way since I was tapering and since I got off. Hang in there! I am still not sleeping normally but vastly improved. I KNOW your sleep will get better over time, even if you are still tapering. Your brain is on it. Working on healing. My best to you.

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Thank you Naf. It is not an easy path to go on.

How are you reducing?

Thank you for your tip on sleeping.

Hi Miss Piggy,

 

I'm currently in Benzowithdrawal (3.5 mg. Diazepam). I originally took Benzos for insomnia, but since I started tapering (too rapidly) the insomnia became so, so, so much worse... unbearable. I know that the best remedy is the passage of time, but after barely sleeping for months I couldn't tolerate it anymore.

 

I must have read the Ashton Manual a few hundred times by now. Being so "sick", for a lack of a better defention and so sleep deprived, it took me months to process all the information in it.

 

I hate that I'm psychially depended on Benzos and I look forward to the day that I come off these nasty, toxic drugs messing up my brain chemistry.

 

Heather Ashtons mentions aids if sleeping is a really big problem (AND IT IS/WAS!). Now I would stay clear of Seroquel, but what does the trick for me is Promethazine 50mg. (heyfever pills). I'm sleeping better, not perfect, but it makes withdrawal bearable. Still, with every cut now, I will have a few bad nights.

 

Good luck!

 

 

Hi all

I have reduced my meds but still not off. I wondered if there are others out there like me who even when holding appear to be going through waves and windows.

In my wave I manage about 2-3 hours sleep then am awake for the rest of the night super anxious with horrible thoughts.

Are you the same? Can you advise?

Thank you

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