Help insomnia leads to vomiting

Hello everyone, I unfortunately cut way too fast under guidance of my GP. I'm dealing with a lot of symptoms and have been holding for two months. I'm wondering if there are others here with insomnia that then not only as other withdrawal symptom in itself but also due to the insomnia are vomiting and not able to keep food down? I've always puked a lot if I hadn't slept well and a vicious cycle of insomnia and puking for two months (due to what I now realize was still withdrawal from prednisone) is what led me to K in the first place. Any tips in being able to break this cycle are more than welcome.

Hi,

 

sorry to hear about your insomnia. Can you tell us what caused your original insomnia? Where there stressors in your life at the time?

 

Unfortunately, severe insomnia will happen during withdrawal and there is no quick fix for that. I reveived cognitive behavioral therapy prior to my witdrawal. Very helpful, although it doesn't save you from withdrawal induced insomnia.

 

How often are you taking Clonazepam every day? Because of it's halflife most people do it at least twice a day.

 

My personal lesson is that a good sleep hygiene, equal blood serum and above all, time helps improve the sleep.

 

Some people may need to hold for months to achieve a more comfortable baseline.

 

Best of luck,

Naf1983

 

Hello everyone, I unfortunately cut way too fast under guidance of my GP. I'm dealing with a lot of symptoms and have been holding for two months. I'm wondering if there are others here with insomnia that then not only as other withdrawal symptom in itself but also due to the insomnia are vomiting and not able to keep food down? I've always puked a lot if I hadn't slept well and a vicious cycle of insomnia and puking for two months (due to what I now realize was still withdrawal from prednisone) is what led me to K in the first place. Any tips in being able to break this cycle are more than welcome.

i feel ya buddy, im tapering and if i dont sleep (like last night i slept 2 hours, some nights nothing) i cant eat a thing all the next day. My stomach is so nauseated because my anxiety level goes through the roof. The only thing i can keep down is shakes. Liquids. I went and bought a bunch of those ensures cause they are high in calories (and prob sugar) or i make a shake with protein powder, frozen blue berries, spinach. Ill choke down a protein bar in the morning (and im not kidding i have to eat it like its a turd, with water close by to force it down). Theres many times i feel like im going to puke it back up but i literally force myself to eat. Ive lost 30lbs in past 4 months because of this (even though i wasnt tapering) i got divorced so my anxiety disorder was unleased again. Im sorry, but yeah your not the only one out there....keep your chin up friend.

Thank you both for your replies. On really bad days, I'm not even able to keep liquids down and I literally puke out ensure. So it's quite severe.

 

My initial insomnia came on suddenly along with extreme anxiety and tinnitus after flying. I was on prednisone at the time and in hindsight I now realize my doctor tapered me there too quickly. So these were actually already withdrawal symptoms from something else. If she'd have told me that this was what's happening then I wouldn't have been so confused and scared. She only literally sqid that today that everyone has withdrawal symptoms from prednisone tapering and that it can take a long time, good god! If I'd known what was going on, I obviously would've rode it out. Instead I sought help (therapy) thinking I was in some crisis out of nowhere.

 

I'm completely traumatized by CBT as I went to follow CBT for the tinnitus and anxiety and that's where they recommended me the rivotril. I had asked my doctor if this was non-habit forming as I'm highly sensitive in general and to meds (she knows) and she just prescribed it without saying anything at all. The therapy center recommended 5-20 drops every night for some months. I visited a psychiatrist for sick leave to follow the therapy program and checked with her also if this was safe as I was not comfortable taking something strong. She encouraged me to take it constantly also. I took 5 drops for 12 days and felt a bit like a zombie during the day. Then heard from my GP I should taper down and the rest is history unfortunately. Now I'm stuck in an acute withdrawal with the initial withdrawal symptoms from prednisone (insombia, anxiety, tinnitus) plus many many more.

 

Obviously they are fired, got a new therapist (a much better one than the two I was following the therapy with for my tinnitus and anxiety though I don't think it has that much effect now) and psychiatrist that normally never prescribes benzos but is doing it for me because I'm stuck on it. He is not intervening in how to taper. Very sad that I didn't find these people from the start, instead of the others who just made my situation a lot worse. It's nice to at least have found them now but obviously less useful.

 

I'm still stuck with my same GP that is responsible for my entire mess from the start. It's not so easy changing those. She doesn't know what to do and would want me to go down (or up) but she doesn't believe in stabilizing after two months (she is not benzo wise though and I'm not listening to her).

I'm obviously nowhere near ready to reduce again. I'm considering trying to updose more and more.

 

So far I only take it in the evening. I don't experience interdose withdrawal and I'm not stable so not ready to mess with my dose like that. I actually often feel a little better the hours before I take the dose.

Hi chiming in….. so so sorry you are in this mess and most of us are due to lack of knowledge in the world of prescribing. It’s so frustrating and I hope more people can keep getting the word out. I have been sending Drs all over houston a copy of the depresciebing guidelines and informed consent template from Benzo Info Coalition. Most have been very appreciative.

 

In terms of your situation with sleep…. That was a big one for me and caused me to get on many other meds at beginning in what likely complicating my K taper. I had no clue until it was too late. Since Dec of ‘20 I told myself I have got to deal with yye no sleep bc I will not take anything else. Basically managed the last 2 yrs 0-3hrs with maybe 4-5 hrs once a month. There have been some very difficult times where many 0 nights in a row I was worried so I tried a tiny 1/4 of unisom pull. That helped a few times. I did try the antihistamine hydroxyzine that’s a prescription and it helped but it ramped up a few symptoms that it wasn’t worth it for me. I kept telling myself my brain has to try to figure this out and learn to sleep again and from everything everyone has said it comes back. My main sleep issues are due to pain, nausea, aka and brain stuff during night that keep me up more than the occasional insomnia. I was very nauseated and trying to keep a job in beginning hence why I tried meds my Dr suggested. After awhile my body learned I could survive on the lack of sleep, not ideal but it didn’t scare me as much. I crashed earlier this year and had to hold and my sleep did so better holding. It actually did turn a corner here in Nov where I’m getting sleep during night now instead of falling asleep in morning. So something shifted but no explanation! So please know yours will shift too. When not sure but please hold on to the fact it will!

 

Given you are having things come back up and not able to keep liquids down, I think considering an over counter option very small dose might be an option. Not something to take every night bc body can get quickly used to it but something instead of having to updose. Our bodies don’t always react well to anything after it’s been destabilized in this so try very low if you do and see how you do. Just don’t want you to have to updose if you can help it!

 

Tips as I’m sure you already know but sharing -

try to get a good nighttime routine in place, I do med at 10pm (I also only dose once a day), shower, sit and do gentle stretching (I sometimes use bedtime yoga with Adrienne on YouTube)- it’s not yoga bc I can’t manage that but gentle stretching, then I lay down around 11:15/30. I read a quick Bible verse or short uplifting quote then try to sleep. If I’m up thru night I lay in morning and sometimes nod off for an hour or two which helps. Some people it’s too hard with high cortisol and adrenaline (I have low cortisol after all this so I let my body try to get rest when it’s exhausted.

 

I take 1.5mg melatonin, not sure if it helps but gonna keep on and taper it after I’m off this. Just another option to try before updosing.

 

Blackout curtains, cotton in ears when I was having harder time with noise sensitivity. Sleep story on calm app or Insite timer app can help some people.

 

A stuffed animal can be comforting (I am 39 hah, no shame in anything that will help this process!)

 

Heating pad I use during night many many nights for nausea and pain. During day too! Ginger rescue by the ginger people tablets have also helped my nausea earlier on in this. 

 

Sending you many hugs and keep persevering…. Hope things calm some. Even though this is hell you’re gonna get thru this like so many have!

Thank you, Boges.

 

None of my doctors wanted to read the deprescribing guidelines. My GP even refuses to prescribe now anymore (but have a pdoc helping) and wrote a reference letter for a pdoc stating that I think these symptoms are from the rivotril (the ER doc confirmed that btw) but that she believes they are from dysautonomia from a minor diving accident I had in July. These symptoms started in November 3 days after the dose drop! I guess Europe seems more behind on this than the US. No benzo wise anyone here.

 

Thanks for your tips! I don't understand how you manage with such little sleep for so long, you must be a superhero. I also use ginger and heating pads for nausea. Don't even dare to take a painkiller for my period cramps at the moment. My symptoms also seem more extreme around that time. I also sleep with a stuffed animal, I just got a weighted blanket, I can see how it really could help people with normal sleeping issues. I do darken my room etc. as well.  I'm trying without melatonin so far because it never helped me sleep before, it just turned my brain off. My naturopath/new psychiatrist first proposed passionflower (but those seem to work on the same gaba receptors so don't dare to risk it) and now mentioned avena sativa as an alternative but haven't dared to try.

 

 

You are so wise to stay clear form what you can! No superhero here, my body just got used to the little sleep and it shifted into somehow being able to handle it better. After so many meds at the beginning and finding out those were likely causing more issues I had to say ok no more. And reading on here yhat I won’t perish from the little sleep. I was very scared by it at beginning and it was crippling but then after awhile it wasn’t. Not saying it wasn’t cchallenging but things shift yhru this at times and thankfully I’ve had some deeper sleep that’s helped lately.

 

I am glad you have a PDoc on your side. I hope they can go at the speed best for you. You’re gonna get yhru this and glad you are so informed at this point about it all. Yes as females we unfortunately can get rocked with hormones, ugh, but I found out not every cycle would be a complete nightmare (I’m on such a slow taper so tye dread of period gets drug out yhis long so I just had to write a note during the darkness of my cycles to read and say hey you come out if this each time, hang in there).

 

I hope things ease up as you give your body some time to catch up with cuts. You can do this and you’ll make your way. Keep leaning on support from those around you and here ! Another group benzo babes on Facebook is female only so might be something if you need some more support. Hugs.

insomnia is the worst part of all of this for me. Give me a good nights sleep and i can conquer anything....give me 0 sleep and im literally demolished. Thing is we can all survive on 4 hours of sleep. My dad is 86 and sleeps no more than 4 hours a night (usually less) and has done that for most of his life. I always try to remember that when im freaking out if i slept 3-4 hours, helps to calm me down. And the worlds record is 11 days with no sleep, guy then slept for like 15 hours and was fine.......your not going to die from lack of sleep...your body will literally shut down at some point. I went almost 3 days no sleep and walked from anxiety literally 10 miles each day and yeah on 3rd day i was sitting on couch and passed out cold sitting up in middle of day.

Hi spitfiremetalart, I have the unfortunate feeling I might be breaking the world record because I've been in a zombie 24/7 on mode since August. Not getting any sleep at all and my body is slowly shutting down. My adrenal levels are double what they should be max! (I realize now I had adrenal fatigue that was undiagnosed before they put me on benzos when I asked for something safe and non-habit forming.)