What Works

I have tried several medications for sleeping but nothing has worked well except for Remeron. I don't want to take it anymore due to weight gain and side effects. I have also tried Seroquel, Trazadone, Unispm, Nortriptyline, Benadryl and melatonin. None of those have worked well for various reasons. I would like to know if anything was working half way decent for anyone here. Please post what is working for you. I want to keep trying to find something but really don't know what to try next.

Well this is depressing. SO what I am getting from no responses is that nobody is taking any medications that are helping for sleep. 

Iwanttobecalm. I think we are all struggling with finding something benign that works to help us sleep. For me personally, I've tried all the natural things and for me, if I'm really exhausted, I use Unisom, the blue tablet doxy succlinate or something like that. Sorry I don't have the correct name. I used benadryl once done with my taper and it helped me a lot....but unisom is stronger for me.

Melatonin 2.5 with 500 L tryptophan worked during my taper but not after.

Hannah posted a list of natural things to help with sleep. It is excellent. I listen to Sleep Tracks cds at bedtime and massage music. Also wear ZZZ glasses to block blue light and make melatonin naturally.

I am trying milk peptides and sometimes use chamomile tea or oat straw tea. They help but don't put me to sleep.

I'm a yr and 2mos off and still not sleeping well. Need some kind of supplement to help me get to sleep. I try to rotate a variety. Tonite will probably be unisom since I have an appointment tomorrow morning.

Good luck and go back and read the old posts on this insomnia board.

Thanks Maltesemom

Believe me I have read almost every post in the Insomnia forum along with withdrawal and recovery and last but not least the alternative therapies forum. Anyway I haven't seen a list in a while of actual sleep meds that people are using that may actually be helping. I am pretty much healed from w/d symptoms but continue to have chronic insomnia. I sleep only about every other night and it is driving me crazy. I feel great after I have slept but on the days after I have only had about 30 minutes total of sleep, well lets just say it is kind of rough. I really don't know what to make of this as I have always had some difficulties with occasional insomnia but nothing like this. I am not sure if the Benzos caused some permanent sleep disorder, if I am still dealing with w/d or I have developed some underlying anxiety issue. At this point I am not sure I even care what has caused it I just want it to stop. I was asking for people to let me know what meds have worked for them since I have decided I am going to try everything I can until I find something that works. Since I really don't have w/d symptoms anymore I don't have to worry about something reving them up. Even if I can't find anything to help I will know I gave it my best shot.

I wanttobecalm i totally relate. I'm in the same place as you. Tonite I'm taking unisom because I need a decent nite of sleep. I too wonder if I will ever be able to sleep. Time to get off the computer and the blue lite.

There's a dissolving pill called MidNite. It's melatonin with lemon balm, chamomile and lavender. If I stay up very long after taking it it wears off. So timing is important. I must take it when I am ready to sleep.

I know exercise will tire me out. Again timing is key. But this weekend I got off track, which is why I'm here. 

Search for "inositol" on these boards. Some buddies say it helps them sleep. I'm just starting (at a low dose) so I can't yet render a verdict.

Iwantobecalm I had to smile at your "I have decided I am going to try everything I can until I find something that works".  I thought the same and now I have enough supplements to start my own health shop.  I also have enough scheduled drugs to stock a small pharmacy.  I think asking what "works" is a million dollar question.  Many of us have found products that "help" but I doubt that anybody has found something that is guaranteed to "work" safely and long term for everybody. 

 

I have suffered with insomnia for over 20years and the only thing that "worked" for me I am sad to say WAS Zolpidem and that sure as Sh** backfired on me. :'(

 

Thanks for the replies. My BP has been high for some time and I started HCTZ about 2 weeks ago. My BP now is lower and I have slept 4 days in a row. I hope and pray that keeps up. I have ordered the rescue sleep remedy (some kind of flower concoction that you spray on the tongue). If I need it I will give that a go and see if that works. I really feel for each and everyone that is suffering from this torment. There is nothing like a good night's sleep to make everything better. 

Yes. I just spent 2 almost sleepless nights; during which I was searching this forum for ideas to help me sleep! I think there is no cure to be found in pills; that's what got some of us in this mess haha. But I am still drinking herbal teas my daughter made for me, also MidNite which contains Melatonin. No cure, some things help.

On the plus side I am remembering DREAMS again, I don't feel numb all the time, life is interesting!! 

Thanks for the info on Midnite. That sounds like a good combination. I'm glad it doesn't have valerian because that has an opposite effect on me. I always wonder where the product comes from...is it China. Don't trust anything from China. You have to be careful with the melatonin. A friend told me the sourcing on that is particularly important. She uses a compounding pharmacy.

Last nite I used oat straw tea and I did fall asleep but awakened at 12:30 and woke up every hour after that. was awake a good part of there nite. Why or why can't we sleep?

"Why or why can't we sleep?"  Maltese if you ever find the answer please promise you will share it with us.  I never log on to the Forum without first going to the Insomnia Thread ever hopeful that somebody has found a "cure".  I hope you are able to try the Sleep Restriction and that it works for you.  I have decided that because it is a Public (Bank) Holiday here tomorrow so I do no have to get up early for work I am going to take 100mg Atarax (Vistral) and hopefully sleep. 

Believe me, if I start sleeping well, you'll all know about it. I told Holly on another thread about Highly Sensitive People being prone to insomnia. A newsletter talked about problems with serotonin. Since tryptophan converts to serotonin I would think that would really be helpful. 500mg doesn't really do anything for me but my therapist friend takes 3 pills and she says it helps her sleep. Think I'll try that. I have to get up and drive to San Diego tomorrow so I have to sleep tonite. Don't want to take unisom again but its the only thing I know will help me to sleep.

Melatonin works sometimes but also sometimes gives me a headache. I also don't want to take it every day...same with the unisom.

Wish we could all just get some decent sleep!!!!!

I also use Tryptophan as well as 5-HTP.  I take these together for two nights then for the next two nights I take Melatonin 3mg regular and 3mg extended release. I do think the Tryptophan and 5-HTP give me marginally better sleep - or maybe its just that Melatonin does not work for me.  I read that Prof Ashton said Benzo people are Sensitive People so taken further you are are probably right that Highly sensitive people are prone to insomnia.  

Yep. I bet a lot of us are highly sensitive people. That's why we need help sleeping and for anxiety. We are more sensitive to our environments and take in more than the average person. Our nervous systems are more fired up....so we don't relax very well, or it takes us more time than normal. Makes sense to me. Now why can't they come up with a way for us to sleep?

Will try the increased tryptophan tonite...I didn't do well with 5 HTP. It gave me hallucinations. but the tryptophan is fine.

Melatonin works sometimes and sometimes I get headaches.

I never had problems going to sleep before I stopped taking benzos!