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hi everyone! i'm a french/austrian 22 years old female on benzos for more than 5 years now. sorry if my english's not that good. i've never suffered from any kind of anxiety but something has happened to me when i was 17 and thus i've lost my sleep. i used to be very shy, didn't have many friends at school but loved to play the piano though and was actually OK with my life. but then i met this guy who was also going to music school and he really liked me (i think) but was also very shy. anyway i started to think about him all the time and couldn't sleep at night anymore. i also started to really like chemistry so i was participating more and more in class and thus peolpe started to notice me, talk to me - at the time i didn't know how to manage these changes and now, well now my life's great. i have an amazing boyfriend, friends, love going to university but i am on valium and i'm always tired. even with the valium i can't sleep good. a few months ago i was taking 30mg of diazepam before bedtime and now i'm slowly reducing it. i'm trying to stabilize my sleep with 7mg of valium + 225mg of trazodone + 15 mg of mirtazapine. i take the others to help me sleep. but until i'm off the benzos it's still a long long way and i'd love to talk to people who have also many many problems to fall asleep. sometimes, when i listen to my friends, who i dunno sleep 8-11 hours a night it's really difficult for me because of course i'm really frustrated. i hate going to bed beacause i know that once again it's gonna be a long long night with not much sleep so if anyone has similar problems, i'd love to chat!

thank you! :)

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Hi Facultas,

Hey, I'm French/Swiss! (and Russian on my dads side). I"m American-born though.

Listen, I can so relate to your sleep difficulties. I have had them off and on half my life. I"m 48. the most recent was 5 weeks off my benzo. It has lasted about 4 weeks now, though it seems to be losing it's latest grip. It's funny how something like a thought can set you up for a extended sleep problem. You were just thinking about a boy! And the next thing you know, you "forgot" how to sleep. But it can be learned again. Either thru what is called cognitive therapy with a therapist, or you can do it yourself. There are many books that teach you how to change your thoughts. And a regular practice of meditation can go a long way.

Once you stabilize on your current dose, we can help you with a taper plan. Usually about %10 every 1 to 2 weeks is what is suggested. It would be best if you can get the 2mg valium as it is easier to make smaller cuts.

Welcome to BB!

Linda

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I hate going to bed beacause i know that once again it's gonna be a long long night with not much sleep so if anyone has similar problems, i'd love to chat!

 

Welcome to BenzoBuddies, Facultas.  Scads of people here have reported sleep problems so I imagine you will get a lot of replies to your post.  You seem to be on a pretty heavy dose of sedating meds.  Is one doctor prescribing all of them?  The valium dose (7mg) is pretty low so you shouldn't have much trouble tapering off of it.  I used to take 150mg trazadone for sleep until it stopped working as most such meds do.  Now I take 100 mg of Seroquel and 5-10 mg of Ambien or Melatonin and/or benedryl to help me sleep.  I have a headache and feel foggy headed most of the time so I hope to get off all that stuff when I'm through tapering off of Ativan.

 

There's a specific area of the forum for discussions of insomnia and what has worked for people that you may want to check out.  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=83.0

 

 

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Hi Facultas,

 

Welcome to BenzoBuddies.

 

Try not to worry about your problems with sleep - it will come right! Benzos do, of course, help with sleep, but the effect is usually very short-lived. It is not at all surprising that you are struggling with sleep during your withdrawal.

 

We recently created a new board on the forum for those struggling with insomnia; you might consider starting a new topic on that board. Your sleep will come right, but probably you will have had to complete your taper first. Insomnia was one of my worst problems withdrawal, but things began to improve once I was off Clonazepam.

 

Take care.

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Hi and Welcome: Just had to say I'm French/Lithuanian American born :)

Take care

Bobers

 

Didn't know that about you, bobers! :)

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Hi and Welcome!!  I'm an American Mutt!!  LOL  In other words...I don't know what the heck I am!!    :crazy:

 

So sorry you are having difficulties sleeping.  It is very difficult for me to turn my mind off at night also.  Our bodies can be exhausted but the mind just keeps on going!!

 

Pull up a couch and get to know everyone here!!  You are not alone!

 

Love,

 

Jen

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Hi and Welcome!!  I'm an American Mutt!!  LOL  In other words...I don't know what the heck I am!!    :crazy:

 

So sorry you are having difficulties sleeping.  It is very difficult for me to turn my mind off at night also.  Our bodies can be exhausted but the mind just keeps on going!!

 

Pull up a couch and get to know everyone here!!  You are not alone!

 

Love,

 

Jen

 

hi Jen! what you're saying is just soo true! i can go to the fitness room, ride my bike, walk many kilometers if i want so that in the end my legs and arms and my whole body will be exhausted but i'll still be able to think. and the more i'm tired the more i think because when you're tired and can't sleep thinking's like the only thing you can actually do. thanks for your answer!  :)

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I hate going to bed beacause i know that once again it's gonna be a long long night with not much sleep so if anyone has similar problems, i'd love to chat!

 

Welcome to BenzoBuddies, Facultas.  Scads of people here have reported sleep problems so I imagine you will get a lot of replies to your post.  You seem to be on a pretty heavy dose of sedating meds.  Is one doctor prescribing all of them?  The valium dose (7mg) is pretty low so you shouldn't have much trouble tapering off of it.  I used to take 150mg trazadone for sleep until it stopped working as most such meds do.  Now I take 100 mg of Seroquel and 5-10 mg of Ambien or Melatonin and/or benedryl to help me sleep.   I have a headache and feel foggy headed most of the time so I hope to get off all that stuff when I'm through tapering off of Ativan.

 

There's a specific area of the forum for discussions of insomnia and what has worked for people that you may want to check out.  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=83.0

 

 

 

yeah i'll take a look at it, thank you Beeper!

yes it's my "general medecine doctor" who's prescribing me all the meds because i've found him much more understanding than the psychiatrist i went to see once who wanted to just stop the valium. also he knows me much better and thus isn't asking me stuff which doesn't apply such as "do i drink" or "do i have weird thoughts" or "if i'm depressed". on the one hand it saves me unnecessary talking but on the other hand it's tough because i've got the feeling that i'm always the one who's coming up with new ideas like "i want to substitute it" or "let's try with 2mg". currently i'm taking 5-6.5 mg valium before bedtime and yes it isn't easy. but i'm so happy i've found this forum! i hope talking about it'll help! i take the trazodone for 3 years now and i wonder what it's gonna be like not taking it anymore once i'll be off the valium. if that ever happens..  i know you're not supposed to get addicted to it but still, i wonder.. you said that it just didn't work for you anymore but could you stop taking it without too many difficulties?

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i take the trazodone for 3 years now and i wonder what it's gonna be like not taking it anymore once i'll be off the valium. if that ever happens..  i know you're not supposed to get addicted to it but still, i wonder.. you said that it just didn't work for you anymore but could you stop taking it without too many difficulties?

 

I didn't have any difficulties stopping the trazadone although, to be on the safe side, I did sort of taper off by reducing 50mg every week or so just in case.  With what I've learned recently about psych drugs, I would probably use smaller cuts if I were doing it now.  Of course, my sleep problems still needed to be addressed but I was already having that on the trazadone so I don't consider it a w/d symptom. 

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Hi Facultas,

Hey, I'm French/Swiss! (and Russian on my dads side). I"m American-born though.

Listen, I can so relate to your sleep difficulties. I have had them off and on half my life. I"m 48. the most recent was 5 weeks off my benzo. It has lasted about 4 weeks now, though it seems to be losing it's latest grip. It's funny how something like a thought can set you up for a extended sleep problem. You were just thinking about a boy! And the next thing you know, you "forgot" how to sleep. But it can be learned again. Either thru what is called cognitive therapy with a therapist, or you can do it yourself. There are many books that teach you how to change your thoughts. And a regular practice of meditation can go a long way.

Once you stabilize on your current dose, we can help you with a taper plan. Usually about %10 every 1 to 2 weeks is what is suggested. It would be best if you can get the 2mg valium as it is easier to make smaller cuts.

Welcome to BB!

Linda

 

yes i know it's stupid, too stupid, if i tell my friends i take valium and it all started because of boy trouble..  ,i dunno how they'll react to that. i'm suppose to be this smart chemistry student and not a valium junkie. i still have one-two more years at school. if i didn't start with the valium when i was 17-18 i'd be graduating now - suddenly, not feeling so smart.. where i live only my boyfriend and 2 other friends know. and i dunno if i can handle more people knowing. but sometimes playing the comedy and not being able to tell why i suddenly couldn't take this or this exam because i didn't sleep last night is just really hard. i'd love to see a therapist but it seems to be really expensive though. 40-50 EUR an hour is way too much and since i'm doing it alone with my general medecine doctor.. there's no free therapy included. i dunno what a "taper plan" exactly is but what i'm currently doing is reducing the valium from 6.5 mg to 5mg.  thank you for your welcome message Linda!  :)

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i dunno what a "taper plan" exactly is but what i'm currently doing is reducing the valium from 6.5 mg to 5mg. 

 

Are you making this 1.5mg cut all at once?  If so, you are making a 23% reduction from 6.5 mg.  That seems like a lot all at once.

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Facultas,

 

What dose pills do you use? If you are not already using 2mg tablets, I highly recommend that you obtain some. You will find cutting from 6.5mg down to 6mg far more manageable. This does not have to mean a much longer taper, as more frequent smaller cuts are better tolerated than less frequent larger cuts. ;)

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Facultas,

 

What dose pills do you use? If you are not already using 2mg tablets, I highly recommend that you obtain some. You will find cutting from 6.5mg down to 6mg far more manageable. This does not have to mean a much longer taper, as more frequent smaller cuts are better tolerated than less frequent larger cuts. ;)

 

hey Colin!

well i still have 10mg. and now i also have 5mg and 2mg. a few years ago i'd never thought i'd be taking valium in my life and now i'm like a valium pharmacy. god this is just unbelievable. i hope it's not gonna last!

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i dunno what a "taper plan" exactly is but what i'm currently doing is reducing the valium from 6.5 mg to 5mg. 

 

Are you making this 1.5mg cut all at once?  If so, you are making a 23% reduction from 6.5 mg.  That seems like a lot all at once.

 

last week i was getting used to take only 7mg. these past days i've been trying to fall asleep with 6 and 5 and if 5 isn't working i take 1 additional mg and worst case scenario also a quarter of one 2mg pill. i know i migtht be doing it to fast but i don't have any symptoms besides the unability to fall asleep and waking up in the middle of the night. daytime i'm not much different if i take 10 or 7 or just 5mg of valium before going to bed. falling asleep has a lot to do with confidence for me. i feel like "i'm not able to fall asleep" so i first try just with 5mg and if i happen to fall asleep with 5mg, the next day i'm way more confident about the next night.

i'm happy to hear that you could stop the trazodone! i hope i won't have too many problems with that.

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Hi,

 

It seems to me that you are letting benzos control you rather than the other way round! People seem to benefit greatly by taking their benzos in a controlled manner. This means take a set dose each day, and then reduce this dose (by a small amount) every-so-often. Your constantly varying dose is sending confusing messages to your GABA receptors. They will addapt to a gradually lowering of your dose, but these regular 'one-off' updoses are not going to help.

 

I recommend that you taper off one med at a time. Many people seem to benefit by continuing with their antidepressants during their benzo withdrawal. ;)

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Hi,

 

It seems to me that you are letting benzos control you rather than the other way round! People seem to benefit greatly by taking their benzos in a controlled manner. This means take a set dose each day, and then reduce this dose (by a small amount) every-so-often. Your constantly varying dose is sending confusing messages to your GABA receptors. They will addapt to a gradually lowering of your dose, but these regular 'one-off' updoses are not going to help.

 

I recommend that you taper off one med at a time. Many people seem to benefit by continuing with their antidepressants during their benzo withdrawal. ;)

 

 

 

 

you're definitely right about the GABA receptors. i guess there's pressure from outside and it's much easier for me to eat and sleep at regular hours at my dormatory. but yeah no, i should try 6 mg for a liitle bit longer. :)

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