taking any sleep aid or live like this.

supplement sleep aids do not help me much on sleep.

should i take prescription medications for my sleep or live like this?

Are you getting any sleep?

not tonight.

was getting some sleep lately. but, it's more of light sleep, frequent wake up, fake sleep, or relaxing.

can't wait to get real deep sleep that i used to have. sigh.

seriously.

should i hang on or try to get some sleep with medications?

totally lost now.

Hi pacific

I'm in same boat coming down off Ativan. I'm at 0.15 down from 0.25 and holding til mid July. Liquid titration.

I sleep crappy, wake up like my head is a bucket of mush.  What can we do but keep pressing on.

The Natural Calm magnesium powder is a stress reducer for me and it can help with sleep. Valerian root is another option as is something over the counter like Unisom, herbal teas like chamomile. I'm over here all the time looking for good ideas too. I think we all feel your pain. God, how we wish there was a quick fix. I'm also on Zoloft which never let me sleep well from the beginning hence the Ativan for 6 years. So I will still have a sleep issue when I'm off this crap. I wish I could give you more help but I'm searching too. My personal opinion is stay OFF prescribed sleep meds. They end up being a crutch and regrettable. Have you tried sleep hygiene and or sleep restriction ?  I will do the sleep hygiene after I get through the next couple of weeks. There are also sleep and meditation tapes on market at amazon and a lot of physical exercise during day can only be a positive. For me though I am physically tired but my mind just won't stop but the exercise helps release endorphins which do help for sleep to relax you.  It helps to know we are not alone.

seriously.

should i hang on or try to get some sleep with medications?

totally lost now.

Hey PO,

You may know how bad my insomnia ......was. I hesitate to say was because I'm still not out of the woods yet but is much better. I did take some amitriptyline when I couldn't take it anymore but no more than 2.5mg 2-3 hours before bed and no more than once a week. In between I took antihistamines, again once or twice a week. Every morning after ami I had a weird hangover and antihistamines increased my muscle aches and twitches. I'm 10 months off now and for about a month I didn't take any of those anymore. I still had some sleepless nights but nothing like before. I got to the point where instead of worrying about not sleeping again, I make all kind of plans for tomorrow, i think of what happened today and things like this when I go to bed. Same like I used to do before having sleep issues. If you are still able to think straight enough to post a message here on BB then you do get some sleep. Without any sleep you become psychotic in short time. I decided to use sleep aids but not benzo or Z pills. Did they slow down my recovery? I don't know. For sure they helped me work through all this hell. Your choice.

Miti

Pacific,

I'd say that you should hang in there longer if you can My own insomnia was pretty self limiting after I got off the benzo, but my dad is another story -- he took Klonopin for ~5 years, spent a year tapering after failing a rapid taper, and finished last summer. For months he said that his sleep was very bad (often laying awake for hours, then waking up again a couple hours later, etc) - and at one point he was even speculating that his age might be a factor and he just might never sleep well again.

A couple months ago he told me that his sleep had largely returned to normal. It sounds like he still has ups and downs, but he started to see gradual improvement at 3-4 months out, and that's just continued since then. I think that if you can get through it, you may have a similar experience (of course the timing may be somewhat different, hopefully faster!) -- if you resort to other drugs, the best case is that you start sleeping again but gradually become dependent on something else which will have side effects etc.

When I was having really severe insomnia, this thread helped me a lot:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=78924.0

Hi there

I was suffering from insomnia for about half an year

My doc finally put me on zimovane and it really helps me. I sleep well during the night and feel refreshed the next day.

I have no side effects except a really strange taste on my tongue 

Now, I just hope it all isn't so worse when I stop taking it...

Edit:  removed commercial link

~Juliea

Zimovane is Ambien, its practically a benzo!

I would avoid Ambien as we all know the horrors. Do some research dde on here, Ambien/Zoplicone

Pacific  - what over the counter ones have you tried? What is the sleep problem? there are different types of things you can try you see depending on the insomnia...

Dont know if you missed your other post

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=85229.0

have you tried Calms Forte?

im thinking of tfying it.

theres also sleepytime tea.

another lady here said warm milk.

My doc finally put me on zimovane and it really helps me. I sleep well during the night and feel refreshed the next day.

I have no side effects except a really strange taste on my tongue 

Now, I just hope it all isn't so worse when I stop taking it...

That drug is as bad if not worse than benzos. From experience.

Mti

Zimovane is Ambien, its practically a benzo!

 

I would avoid Ambien as we all know the horrors. Do some research dde on here, Ambien/Zoplicone

 

Pacific  - what over the counter ones have you tried? What is the sleep problem? there are different types of things you can try you see depending on the insomnia...

 

Dont know if you missed your other post

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=85229.0

tried magnesium and melatonin. doesn't seem to help.

tried benadryl. and it worked sometimes and not. trying to avoid it at this point.

trying zzzquil for last 3 nights. 1st night got some sleep. 2nd night "no.". 3rd night, more of light sleep + rest.

if i could, will stop taking any medications for sleep.

Thanks a lot for all your answers

well if zimovane is so bad what can replace it and be safer and not addictive? what about valium, is it as bad?

Edit: removed commercial link

~Juliea

Hi ppl!

Zimovane is actually helpful but you do have to take it carefully to avoid addiction.

I was on it a few months ago. and  I can say it was effective for me as it really cured my insomnia.

Now I can sleep well at nights without any problems 

If anyone interested I can recommend this XXXXXXXX

Take care everyone!

Edit: removed commercial link

~Juliea

Thanks a lot for all your answers

 

well if zimovane is so bad what can replace it and be safer and not addictive? what about valium, is it as bad?

 

 

Edit: removed commercial link

~Juliea

Say no no no! to valium. That's what got many of us here in the first place. Valium is a benzo, and this forum is called BenzoBuddies for a good reason.