have you tried zzzquil as a sleepaid?

what was it like?

did it work?

is it safe to take it?

any side effects to be considered?

can it be used on daily basis?

please help.

anybody?

Hi Pacific,

 

zzzquil is just another brand name for diphenhydramine, plain and simple.  One dose contains 50 mgs of diphenhydramine, the same as two generic diphenhydramine pills that you can find everywhere (it is marketed as allergy medicine, sleeping medicine, and/or cold medicine), and I mean absolutely everywhere in every U.S. drugstore or supermarket.  IMO, don't waste money on brand names (Benadryl is justanother brand name for diph.) and just buy the generic version from your local store.

 

Megan

Hi Pacific,

 

zzzquil is just another brand name for diphenhydramine, plain and simple.  One dose contains 50 mgs of diphenhydramine, the same as two generic diphenhydramine pills that you can find everywhere (it is marketed as allergy medicine, sleeping medicine, and/or cold medicine), and I mean absolutely everywhere in every U.S. drugstore or supermarket.  IMO, don't waste money on brand names (Benadryl is justanother brand name for diph.) and just buy the generic version from your local store.

 

Megan

is it safe to take?

any side effects?

can i take it on daily basis?

what are the dangers?

It's quite safe.  Here's what I posted about it on the W&RS Board just now:

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=85270.msg1108935#msg1108935

Pacific - what type of sleep probleming are you having? falling asleep, staying asleep, pattern of wake ups etc?

Pacific - what type of sleep probleming are you having? falling asleep, staying asleep, pattern of wake ups etc?

everything.

 

I know the logic is to not use anything to sleep, but I really believe finding something to help you sleep massively reduces anxiety, knowing you cant get to sleep and also the healing that occurs when sleeping is worth it.

 

For the past month I have taken 1.5mg of melatonin before bed, and when i wake up in the night, with a sliver of mirtazapine (around 0.5g) its been so helpful. I couldnt take melatoning at first as it gave me such an incredidble depression, but now its completely fine. Mela is non addictive and is used by CFS/AF paitents a lot. I also do 30-60 of hypnotherapy, 30 mins relaxtion body scanning then 30 minutes directed insomnia hypno.

 

If you have terrible wake ups in the night, for years prior to benzos i was plagued with 3 wake ups, unable to get back to sleep. I found Ashawagna excellent for this. It is an adrenal gland adaptagen,so it can go either way, give you more energy or make you extremely relaxed. I have great results with a produce called 'Relax All', however it does contain small amounts of phenibut which isnt advisable as it is a gaba antoginist, however i have been looking at this

 

http://www.allergyliberation.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=247&products_id=292

 

the ingrediants are all excellent cortisol inhibitors....less stress, less cortisol, controlling stress when life out of control - impossible, so this might really help.

 

So a few options, maybe try melatonin with Benalyn, if you dont want to go down the mirtazapine route.

 

I am in the same position as you, my brain 'shifts' at least ten times a day and I go through calm, panic, anxiety, euphoria, flu like, doom all throughout the day, but not sleeping makes it far worse.

 

There is also Calms Forte, which I have had some success with.

 

I know the general concensus is not to take something to sleep, however there comes a time where your health and healing is suffering immensly, and maybe finding some light sleeping methods, either pharma or herbal will really be beneficial in keeping you together while the brain heals.

Sometimes trying to do things like people on these forums tell you can be destroying and extremely stressful. Dont take that drug, dont try that supplement, blah blah, your head is going round in circles...and it was already doing that in the first place! you sometimes have to sit back, and choose your own path. Its quite enlightening when you take control yourself.

 

We are all different, how we react to things is different, and our path of healing, along with the hell we spend our days in are all different, we are fundamentally alone, however we find solace with others, in the pain and suffering we have all endured, so the support on here is absolutely amazing, can you imagine how it would of been without it? But yeah, I stepped back, and tried to figure it out, yes it meant taking Remeron at a slither dose, but it helped me, and I have now pretty much tapered off, but i will keep with the melatonin and if things spiral again, I will not hestiate in using nicks of Remeron again. 

 

You can do it, take control. Pick something, try it. Anti histamines seem to be the safest option, so why not try Nytol, or maybe some melatonin. But i sense your stress levels and worry are immensly high, so i really think trying to get into the bodyscanning and hypnotherapy each night and morning will really help. But dont give up when you mind wanders after like 20 secs, it takes practice! I once was able to self hypnotise, now I am learning how to again, im up to five minutes concentration, but some nights go completely 'in' and its bliss.

 

 

Sometimes trying to do things like people on these forums tell you can be destroying and extremely stressful. Dont take that drug, dont try that supplement, blah blah, your head is going round in circles...and it was already doing that in the first place! you sometimes have to sit back, and choose your own path. Its quite enlightening when you take control yourself.

 

We are all different, how we react to things is different, and our path of healing, along with the hell we spend our days in are all different, we are fundamentally alone, however we find solace with others, in the pain and suffering we have all endured, so the support on here is absolutely amazing, can you imagine how it would of been without it? But yeah, I stepped back, and tried to figure it out, yes it meant taking Remeron at a slither dose, but it helped me, and I have now pretty much tapered off, but i will keep with the melatonin and if things spiral again, I will not hestiate in using nicks of Remeron again. 

You can do it, take control. Pick something, try it. Anti histamines seem to be the safest option, so why not try Nytol, or maybe some melatonin. But i sense your stress levels and worry are immensly high, so i really think trying to get into the bodyscanning and hypnotherapy each night and morning will really help. But dont give up when you mind wanders after like 20 secs, it takes practice! I once was able to self hypnotise, now I am learning how to again, im up to five minutes concentration, but some nights go completely 'in' and its bliss.

having a terrible time now. mind is going on it's own way.

can't belive what kind of shit i got myself into. i had a lot of worries before, but nothing like this. how do i regain my sleep, confidence, relaxation, and wills to endure and push myself forward?

Trust me I was there. Its only been in the last few weeks that I have started seeing parts of my old self inside me, and ive been off for six months, you are still early out remember.

 

How I manage? I just get through. I accept the torture, I watch the world go by outside, I let the insane thoughts and worries just come and go. Of course it didnt work every day, and there were days, are days, were i just want to scream and escape. its brutal, but your brain aint gonna stay like that remember. I am plagued with such severe physical symptoms that even breathing is dehibilating most days, combined with the anxiety, the panic, the hours of doom that my brain just goes into, its worse than death. But like you, Im on my own, and im holding on.

 

I will soon be homeless, jobless, the whole works, so remember you have a roof over your head and you live somewhere sunny! be thankful for the things you do have rather than those you havent (at the moment)

 

Try something for sleep, rather than just debating it, mulling it over, asing advice, and getting tonnes of neurons firing just to answer a simple question, just answer the question yourself. Take control. I believe sleep is the most important, and an anti histamine isnt going to do a number on you like benzos, so although i cant say what you should do, I think you should do something for sleep. Ive given you a few options, why not take control and try one? They are not like pharma meds, so may not work the first night, remember this and dont get panicky if you cant sleep.

 

Also remember, no pill other than a benzo is going to get you to sleep if you are going to bed up all het up. Do some yoga, do some meditation, take a bath, watch a film in bed, distract your mind first and lower the stress hormones. We all have to retrain our brain and bodies, and they will eventually find their equalibrium. I can blow sugar over you all day saying how it will get better, and how time is of a healer, but really we just have to man up and do what we can to get through it. Think RETRAIN, its what helps me!

 

Keep checking in dude, let me know how its going