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How's your sleep?

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How's your sleep?

Postby Christopher2045 » Sat Jul 04, 2015 9:06 am

I was on 1mg of trillafon and have recently came off it. Though, I don't think this is the cause for my sleeping problems as they have been going on for a while now. Also, doing nothing all day and going to sleep at 10 doesn't help. I usually wake up every 2-3 hours and it's getting really frustrating. My overactive bladder is also a problem. Usually I fall back to sleep after about 30 min, only to wake up a few hours after. Then Repeat.

I have been trying out melatonin which seems to help me fall asleep quicker, but it doesn't help me stay asleep. I have Ativan and that helps sometimes, but I have to take at least 2mg for any effect. I would like to try something like ambien, but I know they'd rather push something like depakote or an antipsychotic on me, which I don't want.

I'm hoping I can get this new job Im waiting on. Not working is definitely part of the problem, as when i work steady with a structure my sleep is usually balanced out.

This isn't really effecting my mood in any way, just making me tired throughout the day. Well, it's 5am, let the cycle continue!

How is your sleep??
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Re: How's your sleep?

Postby Oliveira » Sat Jul 04, 2015 10:14 am

When I reached 2.5 tablet of zopiclon, which is above maximum recommended dosage, I was moved to diazepam and weaning myself slowly from 25 mg to about 12, where I got stuck. Sometimes I fall asleep with 5 mg, then next night I need 17. In the heatwave now I needed 16 mg last night. It's not really possible for me to sleep without any sleeping aids. :/
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Re: How's your sleep?

Postby Christopher2045 » Sat Jul 04, 2015 10:50 am

[quote="Oliveira"]When I reached 2.5 tablet of zopiclon, which is above maximum recommended dosage, I was moved to diazepam and weaning myself slowly from 25 mg to about 12, where I got stuck. Sometimes I fall asleep with 5 mg, then next night I need 17. In the heatwave now I needed 16 mg last night. It's not really possible for me to sleep without any sleeping aids. :/[/quote

Ha yeah I think we all have that problem. So when normal persons complaining about a bad nights rest it's like.. You have no idea.

Anyways, from what i know diazepam is another benzo similar to Ativan. Ativans good for anxiety and could be used for sleep, but it doesn't always work. I just took 2.5 mg an hour ago.. Most people would be knocked out if they took that much. Even though, I've taken more. The ativan hasn't been working.

That's why I was wondering if i can get something like ambien. Just something to completely knock me out so I don't toss and turn all night.

I have left over depakotes and if I really can't sleep I'll take a 500mg and pass out. The problem with that is its not supposed to be used as a sleeping pill. And there's no way I'm going back on depakote.
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Re: How's your sleep?

Postby BrainStorm » Sat Jul 04, 2015 11:39 am

I have to take sleep aids. Two hours before bed I take 1mg klonopin. An hour before bed I take 10mg extended-release melatonin, and then right before bed I take 10mg Ambien. The combo works pretty well 90% of the time. I usually get six or seven solid hours, but I do wake a couple of times for water or to go to the bathroom. I have a bladder problem too. I had a benign cyst removed from my bladder and it left me with a teeny tiny one that can't hold much for long.

I had to try pretty much everything on the market before they prescribed me ambien, and by itself it only keeps me asleep 2-3 hours. I need the elaborate combo.

If your problem is staying asleep rather than falling asleep there are extended release melatonin and extended release ambien out there. Haven't tried the extended release ambien, but my grandmother has been on it for years and it works well for her.

A lot of doctors are hesitant to prescribe a hypnotic like ambien because of several reasons...it can be addictive, you can build a tolerance, it's VERY hard to stop taking it, and sometimes people have weird and dangerous sleepwalking incidents. I recently fell down a flight of stairs sleepwalking, it was the first incident I've had in a year of being on Ambien but it was scary.

Hope you get sleeping better soon.
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Re: How's your sleep?

Postby Oliveira » Sat Jul 04, 2015 12:31 pm

BrainStorm wrote:A lot of doctors are hesitant to prescribe a hypnotic like ambien because of several reasons...it can be addictive, you can build a tolerance, it's VERY hard to stop taking it, and sometimes people have weird and dangerous sleepwalking incidents. I recently fell down a flight of stairs sleepwalking, it was the first incident I've had in a year of being on Ambien but it was scary.

I sleep-e-mailed, sleep-bought-stuff-from-Amazon, sleep-walked and finally sleep-fell-on-a-metal-chair ruining the chair and giving myself some nasty wounds, one 2cm away from my eye. I think a class lawsuit can't be far away as I found a forum elsewhere that had 400+ pages filled with posts from people who had similar problems.

Mind you, like anything else, my experience is anecdotal. If it works for you, it works for you and there's no need to change it. For me though it was a nightmare (see what I did here ;) )
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Re: How's your sleep?

Postby Christopher2045 » Sat Jul 04, 2015 1:30 pm

I don't have an appointment until about 3 weeks. I don't have a history of ever abusing meds. Never got addicted to any benzos I've taken.. I want to give ambien a try, but I know it's not wise asking for a specific prescription.. How would I go about doing this? I'm going to say I need something to stay asleep. I doubt she's going to prescribe me something like ambien. But, I see a lot of people on here have the prescription. So maybe there's a chance.

Brainstorm- I have the same 10mg extended release melatonin. I've been using for the last three days. It definitely helps me fall asleep, it just doesn't keep me asleep.
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Re: How's your sleep?

Postby Lanka » Tue Jul 07, 2015 4:09 am

Christopher2045 wrote:How is your sleep??

Been like crap for last two decades, and likely will continue as such for rest of my life.

The very few times I get good, over all relaxing and enjoyable sleep with dreams to remember for days are one in month - if even that. Had one last month, I remember fragments of it, but it was good.. More ofter than not it'll be mild nightmares or sleeping 12+ hours and waking up tired. Or waking up every few hours thinking way more hours have passed since previous awakement.

My bed looks like a nest. I sleep on my blanket, which keeps bunch of pillows in place, just so I don't struggle in sleep and kick my (second) blanket off my feet. Well, that much. Quickly counting there are 6 pillows in my bed - maybe one or two of them under my head..

Occasionally I just give up and sleep a week or couple on couch because it isn't that much worse than my bed.. Still little bit chilly at night to sleep outside. I tried that though. Suppose I could dig up my sleeping bag for it.
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Re: How's your sleep?

Postby Christopher2045 » Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:17 pm

I got good sleep the past 2 nights. It's hard falling asleep when you nothing all day. I've been falling asleep then when I wake up I'll take the melatonin and fall right back asleep. Don't need another sleeping med.
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Re: How's your sleep?

Postby turnaround » Tue Jul 07, 2015 7:25 pm

I've been on a 48-hr sleep cycle for a month which isn't a great idea. On Night 1, I get 12+ hrs and feel like crap, then on Night 2, I get 4-5hrs and feel full of energy most of the day. Then I crash in the evening only to feel wired up later and stay awake until 3am again. I called my psych's office today and am picking up a 7-day zopiclone prescription tomorrow so I can reset my sleep cycle. This has GOT to stop!!
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Re: How's your sleep?

Postby quietgirl2538 » Thu Jul 09, 2015 2:14 am

I'm still having sleep problems. The sleeping pills, ambien or lunesta don't work for me. I was given a prescription of Seroquel 50mg. That, so far, is the only thing that helps me sleep and even then, a few times, very few, I still wake throughout the night. My friend was being dead serious when she said I should take weed. I just laughed and said no, my doctor won't prescribe that. LOL.

I wanted to add that I read in one of my books on bipolar that Seroquel is a sort of tranquilizer. If this is incorrect I apologize.
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