Posted by Elizabeth on May 2, 2002, at 23:50:13
In reply to Re: anyone use ..Elizebeth pav..others, posted by CtrlAlt n Del on April 27, 2002, at 16:22:30
> Doc will only give me 20 ativan for 5/6 weeks (history of alcohol binging) already need to double the dose.
I really don't think that taking a benzo long-term for insomnia is a great strategy. It works for some people, but tolerance is very likely if you are taking the stuff every night.
If you think it might be hypomania, you should definitely tell your pdoc that. He might be willing to raise the Neurontin more (I don't get why your doc didn't want to go above 500). He might also want to add a different mood stabilizer. (Neurontin, BTW, can be a good sleep aid and anxiolytic.)
Another strategy would be to tell the doc that you're feeling so revved up that you've been craving alcohol. This is risky and may backfire on you. But if the doc is feeling sensitive and friendly that day, he may be willing to give you more Ativan, the idea being to relieve the symptoms that are making you want to drink. Make sure that the doc gets how serious you are; otherwise he's liable to blow it off. (Do you think that you ever abused benzos, BTW?) I don't think that Ativan is a good long-term sleeping pill, especially if you're already getting tolerant, but it should at least in the short term get rid of the hyperness and the cravings.
If you still have a long-term insomnia problem after you've done away with the hypomania-or-whatever, I really do think that Ambien would be worth a try.
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:104018
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020425/msgs/104883.html