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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 34. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by BeardedLady on December 2, 2002, at 15:10:09
Hi.
I'm sure no one will read this or be able to help me. It's way too long. But I am desperate and so will think these thoughts out loud in case there's a generous soul with extra spare time.
I have early-morning awakenings and have been suffering with them since my pregnancy (when they started once a month) and after I quit nursing (my dog, my grandmother, and my father-in-law had recently died).
I was taking 250 mg. of Serzone and doing fine, with an occasional 10 mg. Sonata at 2:30 a.m. over the summer--once a week, maybe.
In October, I started needing the Sonata more and more.
In November, Sonata died on me. I took one and was up from 2:30 on. The next night, I took two and was up from 2:30 on.
My pdoc prescribed Ativan. I have no trouble falling asleep (usually), so I wait until I wake up in the middle of the night. I usually wake at midnight to pee but manage to sleep til 2:30 after that.
I don't know why. I am very frustrated.
So I started taking Ativan (when I need it) three weeks ago. I needed 2 mg. in the middle of the night every day for a week, and then I got a few days off--five in a week (three in a row, even!). Now I've used it three nights this week, with a Sonata thrown in their on the fourth night. It didn't work at all, though I managed to fall asleep three hours after I took it.
Last night I had a cold and opted for Ativan instead of Nyquil, worrying that I might not sleep (though I always do) with Nyquil. I was up for two hours after I took it. I don't know if it was the cold that kept me awake or what. But now I'm freaked.
Questions:
Does Serzone poop out? I've been on it four years with only a few short-lived problems that were situational. My doc said it is one of the few meds that doesn't poop.
Does Ativan stop working so soon? Or did my anxiety just break through this huge dose?
How long can I take Ativan without bugging out?
Will Sonata ever work for me again--say, if I haven't taken it in several months? It was really a dream come true for me, literally!
WHY DO PEOPLE WAKE UP THE SAME TIME EVERY NIGHT OF THEIR LIVES AND HAVE TROUBLE FALLING BACK TO SLEEP?
And why, when it goes away, do I still wake up at that exact time and have luck falling asleep?
My doc wants me to up my Serzone (we upped it a few weeks ago to my old dose, 300, from 250) to 400. I'm afraid, but I don't know why. I think it will help my depression but worry that it won't help my sleep.
Any wisdom?
beardy
Posted by BeardedLady on December 2, 2002, at 15:12:16
In reply to ? about Ativan and/or Serzone--long, but please, posted by BeardedLady on December 2, 2002, at 15:10:09
Posted by Mr Cushing on December 2, 2002, at 16:30:42
In reply to ? about Ativan and/or Serzone--long, but please, posted by BeardedLady on December 2, 2002, at 15:10:09
Honestly, I don't have a clue what to tell you. I've suffered from terrible insomnia pretty much all my life (closing in on 25 years). Two drugs that have REALLY helped me with that, however, are Clonazepam (Klonopin) and Trazadone. Since I'm Bi-Poloar though, and I wasn't diagnosed as such when we started the Trazadone, it eventually stopped working for me and made me more manic instead. Still, with the Clonazepam, .5mg every night does the trick to send me off to dreamland.The thing that I did notice with your medications though is that you seem to be taking them to knock yourself out cold. Is that why you keep switching between the two and have to keep increasing your dosage? I've been taking the Clonazepam now for close to 4 years (off and on) and I've stuck with the same dosage the entire time and it's ALWAYS worked. I take .5mg before bed, say around 11PM, by Midnight, I'm out cold for about 7-8 hours and wake up feeling completely rested.
Have you thought that maybe your insomnia is not of itself and could be related to another mood disorder? Like for me, whenever I was cycling into either a depressive or manic episode, that's when it became impossible for me to sleep at all. I'd have trouble falling asleep, I'd wake up every hour after I was able to finally get some sleep, and then I would generally wake up about 2-3 hours before I needed to be up and be WIDE awake. Thus, for a while I learned to survive on about 3 hours of sleep a night.
If you're being treated for another mood disorder, what medications are you on? Have you tried switching those around?
Posted by BeardedLady on December 2, 2002, at 19:06:24
In reply to Re: ? about Ativan and/or Serzone--long, but please, posted by Mr Cushing on December 2, 2002, at 16:30:42
When I got the insomnia, it was diagnosed as anticipatory anxiety--anxiety about sleep. Mostly, it's that one day I stopped sleeping and, because I was finished nursing finally, I could sleep again, but I just didn't.
I tried a bunch of meds, including trazodone + xanax, but the traz. pooped.
The Serzone is to keep my anxiety in check. It used to help me sleep by itself, but when there's a situational problem, I take Sonata to sleep--not really to be knocked out cold but to simply fall back to sleep.
Now, I am somehow unable to do that, as I wake up and lie there for hours.
Now that the sonata doesn't work, I am on to Ativan. I am frustrated and very tired.
I'm sorry for you. I don't know how I'd have lived on three hours. I might have killed myself, in spite of how I feel about leaving my beautiful daughter. You are very brave and strong. That's admirable. Thanks for reading.
beardy
Posted by Mr Cushing on December 2, 2002, at 20:00:23
In reply to Serzone for mood disorder » Mr Cushing, posted by BeardedLady on December 2, 2002, at 19:06:24
I'm Bi-Polar, I've gone through MUCH worse than living on 3 hours of sleep a night. I also went through a 6 year depression where I would just lie there and cry all night till I fell asleep and a 1 year severely manic episode that wound up getting me almost kicked out of school and banned from attending my graduation ceremony because the students in my class, whom I had tutored throughout the program at one point or another, decided that I scared them too much... Life goes on though...But like I said, once I started treating the anxiety during the day, and realized that it wasn't just a night time thing, I started sleeping again like a baby. I'm currently starting to sink back into a depression, which I need to get something to fix for that rather quickly, but I'm still getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night on just .5mg of Clonazepam.
Maybe you should make sure that it's not just a night time thing. Chart your moods during the day or something... get an opinion from another doctor... Or, if this is even possible (my PDoc says that one exists anyways), Try to get into a Sleep Clinic to see what they think.
I know how frustrating insomnia is, trust me, after about 6 months of getting just 3 hours of sleep, and some nights getting up to 6 but waking up feeling like I didn't sleep at all, I basically felt like I was losing my sanity. Maybe you're just missing a piece of the puzzle and it has more to do with not being able to sleep? If so, try another medication during the days. For anxiety/panic, Effexor is a miracle drug except for it's horrible start-ups and withdrawals. You'll feel like doo-doo (good word, huh?) for the first 2 weeks that you start taking it and the first two weeks when you stop taking it, but other than that, your anxiety takes a permanent vacation. Maybe something like that, combined with a smaller dose of a sleeping aid, will set you back on track?
Either way, it's probably a better thing to try doing instead of just lying there night after night slowly losing pieces of your sanity... wondering, Hell, how do the rest of the world sleep so soundly and hating them all for it lol...
Posted by Geezer on December 2, 2002, at 22:16:44
In reply to ? about Ativan and/or Serzone--long, but please, posted by BeardedLady on December 2, 2002, at 15:10:09
Hi Beardy,
I haven't read all the posts here but has anyone recommended a sleep clinic? I had some good results with Remeron. Wish you the best - you have done a lot of "giving" on this board, hope you get some help soon.
Geezer
Posted by Ritch on December 2, 2002, at 23:14:11
In reply to ? about Ativan and/or Serzone--long, but please, posted by BeardedLady on December 2, 2002, at 15:10:09
> Questions:
>
> Does Serzone poop out? I've been on it four years with only a few short-lived problems that were situational. My doc said it is one of the few meds that doesn't poop.I can't answer that one-only tried very low dose Serzone in the past (not for depression but for anxiety).
>
> Does Ativan stop working so soon? Or did my anxiety just break through this huge dose?
>
> How long can I take Ativan without bugging out?Some folks have paradoxical reactions to benzos with regards to sleep trouble. It looks like a non-benzo sleep solution is what you need.
>
> Will Sonata ever work for me again--say, if I haven't taken it in several months? It was really a dream come true for me, literally!I tried Sonata once and it seemed to work wonders to get me to sleep, but my problem is like yours-EMA's!- and it did quite poorly for that problem.
>
> WHY DO PEOPLE WAKE UP THE SAME TIME EVERY NIGHT OF THEIR LIVES AND HAVE TROUBLE FALLING BACK TO SLEEP?
>
> And why, when it goes away, do I still wake up at that exact time and have luck falling asleep?
>
I *ALWAYS* get this problem during seasonal bipolar depressive episodes. You are tired earlier than usual-get to sleep OK, but then wake at 3am or 5am (whatever) every morning, and then have some trouble falling back to sleep from the EMA, then start to really snooze right before the alarm goes off! Then, a tendency to feel unrested and fatigued the rest of the day.> My doc wants me to up my Serzone (we upped it a few weeks ago to my old dose, 300, from 250) to 400. I'm afraid, but I don't know why. I think it will help my depression but worry that it won't help my sleep.
>
> Any wisdom?
>
> beardy
I would be hesitant as well to up the dosage. SRI meds have always tended to disrupt my sleep (either making the total duration too short, or triggering EMA's). I even had a sleepwalking episode due to taking Effexor at bedtime recently (WRONG!). My gut instinct is to *suggest* keeping Serzone at the same dosage and possibly *reduce* the bedtime dosage somewhat and tinker with an antihistamine/antiserotonergic agent at bedtime. Thoughts come to mind such as OTC Benadryl or possibly doxepin (a cheap TCA).--Mitch
Posted by IsoM on December 2, 2002, at 23:29:03
In reply to ? about Ativan and/or Serzone--long, but please, posted by BeardedLady on December 2, 2002, at 15:10:09
Beardy, when you were nursing your daughter, did you get up at night to nurse her & what time was it? I remember when I got up at night to nurse my sons. I hated getting up in the middle of the night but the house was quiet, & nursing releases calming hormones so I felt mellow & relaxed. Other than the bother of getting up, it was a nice time for me. But my babies tended to wake at the same time at night, & then I ended up waking around that time too, even years after nursing was over. We're creatures of habit & body habits are often beyond our control to change.
Even if your waking time has nothing to do with your nursing time, it's a habit that your sleep pattern has formed. I'm wondering if you tried to break up the pattern for about three weeks (it takes that long for a habit to fully form, so I'm guessing three weeks might be long enough to break it) if it may disappear. You'd have to get your family's cooperation. Tell them life is going to be disruptive for three weeks but you hope it will fix it enabling you to return to a normal life again.
If it was me, I'd try varying what time I went to bed each night, but would wake up at the same time each morning. Some nights I'd go to bed VERY late - around 1-2 AM. I know you'll say you'd be dead if you went to bed that late, but I'd make sure to have a midafternoon nap the day before. The same rising time each morning would give you a firm basis to return to a normal sleep time at night after the three weeks.
You may feel too nervous to try such a treatment - I understand, it's what I, but not necessarily you, would do. Failing that, have you tried melatonin? I'm pretty sure you can buy it in the States.
You're making yourself more & more anxious over this & your anxiety will sabotage your desire to sleep. If you talk to your doctor about this, rather than something to help you sleep, ask him about adding something like Buspar or another anti-anxiety med that's not a BZD. It may be that you need to address the anxiety rather than the sleeplessness. After all, you can fall asleep easily, you just wake up each night unable to return to sleep. That's often indicative of depression or anxiety than ordinary insomnia. I'd hazard to guess that the thought of waking up at night also preoccupies your thoughts during the day. It's not just a worry at night, I'd bet, but has become a major concern for you. I'd treat the anxiety first.
Posted by BeardedLady on December 3, 2002, at 6:11:02
In reply to Re: Serzone for mood disorder, posted by Mr Cushing on December 2, 2002, at 20:00:23
You have been through hell! I'm glad you toughed it out. It's amazing how you can be so compassionate. Some people will say, "Headache? Honey, I've had a brain tumor. You don't know what a headache is!"
> Maybe you should make sure that it's not just a night time thing.
Oh, it's definitely partly worry. I am a worrier, and it got worse after my daughter was born.
That's what the Serzone is for. It's similar to Effexor in that it treats anxiety (though it says it's for depression, my doc says it's the best anxiety med with the fewest side effects). Really, I don't have any except dry eyes when I up my dose. But I take it at night because it makes me drowsy, and that made more sense than taking it in the morning! So it's my Effexor, so to speak, and I would consider changing it after my 2nd opinion. (By the way, my therapist thinks it's mostly sleep related, too, and that most of my worry is about my sleep!)
I also tend to suffer from stress illnesses that didn't bother me when I smoked. Each time I quit smoking, I got something else. Each time I started back up again, all those things went away. I keep thinking I should start smoking again, as I quit when I learned I was pregnant. I think insomnia waited until I was finished nursing to hit me as the smoke-free stress illness.
>Or, if this is even possible (my PDoc says that one exists anyways), Try to get into a Sleep Clinic to see what they think.
Mine just recommended me for a sleep clinic. I will be seeing the top sleep doc at Hopkins some time in January.
> Maybe you're just missing a piece of the puzzle and it has more to do with not being able to sleep?
Yeah, we're working on that.
> wondering, Hell, how do the rest of the world sleep so soundly and hating them all for it lol...
No kidding! I sometimes look at my husband in disgust at 3:00 a.m.--just because he's doing what everyone else in this part of the world is doing.
I spoke with pdoc last night and upped my Serzone. I slept about 8.5 hours, with wakeups every hour after 2:30, but I fell back to sleep, and that's the key. (Sometimes I think my body wakes up just to make sure it really was sleeping.)
Anyway, thanks so much for all your help. You're a gem.
beardy
Posted by BeardedLady on December 3, 2002, at 6:21:29
In reply to Sleep Patterns and Suggestions » BeardedLady, posted by IsoM on December 2, 2002, at 23:29:03
Iso:
I've thought of your great suggestions. My pdoc called me at 9:45 last night. He KNOWS I go to bed at 9:30, but I was in the bathtub trying to prolong my bedtime!
I have a cold, so I only lasted until ten! And the thought of staying up late does frighten me. But I continue to have that thought. After I see this sleep doc from Hopkins, I'll talk to him about your suggestion.
For now, I've upped my Serzone to 400 (it's similar to Remeron but without the weight gain, and my pdoc says that the low dose of Serzone has similar actions to Bu-spar, which I've asked about and will ask about again if this doesn't resolve itself).
My docs all seem to think there's something else going on allowing breakthrough anxiety. But I can't "feel" it. You know? I don't have that nasty stomach feeling or jumpiness and jitters.
Oh, and my nursing times were weird. I'd go to bed after nursing my daughter at 9:00, and I'd wake up at midnight and three sometimes! But I do believe I formed a habit then. Still, not nursing has been the habit for longer than three weeks, so I don't get the part about waking up.
I loved nursing too. I do miss it. I think I also am sad that I can't have another child due to this sleep problem and all the meds. Maybe turning forty was really traumatic for me and I have to come to grips with it.
Sometimes we think we know ourselves, and we haven't skimmed the surface. Last night, I prayed to God for a friend of mine. (I read three stories about scientific studies that show it helps others to pray for them.) I'm not even sure I believe in God! So I just said I was praying to the idea of a God because believing in the idea often helped people through.
Thanks, Iso. You were my first bud here on PB, and you are still as great as ever.
beardy
Posted by BeardedLady on December 3, 2002, at 6:25:34
In reply to Re: ? about Ativan and/or Serzone--long, but please » BeardedLady, posted by Ritch on December 2, 2002, at 23:14:11
I only take Serzone at bedtime, and I only take the anxiety dose--300. (I was taking a lower-than-therapeutic dose for about 9 months.)
I thought Sonata was perfect for EMAs, which is why I had such luck with it. I'd wake up after four hours, take one, and sleep another four hours. It's a four-hour pill. I'd wake up exactly--to the minute--four hours after I took it.
EMAs suck. But at least we can fall asleep! I'd think it is worse the other way.
Against my better judgment (and yours), I upped my dose last night on advice of my pdoc (and a reminder that I've done this more than once through the years and have still gone back to 250 mg. after my episodes). We'll see.
Thanks for all your help.
beardy
Posted by BeardedLady on December 3, 2002, at 6:28:25
In reply to Re: ? about Ativan and/or Serzone--long, but please » BeardedLady, posted by Geezer on December 2, 2002, at 22:16:44
Thanks for the kind words.
I've asked to try Remeron a few times, but my pdoc will not give it to me. He says he doesn't know which would make me more miserable: not sleeping or being fat! He guaranteed me twenty pounds on Remeron, as that's been his experience.
a happily thin (but miserably sleepy sometimes) beardy : )>
Posted by utopizen on December 3, 2002, at 6:29:26
In reply to Re: Sleep Patterns and Suggestions » IsoM, posted by BeardedLady on December 3, 2002, at 6:21:29
My problem is odd- Effexor has been giving me anorgasmia lately (since I upped to 300-- whenever an SSRI dose changes for me this happens for a few weeks).
So I can't release my tension, literally, which perpetuates anxiety, thinking of things not even about sex, but all as a result from having such tension.
So I'm thinking I have anxiety, ADD (which doesn't help-- Adderall 20mg at 7am still pounds my heart at 2 am) is Serzone right for me? I'm taking Effexor XR 300/day and it does nothing.
Posted by BeardedLady on December 3, 2002, at 7:57:18
In reply to Re: Sleep Patterns and Suggestions, posted by utopizen on December 3, 2002, at 6:29:26
I would certainly ask about it. Pardon my frankness (though on these boards, most already know!), but my orgasms are terrific. My sex drive isn't all that, but I doubt it has to do with Serzone.
Every body is different. How yours will respond to Serzone is a mystery. I didn't respond at all to Zoloft (maybe because I wasn't depressed; I was anxious), and Trazodone pooped after a month, and Xanax was not helpful for sleep unless I had Trazodone, and Gabitril made me sick.
I think there's a way to taper off Effexor while starting Serzone, so you might not have to suffer any withdrawal. My pdoc did this on a few meds, and I never had a problem with that. My worst Serzone side effect was sleepiness, but we simply moved my pill-popping time to bedtime, and I woke up fine. (I am a little slow going in the morning, but I don't know if this is age or pill; I'd say age, as it seems normal.)
So if Effexor is doing NOTHING, it's certainly worth trying something else.
beardy
Posted by utopizen on December 3, 2002, at 8:48:30
In reply to Maybe » utopizen, posted by BeardedLady on December 3, 2002, at 7:57:18
While we're being franker than we would be if we were on the couch, I'd like to add I think I could achieve a certain climax rather easily if I had a partner involved. Unfortunately the anxiety is stifling my capacity to relate to the opposite sex, so I remain a 19 year old asexual male. Studying about mitosis in biology takes on a whole new meaning to me. ..
Posted by BeardedLady on December 3, 2002, at 9:48:16
In reply to Re: Maybe, posted by utopizen on December 3, 2002, at 8:48:30
Oh. Sorry. Nineteen, huh? At forty, it seems like at least two decades away.
I was a virgin until I was 19. I met my husband then, though he wasn't my first or only (or my husband yet). Now I've had the same sex partner for 19 years.
Youth is precious. I'd say to try the Serzone. At worst, I think, it could do nothing at all. At best, it could alleviate your anxiety.
beardy
Posted by Ritch on December 3, 2002, at 13:36:44
In reply to Re: Serzone for mood disorder » Mr Cushing, posted by BeardedLady on December 3, 2002, at 6:11:02
> I also tend to suffer from stress illnesses that didn't bother me when I smoked. Each time I quit smoking, I got something else. Each time I started back up again, all those things went away. I keep thinking I should start smoking again, as I quit when I learned I was pregnant. I think insomnia waited until I was finished nursing to hit me as the smoke-free stress illness.
Ok, this is way out there, but what about giving a med that effects nicotinic receptors a trial? You can't smoke in your sleep, but perhaps you get a rebound withdrawal effect that reduces acetylcholine more drastically than normal when you smoked and you were in the middle of your sleep. Anyhow, here is a link about galantamine:
http://www.galantamine.cc/articles/galantamine-articles-10.htm
It is a new Alzheimer's drug. When I was smoking I was much more focused and calm.
Posted by BeardedLady on December 3, 2002, at 14:13:08
In reply to Bizarro shot in the dark suggestion » BeardedLady, posted by Ritch on December 3, 2002, at 13:36:44
That is ingenious, really. I don't know if there's a link or a leap, but it's an interesting prospect. I notice they don't list the side effects on that site. And it's so new. I'd like to see what they're prescribing this for besides Alzheimers.
The manufacturers make it sound like some kind of acid trip! See molecules! Remember nit-picky details of the nit that picked at your sweater! Weird.
I suggested to many that I should start smoking again, and most people think it's a ridiculous proposition, as I would then have to worry about cancer and other respiratory problems. But they all agree that it probably would cancel out the other problems!
Thanks, Mitch. Very interesting. And not stupid at all. Here's to being focused and calm.
beardy
Posted by Ritch on December 3, 2002, at 22:02:32
In reply to Bizarro is right, but... » Ritch, posted by BeardedLady on December 3, 2002, at 14:13:08
> That is ingenious, really. I don't know if there's a link or a leap, but it's an interesting prospect. I notice they don't list the side effects on that site. And it's so new. I'd like to see what they're prescribing this for besides Alzheimers.
>
> The manufacturers make it sound like some kind of acid trip! See molecules! Remember nit-picky details of the nit that picked at your sweater! Weird.
>
> I suggested to many that I should start smoking again, and most people think it's a ridiculous proposition, as I would then have to worry about cancer and other respiratory problems. But they all agree that it probably would cancel out the other problems!
>
> Thanks, Mitch. Very interesting. And not stupid at all. Here's to being focused and calm.
>
> beardyBefore you reach for an EXPENSIVE tax-ridden pack of smokes, you might be able to stick on a nicotine transdermal patch a couple of hours before you go to sleep....?
Posted by BeardedLady on December 4, 2002, at 7:12:06
In reply to Re: Bizarro is right, but... » BeardedLady, posted by Ritch on December 3, 2002, at 22:02:32
Won't I addict myself all over again? And isn't smoking just sheer joy? Where's the fun?
Nicotine is a stimulant--unless you're addicted. (It would take me a few days to get addicted.) And I think I would have to patch it up thoughout the day and stop at night.
BTW, I upped my Serzone to 400 mg. and slept fine the first night, but last night I took a 2 mg. Ativan at 2:00 a.m. and slept five additional hours.
I just wish the need for the extra drug would go away already.
beardy
Posted by Ritch on December 4, 2002, at 9:13:38
In reply to Now there's a thought... » Ritch, posted by BeardedLady on December 4, 2002, at 7:12:06
> Won't I addict myself all over again? And isn't smoking just sheer joy? Where's the fun?
>
> Nicotine is a stimulant--unless you're addicted. (It would take me a few days to get addicted.) And I think I would have to patch it up thoughout the day and stop at night.
>
> BTW, I upped my Serzone to 400 mg. and slept fine the first night, but last night I took a 2 mg. Ativan at 2:00 a.m. and slept five additional hours.
>
> I just wish the need for the extra drug would go away already.
>
> beardy
Yes, you would re-addict yourself to nicotine unfortunately. I know some people (family members too), who quit smoking, but they now chew tobacco (blech), and they are still hooked big time, and they don't seem to understand that. I really am wandering about the nicotinic receptor drugs now. If they indirectly boost acetylcholine to provide *more* alertness during the day, then at nighttime there should be a rebound *decline* of acetylcholine (I think it drops anyhow SO you can get to sleep naturally). Perhaps an anticholinergic agent at bedtime would do the trick--try any Benadryl?Mitch
Posted by BeardedLady on December 4, 2002, at 9:25:57
In reply to Re: Now there's a thought... » BeardedLady, posted by Ritch on December 4, 2002, at 9:13:38
When this happened more than four years ago, I took benedryl on the advice of my pharmacist. I took it at nine. At 11:00, I was in the emergency room--flying. They pumped me full of valium and sent me home. I fell asleep from midnight to five. And then I was wired again and hysterical.
Thanks for the thoughts. I'd rather just have a smoke, frankly, than do any of this. I really do believe that smoking cessation caused this.
I can say that because it caused dermititis, which went away when I started back up again; reflux, which went away a year later when I started back up again; TMJ--with the worst headaches known to man, which went away as soon as I started smoking again.
I'm reasonably sure that the stress of childbirth and multiple deaths of beloved family members was simply too much to take without a cigarette. That will be the topic of today's therapy session.
To smoke or not to smoke,
that is the question.
Whether 'tis rational in the mind to suffer
the panic and anxiety of incurable insomnia
or to take Marlboros against the sea of troubles
and by smoking end them. To smoke, to sleep--
no more--and by smoking say we end
the headaches and the billion stress illnesses
that cessation is heir to.beardy
Posted by Mr Cushing on December 4, 2002, at 10:00:09
In reply to Benedryl » Ritch, posted by BeardedLady on December 4, 2002, at 9:25:57
Beardy, I think your insomnia problem is a little bit too bad for Benadryl to do anything. Sure, MDs always say to try Benadryl. I used to have my night table drawers full of different over the counter sleeping aids. I haven't found one that worked.Once I was so desperate for sleep that I drank about a whole bottle of NyQuil (you know, the big F'ing Q) and just laid there all night with a really strong buzz.
So you can try it, but I'll doubt if it will work.
Posted by utopizen on December 4, 2002, at 10:39:24
In reply to Re: Benedryl, posted by Mr Cushing on December 4, 2002, at 10:00:09
All OTC night aids are Benadryl.
Read the active ingredient.
Posted by Dinah on December 4, 2002, at 11:00:29
In reply to Benedryl » Ritch, posted by BeardedLady on December 4, 2002, at 9:25:57
I think that you might need to get your depression under control to beat the insomnia. I'm having an upsurge of depression right now, and early morning awakenings are becoming part of my normal day. Usually 3am for me. Then I just lie there feeling miserable unless I knock myself out with Klonopin, and sometimes even then. Even when I sleep it's off and on, feeling like I'm not sleeping at all, although my husband tells me I'm snoring so I must be.
Perhaps a more effective antidepressant would do more good than a sleeping agent, although I realize they feed each other. I'd start one myself if I weren't relatively confident that my moods never last long enough for an antidepressant to start to work.
Good luck with finding a solution. Insomnia is rotten, especially the sort that doesn't come with hypomania. I'm not even up posting and working while I'm awake, just feeling miserable.
Dinah
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