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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Guy on March 3, 2014, at 12:46:41
I have suffered for almost 20 years with anxiety, panic, headache and severe malaise. Have tried almost every med in the book and still feel no better. I am convinced my problems stem largely from a lack of deep, restorative sleep. A naturopath once told me that drugged sleep is not real sleep and that I will not start to feel better until I am off all meds and back to a normal sleep pattern for at least a month. Unfortunately, that is not in the cards for me as I experience extreme, unbearable insomnia every time I try to wean off of meds. At the moment I am taking 30 mg Remeron along with 5-10 mg diazepam. I sleep through most of the night (with some awakenings), but get up feeling unrested and generally unwell every morning. I still have distant pre-med memories of entering a state of deep relaxation and waking up feeling groggy from sleep. No more--all I ever get now is shallow, dream-filled sleep that leaves me feeling ill all day long. It has caused premature ageing and will no doubt shorten my life by many years. I think this whole sleep issue is one of psychiatry's dirty little secrets.
Posted by phidippus on March 3, 2014, at 14:58:51
In reply to Non-restorative Sleep, posted by Guy on March 3, 2014, at 12:46:41
Have you been tested for sleep apnea?
Eric
Posted by Phillipa on March 3, 2014, at 16:14:52
In reply to Non-restorative Sleep, posted by Guy on March 3, 2014, at 12:46:41
I agree same here with the valium & add some Xanax Weird thing is now I fall asleep reading my nook. So do I really need them anymore? Could I just stop them? Phillipa
Posted by Guy on March 3, 2014, at 16:55:25
In reply to Re: Non-restorative Sleep » Guy, posted by phidippus on March 3, 2014, at 14:58:51
Phiddipus, I had a sleep study done many years ago when I first crashed and no mention of sleep apnea at that time. I'm pretty sure I get no stage 4 sleep and that is why I feel so poorly. Also, I just can't tolerate many meds...they make me feel as if I've been poisoned. I had high hopes for Celexa until my tinnitus became unbearable. It persists weeks after I discontinued the drug. It took two years for it to stop after I tried Zoloft.
Posted by baseball55 on March 3, 2014, at 19:27:33
In reply to Non-restorative Sleep, posted by Guy on March 3, 2014, at 12:46:41
Unfortunately, that is not in the cards for me as I experience extreme, unbearable insomnia every time I try to wean off of meds. At the moment I am taking 30 mg Remeron along with 5-10 mg diazepam. I sleep through most of the night (with some awakenings), but get up feeling unrested and generally unwell every morning. I still have distant pre-med memories of entering a state of deep relaxation and waking up feeling groggy from sleep. No more--all I ever get now is shallow, dream-filled sleep that leaves me feeling ill all day long. It has caused premature ageing and will no doubt shorten my life by many years. I think this whole sleep issue is one of psychiatry's dirty little secrets.
Maybe you should stop the drugs and put up with the insomnia, which will probably resolve after a couple of weeks, as your body and brain adjust to sleeping without meds. I stopped xanax and trazadone and, after several days of insomnia, now sleep fine most of the time.
Posted by LouisianaSportsman on March 3, 2014, at 20:12:58
In reply to Re: Non-restorative Sleep, posted by baseball55 on March 3, 2014, at 19:27:33
>
> I sleep through most of the night (with some awakenings), but get up feeling unrested and generally unwell every morning. all I ever get now is shallow, dream-filled sleep that leaves me feeling ill all day long. I think this whole sleep issue is one of psychiatry's dirty little secrets.
>I think you might have a point with this little bit I excerpted only. I take many psychoactives and definitely know where you are coming from with this.
Posted by jono_in_adelaide on March 3, 2014, at 23:28:25
In reply to Re: Non-restorative Sleep, posted by baseball55 on March 3, 2014, at 19:27:33
Try rotating your meds so you dont become tolorant, say a benzo or Z drug for 2 nights, then Seroquel for 2 nights, then back to the benzo and so on
Posted by phidippus on March 4, 2014, at 1:58:38
In reply to Re: Non-restorative Sleep, posted by Guy on March 3, 2014, at 16:55:25
Why not take a med that actually improves sleep? (Gabitril)
Eric
Posted by linkadge on March 6, 2014, at 19:35:20
In reply to Non-restorative Sleep, posted by Guy on March 3, 2014, at 12:46:41
seeing as I am on a similar combination, I can recommend the following.
Lower the remeron to 15 or even 7.5mg (or less).
Add 1-3mg of time release melatonin.
Add 50-100mg of magnesium.
I have bad insomnia and the following combination is working well for me.
7.5 mg of remeron
50mg of magnesium
3mg of time release melatonin
0.25 mg of lorazepamremeron does have some sleep promoting qualities, but lower doses can be more sedating.
Linkadge
This is the end of the thread.
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