I tried to rep you but I have to spread more around first. You have earned my eternal respect with this post.
Nook: I'm sure you've tried everything for your insomnia. I also suffer from it and though my circadian rhythms have me up until four at least each night I am able to get 9 hours (which is what I need) of uninterrupted sleep with 50mg Seroquel and 4mg Tizanidine. Before that I found it very difficult to get to sleep and could not sleep through the night. And I tried every single thing except for Ambien because I used to be a sleepwalker and the possibility of that made me too nervous. The Tizanidine is a mild muscle relaxer and it unclenches my body and allows it to become tired. That is the agent that gets me to sleep. The Seroquel (an anti-psychotic also indicated for insomnia as well as seizures, bipolar and other conditions) slows my racing thoughts and allows me to maintain a deep sleep for as many hours as I need to without interruption. And though my energy is generally low (and was before these meds), I do not wake up feeling drugged. This was all after I quit drinking, of course. When I drank I drank to oblivion. I never even thought about going to sleep because I always passed out. Sleep is so important to quality of life and to emotional well-being. When I broke my leg and was in the hospital after surgery the pain was so bad that only Dilaudid would touch it and I was only given a shot twice a day. After each shot I was able to sleep 30 minutes, so for that week I got an hour a night. I can't imagine what you are going through. I mean, I can imagine it because I took a brief visit to a land of -3 hours a night, but to live there? I'd go absolutely mad. I feel for you.
BJ, how are your Vitamin D levels these days? I remember you saying you were crazy-low a few months ago. My understanding is that a Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to insomnia in some people, but I've also heard that taking supplements before bed can keep people up at night. Also, I'm not trying to play the protective mom or internet doctor or anything like that so please don't take this the wrong way: My sister was put on Seroquel a while back for her OCD when SSRIs weren't doing the job and it caused her liver enzymes to spike dramatically. If you've been a heavy drinker in the past, that might be something to keep an eye on if you aren't already. Hope things look up for you eventually, and that one day you can get a decent night's rest without too much pharmaceutical assistance. Our situations don't seem to be anything alike, but I remember that after finally getting off Xanax, even though I got fewer hours of sleep than before my quality of sleep was much better, if that makes sense. And it was nice to be able to have dreams again. All the best.
have you tried melatonin? you gain tolerance to it but it's natural. Also, try meditation with deep breath relaxation techniques. Or even food coma-ing yourself to bed.
A+ . I have a car, wife, healthy boy and a job that allows me to live comfortable. I don't care to travel. I just want a computer to entertain myself and I am perfectly fine with vegging out at home. Simple life = Easy satisfaction
I give my life a B. I have an amazing woman, make solid money at a job that i don't hate and enjoy my free time when I get it. My health could be better but I still do most things I want despite it. Give me better health and a job that fulfills my "soul" and life would be an A+. I intend to get damn close to that before I die.
