Need Help!!! (Full Version)

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Kalista07 -> Need Help!!! (12/15/2007 11:11:20 AM)

Okay, i've read the thread on insomnia...i've also searched through the archives here of other insomnia related threads...And i still can't sleep.....It's been 7 official days since i've had a full nights sleep.... I am prescribed prescription sleep medication (which i generally take) and nothing is happening...i feel as though i'm taking a tic tac....
i'm tired, bitchy, cranky, crabby, hateful, and slightly irrational......
i've talked about every single freaking issue going on in my life, i haven't had any caffeine for days and my head is killing me....
Wow....i am really whining here huh?
i'm open to suggestions, i just know i need to sleep...i want to sleep.....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
 
Kali




kyraofMists -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/15/2007 11:18:29 AM)

Have you talked to the doctor that prescribed the sleep medication?  When I was having severe problems with insomnia, I was put on the maximum dosage and still barely able to sleep a full night.  Most people on that dose would have been dead to the world.  I now sleep without any meds at all, but that took years to accomplish. 

You might want to stay off the internet as well when you cannot sleep.  Make your bed a place for sleep only.  Don't take naps.  Exercise and create a routine before sleep.  Eventually, you will train your body that when these things happen in this sequence it is time to go to sleep. 

First talk to your doctor about your medicine first though. 

Knight's Kyra




laurell3 -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/15/2007 2:59:01 PM)

I also suffer from insomnia at times, trying to force it only makes you frustrated.  However, I will lie on the couch with a book and/or turn on a movie I've seen before and like.  It's some stimulation, but low key.  The other thing that seems to help for me is exercise as it's usually my mind keeping me awake, if I've exercised vigorously that day my body can overrule my mind.

good luck Kali!




FangsNfeet -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/15/2007 3:03:03 PM)

When I'm your situation, I read the Bible as a last resort. I never made it past the first five books without falling asleep for atleast a three hour nap.

Start reading and let us know how it goes.




YouAreAllMine -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/15/2007 3:14:43 PM)

I agree with laurell3.  Often exercise (either rigorous or gentle) can be the key.  However, when combined with these other steps it increases your success rate. 
  1. Get up the same time each day, even if you are still tired from no sleep.
  2. Avoid naps.
  3. Exercise well each day.
  4. Eat well, with only very light eating after 6pm or so.
  5. Design your own bedtime routine and use the same routine each night.
  6. Include a relaxation technique in your routine. 
  7. Perhaps even include an orgasm in your routine.
  8. Read (not tv or radio) to unwind. (They actually stimulate areas of the brain)
  9. When you get drowsy, close the book. If you become alert again, open the book.  Repeat as needed.
  10. Get in bed the same time each day.

By the time you do all these, you are likely to be sleeping much better.  I have worked with people with a 20 year history of insomnia and they became good sleepers.
In the short run, working on these ten things makes YOU the one doing the actions, rather than feeling like your insomnia is beating you up.

I wish you well,
LadyD.




YouAreAllMine -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/15/2007 3:18:43 PM)

OOooo, I hate seeing that "vanalla" over my head in my post.  How does one adjust what is put in that area when posting?
Thanks in advance for your help.
LadyD.




chellekitty -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/15/2007 3:37:43 PM)

if you are getting some sleep you will be ok until monday, but monday call the doctor that prescribed the sleep medication, if you cannot get an appointment with that doctor within a day or two, and it is seriously disrupting your life, find out what your local emergency mental health resources are...in my city it is called MHMR....not sure about yours...if it becomes an emergency situation, go to the emergency room, they are equipped to deal with it there...no shame in it....trust me, anyone will become irrational if they don't sleep in long enough...heck the most sane person with no mental health problems will even start to get paranoid and hallucinate without sleep...sleep deprivation is bad...its not just you...

take care...
chelle




FangsNfeet -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/15/2007 11:12:21 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: YouAreAllMine

OOooo, I hate seeing that "vanalla" over my head in my post.  How does one adjust what is put in that area when posting?
Thanks in advance for your help.
LadyD.


You have to keep posting. No one thinks that a hot kinky red such as yourself is Vanilla. It's just a symbol that you have under 25 post/replies to threads. Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be gone in no time. Keep posting/replying and you'll see. 




Kalista07 -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/15/2007 11:42:40 PM)

i wanted to thank You all for Your responses.....i took my medication, talked to Him, and went to sleep by like 10pm or so (perhaps more like 9:30) then my rrommate came home at 1:15am and woke me up to talk to me......So three and a half hours of consistent sleep is more than i've put together in days...heh...
i can't exactly go back to my primary doctor who perscribed the medication because i lost my medical insurance....Which means, no can i got back to the original person who perscribed it....However, i do have an appointment on Thursday with somebody through our local community mh center...
Thanks all......
Kali




Termyn8or -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/16/2007 2:57:57 PM)

Well, if nothing mental will work there are still options.

While normally I advocate a diet that is low in carbs, I never said no carbs. I say no sugar, but nobody seems to be able to do that.

In your case one of the things to watch is sugar. I would seriously look at the entire diet, and try to stay away from it.

Then right before bedtime perhaps eat something high in carbs. Carbs are metabolised much more slowly than sugars, and should tax your system. This may enable you to fall asleep.

Perhaps a bowl of cereal (without sugar of course) or a plate of macaroni and cheese, or something with potatoes in it. Probably better off with something warm. Make it something you like.

>>>This is Dr. Terminator theory here so, have a grain of salt, but listen up.

There are two kinds of insomnia. One is when your mind refuses to slow down, the other is when your metabolism refuses to slow down. The two are interrelated greatly. The medical community treats the two phases seperately in most cases but they are starting to get a glimpse of the intricate relationship between the two.

It is important to discover which is the primary cause of your problem. This can be difficult. Thoughts running through your head at light speed can keep your body in a state of alert, and a shot of adrenalin or elevated blood sugar can keep your mind racing.

I am a gfirm believer in finding the root cause of a problem rather than just treating symptoms, that is why I do not advocate the use of drugs. A drug for this either has to make you too stupid or too tired to think. I don't see how that could be good.

Then we have what has been called "the body's clock". This is all getting back to what type of person you are. If you can not sleep but then can fuction throughout the day, and then not sleep again, that's bad. But what may be happening is that your strength of will does not allow you to sleep at times that are inappropriate. That can go a long way in making you miserable.

I would try eating something heavy, late. If that doesn't work, perhaps you can adjust your body clock by changing your eating schedule. Especially supper.

Another approach is to not fight it at all. Tell yourself "You wanna stay up MF, OK fine, we stay up". For days on end if necessary. Stay occupied somehow and just stay up. Eventually you have to get dog dead tired and will sleep, and should be able to achieve that highly coveted REM sleep.

As you and I understand (OP) laying there in bed with your eyes closed is not sleep. Lack of simple sleep is not the issue, it is the lack of what they call REM sleep. This is when your mind is released from the shackles of all physical laws, this is when you dream. The only real reason for sleep is this stage, when the mind gets a rest.

I, for one, am dubious about the efficacy of drugs in inducing actual REM sleep.

Different people need different amounts of sleep as well, and we have all red about people who haven't slept in years. Whatever makes them that way is unknown, but it is possible that your body, or more aptly put, your being, simply does not require as much sleep as others'.

I know I sleep more than I used to, and in younger day would probably welcome insomnia. I would be at work at eight in the morning and close the local bar at 2:30 AM every day. Didn't bother me a bit.

Sleep does the body good as well. Everything slows down and your digestive tract gets a chance to absorb all the good nutrients from the food you ate. So even if you never sleep, which is unlikely but it happens, it is still a good idea to take a break.

Last but not least, it might be good to look at the onset of this problem. Have you never been able to sleep ? If you used to be able to sleep what happened immediately preceeding the insomnia ? Did you start or stop eating something ? Or did a family member die, get thrown in jail or marry a dickhead ? Things like that.

That's what I am talking about when I say identify the root cause of the problem. While we must be very careful to avoid post hoc ergo propter hoc reasoning, sometimes post ergo propter hoc is correct, or can at least provide a clue.

(the latin means "if it happened before this, it caused this")

As you can deduce now, for me to go much further I will need more information. These are general suggestions and hopefully you will figure it out yourself. If not we are here. I would just like to say, don't let anyone impel you to go see the pill pushers. Do as few drugs as possible and be aware of what each is supposed to do for you and whatever reported side effects. Too many people do not pay attention and thousands die each year due to prescription drug overdoses or reactions. In short they don't know what the fuck they're doing half the time, and the other half the time they still came out of a VERY flawed educational system. Doctors, yes.

T




windchymes -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/16/2007 3:27:17 PM)

You don't say which sleep medication you were prescribed, but I know some of them advise taking them on an empty stomach, or at least, don't eat any high-fat foods (like potato chips, popcorn, anything greasy or oily) within 2 or 3 hours of bedtime.  The fat content somehow cancels out the sleep effect.




adoracat -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/16/2007 3:32:54 PM)

insomnia, for me, is a vastly interrelated thing.  i might get to sleep...but i cant get to the really deep restful sleep.  i wake up at the slightest noises, so i keep a fan running in the bedroom to mask noise.  (you can use a white noise machine too for this)

its easier for me to sleep in a cool room than in a hot one.  same goes for light levels...dark is better (and i need to do something about that since the bedroom has a street light right outside it). 

as said above, routines are key.  for me, its a hot bath, get the pillows and stuffed animals adusted carefully, prop myself in the correct "time for sleep now" posistions, and hope to hell wolf doesnt wake me when he comes to bed.  if he does, its at least another 45 min to an hour till i can sleep again.

the solitaire game.  i have a handheld solitaire game...and tis JUST boring enough to get the thinking part of my mind settled in enough to shhhh and let the exhausted body crash out.

i dont punish myself when i cant sleep.  if i've laid there over an hour and a half, its not happening.  get up, drink some milk, read something light, find something stupid on the television.

me, i DO have to nap.  but that's because i've got other health issues going on that i will get into the cant sleep at all go-round if i dont.  and then i'm no good to anyone.

kitten




OldBastardly1 -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/16/2007 3:48:41 PM)

What meds do you have? How long have you had this problem?




Kalista07 -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/16/2007 4:16:18 PM)

Nothing like putting my entire life story out here, eh?? he he he...Oh well....
Currently i'm on Cymbalta and Wellbutrin....... The thing is that my insurance company gave me the generic form of wellbutrin...The sleeping aid i'm currently on is Lunesta....i've tried many many MANY other medications...Including trazadone, vistaril, etc. etc. etc.  btw, Ambien i'm apparently allergic to because it provided this fun hallucinations..heh..
 
Termny8tor,  i remember about a year ago my doctor told me i had some disorder....i'll be damned if i can not remember the name of it...But, basically she said it was because so much of my life had been high stress and the cortisol level in my head was going at too high of a rate.... i seriously doubt my lack of sleep is in regard to too high of a metabolism, as my metabolism is apparently pretty non freaking existing....
 
Frustrated but hopeful,
Kali




BossyShoeBitch -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/16/2007 4:19:19 PM)

ambien gives lots of people those lovely hallucinations.. Good thing about lunesta is that it gives you an awful taste in your mouth so food tastes funny..  Good to have if you are trying to lose weight...:-)

edited because I just finished reading the entire thread..  Sorry that you lost your insurance, but try calling the Dr's office and speak to the Dr or his nurse.  If you already had an appt relating to this, they may just call you in a different Rx or have some other recommendation without you having to come in for an appt..

Just to comment on the exercise advise lot of people gave.. Vigorous exercise YES, but early in the morning is best.. Do not do it in the afternoon as this may interfere with sleep  as well..

Yoga works WONDERS!  I have a terrible time sleeping as well, but whenever I do yoga on a regular basis,  I sleep soundly.





OldBastardly1 -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/16/2007 4:32:14 PM)

When do you take the wellbutrin & cymbalta? What dosages? How long have you been taking each? How long has the lunesta not been working?




OldBastardly1 -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/16/2007 4:35:58 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: BossyShoeBitch


edited because I just finished reading the entire thread..  Sorry that you lost your insurance, but try calling the Dr's office and speak to the Dr or his nurse.  If you already had an appt relating to this, they may just call you in a different Rx or have some other recommendation without you having to come in for an appt..



Also, your Doctor has many samples that he has given to him. If you explain that the meds aren't working, you lost your insurance and can't afford an office visit right now and can't afford the new meds, ....if you ask, he might give you enough samples to get you by for a while. 




Kalista07 -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/16/2007 4:43:28 PM)

60 mg of the Cymbalta 300mg of the {Generic} Wellbutrin......i take them when i get up in the morning or around 8am if i've not slept the night before...i've been taking them for over two years.....i actually was feeling awesome on the combination up until thy gave me the generic wellbutrin.....
 
i actually have an appointment with a {child} psychiatrist.... It made me laugh when my therapist set up the appointment....Because i wanted to ask him why it is that i tend to get along with child psychatrists better...heh..In the end, maybe it's because they are less judgemental.... My appointment is Thursday and it's at our local community mental health center...So, i'm hoping if he changes any of the perscriptions he'll give me samples....Although, truth be told, i'm rather fond of the side effects of the real wellbutrin and all...
Kali




OldBastardly1 -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/16/2007 4:50:11 PM)

You didn't say, so I am guessing that you have also been taking Lunesta for 2 years as well. Perhaps you are building up a tolerance to it and need to change.

Maybe taking tylenol PM or something similar will help until you see the doctor this week.




Kalista07 -> RE: Need Help!!! (12/16/2007 5:22:21 PM)

Thanks OB1 for the suggestion....i honestly can't remember if i was put on the lunesta at the same time or not.....And honestly, up until recently i had never taken it very regularly...i used to thrive on not getting much sleep and all......But it is something to consider...
thanks,
Kali




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