Insomnia. What seems to help?

Posted by terryb1 @128128terry11t, Jan 7, 2017

@josephene I am having terrible insomnia as well. Nothing seems to help. Any specific suggestions? Many thanks.

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@ripley

Are you on any prescription meds and, if so, were you able to get answers on whether CBD/CBN affect the meds in any way? I take a thyroid supplement and Trazodone for sleep and read these drugs might be affected. I have some CBD/CBN tincture for sleep that I'm reluctant to start taking because of this. Pharmacists haven't been able to help answer my questions.

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i'm hypomanic on the bipolar spectrum so sleep has always been an issue (i'm 76) and have always been on 1 or 2 meds nightly to sleep. i got covid 19 in dec. 2020 and for 2+ yr. i've been a post-covid long hauler and participate on the facebook group survivors corps which has the most information about any health issue post-covid and many long haulers suffer insomnia. i've been on thyroid meds for 30+ yr. and thru the f/b group i've read a lot about many people using cbc or the combination of cbc/cbd/cbn for insomnia and body inflammation. I have a host of other issues from the virus tho sleep has been the biggest issue. my decision was to follow what the long haulers are doing for symptom relief as i saw 3 specialists early on who offered 0 info. i don't believe cbd will hurt you even if on other meds, esp. if you don't take any cbd that has thc which might activate you rather than sedate. i take a gummy about 30 min. before i take the other 3rx meds and maybe the cbd has helped or maybe most of the insomnia has run its course as i now get 8 hr. almost nightly and still nap throughout the day. my hubby takes the gummies occasionally; sometimes he'll take melatonin (makes me too groggy) and he's also on thyroid meds.

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Just started taking 200 mg of pharma GABA two nights now and has been significant change happy to say. Problems after menopause and tried everything it seems. Only small dose of Lorazepam worked for years. Weened myself off last year and been trying natural remedies to avail.

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Had insomnia for years. My Dr prescribed oral progesterone and it has been great. Fall to sleep naturally and no after effects next day. Take it about 1 hr before bedtime. Staying on strict sleep schedule as well. Get outside in first 2 hrs of morning to get natural light for at least 15 min.
Best sleep ive had in years.

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@rsievers

I have tried ambien + valium which worked for a while. Two weeks ago I started taking Ramelteon which seems to work, some nights I need to back it up with 5 mg of valium, but generally getting 6-7 hours solid sleep, last night I even got 8 hours. It requires a script and is expensive...for my first 60 tabs I did not run it through insurance, and it was $300, but so far seems money well spent, with my CLL I really need at least 6 hours of good sleep to feel well and function the next day. Richard

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Could you share your experience with Ramelteon, such as dosage, how long taking, help with sleep, side effects, etc? I've been taking 75-150mg of Trazodone for a while but it doesn't always work so my dr prescribed 8mg Ramelteon. I afraid to take it because it's one of the hypnotic drugs where you can sleepwalk without knowing it.

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Try Ramelteon, I take it will ambein and seems to be helping .

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Have you tried a drop of cannabis oil (without the TCH, of course)? Speak to your practitioner about it and see if it helps. It will do no harm and may help you with your insomnia. Of course your source must be legal and reputable. In Canada, the oil is readily available and well regulated.

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I am having good results with Wylde strawberry gummies. Each gummie contains 20 mg CBD and 1 mg THC. They do not make you high but do take away anxiety of not being able to sleep. I have chronic insomnia many years and have tried many OTC remedies as well as prescription meds. Ambien worked well but is not a long term solution. I live in IL and am able to purchase Wylde gummie at dispensary.

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@deekayyy84

Hello Diane, Good question to ask! I’ve been using it since 6/30/22 and to be honest I was not using it regularly at the beginning so if I was not receiving full benefit, it was due to “user error”…and user resistance, not wanting to admit I needed to try such a contraption.😐 But, I really want to try everything non-med before going back to trying meds.
I first was using it just once per day (before bed), as this is the recommended use for insomnia. The longest sleep I’ve had since starting it was 7 hours straight, a huge win for me since I had been getting like 0-2 hours per night for 3 months straight so I am desperate. Some nights since using it,, I do not feel any relief and sleep maybe 2 hours. This week, since I’ve experienced more depression, I’ve switched to using it twice a day, once in morning and once at night (following instructions for depression and/or anxiety). Last night I slept 5.5 hours straight and I feel great this morning! Am actually going on a day trip today and am feeling motivated and hopeful. Once I switched to twice a day, it took 2 days for more regular sleep to kick in. Yesterday I also had a great massage in the afternoon so I think that also helped me sleep better.
I fought ordering and using the FW Stimulator because it does seem odd (to me) to use electrical impulses on your brain outside of a clinical setting but I did a lot of research to calm my concerns. The biggest issue to me is ensuring to use it regularly and consistently. Every day I have to remember to set aside the 20 minutes twice a day for each session. Fortunately I have a supportive partner who reminds me to not forget!
I purchased it on the $299 sale price and used PayPal credit which allows 6 month payoff with no interest, so I have not paid anything yet. I’m still in the 30 day trial period so I can still send it back and get a refund. To be fair, the company does say that you need to use it a while to gauge if you are getting the full benefit, so I’m really only into this trial for about 2 weeks now and only this week in earnest (consistently twice a day). My depression has seen incremental improvement, which I am extremely grateful for. Please write if you have any further questions. I’m 55 years old and have suffered mild to concerning anxiety on and off for decades.

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How are you holding up? Is FWallacw still working great?

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@trnrmom1

i'm hypomanic on the bipolar spectrum so sleep has always been an issue (i'm 76) and have always been on 1 or 2 meds nightly to sleep. i got covid 19 in dec. 2020 and for 2+ yr. i've been a post-covid long hauler and participate on the facebook group survivors corps which has the most information about any health issue post-covid and many long haulers suffer insomnia. i've been on thyroid meds for 30+ yr. and thru the f/b group i've read a lot about many people using cbc or the combination of cbc/cbd/cbn for insomnia and body inflammation. I have a host of other issues from the virus tho sleep has been the biggest issue. my decision was to follow what the long haulers are doing for symptom relief as i saw 3 specialists early on who offered 0 info. i don't believe cbd will hurt you even if on other meds, esp. if you don't take any cbd that has thc which might activate you rather than sedate. i take a gummy about 30 min. before i take the other 3rx meds and maybe the cbd has helped or maybe most of the insomnia has run its course as i now get 8 hr. almost nightly and still nap throughout the day. my hubby takes the gummies occasionally; sometimes he'll take melatonin (makes me too groggy) and he's also on thyroid meds.

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How much CBD is in your gummy and is that the only ingredient (meaning no THC or CBN). Also, are you taking hemp or medical marijuana gummies? Thanks.

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@JustinMcClanahan

Great to hear! If you don't mind me asking, what is your reasoning for not taking it every night?

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I take Ambien, but not every night because I build up a tolerance to it. On alternate nights I use THC. Some nights nothing works and I lie awake all night. My insomnia is caused by a combination of MS and Bipolar. Of all my MS symptoms, insomnia is the worst.

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