No sleep or sleep meds

Posted by cherawgirl @cherawgirl, Sep 15, 2023

I have been unable to sleep since stopping Ambien (5 months ago) and Ativan(2 months ago). I have not slept for over 2 hours a night. I understand I supposedly have rebound insomnia, however I have had a sleep problem since I was very young. I have researched this question on the web but only found answers that sleep aids ARE BAD!

My question is: What is worse? No sleep or sleep using sleep meds?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Sleep Health Support Group.

I used to take Ambien for about 20 years but was concerned about side-effects and my age, 69. My doctor does not want me to take it on regular basis. I have been using THC gummies with CBD and they are helping. I have sleep anxiety and chronic insomnia. I live in IL, so can buy recreation at dispensary. I take 5 mg THC which is considered low dose. I cut the gummies in half. I do not get high but feel drowsy and relaxed. I am sleeping much better and do not feel hung over in AM. Best of luck, insomnia sucks!

REPLY
@cindisue

Maybe just try taking an over the counter sleep medication like Unisom or Walmart brand Sleep Aid which has the exact same ingredient as Benadryl.....Unisom is stronger than Benadryl though....Worth a try

Jump to this post

These work well, it are also addictive, so they say. 😕

REPLY
@ripley

What have you heard about Silenor? My sleep doctor has recommended several stronger meds but never this one, not sure why.

Jump to this post

Not much, other than it’s classified as an anti depressant and is non addictive. Maybe someone who has tried it will reply here.

REPLY
@tka0722

I used to take Ambien for about 20 years but was concerned about side-effects and my age, 69. My doctor does not want me to take it on regular basis. I have been using THC gummies with CBD and they are helping. I have sleep anxiety and chronic insomnia. I live in IL, so can buy recreation at dispensary. I take 5 mg THC which is considered low dose. I cut the gummies in half. I do not get high but feel drowsy and relaxed. I am sleeping much better and do not feel hung over in AM. Best of luck, insomnia sucks!

Jump to this post

Good suggestion, but I happen to be one of the ~20% of people that THC causes anxiety. Weird right?
I took it and my Apple Watch alerted me that my heart rate had been over 100 for over 10 minutes. My heart rate is usually in the 60s, and sometimes 50s. I have some Delta 8 gummies I bought to try and same, anxiety. CBD does nothing.

REPLY
@cherawgirl

Good suggestion, but I happen to be one of the ~20% of people that THC causes anxiety. Weird right?
I took it and my Apple Watch alerted me that my heart rate had been over 100 for over 10 minutes. My heart rate is usually in the 60s, and sometimes 50s. I have some Delta 8 gummies I bought to try and same, anxiety. CBD does nothing.

Jump to this post

Wow! Sorry, it didn't work for you. Sleep is so important. Hope you can find something to help.

REPLY

I have an auto-immune disease that I take oral steroids for and wow, do they mess with your sleep.😥 But I can't take Ambien, it makes me sleepwalk, so my doctor gives me Trazadone. It is an older anti-depressant that really just makes you very sleepy and because of the steroids, I never sleep more than 5 hrs. but it's also like a deep sleep, which is even better.

REPLY

I asked my Dr. that exact question when she told me I had to stop taking alprazolam. Even taking one a night, I seldom got more than 5 hours of sleep ( I’ve been taking for over 10 years) . So I cut down to .25 mg and got less than 2 hours a night. So I tried supplementing with melatonin - no luck, cannabis- still no luck. Thus, I posed your question to her & I never got a real answer, so I went back to my .5 mg and started getting some sleep. Everything you read says how important sleep is. If I had a disease they would treat it, so why do Drs. resist treating insomnia?

REPLY
@reillyg1013

I asked my Dr. that exact question when she told me I had to stop taking alprazolam. Even taking one a night, I seldom got more than 5 hours of sleep ( I’ve been taking for over 10 years) . So I cut down to .25 mg and got less than 2 hours a night. So I tried supplementing with melatonin - no luck, cannabis- still no luck. Thus, I posed your question to her & I never got a real answer, so I went back to my .5 mg and started getting some sleep. Everything you read says how important sleep is. If I had a disease they would treat it, so why do Drs. resist treating insomnia?

Jump to this post

Exactly! I was prescribed Ativan for anxiety years ago and never take more than 1 mg per day. My mother and grandmother had terrible anxiety, so I believe its somewhat hereditary. Then was given Ambien for severe insomnia (caused by anxiety) which I have had since I was young. Both meds worked to treat those conditions. So why, if you have a condition that there is a medicine for that works, do they then say "You should take that anymore ITS BAD."????? I don't know of any other conditions with a medicine to treat it where they say that. And believe me, there are a lot of drugs for some conditions that ARE BAD.

REPLY
@cherawgirl

Exactly! I was prescribed Ativan for anxiety years ago and never take more than 1 mg per day. My mother and grandmother had terrible anxiety, so I believe its somewhat hereditary. Then was given Ambien for severe insomnia (caused by anxiety) which I have had since I was young. Both meds worked to treat those conditions. So why, if you have a condition that there is a medicine for that works, do they then say "You should take that anymore ITS BAD."????? I don't know of any other conditions with a medicine to treat it where they say that. And believe me, there are a lot of drugs for some conditions that ARE BAD.

Jump to this post

I was prescribed .5 mg Ativan when I was diagnosed with a medical issue that caused great anxiety. Began relying on it for sleep but then stoped working. My pcp wanted me off it, as did a sleep med Dr I began seeing. Tried trazadone but that affected my liver enzymes. I’m currently taking 7.5 mg mirtazapine and 1 mg melatonin which both doctors are comfortable. Took six months to wean from ativan.
I’m finally sleeping much better than I have in years.

REPLY
@cherawgirl

These work well, it are also addictive, so they say. 😕

Jump to this post

Who cares if they are addictive....at least you are getting sleep taking them.....sleep is the most important thing....and they are alot easier to stop than prescription sleep meds

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.