Insomnia

[magdalana]

Hi all,
So the reward I got for not drinking last night was terrible insomnia, I think I feel worse this morning than I do when I am slightly hungover!! I feel dead tired! I am however very happy that I did not drink or smoke, and it was not even difficult!! Now can I repeat this on a Friday night???
I wish all success on this Friday.
mags

[bleep]

Insomnia

Baclofen insomnia can be pretty intense. What dose are you on at the moment? Well done on not drinking or smoking!

[Longshot]

Insomnia

Bachlofen insomnia, brutalised me for about 3 months at high doses.

As someone pointed out to me a while ago, Insomnia and staying Alcohol Free is pretty mutually exclusive. You cant stay sober while you can't sleep.

A few tips.

Take your last dosage at least six hours before bed.

Exercise. One half hour of heavy exercise around 4 hrs before bed.

Supplements.

You need to explain what manner your insomnia in manifesting

For example at the start I used to get a hypnic jerk That muscle spasm that jerks you awake.

200 Mg of 5-HTP sorted that out.

Lithium Oridate and melatonin are two supplements that should be available over the counter in most countries, that will help sort out sleep.

Finally Zolpidem, is a prescription medicine that is a non benzo sleeping aid, can help in the short term.

Catch insomnia in the bud, soon you'll be miserable and stressed because you have insomnia, and the fact that you're miserable and stressed will create your insomnia.

It's a perfect catch-22!

[magdalana]

Insomnia

Hi guys,
I am not on Bac, I am taking Kudzo and L-glut.
I have always had sleeping problems, the AL was like a sleeping pill, nothing like a bottle or two of wine to knock you out!! I think I really have to find a way to incoorporate more exercise into my day, and less caffiene. I usually only have coffee first thing in the morning, but yesterday my daughter and I had lunch out and had a coffee, probably part of last nights insomnia.
Kinda a catch 22, no sleep, drink coffee, too tired to exercise, don't sleep well, and on and on...
Oh well spring is coming, I will have to incorporate vigorous walks into my schedual.
Bye for now guys, and happy FRiday,
Mags

[bleep]

Insomnia

Sorry Magda, just sort of assumed, since it's such a common baclofen SE.

[magdalana]

Insomnia

bleep;1080034 wrote: Sorry Magda, just sort of assumed, since it's such a common baclofen SE.

No probs bleep. i don't know how you guys function without sleep, I am such a mess today!!

[bleep]

Insomnia

Insomnia plays a huge role here - I'm sure someone will have some helpful advice soon. I used amytriptyline in the past, and that helped quite a bit? Have you tried that before?

[akgirl]

Insomnia

I take Melatonin and another natural sleep aid that has about 3-4 different things in it. I also practice a breathing method my doc told me about. Basically just controlled breathing. I'm only day 2 but those are helping me.

Good luck :l


Bleep, whats amytriptyline? Health food store thing?

[bleep]

Insomnia

No, it's a really old AD, that is now prescribed just for it's sleep inducing ability, I think. The doctor gave me some, but I like my insomnia too much to medicate it away! The one time I took it, I certainly slept, though.

[Greg]

Insomnia

I hate insomnia, and always feel weakened both mentally and physically after experiencing it.

One treatment possibility is rotating two or more classes of sleep medications, so that tolerance is slower to build against them. One type could be sedating antihistamines (doxylamine, diphenhydramine, sedating antidepressants, etc), another could be conventional 'GABA-ergic' sleep drugs (eg. benzodiazepines, z drugs). The ones that work via GABA are often regarded as dangerous for alcoholics/addicts however so be careful. People who read my bit about alcohol substitution could think I'm some sort of Drug Lord but I am also quick to point out the potential dangers of many drugs!

Another option, one I'm going to try, is low-dose quetiapine (Seroquel). It's non-addictive and works largely as an antihistamine at low doses, but some say its effect doesn't fizzle out quickly due to tolerance, which suggests it works in another way aswell. The sedating antidepressant trazodone is also said to possess sleep effects that can be sustained and which aren't only due to antihistamine effects. One of these options would seem better than using potentially addictive drugs. The low doses when used as a sleep aid should mean that Seroquel is not actually working as a full-on antipsychotic, and trazodone is probably not working as a full antidepressant. With Seroquel, the immediate release rather than sustained/extended/slow release form would seem best for this use.

Good luck, I hope people can find relief from insomnia.

P.S. I don't imagine I am some sort of doctor, and my interest in medications is purely amateur, so I would suggest people talk to a doctor before actually trying anything I say.

[crazyforwine]

Insomnia

I take a low dose of Trazodone about an hour before bedtime and it works like a charm! It is an antidepressant at higher doses, but according to my doctor, it's not a terrific one. Personally, I don't see how anyone can take the dosage needed for an AD effect; I would be a zombie! But half a tablet works for me sleep wise-it's a nice, deep sleep that leaves me groggy for only about ten minutes in the morning. A cup of coffee fixes that. Trazodone is not addictive. I'd recommend it, have several friends who take it, too.

Insomnia is the worst and is one of the reasons my AL consumption rose. It's a vicious circle as someone said in an earlier post.

Best to all.

CforW

[TracyA]

Insomnia

When my kids were little and it was nap time, I had this fantasy about having a Star Trek phaser set to stun. It would be would be handy for insomnia too!

[Longshot]

Insomnia

Greg;1080357 wrote: I hate insomnia, and always feel weakened both mentally and physically after experiencing it.

One treatment possibility is rotating two or more classes of sleep medications, so that tolerance is slower to build against them. One type could be sedating antihistamines (doxylamine, diphenhydramine, sedating antidepressants, etc), another could be conventional 'GABA-ergic' sleep drugs (eg. benzodiazepines, z drugs). The ones that work via GABA are often regarded as dangerous for alcoholics/addicts however so be careful. People who read my bit about alcohol substitution could think I'm some sort of Drug Lord but I am also quick to point out the potential dangers of many drugs!

Another option, one I'm going to try, is low-dose quetiapine (Seroquel). It's non-addictive and works largely as an antihistamine at low doses, but some say its effect doesn't fizzle out quickly due to tolerance, which suggests it works in another way aswell. The sedating antidepressant trazodone is also said to possess sleep effects that can be sustained and which aren't only due to antihistamine effects. One of these options would seem better than using potentially addictive drugs. The low doses when used as a sleep aid should mean that Seroquel is not actually working as a full-on antipsychotic, and trazodone is probably not working as a full antidepressant. With Seroquel, the immediate release rather than sustained/extended/slow release form would seem best for this use.

Good luck, I hope people can find relief from insomnia.

P.S. I don't imagine I am some sort of doctor, and my interest in medications is purely amateur, so I would suggest people talk to a doctor before actually trying anything I say.

Interesting post Greg, I'm trying the same path myself, can I ask what dosage you're using of seroquel

[c0ffee]

Insomnia

Has anyone checked to see if there are any negative interactions with trazadone, seroquel and SSRI's? I suffer from severe insomnia and anxiety from baclofen and have all three of these mentioned on hand as well as gabapentin. Dr. L told me that gabapentin does not react well with bac and to stay away from it. Has anyone checked on these others? Cymbalta has worked really well for me in the past for sleep and well-being and I want to start it up again but afraid it may not go well with bac.

I hear a lot about insomnia and anxiety from bac on this forum which doesn't make any sense. One of the reasons why it worked so well for Dr. A is because it took away the anxiety and gave deep restful sleeps. Anxiety and insomnia are the 2 main reasons that I drink to begin with.