As-needed Equivalent To Ambien

[Chava]

Yeah I had to look up the Dream Water (thanks @Solara ). A GABA component makes sense (never tried but came across in researching some panic remedy or something). I probably can't afford it but I also couldn't afford $8 a day for a pack of cigarettes but I found the money. So will add to the list to try.

 

[Seasounds]

@KwanYingirl, the region of the US in which I live, ONLY sells heating pads that turn off, after one hour. I found the at my local drug store. Maybe Amazon.com?

As it does work well for the 'falling asleep' need, I miss the ones that would stay on all night-that my feet could find, in the middle of the night; (before a fire would start; the fire codes make sense.) :)

@Chava, with your conditions, you might inquire if your insurance, due to medical need, would approve 'prior authorizations' of granting greater quantities of meds.

Sleep is so important. I hope from all the suggestions that you find something that at least gives you 4 hours at once.
I know L-tryptophan 800 mg may, or Kava 800 mg.

Maybe, just call your Provider? You have good cause for them to be compassionate!:) Keep us up-dated.

 

[Chava]

Or...suck on an e-cig, drink a glass of water, and make myself throw up. That takes me down a notch. Horrible idea. But entertaining the thought that any option I have is better than drinking if I'm so stressed that a sick, old little voice is telling me I can replace ambien with vodka. No.

I did order some tryptophan and Dream Water. I just want to survive this week. I feel like I took a leap backwards and just have to not tip over the edge with all this shit.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Me thinks I'll have to research these heating pads that automatically turn off. No lie, my heating pad was made in the 1960's. Ok, don't freak, its SO much more durable. All of my new ones die after a year or so, but this one is still going strong. Hmmm, same story with all of my electric blankets. My old ones from the 1960's and 1970's still work, but my new ones always die after a year or so. They just don't make quality electronics anymore. My toaster oven is from the 1980's and that thing is awesome! The new ones all died.... Ok, gonna jump off the tangent train now. lol

 

[Sammyiam]

Hi,

I live in New Zealand but over here you can buy electric blankets that have sheep skin as well with settings that turn off after 1 hour, 2hours, and 6 hours. I find it wonderful and it helps so much I even use it in the summer. I haven't used it over Christmas as it's been really hot and have had about 4 hours sleep in 5 days, also mega nightmares so tonight I think I will turn it on even if it is really hot. Over here you can buy them at Farmers etc which is like Wall mart or a slightly more expensive shop like that or Amazon, EBay etc . I would really give one a go I wouldn't be with out mine. I take seroquel at night also to help with sleep, but have also tried Kava which wasn't to bad and you can buy that at most health shops, also heated milk with a tree root boiled in it that was good I will get the name of it for you to try.

I hope you get some sleep @Solara idea of a sleep doctor sounds like a good idea, I'm thinking of getting someone to send me to one if my sleep doesn't improve

Sammy

 

[sun seeker]

Unisom is doxylamine, mostly; apparently this is different in canada.

Yes, in Canada it has the same active ingredient as Benadryl. I just looked at the box to confirm. How strange that it would be different! I'll bow out of any cross-the-border discussions of same in the future. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Chava]

It seems too simple, so I forget, but I love soaking my feet in a pail of warm water with soothing soap or oil (like lavender, patchouli..)

My ambien got refilled. Oh yeah! :woot: This is NOT the week to change my meds. BUT, realizing how insane I am without knowing if I'll have it does not feel so awesome. :nailbiting::O_o: So I will challenge myself to try no meds (I alternate between a couple), but probably on a weekend night...and then maybe just try that once a week or more if these other supplements (and/or unisom) help.

Helps a lot that I got some affirmation from a second radiologist...I DO have these congenital abnormalities. And I thought I was perfect! :poop: Just kidding. Anyway, they still think my pain is out of proportion. Well, they don't actually know what a 1 in 100,000 cyst feels like, so I'm not letting myself do the "you're right, I guess I don't feel anything" thing. But I'd also believe in my body not knowing how to be "heard" without a huge amount of screaming pain and pressure either...I don't know how to feel or express other things very well. Took years just to get this MRI. I hope this helps me move in a better direction (still therapy + neurology and picky picky self-advocacy and monitoring...I don't need surgery but these things can change or freak out).

Thanks for "being there"...I do appreciate that I can come on here and be my insane self without fear or all that social normalness that I don't have a lot of energy for right now.

 

[KwanYingirl]

@Chava. Your detective work is going to pay off. I wish I knew some technology that could help you. Just a thought I'm sharing with you. It's out there but may apply to you. An internal medicine doc at a major teaching hospital in Boston researched unexplained abdominal pain in women.
First, I gotta hand it to him that he cared enough about a bunch of women with unexplained abdominal pain. Long story shirt, he was able to successfully determine that these women suffered from epilepsy. He put them on low doses of anti seizure meds will great results. I won't put his name here but you can PM me.

 

[KwanYingirl]

I am in the msrket for a sheepskin heating pad or blanket. It is so frighin cold here for the next few days. Thanks for the info.

 

[Chava]

@KwanYingirl ...whoa, awesome findings! I do wonder some about possible hormone connections to because everything went to crap together. Also wonder if I have cysts down there but I don't want any more information right now! It's also a little confusing when it comes to the nervous system because there is definitely the poor regulation, triggering, hyperarousal, but now it makes more sense why everything really goes to crap in a day if I'm exhausted. I can't explain how it makes sense, but it does. So I have some little CNS problems and my ANS was poorly educated in the beginning. So more susceptible to wanting to just destroy myself after later traumas. Even after some of the sh*t and having to meet with a terrible doctor, I felt that crazy part of myself wanting to emerge and destroy myself. Makes no sense and I had enough tools to get out of that for now, but it's pretty creepy and for now I like my knock-out drugs. Some of these other ideas are in the mail though for maybe a trial on a good day.