Chronic, Severe Insomnia

[OKRADLAK]

I feel like I am changing into a non person. For those who have read my posts, beginning last year, I started to have a long time without sleep. I was sticking out the job, doing the right think, making the talk show hosts happy buy refusing to give in and accept any kind of help.

Well, it broke me into a million pieces and I can't get stablized.

I was sleeping about 2-3 hours a night and woke up around 2 am in order to manage the PTSD. There are things I need to do like rituals.

So this went on and on and on......and now, I cannot sleep.

My nerves got so shredded that even the dog walking on the floor causes me to bolt out of bed like I have been shot and once I wake up, it is immediate energy, not groggy. BOOM! I am up ready to run, like hyper active.

I never can relax. I am feeling like I am dying, only it goes on and on.

I have done it all. Milk, turkey, benzo's, neurontin, benedryl, melatonin, herbals.

Last night I took 11 pills to no avail. 11 !!! And then, I only got a few hours and woke up like I had drunk coffee.

My sister suggested Ambien, but my aunt hallucinated badly on it and with my brain damage, I am not sure it would be a good thing.

Does anyone else have severe, unremitting insomnia?

 

[Abrasky]

I have imsomnia at times when I am processing something very big. There was a night last week I got 2 hours sleep, and the next night 3 hours. Partially related to my diabetic blood sugar being between 7.5-9 (my heart rate goes up between these amounts).

But being over 9 a few times during these nights, also should have fallen asleep. I didn't, until I processed a personality mood I had that still really was struggling with trying to save someone in a domestic violence relationship the next day. Then I slept like a baby.

Not being able to fall asleep made me feel out of control, frustrated and not very happy. I can only sympathise, it is not great.

 

[frozen]

I have been struggling with night time insomnia for almost 6 years, it has robbed me of SO much!! It has ruined my life.

It is the worst symptom of the PTS I have and it leaves my quality of life in the negatives because I am not able to just function through it.

 

[Srain]

Hey OKRADLAK,

I really feel for you because when I start losing sleep it seems to be a HUGE thing within itself that tends to start feeding on itself. :( I know you've going through a very rough time lately and that cannot be helping. When I've been stressed out emotionally over things getting my mind to stop to buzzing is the hard thing and quite frankly at that point no amount of medication is really going to work for me. It seems to be more of an inside job first.

Getting a regular schedule going for myself again of getting up and walking my dogs (no I'm not in the mood when I exhausted and depressed), making sure I am eating regularly and healthy meals does help, winding down an hour before bedtime (shutting tv, computer, maybe read) can be useful. If after all this you still are not getting relief I would ask the doctor for a temp sleep med. They have Sonata which works for an average of 4hrs and to mainly get you through the first few hours into sleep, a temp fix. Ambien is only one of the several sleep meds on the market that might be helpful to you at this time.

It sounds like you are trying everything but there can always be a few more things to try. I'm sorry you are struggling, lack of sleep can vicious. Please take good care.
(((((hugs)))))
RAin

 

[OKRADLAK]

Has anyone on here tried Ambien? I had another bad night.....a total of 21 pills- most of which were nutritionals, not medical. However, 2 were useless Benedryl and then I had to take an Ativan which wiped me out and I am still wiped out.

I hear Ambien is safe. Just wonder if anyone is on it?

 

[BronteSista]

I've had progressively severe and chronic insomnia over the last 2 years due to PTSD that I never sought treatment for until recently. Because the trauma happened to me while I was sleeping, I've associated sleep and night time to negative thoughts and memories. Basically, as it gets darker outside and night progresses, I become more and more awake, my body moving into a hyper vigilant and "fight or flight" state, which activates the sympathetic nervous system.

My body refuses to sleep because it fears something bad will happen to me if I do. I've tried drinking chammomile tea before bed, take a walk, read a book, take baths, melatonin, aromatherapy oils, meditation, EVERYTHING. None of it is able to soothe me, and if I were to lay in bed all night, I would just never become sleepy. It's extremely frustrating and it causes a deep sense of helplessness.

Right now I have my own cocktail-mixed nightcap that is the only way I can fall asleep: taking two 10mg Ambien, one 50mg trazodone, and one 50mg Mirapex every night, along with an OTC Melatonin pill, and I drink beer every night (During the day I also take Lamictal and Celexa for bipolar disorder).

I know exactly what you're going through, and my last resort for help is seeing a new therapist and starting EMDR and Biofeedback therapy. I've heard really good things about both so far, so look into it for yourself...There's nothing else to lose, right? I hope you find a healthy way to process the issues that keep you up at night, and things get better sooner rather than later.

By the way, I've had no negative effects from the Ambien...It doesn't give me that pill "hangover" feeling in the morning like OTC Unisom does. The only problem is that my PTSD is overriding the Ambien, and I'm starting to need more and more to get the same level of "rest" that I did when I first started taking them. That's why it's good to get into therapy. Fix the underlying issues, and the symptoms will dissolve...At least that's what I'm hoping for!! Good luck, I hope you update us on your progress!!! :)

 

[OKRADLAK]

Hi Bronte-

Thank you for your response! That is what it feels like........I was not traumatized in sleep, yet the dynamics of night falling and then this weird wired fear, the body refusing to settle.

I had a good night two nights ago and slept ten hours. When I woke up, every thing was different. I could hear the birds and stuff I had forgotten. When you are crazed for sleep, it is all you can think of.

I thought, "Oh this is how it feels to have sleep"

How nice. People complain about stupid stuff- my goodness, if I could sleep about 50% of this struggle would end.

 

[BronteSista]

That's great that you were able to get a good nights rest! It's crazy just how rejuvenated and at peace you can feel when you get one good night of sleep.

And I know what you mean about waking up and being able to enjoy the little things that go unoticed, instead of feeling like a sleep deprived zombie.

The mornings that I do wake up rested, I'm in complete awe and imagine that any moment bluebirds and woodland animals will come into my room and we'll all break out into song. Lol. I totally get it.

 

[frozen]

OKRADLAK,
I have taken Ambien and it did nothing at all. I could take more than five and sleep maybe an hour. That is a dangerous amount to take and is against all prescription intructions.

I think when your PTSD symptoms are bad enough, they do in fact over ride many medications.

The only medication I have taken that knocks me out and does not leave me feeling groggy, is Seroquel, it is a strong medication and works not only for my sleep problems but it helps calm my anxiety and helps to lift the severe depression as well.

If you're able to get the Seroquel only take it right before you lay down and are ready for sleep because it will make you completely "stupid" if you try to stay awake through it.

I hope you can find something that helps!! I truly feel your pain!

 

[Srain]

I take Ambien but in varying degrees. If I don't stick to a routine all the meds in the world won't help and sometimes nothing and I mean nothing works, it's just the nature of my insomnia.

If you are still groggy in the morning then it might be from finally having gotten some sleep and I wouldn't worry. If it continues then it could be you need to cut the dose back just a bit. I adjust mine as needed.

With Benedryl, the more taken the hyped up you might become so sometimes it works better on a lower dose, the same with Seroquel for some people. I found 25mg worked better than the higher doses though I don't use it anymore.

I'm so glad you finally got some sleep. I feel the same way about sleep, when I get it I am like the happiest I have ever felt.

Take care,
Rain
((((((((hugs)))))))))))

 

[Gromit44]

Has anyone on here tried Ambien? I had another bad night.....a total of 21 pills- most of which were nutritionals, not medical. However, 2 were useless Benedryl and then I had to take an Ativan which wiped me out and I am still wiped out.

I hear Ambien is safe. Just wonder if anyone is on it?

Sorry this is so long. I just found this forum and am excited to find others like me.

I have been on Ambien or Lunesta for over 9 years now. Every single night. I have been an insomniac since birth but having served in combat zones has really made it much worse. I now take a xanax with my Ambien. I still have nightmares but at least I am dreaming again. At one point when I couldn't sleep they did a sleep study on me and I woke up 52 times in 4 hours and never had REM sleep. My doctor demanded that I go on sleeping meds. I was hesitant and he told me if I was a diabetic I would take insulin so....I am an insomniac and will be taking meds for the rest of my life according to him. I didn't want to be on any medication, especially a sleeping pill. I tried all the herbal treatments, accupuncture, multiple books, psychotherapy and it is still a work in progress. I don't actually sleep unless medicated or on an anti depressant. For some reason they have the oppposite effect on me and make me sleep non stop which in turn makes me horribly depressed. It is a tough road.

I told my Dr that I saw Gargoyles when I was walking my dog once and he told me that I was to take my sleeping pill and go straight to sleep. I had been taking my pill and going on the internet and buying tons of stuff and then totally forgetting that I had done it. Once I started listening to my DR I never had any issues after that. This was Ambien. Lunesta doesn't seem to cause any symptoms other than a funky taste I got used to really quickly. Lunesta is much more expensive than Ambien since Ambien now has a generic and is dirt cheap for me.

Another thing I discovered is the white noise on my ipod. I put earbuds in my ears at night. I started doing this when I was in Iraq to block out the noise of all the rockets and air raids going off all the time. So far it has been the best thing I have done yet. Now I cannot sleep without it and am so paranoid that I won't have my ipod on me that I have a back up ipod and a spare battery for it. Excessive? Maybe, but it works for me. I thought the silence would help me sleep but it did the exact opposite. I was hospitalized with pneumonia and the dr said I was so peaceful that he didn't wake me up. I never knew he was there. Love that white noise on the ipod!

 

[OKRADLAK]

((((GROM)))) Thank you so much for this response! You really suffer with this. I am so glad you have a good Dr. And the IPOD idea? I LOVE IT!!

How do you get white noise onto your Ipod? I was just considering getting those earphones which use white noise, but they are very very expensive (the ones that work, anyway). In fact, I was actually wondering if I could somehow upload white noise onto my Ipod! It was a fleeting thought, but now I want to know more!

So you found Lunesta more helpful, but it is too much, so the Ambien is ok?

I hope you have a good sleep tonight. :)