Self-Medicating To Get Some Sleep

[darkskies]

Does or has anyone else self-medicated to get to sleep?.

My weekend has been really bad, it's the 5th year anniversary of the incident that lead to my PTSD and I haven't been coping very well - got a bit suicidal and urges to self harm so to stop myself I took four times the amount of sleeping tablets prescribed to me and took 10mg of olanzapine which isn't prescribed now but from an old prescription. Am considering doing the same tonight with the sleeping tablets but don't want to make a habit of it.

I'm just so desperate to get to and stay asleep and not wake up early at 4 or 5 am. My resources for coping seem to diminish if I don't sleep and I need a break from my negative thoughts. :wall:

Maybe I'll try a warm bath tonight before bed to see if that helps?

 

[maria]

Hi darkskies,

I'm glad to hear you're considering alternatives to self-medicating. It sounds like you're in a really bad place right now. Do you have a therapist? If so, she/he could refer you to a psychiatrist who could prescribe something for sleep.

I know how tough it is when you can't get enough sleep. Been there.

Good luck

maria

 

[Lionheart]

darkskies,
I am taking diphenhydramine over the counter, which is the same ingredient in Tylenol PM that makes one sleepy. You might like to give it a try if you haven't already.
Whatever you do, I wish you many sleep-filled nights.

Lewie

 

[wattle]

Hello Darkskies, is there anyone who could take charge of your medications while your feeling so vulnerable?

Have you tried Melotonin(I think thats the spelling) it's supposed to reset your body clock or some such thing and I also think it's a natural thing. Maybe someone else has more info on it.

I find that if I go through all my relaxation stuff thats intended for when I have a panic attack sometimes it helps enough to get me to relax enough to go to sleep.

 

[ams]

5htp (hydroxytryptophan) helps, as long as you take it half an hour before you go to bed and make sure you get the kind that does NOT have b6 in it. It's an herbal supplement.

I take benadryl, which is diphenhydramine. Like Lionheart777 said, it's in tylenol pm and is also in advilpm. It's the PM part of both. It'll make you groggy the next day, though.

 

[cherryblossom]

I imagine that it's dangerous to take 4 times the prescribed dose of sleeping tablets. Also be careful mixing in old prescriptions, because not all drug combinations are good together. I'm sure that's not what you want to hear - but please be careful. I do understand how truely horrible it is to not sleep, and I don't have the answer. Have you checked out the articles here on sleep? [DLMURL]http://www.ptsdforum.org/content.php?r=229[/DLMURL] There are various tips on sleep in the articles, which might be worth trying. Take care of yourself.

 

[darkskies]

Thank You for all your suggestions, I've decided to go and speak to my Gp on Thursday (earliest time i can see her) and tell her what i've been up to and ask her for an alternative to be prescribed as it sounds like there's more out there I could try. I'm going to try reading a book tonight to see if that helps. I know I shouldn't take more meds than prescribed but I do feel a lilttle better for the Sleep! LOL