An Evening On The Brink.
Written by Michael on June 28th, 2005Eight days ago, my doctor prescribed a brand new insomnia drug called Lunesta. Lunesta seemed like a dream to me. It had very few side effects (mostly dry mouth), showed little signs of tolerance build-up, almost no chance of physiological addiction and was the first drug ever produced that was safe to use indefinitely for the treatment of insomnia. And for the first five days, it was my miracle. I took the pill by9:30 and was out by 10 am. I was waking up at 9 am on the weekend and 6:13 am on the weekday with little drag. Then slowly, like all other medications, it quit working. Friday night saw me awake until 4:30 am (despite getting up at 5:13 am the previous day) and I woke up on Sunday morning at noon:45 while going to bed a 9 pm the following night. I did fall asleep on Sunday night (probably due to sheer exhaustion) but here I am again facing another sleepless night followed by a day with 7.5 hours worth of meetings scheduled which I cannot miss.
I’m in trouble folks. This crap is getting worse by the month and is consuming my life. Yes, I have tried all the medication ways and looking back, I might have just been better off without trying anything but I can’t go back now. I don’t even know if I can go back to see the doctor because it would just be to damn embarrassing. Something’s gotta give here.
28
AM
Mikey,
See if your doc will prescribe Sonata. Not sure if Lunesta is better than that one or not. Check with the doc.
Also, DO NOT drink ANY caffine drinks (Coke, Mountain Dew, etc.) after 12 noon. Go to Caffine Free Coke or Sprit. I haven’t been able to drink caffine drinks for years because of my insomnia. Also, stay away from CHOCOLATE after 12. That has caffine also.
I’m sure you know all this, but thought I would pass it along anyway.
Love, Ma
28
AM
She thought about Sonota but since my brain chmistry easily dispatched of Ambien, OTC and the strongest anti-depressants, it’s not gonna help much. I have a strict rule about no caffeine or snacks with a high sugar density but it hasn’t helped for months. I got less than 90 minutes last night and even that was fitful.
28
PM
Allergies might be a part of the problem also. And your ADHD. Try Yoga to learn to relax and remove thoughts from your brain. Who knows. It may help.
28
PM
Allergies are under control with our central AC/air filter and all windows closed but the ADHD could be part of the problem. I’ll try and see what the doc says about that. Asking a severe ADHD sufferer to try yoga is like asking an Alzheimer’s patient to count cards at the blackjack table….
28
PM
What about this:
How Is Insomnia Treated?
Provided by ehealthMD.com
Sleep research has led to major advances in the treatment of insomnia. Many experts now consider sleeping pills to be overused, as well as dangerous because they can become addictive. They suggest that medication be used a last option, after other treatments have been tried.
Non-medicine treatment options include:
* Physical relaxation
* Mental relaxation
* Other techniques
Physical Relaxation
If you are anxious about falling asleep, certain muscles in your body become tense and sometimes painful, interfering with sleep. Physical relaxation techniques can help.
Find a quiet, peaceful place in which to practice the following technique about 30 minutes a day:
* Lie perfectly still until you find the most comfortable position for yourself. Now deliberately tense up the muscles in your arms and legs as tightly as you can. Try to hold this tension for about a minute and then let the muscles relax gradually-first your legs, and then your arms.
* Now let your whole body feel as relaxed as it possibly can. Take a rest for five minutes and then repeat the procedure twice more.
* At the end of the session, try to concentrate on the feeling of your muscles and let them go as limp and relaxed as possible for the rest of the period. Try to make your breathing slow and steady as you relax.
This technique is designed to teach individuals how their body relaxes and how to control relaxation and tension.
Mental Relaxation
Since stress and worry, including the worry about not being able to fall asleep, are often at the core of insomnia, many people have found that mental relaxation techniques can help them to feel less anxious and therefore sleep better.
This method also requires finding a peaceful, quiet place to practice this technique for about 30 minutes a day:
* Try to relax your body first, by finding the most comfortable position for yourself. Then empty your mind of all thoughts by concentrating on one particular object in the room or a particular part of the room.
* After a minute, sit up, and then walk around for a bit. Then return to your position and repeat the exercise.
* Now think of a particularly happy time in your life that you really enjoyed. If you cannot immediately think of something, find a poster of some exotic place or beautiful scenery. Concentrate on imagining yourself in this place for about five minutes.
* Try to feel the sensations first in your neck muscles, and then in your arm and leg muscles, as they gradually become relaxed. After another few minutes, get up and walk around the room a bit. Then repeat the process.
This exercise differs from the physical technique in that it emphasizes controlling the psychological components of anxiety before attempting to relax your body.
Other Techniques
Other relaxation techniques to try include:
* Yoga or meditation
* Exercise (shown in studies to be an effective way to achieve a healthy sleep)
* Mind-body therapies such as guided imagery or hypnotherapy
* Reading while lying in a relaxed position
* Listening to music while lying in a relaxed position
* Having a soothing bath or shower before bed
* Massage, especially of the neck, shoulder, and leg muscles
Need To Know:
Some people find psychotherapy (the treatment of mental and emotional disorders with professional counseling) very helpful in relieving anxiety or depression that could be contributing to insomnia.
12
AM
Hi Mike, I am a friend of Kelly’s. I too suffered from insomnia caused by ADHD and Anxiety. My Doc started having me take a mild anti-anxiety med, Klonopin (clonazepam) every 8 hours as needed (definitely at night), and 100 mg of trazodone. It took about 5 days to take full effect, but I get at least 6-8 GOOD hours of sleep every night for the past year. Klonopin does have the ability to become addictive, but if you only take it at night (I usually only take it at night unless my anxiety gets bad during the day) that will not be a problem. I have used the med for over a year now and I have been on the same dose ever since. Hope that this helps you.
Kristen
24
PM
Mike,I know how you feel. My doc and i have come up with a cocktail consisting of about 5 different drugs to help me get to sleep. Luckily, he is very understanding. After seeing me a couple of times with no sleep for 40+ hours. He did prescribe Lunesta for me and I was thrilled!! I took it once. Within 2 hours of taking it I had the most putrid, vile disgusting taste in my mouth I wanted to puke. I slept all night with candy mints in my mouth and hoped for the best. I have brushed every inch of my mouth including my tongue, the roof of my mouth, and so far back I hit my gag reflex. So much for Lunesta.
I have a totally different type of disease than you, but, in our chat room I asked the others if they had a problem getting to sleep. The answer from all of them was pot. I tried pot and it worked, but I’m not into illegal drugs and I hated smoking it. I talked to my Doc and he told me there is a legal pot prescription. It is called Marinol. It is used for nausea for cancer patients. It is also used in my disease for nausea and cramps.
So, talk to your Doc about a script for Marinol. It is pure THC oil. It works really well, except you feel a little spacey as you get sleepy.
I hope this helps you. Living without sleep is awful.