Pdoc gave me Choral hydrate for 14 days for sleep.
He was looking for something that would knock me out.

He says that two weeks could help me establish a sleep pattern.


I don't have it yet because of the pharmacy -- will pick it up tomorrow.

I might not take it.

M.

sounds like an antihistamine?

I have to speak up here... Please be careful.

I was given chloral hydrate many years ago in the hospital.

It was an intensely unpleasant experience. I won't go into detail to sway you. But make sure you are not alone when you take it.
And it did not work for me at all when I was in the emergency situation I was in (GI obstruction). (back then there were no alternatives really, no Ambien etc.-- I ended up on the "new" Dalmane-- a benzo and that did work).

This is hardly used anymore.

Yeah,

Pdoc is trying to be helpful.

I've been with him 9 years or so. I don't go to bed even though I am very sleepy. He wants me to start a new habit of going to bed ----OK. I don't really remember what he said, but we've been down the road a lot over the years and he sees that I am getting worse with regards to depression and anxiety and other stuff --- He's also concerned about the body's physical responses to not sleeping.
He says I need to sleep.

I'm not likely to take a med that will make me sleep because the sleep phobia will prevent me from taking a med that really would put me to sleep . . . .so this med will sit on my shelf with other meds.


M.

Dear Mari

i heard 2 things from the pdoc...
one about establishing a pattern and one about a means to doing that.

why is it that you don't go to bed...
-- afraid you'll fall asleep 'accidentally' or
-- don't see the point since you don't intend to sleep?

could you go to bed, and just agree with yourself that you are going to rest, not to sleep (even if you are sleepy)?

if you could get into the habit of going to bed, albeit with the drugs on the shelf or never bought, i think it would be a step forward.

and i do think this has to go in steps. little ones too. phobias are always treated with baby steps. i don't understand why he wants to do this in two weeks.

i think i'd try the bed thing. and if you can't... maybe you could think of a step towards that, that feels ok to do.

you would not "get" someone who is afraid of heights to jump of a cliff or even get near the edge, with or without vertigo drugs or a parachute strapped on.

Drugs.com claims chloral hydrate should only be given for up to 7 days to avoid addiction. http://www.drugs.com/mtm/chloral-hydrate.html. if you decide to take it hopefully you won't have problems.

i wonder if pre-op dosages might be lower - that could cause sort of in-between-states which aren't always pleasant. i agree with having someone with you the first time you take it at least.

good luck. i hope the long weekend does you good. ((((hugs))))

~ waves ~

W,
I occasionally go to bed without thinking of sleep but never to rest and only when I am not sleepy.

Bed is a scary place.
Some nights I stay for 5 mins to talk w/ hubby.
I did that a few mins ago. I am out of bed for now.

On days I have to work, I work myself into chaos and anxiety about being able to perform at work in a few hours so I force myself into bed, close my eyes, and pray for rest and peace.

I crashed for 1.5 hrs on the sofa around 11:30 pm. I expect to be up for a while longer -- maybe wait until day light.
M.

Thanks, Waves,
Pdoc saw me on a rare day off today. I showed up for my 3:00 pm appt with nine hours of sleep. I looked better rested than I have in many visits (I did not tell him about the crushing depression.)

He said that I seem ok if I sleep and that sleep can be fixed.
In the past he has stressed that sleep is behavioral.
On other visits, he offers me meds that can help with the behavior.

He knows that I can over ride (or simply not take) any med. Today he wanted a med that would knock me out.

I don't think I can write about this with any logic because I don't understand what is happening.

M.

LOL Mari, it's ok... you don't have to write about it with any logic, you can just write about it as it comes, whenever you feel like it. i your understanding improves, so that you can feel better.

also splitting up the two things, habit or problem and means to change it, i seem to recall some work you were doing with tdoc -- some affirmations? that seemed to help, or touch on something important... maybe you can pick that up again? it was to do with letting go of something i can't remember the post. it wasn't the recent mantras about releasing an attachment to things going well, this was a few months ago i think, maybe more. when do you next see her?

(((hugs)))

~ waves ~

Mari I had a good experience with Chloral Hydrate for a couple of years. This was years ago. It really helped me to sleep. It's a medication thats been around for a long,long time.

In my experience,it helped me alot. I felt peaceful in about 15,or 20 minutes after taking the medicine.

They also gave it to me before I had a EEG also. They wired my head with electrodes. This was years ago.

I haven't taken Chloral Hydrate in years. It looses it's affectiveness after using it over a long period of time. I was on it for about a year,and 1/2. BF

Dear Friend,
Thank you. You are helpful and kind.
M.