Insomnia is getting worse
 

I couldnt fall asleep until about 630 or 7am this morning!

Then I kept waking up every two hours.

I finally got up for real about 20 minutes ago. I feel like crap. Exhausted.

I havent gone back to my regular doctor for a new sleeping pill. Quit the last one he gave me earlier this week. (amitriptyline)

I dont know if this is a weird withdrawal thing (which would be weird, first time in 6 days that I've noticed anything that might be a withdrawal thing)

I'm just tired of not being able to sleep. I dont like this. Being tired and not being able to do anything about it.

If you're having that much trouble hun, make sure you see your doctor soon. You need your sleep! Not getting enough puts you in danger of getting sicker. :( :hug:

Yeah, you really DO need to talk to your doc.

Have you tried anything herbal? I forget what all you've taken.

I've used Melatonin to help me sleep, which works. Also used Valerian, which helps and has a bit of a muscle relaxant effect too. Then, too, I've tried Kava Kava, which you hardly find anymore. It has the effect of shutting down your brain, a bit of a muscle relaxant effect, and there is a possibility that it can affect your liver if you take it for too long.

When I used to work at a hospital (middles and a lot of nights), my inner clock would get all screwed up. Sometimes I'd have to stay awake for 24+ hours to reset it. Be up all day (say 0600), up all night, see morning, and then go to sleep around 9 or 10 p.m. the next night. By then I was so tired, felt like everything was really heavy in my body, but I could sleep.

Have you tried staying up like that? Maybe THAT will make a little difference for you--at least short term.

Hi Erin. Sorry to hear about insomnia. That really stinks.

I don't know how long you were on Amitriptyline but I know I had to be weaned off.

Call your doc and let him know whats going on. I hope you feel better soon:hug:

It's been a week since I had any...would I really have to be weaned off of it now?

I feel like carp today (see my mood?)

I feel like I'm walking thru sand...and the potty problems I was having last week while on the amitriptyline are a lot better, but I still seem to have a problem.

I have no clue if that problem is related to the ami, or if it's because of the MS, or if it's something related to girl things. (I've made a few observations)

edited to add:

I called the pharmacist and asked him if the things I've been feeling could be withdrawal, and he asked me what problems I was having, and as I told him each one, he was like..."yeah...yep...that'll do it...yep, that could be it"...

So, maybe it's just withdrawal and will maybe go away in couple of days.

I dont see how all the druggies do it with the illegal drugs, coming down off them. I wasnt taking high doses of the ami (10mg or less...usually less) and I feel like crap. Total crap. Like someone just gave me the flu. At least now that I know it might be withdrawal, I dont feel quite so anxious about feeling like crap.

I hope I fall asleep tonight. I'm going to bed in a bit...hopefully to sleep.

Babe, honestly... I'm sure it's a mixture of the lack of sleep and withdrawal from Amitriptyline.

I felt a bit crappy when I was coming off Amitriptyline, but I had started taking Clonazepam that did help my pain, as well as making me sleepy. So I replaced one with another so to speak, and I think that's why it was easier for me.

I've been sitting here shivering for about the past hour or two. (while watching Independence Day...weird watching the alcoholic pilot guy fly his plane into the big ray gun made me cry) I have a robe, sweats, and a blanket on me.

In the past 20 minutes or so, the weird shivering is starting to not be so bad...and still feel like crap, but I'm not shivering as much. Still freezing in here (my basement is pretty much a constant 69 degrees) My nose is all stuffed up and I'm sneezing. I think I caught a cold and that's causing a good (bad?) part of my problem.

I'm never ever ever ever ever ever ever taking an antidepressant ever again...even if I go nuts and need them! Forget it. I'm not doing it. Never ever again.

I still cant sleep tho... oh well...I have the box set of Stargate: SG-1 (and two copies of the original movie, and I've got every episode of Stargate: Atlantis recorded to dvd from my Tivo. If I'm not going to sleep. I'm going to watch the two and a half seasons of SG-1 that I missed about 6 years ago.

and when I run out of Stargate, I'm going to watch my Boston Legal dvds. I'm sure that eventually, I'll fall asleep as some point during my little tv-on-dvd festival.

I took a walk with my dad around the block tonight, at least my body is tired, even if my brain isnt.

Time to go watch Daniel Jackson ascend into a higher plane of existence, watch him wear the "sweater of Ascension" (it's a nice sweater, aran knitting, with all sorts of pretty cables knitted into it), and then see him descend (sans his clothing...Mmmm!) and then watch him battle the Ori and kill all the Go'auld's.

If I could send you my Tryptophan supplements to help you sleep, I certainly would! (I would take 1 of those at bedtime, and they did help me to sleep).

Erin if I didn't feel so bad for you what you just wrote would be terribly funny (the end part, not the part about feeling like carp and shivering).

If it's withdrawal, just hang in there. Call the doc tomorrow and see if there's something you can do to make it not so bad.

:hug:

Hang in there! I hope you get some sleep.

ZANAFLEX L-thieane warm blanket
 

I have slowly evolved my own personal strategy to "get to sleep".

I find the ZANAFLEX (Tizanidine HCL) which is A MS medication for spacitity works well to relax the painfully tight muscles which hinders me getting into sleep configuration. About 1/2 a 4 Mg will in a two hour time frame put me into a relaxed state. If not I take an additional 1/2 of a 4 mg ZANAFLEX after two hrs.

Also I take 200 mg of L-Theanine which is found in green tea and which shuts down the "worry center" of the brain and makes me mellow/relaxed.

The last thing is I heat up some large towels and when very warm I jump into bed with them. The sleep process is triggered by a slight increase in body temp. Hence the "custom of a nice seeping banket". Putting the blanket in the dryier might also work. I have a heating pad but I am afraid to use it without an automatic shutoff.

jackD