[Lebber]

I was wondering if anyone has experience with mirtazapine for sleep and maybe tinnitus? I'm planning to ask this to my doctor instead of benzos.

The doctor gave me 2 different benzos for sleep which i tried, but i felt that it made everything worse. On top of that my sleep didn't improve that much. So i had to quit. I have both trouble falling asleep and staying a sleep. Since I've read that mirtazapine is often used for sleep and tinnitus I'm curious if this would help.

Sleep is really the biggest problem for me. In the first months of my concussion i could sleep fairly well and it was beneficial for my recovery. But for a month or so the tinnitus became louder and i couldn't sleep anymore. And now i feel I got stuck. The fatigue became worse due to lack of good sleep.

So if anyone has tried it i would like to hear what your thoughts are on mirtazapine

[todayistomorrow]

I’m in that vicious cycle that you describe where you can’t sleep because of pain and when I do wake up in middle of night, can’t get back to sleep because of pain which in turn makes next day unbearable thus causing even more pain.

The best sleep I’ve got via sleep aid was amitryptaline. I used this year 1-3 after my accident and was effective at putting me to sleep and staying asleep. Once I had kids, my sleep cycle became severely messed up and now am also battling opiate withdrawal plus no medicine to help with headaches(naproxen does nothing for me).

I’ve tried miratzapin, oxazepam(benzo), ambien. These all made me too groggy/depressed the next day and I could get to bed, but not stay asleep.

Now I’m on gabapentin isn’t working either. Mayo doctors aren’t helping me at all try to sort this out. I know it’s complicated and there may not be any effective drug for PCS plus sleep aid but feels like I’m screwed.

Everyone brain chemistry different though so just have to try and see how you feel. Let me know if you find something that works.

[Mark in Idaho]

Lebber,

What is you mind doing when you can't get to sleep or wake up and can't fall back asleep?

What sensations or thoughts besides the tinnitus are alerting your mind?

Do you feel cozy in bed? Are you comfortable, I mean feeling like you are on a cloud?

I use an electric mattress pad to prewarm the bed so I don;t sense that cool bed when I first get in. It also helps to finish with bathroom duties a half hour before going to bed. Some how, emptying the bladder tends to be a wake up call.

I spent years afraid to try to try to go to bed because sleep was so miserable. Then, I found how to remove all of the sensations so I could sleep. I have a TBI friend who has a TV in his bedroom and goes to sleep watching one of a few movies. This can occupy the visual and auditory parts of the brain in a non-stimulating way. I used to go to sleep watching Celtic Woman music videos. I called it putting the girls on so I could going to sleep with them.

I was considering a digital projector so I could watch videos on the ceiling. What ever system works, it is worth the effort to figure it out.

[Lebber]

@todayistommorow thanks for sharing your experience. I know how frustrating the search for the right medicine can be. It's like a trial and error situation untill you find the right medicine. I also feel that benzos make me feel worse for some reason. It makes me to groggy the next day. I hope the opiate withdrawel doesn't last to long and ypu can have your sleep back.

@mark i actually do the same thing as you, except for tv/music in the bedroom. In bed i often try to think of things that happened during the day or the movie i watched to keep my mind occupied with neutral thoughts. I also take some magnesium, melatonin and valerian extract in the evening.
I find this helpfull for putting me asleep but not for staying a sleep.

I do have to say that there are some good nights where i only wake up 3-4 times and fall a sleep quickly. But there are also horrible nights where i just keep waking up.

For now i will discuss this with the neurologist and see what she thinks is best. I really don't like taking medicine. But i do feel it is necessary since sleep is so important. And hopefully this is only temporary. Most symptoms did go away, but bad sleep is one of the last things remaining.

[Mark in Idaho]

If I were to think of things that happened during the day, I would never get to sleep. I focus on the comfortable feelings in bed.

Can you try a FitBit to record your stats? If your pulse quickens before you wake up, that could signal poor breathing. You can also try one of the recording pulse-ox devices. They make wrist models and others designed for sleeping. I know that most of my sleep problems were related to my breathing. Having a small complex carb snack also might help if your blood sugar cycles.