Misc Sleeping with Anxiety

[pablo8732]

I've been having anxiety issues since last week (first time its ever happened to me) but I have been taking some propronolol which has helped a lot. However, I still have issues sleeping, anxiety seems worse at night and i have a rapid heart rate in bed. Alcohol helps slightly, weed less so.

A few days ago I had an exam, and I could not sleep at all the night before it due to this issue - all the wine and alcohol didnt help. I have another exam in a few days and dont want the same thing to happen. What would you guys recommend to take the night before the exam, preferably something which doesn't make me too confused for the next morning. I have Valium, zopiclone and benadryl (Diphenhydramine)

Cheers

 

[kleinerkiffer]

What should I take threads are against the rules, but I'll let this stay open for some time so you get some replies

Imo you should try meditation, maybe a guided meditation on YouTube, chamomile tea, valerian root, maybe melatonin and if those things don't help a small dose of zopiclone should help
And if you try any of the drugs test them a few days prior to the exam so you see how you react

 

[jamesBrown]

I agree with kleinerkiffer....specifically his suggestion of Meditation. The power of our own minds is something that I don't believe we will ever truly be able to comprehend...and consequently, I firmly believe that your issue with anxiety and sleep could be greatly diminished, if not taken care of completely, through the act of meditation. Although the problem for you is that meditation, and the beneficial consequences one gains when they practice it, is not something that occurs overnight. It's more of a learned/practiced technique/exercise which you can refine the more you utilize it.
So, yes...first of all...MEDITATION would be my main advice to someone who is just starting to experience symptoms like yours, as it doesn't cost anything, and the benefits are literally incalculable. And I do like the motto..."mediTation NOT mediCation". And in your specific case I truly do believe you should try your absolute BEST to stick to this ideology, before you get sucked into the world of Big Pharma and become a slave to chemicals which not only cost a ton of $$$, but are too often poisonous and/or dangerous to other parts of your body/life.

Anyway...to help you with your IMMEDIATE problems(which more than likely will not be solved by one or two days of meditation), I recommend strong, healthy exercise to help wear yourself out so you can better sleep at night and help your brain create and release naturally occurring "feel good" chemicals.

If exercise doesn't seem to be 'enough' to get you to where you feel you need to be(less anxious, more sleep) then, once again as kleinerkiffer already suggested, I would try some melatonin....possibly valerian root(although I have not had TOO MUCH luck with this route personally).

And if all of this fails....I find benzo's to be acutely beneficial when discussing the trials of anxiety and sleep loss. But since I don't know anything about you, your medical history, or your tolerance to these medications...I cannot, in the spirit of harm reduction, tell you how much to take(Other than "as little as possible".)

Good luck to you! And please let us know what you end up trying and how it worked out for you!

Best wishes..

jB

 

[hotgirls.jpg.exe]

I echo meditation - even if you don't manage to get to sleep it will help you relax and feel less stressed about the insomnia. It's not as good as getting a long night's sleep, no, but studies have shown it's still very restful. Much more so than tossing and turning and worrying.

Valerian can be very helpful, you can usually get it off the shelf in tablet form so you don't have to mess around with drinking the hideous tea. Some formulations will come with stuff like hops and passionflower which are also beneficial. Good luck. I had severe insomnia for 18 months (and anxiety for much longer) many years ago and it was terrible.

 

[BambooHut]

Since anxiety is not the norm for you, think back and see if you can pinpoint the source of it. What has changed for you of late that is causing you to feel anxious? Guilt, worry, fear of change, etc. Whatever it is - face it, deal with it, think it through, make peace with it, put it behind you, let it go....and lay off the caffeine ��

 

[Speed King]

Valerian is good. You shouldn't be drinking on propanolol. Small dose of zopiclone for sleep or if you must, small dose of Valium when needed. Don't mix alcohol with anything suggested in this thread.

 

[pablo8732]

Valerian is good. You shouldn't be drinking on propanolol. Small dose of zopiclone for sleep or if you must, small dose of Valium when needed. Don't mix alcohol with anything suggested in this thread.

Thanks for the response mate, and everyone else too,

Last night I had a little axiety attack in the evening, propranolol didn’t help. I had some valium which really calmed me down, and then I had some weed to sleep with. Wasn’t able to till 7am when I finally popped a Benadryl. Woke up today feeling very groggy (I assume it’s the valium)

I’ve got a really important exam tomorrow, the docs prescribed me some zopiclone too. Would that be the best option for tomorrow? Would it be useful to add some valerian with the zopiclone?

 

[pablo8732]

I think its exams, although ive been through such exams many times in previous years. not sure what is different this time

 

[jamesBrown]

I wouldn't recommend the weed your smoking. A lot of people don't realize that marijuana actually increases your heart rate, among a few other stimulant properties. It's a vasodilator, meaning it widens blood vessels which lowers your blood pressure, which, consequently forces your heart to beat faster.

I know from personal experience that marijuana is not what I would go to for help with anxiety. But to each his own.

 

[aihfl]

There are plenty of sleep aids that are not scheduled medications. I have a script for Ativan, but reserve it strictly for panic attacks. I take 900mg gabapentin and 15mg Remeron, and if that's not enough I'll supplement it with 75mg doxepin.

 

[Gorillaboy21]

I get the same before exams and a speech which I have in 2 hours , I understand the same thing my heart races. even my dreams are related to school, I'll be in class and it's 100% realistic like real life in terms of things that are happening aren't like out of this world dream nightmares but just me in class and the teacher gives me the test or essay back and it's an F a fat fuckin F and I start crying (I'm 22) and a male sad. I bypass the speech and test anxiety with benzos klonopin Xanax or Valium. For me Xanax is the best cause I can measure the high better , with klonopin I've taken too much and was drooling during the test could hardly understand what I was reading . Xanax hits you quick and wears off quick but can floor you so I just take what I know 100% is a normal dose for me and titrate upwards with .5 mg every hour till I'm good but that's me. And I wanna stop relying on benzos I need to learn to rely on my mind like these people said meditate I agree. Much easier said than done but still benzos aren't the answer what if I couldn't get them and had to do the test/speech anyways ? So I don't wanna be reliant psychologically as well as physically , good luck

 

[d1nach]

If you think your hearts racing now just wait till you take diphenhydramine. In all seriousness in higher doses diphenhydramine causes a increase in heart by blocking muscarinic acetylcholine receptors

 

[dirzted]

Kava can be fantastic and is readily available at any supplement/hippie grocery store (like whole foods)- a very light inebriation that really leaves almost no trace in the morning

 

[StalinsLipstick]

valium and melatonin WITH weed and some smooth jazz (I recommend Ella fitzgerald and Louis armstrong duets) at night time ought to knock you right out. DO NOT MIX WITH ALCOHOL! alcohol is a shit drug in general. good luck!

 

[jamesBrown]

valium and melatonin WITH weed and some smooth jazz (I recommend Ella fitzgerald and Louis armstrong duets) at night time ought to knock you right out. DO NOT MIX WITH ALCOHOL! alcohol is a shit drug in general. good luck!

What about Coltrane?!! You can't leave him out of the equation!

 

[StalinsLipstick]

I haven't gotten into to coltrane yet but I'll take your word for it and give him a chance