Heroin Three weeks off, DESPERATE for sleep

[notgeorgemiles]

This is the first time in 13 years that I've been entirely off of heroin/fent/subs. I used kratom to get through the first three (miserable) days, then three days of 1mg sub, and now two full weeks of nothing (opiate related, aside from a handful of kratom at night). I haven't slept longer than three straight hours in the past three weeks and I'm so close to copping, just to get a night of sleep. I've tried weed, delta 8, benzos, over the counter sleep meds, melatonin, and nothing works for long enough to actually SLEEP.
Does anyone have any ideas or options?
I've been searching for relevant advice for days and I don't want to go back to the misery and shame and sickness of active dependency.
I need help. Please.

 

[mr peabody]

Maybe have a look here : INSOMNIA

 

[GetMeOutOfThisCRAP]

Tylenol PM or advil PM really is enough actually!

I'm sorry you are encountering the typical insomnia that comes with the crippling depression and "everything is doomed forever" feeling that is also greeted by cold turkey withdrawal. There's also melatonin supplements. You've got to sleep to recover! Whether you return or not... sleep deprivation as many stimulant monsters will tell you is worse than the drugs (even meth) themselves.

 

[Psychonaut Lasagna]

I'm both super happy to hear you went through with what you wanted but also super in the dark. There is a lot that goes into regular and healthy sleeping habits. We'd need to know things like...
1) When do you go to bed? Ask damn near every former or current graveyard-shift worker and they'll tell you it's fucking hard as shit to get good sleep with an upside down schedule

2) Do you attempt to sleep at around the same time each day? We are an incredibly adaptive species that holds on to habits and familiarity instinctively. Create a regular sleep schedule and try to keep all the behaviors and environmental cues regular. This will send signals to the brain to start "powering down".

3) Are you active in the same area that you sleep in? Same answer as before: patterns and cues for sleep should not be commonly associated with your awaken state

4) Do you exercise and eat appropriately regularly? Yes, this works. If you really want sleep bad enough, get some exercise in well before bedtime. And don't eat right before bed, either. Consume and spend your energy outside of the bedroom. Your body will take care of the rest

5) Try beating off. It helps.

6) Are you active right before sleep? Spend atleast 10 minutes before purposefully going to sleep doing something like meditating, reading or listening to music. Wind down beforehand.

I'm going to assume that since you've probably not had this problem while using, you've probably been relying on the drug this whole time. For 13 years you've built a habit around sleep. It's going to take real effort to build a new habit without using.

Good luck and godspeed, you!

-Lasagna

 

[deficiT]

Aside from the usual, exercise + get a normal routine down, a couple meds that have helped me sleep are quetiapine, Hydroxyzine, and even trazodone, although I quit taking trazodone I didn't like some of the side effects. But low dose quetiapine is money for getting to sleep.

 

[Psychonaut Lasagna]

Could also just try benadryl.

 

[negrogesic]

Could also just try benadryl.

If benzos didn't work then benadryl certainly wouldn't either.

Of course, benzos will work if enough is taken. I'm not sure what doses of benzos attemped here. Of course if you had a preexisting benzo tolerance/addiction then benzos aren't going to work as well.


The real answer here is time. And most likely your stuff was predominantly fentanyl (not heroin), which is know to have a suprisingly long withdrawal syndrome relative its short acting nature

 

[darvocet21]

This is the first time in 13 years that I've been entirely off of heroin/fent/subs. I used kratom to get through the first three (miserable) days, then three days of 1mg sub, and now two full weeks of nothing (opiate related, aside from a handful of kratom at night). I haven't slept longer than three straight hours in the past three weeks and I'm so close to copping, just to get a night of sleep. I've tried weed, delta 8, benzos, over the counter sleep meds, melatonin, and nothing works for long enough to actually SLEEP.
Does anyone have any ideas or options?
I've been searching for relevant advice for days and I don't want to go back to the misery and shame and sickness of active dependency.
I need help. Please.

All the usual good advice, such as I am currently ignoring starting with the worst offenders phone, tablet, laptop screens which have another kind of blue light that is extremely disruptive to the Circadian rhythm, and should go dark in favor of listening to mellow music with the lights turned down etc. Eating the right kinds of food, especially the first meal of the day we should be high protein and the last, which ought to have more carbs and not be consumed too close to bedtime and be simpler overall as opposed to huge plates of heavily seasoned meat, salty chips and snacks and very spicy foods. Although some people swear by a light plate of spaghetti with butter or olive oil an hour or so before bedtime. Taking supplements that help the body naturally calm down prepare for sleep in the evening like magnesium plus a little bit of calcium to increase absorption, 5-HTP (no more than 50mg) l-theanine, and melatonin liquid or sublingual tabs, 1-2mg. Making love with your partner or yourself, taking a hot bath. All sleeping pills do is put you into a twilight quasi sleep which is actually worse in the long run than sleeplessness...

If you don't fall asleep after an hour or so and your mind is still racing, get up and dressed with some comfortable shoes and socks and going for a long walk, leave the cell phone at home but if you're a smoker bring cigarettes for smoking ritualistically, when you stop and rest after reaching some new part of town or if you get thirsty or hungry hit up 7-Eleven something sweet, talk to the homeless guy who knows a lot about not sleeping, but most of all keep moving. Remember what being tired feels like. Whether it was a long day hiking or tough physical labor. Being sedentary is the enemy of good sleep hygiene.

 

[joemidlife]

This is the first time in 13 years that I've been entirely off of heroin/fent/subs. I used kratom to get through the first three (miserable) days, then three days of 1mg sub, and now two full weeks of nothing (opiate related, aside from a handful of kratom at night). I haven't slept longer than three straight hours in the past three weeks and I'm so close to copping, just to get a night of sleep. I've tried weed, delta 8, benzos, over the counter sleep meds, melatonin, and nothing works for long enough to actually SLEEP.
Does anyone have any ideas or options?
I've been searching for relevant advice for days and I don't want to go back to the misery and shame and sickness of active dependency.
I need help. Please.

Im sorry but don't have any advice that has not already been given regarding the sleep. I just wonted to give you some love for doing 3 weeks clean. This post is a few weeks old so Im really hoping you are still managing to do the do, or not as the case may be.
Joe

 

[Xorkoth]

Usually insomnia is the thing that has always caused me to eventually relapse. It can be so brutal. The good news is that you're 3 weeks clean, so you should be close to getting through it. That surprises me that benzos don't work, what benzo(s) did you try? Some of them work better than others for sleep. I find that etizolam works really well, bromazolam also works well, perhaps even better actually. Though not sure if you have access to those. Perhaps you could try to increase the dosage somewhat? But you need to be careful with benzos and not use them too often.

Sometimes I've been able to get sleep when I take a long, hot shower and then immediately get back in bed. Have you tried magnesium? Get a calcium-magnesium supplement, and try that. It relaxes the muscles and can help with sleep. As far as over the couter sleep aids, the best one I've found is doxylamine, it's what's in Unisom (though some formulations have diphenhydramine which is not as good). A combination of doxylamine and a benzo has never failed to knock me out.

Oleamide is pretty decent for relaxation and sleep, it's a supplement you can get online. L-theanine is decent too. Combining those two has sometimes worked for me.

I often have insomnia which gets worse as I get older, so I've tried a lot of stuff. Those are some of the things that have tended to work pretty well for me. Of course opiate withdrawal insomnia is the worst sort of insomnia, but you're so close, and it should start getting easier.

 

[darvocet21]

the adrenal glands need to be restored, they are emaciated after taking opiates. try special adrenal supplements and try to sleep in the darkest possible rooms (no lights, no TV, no night light, etc.)

law of use it or lose it. The best adrenal supplement is a plant with thousands of years of use in India called ashwagandha. But I've noticed more companies extracting and concentrating one of the alkaloids, runs counter to the spirit of ayurveda

 

[xaddictx]

Im not sure if I'm in the right area. If not mods please move it if feasible. Just bought this stuff that aids sleep, i.e. insomnia and is an anxiety reducer. It's called Alteril which contains Valerian root, L-Tryptophan and Melotonin. I will try this tonight and see how it works. Does anyone know of this brand of medication or has heard of Alteril?

 

[Lil'LinaptkSix]

Already mentioned but intensive labor (wear yerself out), drink lots of clear liquids (water), eat healthy (a torn down/tired body will not reject this easily), be open to others about the issue (those who you trust), watch uplifting content on the tube, sex.
The most profitable choices for me was hard, sweaty work, lots of water and nutritios foods.
good luck and cograts

 

[Drug_Enthusiast616]

Could also just try benadryl.

The active drug in benadryl is diphenhydramine. It is the same drug that is uses in Tylenol and Advil PM. The only difference is obviously the Tylenol/Advil. Just wanted to mention this since someone else brought up Tylenol or Advil PM before you brought up the benadryl. Speaking of which... NEVER take more diphenhydramine then your body can tolerate. I wont get into details but TRUST me when I tell you, you will have THE WORST night of your life.

 

[yubacity]

I came of heroin same amount of years the first time and insomnia was the worse you are worn out tired as fuck but no sleep . What worked for me was pregabalin i took about 600 mg during the day and had a 12 hour sleep. Don't do it every day that one day should recharge your batteries and help use it once a week until natural sleep returns do enough pregabalin it will knock you out start with 300 to 600 mg