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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Questions about insomnia treatments/costa rica medicines.

K

koko

Greenlighter
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
17
Location
Pensacola, Fl
So i have had severe insomnia for about 16 years, since i was about 8 years old. I simply cannot relax or turn off my mind. As soon as i try to go to sleep i get more awake and think more and faster. Ive been diagnosed several things such as schizoid, schizoaffective, possibly schizophrenic, bipolar, general psychosis, OCD, obsessive thoughts disorder, the list goes on never really gotten diagnosed properly in my opinion because no treatments have helped. Anyway back to the insomnia, ive used many medicines specifically for the sleeping, anti-depressants and anti-psychotics aimed to help sleep include remeron, seroquel, zyprexa, and i think i might be forgetting one or two there. Sleep specific meds include temazepam (restoril), zolpidem (ambien), and i have tried countless others without prescriptions like trazadone, zopiclona (lunesta from costa rica), muscle relaxers, several benzos, and maybe a couple others. I am currently prescribed valproic acid 250mg twice a day and xanax .50mg 3 times a day. I am supposed to be also taking zyprexa but i have no insurance and cannot afford it, so i have been having seroquel [snip] and is the only anti-psychotic ive ever taken thats helped with sleep a little bit and helps my psychosis a little. So what i would like to know is does anyone have a suggestion for me on sleep meds either prescription, over the counter, or herbal, any type really. Main question though is does anyone know of medicines that are over the counter in costa rica that i could get sent here that would help with sleep. I would love something that is similar to benzos, which are prescription only in costa rica, because they are the only thing that slows down my mind, helps my psychosis problems, and always helps me sleep perfectly. Also if any of you are thinking that i cannot sleep because ive been on all these drugs for most of my life, i had sleep problems before ever taking drugs for them, and i have gone periods as long as 2-3 years without any meds and still had sleep problems. I have also tried very many non-medicine ways of getting better sleep and non of it has worked.
 
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the only other thing you can try is lyrica or gabapentin. you are pretty much on the 'holy grail' of sleeping meds there, im surprised you still cant sleep with temazepam and seroquel. temazepam is really the best sleeping med IMO, bu]ecause it doesn't disrupt sleep structure and acts as a powerful sedative/hypnotic.
 
the temazepam like any benzos i can sleep on it just takes so much, more than doctors are willing to prescribe me at my age. ive i got 60 2mg xanax a month or something equal to that of klonopin or temazepam or valium id always for sure have enough for sleep. the temazepam, when i can see my doctor to get them, i get qty:30, 30mg pills and im supposed to take one a night and that doesnt faze me, sometimes i take 3 or 4 during the day or even at work just for my anxiety. for sleep i have to take atleast 5 or 6. ive never tried lyrica i just recently read up on that and sounds like something i dont really want to mess with since for one i have a seizure disorder thats doesnt even have a real specific cause, they just think i have a low threshold and stress brings them on. so if i took lyrica id have to im sure switch out the valproic acid for it as my seizure medicine but i read many bad things about lyrica one thing i remember is tolerance goes up very very quickly and thats my problem with most meds already that arent supposed to have a tolerance so quickly. i naturally have a high tolerance for medicines and then when i start taking them it goes up real quick. gabapentin ive never heard of but ill look it up and maybe try it. thanks for the reply.
 
Benzos are really not something that you want to be taking on a daily basis. Look into non-drug options, such as meditation, yoga, sleep therapy, sleep music, changing your routine and environment and eliminating any external contributing factors. There are also many supplements that can be helpful, such as melatonin, valerian, magnesium, l-lysine, l-arginine, l-ornithine, GABA, kava, 5-HTP, etc.
 
Lyric will stop you from having seizures, that's what it is most prescribed for in the states. Tolerance only grows to the revreationL effects not the therapeutic effects of helping for sleep and anxiety. I love it actually, I don't get any side effects from it. Google lyrica and bluelight and check out some posts on bluelight about it
 
I thank you for the reply but you have no idea how many times in 16 years I have either tried some way of getting sleep without taking anything. Its been 16 years of most nights just laying in bed trying to figure out a way to get some sleep, so of course, when I have nothing, or im trying to go without, I try all the natural ways anyone can throw at me. I've read some of the most ridiculous things online for ways to get to sleep and tried them all. Plus when you've had this since you were a kid like I have, docs don't give you anything when youre young they want you to try alternate methods without needing meds. So I've tried all those non med versions you mentioned plus 100 more. As for the supplements I have tried about half of those and I'll look up the other ones but so far I've never had one do any kind of help. Thanks for the list though I'll look into them.
 
maybe large doses of kava tea like fresh root that you grind up and make a tea out of and but actually drink the root too don't steap and then filter
 
koko said:
I thank you for the reply but you have no idea how many times in 16 years I have either tried some way of getting sleep without taking anything. Its been 16 years of most nights just laying in bed trying to figure out a way to get some sleep, so of course, when I have nothing, or im trying to go without, I try all the natural ways anyone can throw at me. I've read some of the most ridiculous things online for ways to get to sleep and tried them all. Plus when you've had this since you were a kid like I have, docs don't give you anything when youre young they want you to try alternate methods without needing meds. So I've tried all those non med versions you mentioned plus 100 more. As for the supplements I have tried about half of those and I'll look up the other ones but so far I've never had one do any kind of help. Thanks for the list though I'll look into them.
Click to expand...

I understand how you feel, I've had severe sleep issues for over 20 years. I do think that if you try all of those things I mentioned and stick to them that it does make a difference. I know it's very hard though, it takes a lot of effort and it is difficult to stay motivated because I feel so fatigued all the time. Have you been to a sleep therapist? Have you been tested for conditions that could be causing insomnia?
 
i recently did a sleep study when i was getting help through vocational rehabilitation and then they cut me off before i could do a follow up where they wanted to try a sleep apnea mask on me. my main problem though is my mind it just races and races, i can feel tired as hell and want so badly to sleep but my mind will keep thinking and racing about shit. the more i want to go to sleep the more i think and usually the more i think about things that bother me and make me have panic attacks which of course i cant sleep while having a panic attack.
 
Just wanted to remind that the reason for that type of insomnia could be neurological. You should to try get proper examinations for that.

Now you definitely don't have condition what is called FFI, but I still want to share this link. It is a case report about managing insomnia when it is caused by a neurological condition. It may be helpful or just interesting to read:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1781276/

I would also suggest trying "bed of nails" or acupressure mat before going to sleep, if you haven't already. Personally I have a positive experience from it.
 
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i used to get the racing thoughts when i tried to sleep but then i tried 20 to 30mg of olanzapine (zyprexa) and it works great to calm me down for sleep and stabilizes my mood during the day
 
see ive always read and heard from my doctor 10 mg is the most zyprexa you get prescribed but i might go back usin that once i find a way to pay for it and try like 15 to 20 mg and go up more if i need it.
 
there is always a last stand resort against insomnia i found but it is a benzo : flunitazepam (rohypnol). i'm not sure if they would prescribe them in costa rica. triazolam is also another option of benzo but it is short acting and not widely used.
you've tried ambien - have you tried zopiclone? those help some people too.

as for racing thoughts - what about promethazine?? its an anti-histamine/emetic and a extremely low potential anti-psychotic which is sedating, but on some nights during ritalin binges of mine (nowhere near similar to yours i'm sure) where my mind would just not shut up, promethazine did the trick and my head sort of switched off and i could fall asleep.

have you tried melatonin? people usually laugh at this... but it works wonders for some.
 
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