20 year opiate user, off a 8 year run. Can't sleep, day 30 today

[TheBlackCrayon]

I've been off and on heroin for twenty years, been to detox, rehab, jail, sober living, etc... More times than I can count. I know the process is slow but I really messed up big time by going out this last time for 8 years. I did a simple 10 day taper from suboxone and other than the chills, loss of appetite, and a little anxiety, the one thing that drives me nuts is the lack of sleep. I get an hour here a few minutes there but never feel fully rested. I've started running again last week starting with a mike and up to 3 miles and still can't get tired enough to crash. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[oxymoron310]

Have you tried OTC sleep aids? Be careful, they can make you delirious! Try getting your hands on an anti-psychotic like seroquel, could help! I know how opiate withdrawal can suck the life out of you and how sleep is impossible to obtain. Have you seen a doctor about getting prescribed something for sleep? Try asking for seroquel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetiapine

 

[cj]

The honest answer is 8 years is a long time and a ten day taper is really short. Your going to experience symptoms for a while yet. The obvious answer is take sleeping pills. I suggest ambien or lunesta instead of benzos just because of addiction issues. If those are not an option than atypical anti psychotics like seroquel, remeron, ect work for many people. After that you got OTC stuff like anti histamines.

 

[TheBlackCrayon]

I tried seroquel a couple times but it leaves even more drained the next day. I'm trying something called Sleep Optimizer tonight. I really would rather not go near the benzos, I know they will help don't wanna chance getting hooked on anything else ever again. This really bites!!!

 

[cj]

I tried seroquel a couple times but it leaves even more drained the next day. I'm trying something called Sleep Optimizer tonight. I really would rather not go near the benzos, I know they will help don't wanna chance getting hooked on anything else ever again. This really bites!!!

Yeah that's going to be the problem with phych meds. They will leave you foggy and have a shit load of nasty side effects. Personally I think ambien and lunesta is something you should look into. They aren't really addictive In The classic feel good sense but they have enough of that feeling to make them effective at calming you down to sleep. Opiate withdrawal non sleep is different than just normal insomnia in that it's not that you aren't tired enough to sleep. Your just too restless and on edge to sleep.

 

[dognasher]

I used to take Seroquel too and it made me feel awful. Remeron in a low dose can really help with sleep and the lack of appetite. If you take it occasionally or at a low dose it has few side effects. Its an antidepressant but not an SSRI so it starts working fairly quickly.

I can't take benzos either. I once got precip. WDs from Naltrexone and I was dying from the lack of sleep - my urgent care gave me Elavil and it knocked me on my ass! Sometimes it's easier to get that stuff than Ambien or Lunesta since docs are so freaked out about prescribing them these days.