Long story short, I've been using benzos and Z-hypnotics to treat insomnia for the past 5 years. Bad idea I know, but I really cannot sleep just laying in bed, and nothing weaker works. Melatonin does nothing and I seem to react badly to it which I understand is rare but nevertheless I do. I've tried meditation etc, works a bit but doesn't work consistently unfortunately. I have an essential tremor that keeps me constantly anxious and I also have palpitations.
My current routine simply goes like this: low dosage xanax for 1-2 days (0.5mg), which then doubles every 1-2 days to achieve the same effect until 3mg which is my personal max, I refuse to go higher. During this period I am completely productive and normal with my life. 7-9 hours sleep, focused during the day. Life is good.
After building tolerance to the 3mg which no longer does anything at all for sleep, I taper slowly (down 0.5mg a day on average until 0mg) and sleep once every 2 days. When I do sleep its for 4 hours usually. Incredibly fatigued, unproductive, tired. This will last a week (sleeping once every couple days or so), laying in bed for hours with nothing happening, until I begin on 0.5mg again once the tolerance is gone (usually takes 1-2 weeks). Back to a normal life again for a week or so.
Is there any alternative? I haven't found anything I can use to cycle with this, as even non-benzo Z-class drugs have cross-tolerance with GABAa. Besides, for me zolpidem is fantastic for visual hallucinations and talking to furniture but crap as a sleep aid for me. It works with sleep onset but duration is short, and heavy fatigue the next day. Not the case with benzos which work much cleaner. Did some reading here with some people recommending anti-psychotics. I'm not really keen on going that route due to potential mood changes. Kratom used to work well as a cycle however now, years later, if I so much as have a single whiff of the stuff I will vomit. I cannot even open a container of it to put it into a capsule.
Kava kava is restricted where I live, so a reliable import of it is out of the question. Any prescription only medication alternatives for cycling purposes? Preferably looking for advise from someone else who has been in my shoes as a chronic insomniac for many years but found a nice, safe, cycle regime to avoid tolerance? I'm guessing such a thing doesn't exist.
I get plenty of exercise and have a good diet. I don't believe that's the issue. I'm naturally anxious, have essential tremor, and worked night shift before for many years. Not sure if that combination somehow gave me permanent insomnia or not. Anyway just curious if anyone that has first hand experience over a period of years with chronic insomnia may have found a safe, reliable cycling regime to avoid tolerance to any one particular medication?
My current routine simply goes like this: low dosage xanax for 1-2 days (0.5mg), which then doubles every 1-2 days to achieve the same effect until 3mg which is my personal max, I refuse to go higher. During this period I am completely productive and normal with my life. 7-9 hours sleep, focused during the day. Life is good.
After building tolerance to the 3mg which no longer does anything at all for sleep, I taper slowly (down 0.5mg a day on average until 0mg) and sleep once every 2 days. When I do sleep its for 4 hours usually. Incredibly fatigued, unproductive, tired. This will last a week (sleeping once every couple days or so), laying in bed for hours with nothing happening, until I begin on 0.5mg again once the tolerance is gone (usually takes 1-2 weeks). Back to a normal life again for a week or so.
Is there any alternative? I haven't found anything I can use to cycle with this, as even non-benzo Z-class drugs have cross-tolerance with GABAa. Besides, for me zolpidem is fantastic for visual hallucinations and talking to furniture but crap as a sleep aid for me. It works with sleep onset but duration is short, and heavy fatigue the next day. Not the case with benzos which work much cleaner. Did some reading here with some people recommending anti-psychotics. I'm not really keen on going that route due to potential mood changes. Kratom used to work well as a cycle however now, years later, if I so much as have a single whiff of the stuff I will vomit. I cannot even open a container of it to put it into a capsule.
Kava kava is restricted where I live, so a reliable import of it is out of the question. Any prescription only medication alternatives for cycling purposes? Preferably looking for advise from someone else who has been in my shoes as a chronic insomniac for many years but found a nice, safe, cycle regime to avoid tolerance? I'm guessing such a thing doesn't exist.
I get plenty of exercise and have a good diet. I don't believe that's the issue. I'm naturally anxious, have essential tremor, and worked night shift before for many years. Not sure if that combination somehow gave me permanent insomnia or not. Anyway just curious if anyone that has first hand experience over a period of years with chronic insomnia may have found a safe, reliable cycling regime to avoid tolerance to any one particular medication?
