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Still sleeping poor..

A

Atomicdog1983

Greenlighter
Joined
May 18, 2015
Messages
5
Hi all,

Not sure where to go for this.. MVA in 2012, compression fractured T9-10, which led to nerve damage, and aches/pains most days. Haven't slept well for years prior, and am currently taking 50mg amitriptyline, 150mg pregabalin (lyrica - 75mg bid), and 1mg clonazepam bid prn. However, it still takes a long Damn time to fall asleep, have Dr. Appt next Thursday. Suggestions as to what I could ask, potential switch to different meds? Please move to proper board mods, first time poster, and sorry for being long winded

TIA
Atomic
 
Hi Atomicdog. Both amitryptaline and pregabalin tend to help when it comes to sleep issues. However clonazepam does not - although it can induce a superficial sleep, but that's not the kind you want.

Given the crossover between pregabalin and clonazepam, I would discuss with your doctor perhaps increasing the dose of the former and scrapping the latter altogether.

Most common sleep-inducing drugs, although they can make you unconscious, will be similar to the clonazepam in preventing a quality sleep with adequate stage-IV (REM) sleep. This will leave you tired and cause toxins to accumulate in the brain.

Aside from medications, are you able to do any exercise? And what is your diet like? Modifying these two variables is often the easiest way of restoring a quality sleep pattern.
 
Was pretty heavy on working out from the start of april until the end of June, at which point i discontinued my monthly membership and took a second job to clear off some credit card debt (been bugging me for years). Diet is generally good, though i would only rather eat once or twice a day, my second job being fast food related, meant that i did eat somewhat unhealthy until i realized i could have salad instead, with grilled chicken (healthier option i suppose). As for the sleep, the main issue seems to be my legs, once im lying down its hard to get comfortable because my legs are constantly moving and restless like, which doesnt help with dozing off and getting actual quality sleep. I have read a few articles, and have seen hydroxyzine and promethazine used for sleep issues and for hypnotic/sedative purposes .. your take on these and other options are appreciated for sure.
I do not use any drugs recreationally and only as prescribed - having seen friends go down routes of addiction and rehab, and having to cut ties to these people because that is not a lifestyle i prefer to keep or live. But, bluelight does have many talented resident posters, who are willing to lend an ear and offer advice/help to anyone. So my thanks to those that chime in.

Atomic
 
Personally I wouldn't be pushing for either of those antihistamines. If you have a restless leg condition, you would be more likely to find Clonidine or Moxonidine helpful, to be taken about 1 hour before bed. They block adrenaline, which tunes out a lot of those niggling bedtime irritations including restless legs. They also have zero addictive potency, improve the quality of sleep, and can help with anxiety and sedation.
 
Update.. Saw gp today, wants me to taper the amitriptyline and prescribed 30mg of temazepam instead. So far it's been almost an hour and I feel nothing.. What's the deal with temazepam? Never been on it, so I dunno. CFC? Would appreciate your input

Regards
Atomic
 
Hi Atomic. Can you just run through all the meds you're now prescribed again? It would appear he has you on clonazepam and temazepam - both benzodiazepines and neither ultimately likely to help with your sleep quality issues. Is this just your GP prescribing you these meds or have you seen a specialist?
 
You may need to reevaluate the major environmental factors. Do you have excessive stimuli when your going to sleep? Do you live in an area that is constantly under some form of stress/stimuli? Have you checked to see if a specific eating habit or lack there of is being overlooked? There is so many variables to sleep disorders and I've dealt with it before. I know my personal doctor would always prescribe me pharmaceuticals that were only treating symptoms, but never fixing the cause until I saw a specialist. I ended up taking a medication that was used off label for PTSD treatment in war veterans. I can't remember exactly what it was, but I'll figure it out for you. I eventually had to get taken off of it because of the dangerously low blood pressure it started to give me after it was built up in my system.
 
There is forms of stress 7 days a week, details of which I prefer not to disclose due to it involving members of my family .. I was in a car accident in 2012 that has caused issues since that day, including a couple of fractured verterbra, as well as some associated nerve damage. My GP has prescribed anti anxiety meds since march of this year, but felt that the temazepam would address the sleep and anxiety at the same. So far, I notice the anxiolytic effects more than the sleep effects, which is nice as clonazepam has been a pretty constant companion since 2007 when my grandfather passed away, I will post updates as needed, since there appears to be some interest with this thread.

Grym, thanks for your input as well .. once you figure out what it was you were taking it can be another option I'm able to discuss with my doc.

Regards
Atomic
 
I couldn't figure out what exactly the pharmaceutical was, but my sleep disruption was brought on by night terrors that used to come and go when I was younger. I'm not a 100% certain if it would pose any benefit to you other than waking up feeling very cold all the time from such low blood pressure.

Found it: Its called Prazosin. Its used to treat nightmares in those with PTSD. I just remember waking up shivering all the time in the morning regardless of how many blankets I was wrapped up in.
 
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