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OP, you're on a highly addictive drug. You've ordered "goodies" -- no one knows what they are. You've rejected every poster's advice. Tell us what it is that you want from us.
If you went back and read the thread, I believe that I have discussed the supplements I ordered. I didn't ask for anything, this is just a discussion, open to all, and if anyone benefits from it, that's good.
in_newengland: you say this is just a discussion thread and you're not looking for anything, but in several posts (including the first) of this thread, you make it clear you -are- asking for help. I don't think so many of us would have taken much time in offering you advice, if we weren't given to understand that you were looking for it.
To address the sleep problem (again) - to reiterate because it seems a lot of posts in the last couple of pages seem to be missing it:
in_newengland has fibromyalgia. Insomnia is one of the disfunctions when one has fibromyalgia. Not all FM sufferers experience insomnia, but it is common and typical among FM sufferers. It has nothing to do with her emotions, nothing to do with her chi being out of whack, nothing to do with being addicted to clonopin. Clonopin is one treatment for insomnia among FM sufferers. Remember, when you have FM, you are limited as to what you can and cannot take/do, because the illness limits you.
My advice, is to either a) continue taking the clonopin or b) ask your doctor if you are a good candidate for Ambien. Neither are alternative medicines, but you say you've tried all of those already with no success. If you've already tried alt-meds, and have ruled them out as possibilities, then really the only thing left is prescriptions, or living without sleep.
As a chronic insomniac, I can assure you that living without sleep is not a viable option. I urge you to consider that no - you don't like pills to medicate you but really, how many people LIKE taking pills to medicate them? We take meds because we have a medical need that meds address. Whether we like them or not really isn't relevent. If that's what works for us - efficiently, with few or no side effects, then that's what we should do. If we can find an alternative that also has few or no side effects, then we do that, sure. But if not - we do what's necessary to live comfortable, healthy lives.
I want to add for in_newengland: My insomnia sounds exactly the same as yours, though I don't have FM. I can't "shut off the noise in my head" when it's bedtime. Even if I'm dog-tired, exhausted, mentally and physically - it's just too noisy inside to sleep, and I lay awake for hours until finally something clicks off. I wake up tired, usually because I have to wake up at 7, and I only fell asleep at 3 or 4, leaving me with only 3 or 4 hours of sleep. Definitely not enough. The Ambien makes me fall asleep within 20 minutes if I lay down immediately, or up to around 45 minutes if I do the dishes, take a shower, clean the litter box, and read a few pages of a book first. Even so - waiting 45 minutes to fall asleep is a HUGE deal, for someone who otherwise has to wait a few HOURS.
So I totally get where you're coming from. I hope you find some relief.
Oh! I just remembered something I use when the insomnia is really bad, ESPECIALLY if it is due to my brain being overactive.
I listen to recordings by Hemi Sync, no music just delta frequencies. For me, my brain shuts down and I fall asleep. I put the ear buds in and deliver it straight to my brain.
DH is a huge insomniac, no FM and I bought him a sound/light machine with pre-programmed frequencies and coordinated lights... I haven't played with it much though.
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Being responsible adults, I would imagine that the Rx info is read by patients, AND they look up all supplements for side effects, contra indications, and interactions on sites such as WebMD.
I would certainly hope so. However, I don't think that happens all the time. And the reason I don't think it happens all the time is because I've been on some pretty dangerous Rx because I just trusted my doctor and because it wasn't until I overdosed on Selenium (30 years ago) that I started researching in depth everything I was considering putting in my body regarding Rx and supplements (and often times, food too).
I also have friends who think that if they read about something in the news or online then it MUST be safe.
Or something like B12 -- you would think that would be safe, right? But if we have too much in our bodies (and that's not hard to do if one if one is taking injections), B12 causes anxiety. I found that out the hard way.
I've taken the clonopin for years with never increasing the dosage at all. It seems to work differently in fibro patients than it does in people who take it for "nerves" as they seem to get truly addicted to it and need more and more while the fibro patients stay at the same dosage and just take it at bedtime.
There are not many medicines that I can tolerate without having extreme side effects. Ambien had too many side effects and I tried it twice with two different doctors.
I'm not a person who likes to take a lot of prescription medications as I've seen what that's done to people close to me. The fewer the better due to unknown long term effects and interactions.
As I've said, it's like a love/hate relationship with clonopin because, as you said, AnonChick, 20-45 minutes of lying awake is nothing compared to lying awake all night long. So clonopin is better than nothing by a long shot and if there are risks associated with it, I accept those risks. My doctor told me that sleep is very important to health and that's not even something that we need to be told.
Right now I'm starting to try some new remedies that might work, now that I don't have to get up early to go to work. I listed them early on in this thread in case anyone else was interested because it took me a good bit of time to look them up and do the research. If my research can help someone else with the same problem, well that's what we're here for.
I've sorted through all the advice and considered all of it. It's getting kind of repetitious in here though and if it sounds like I'm ignoring someone's advice, it's probably because I already had it before. There's been a lot of advice, generously given.
AnonChick, I wish you well with your sleep problem and I know you are doing what is right for you. You are intelligent and knowledgeable (and a fellow cat lover too??) so I wish you good sleep and pleasant dreams.
Oh! I just remembered something I use when the insomnia is really bad, ESPECIALLY if it is due to my brain being overactive.
I listen to recordings by Hemi Sync, no music just delta frequencies. For me, my brain shuts down and I fall asleep. I put the ear buds in and deliver it straight to my brain.
DH is a huge insomniac, no FM and I bought him a sound/light machine with pre-programmed frequencies and coordinated lights... I haven't played with it much though.
Is that something like white noise? Is it expensive?
I just looked up the CDs. Thanks, Mikala, this could be something else that a lot of us could be looking into.
Is that something like white noise? Is it expensive?
I just looked up the CDs. Thanks, Mikala, this could be something else that a lot of us could be looking into.
The recordings aren't, and I'm sure you do not have to use that brand. The light machine was, and I'm not "sold" on it yet.
I really excited to see if that works for you.
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Is that something like white noise? Is it expensive?
I just looked up the CDs. Thanks, Mikala, this could be something else that a lot of us could be looking into.
Oh -- I forgot about the CDs! I don't use them very much but I still use them once in a while. I don't have trouble sleeping. I just don't wake up very well rested a lot of times. But when I use those CDs, I do wake up well rested. When I use 1 gram Melatonin with the CDs, I hit the jackpot! LOL I'm going to do both tonight. (I take 1 gram Melatonin only 2x a week, if that.)
Please try not to get too wrapped up in the search. Shoot, for me, just thinking about it is stressful! I'm a horrible candidate for sound or light therapy - it's just too distracting. I can't have the TV in the bedroom even if the sound is completely muted, because just the switch from a dark scene to a bright commercial is like fireworks going off behind my closed eyelids. I -might- even be just about to drift off and BOOM - scene change - wide awake again and more frustrated than ever. The only sound that I find soothing is the sound of rain outside my window, when it's raining REALLY hard and the wind's blowing. Nothing in my ears - that'd be too distracting, just feeling something in my ears, or knowing that if I move the wrong way ONE of them will fall out and I'll be hearing lopsided...
Such is the life of someone with ADD. I've learned to live with the distractions, but I just can't have -any- distractions when I'm trying to sleep, or it just plain won't happen.
Also, just FYI, Valerian acts on the same GABA-A receptor sites as Benzodiazepines.
Though, obviously, in a much more subtle way...
Anyways, good luck in finding rest!
best wishes to you.
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