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Author Topic: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping  (Read 582045 times)

cutey1

  • Guest
Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #390 on: March 11, 2012, 09:10:51 AM »

I do find that no coffee (I am a coffee junkie) after 3pm only water or herbal teas, plus no alcohol before bed, a glass with dinner seems ok, but that is it!
Also if I have too much carbohydrate with my evening meal it makes me have an awful sleep!

We are all so different aren't we!  I suppose it is all trial and error!

I always wake feeling as tired as when I go to bed - awful!

 :o x
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Rosebush

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Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #391 on: March 11, 2012, 09:57:49 AM »

I also stick with the no wine, no carbs before bed, if we have dinner before 7pm on Fri/Sat i will have a small glass of red wine, but will not drink it any later..i do like to read and this does help me relax, and i do fall to sleep, until the hot sweats start. They are more often if i drink wine or have a late dessert.. :(
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Christine662

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Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #392 on: March 11, 2012, 10:16:38 AM »

I can fall asleep on a washing line...its staying asleep is the problem.

Any ideas ladies.

Stumpy xx
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san

  • Guest
Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #393 on: March 12, 2012, 11:21:13 AM »

have slept for 7hrs last three nights. Only woken once for the loo ....

have things turned a corner  ??? :)
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Christine662

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Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #394 on: March 12, 2012, 11:32:33 AM »

San... i'm not at all jealous!!!

Great though, hope it carries on for you.

Stumpy xx
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Christine662

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Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #395 on: March 13, 2012, 07:07:44 AM »

 :)
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yorkshirerose

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 51
Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #396 on: March 19, 2012, 06:17:03 PM »

My sleep is very erratic (need to go to the loo more), had my last period Jan 21st so 9 weeks now, had a few hot flashes and some very weird dreams about dead members of our family, mainly my Mum who died in 2009  :'(
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sandie w

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Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #397 on: March 19, 2012, 07:51:15 PM »


Bed at 10pm, no problems getting to sleep BUT wake up at lest 4-5 times during the night. Awake at silly time 5.30am or 6am and can't get back to sleep.

Feel like a chewed up piece of string. I only work mornings, get home at 1pm have lunch, watch Dickinsons real deal and fall asleep either during or after the programme for half an hour or so, have been doing this for a week or so...

Meno Clinic upped my HRT from 1.5mg Indivina to 2.5mg Indivina in Feb due to me waking up sweating during the night.

Should i try a sleeping tablet at the weekend to try and get some quality sleep?

TM x 
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Robyn

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Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #398 on: March 20, 2012, 12:39:24 AM »


Meno Clinic upped my HRT from 1.5mg Indivina to 2.5mg Indivina in Feb due to me waking up sweating during the night.

Should i try a sleeping tablet at the weekend to try and get some quality sleep?

TM x 

If you've been on this HRT since Feb and you're still having trouble sleeping it could be that you might need to have your HRT reviewed again.

You could try sleeping tablets, but they can be a slippery slope. If you can keep to just taking them every so often they aren't really a problem, but I had really severe insomnia that meant I didn't sleep at all if I didn't take a sleeping tablet. That can create problems because you get reliant on them, and then you have to wean yourself off them later on, which is the stage that I'm now at.  However, you need to have good quality sleep, so if sleeping tablets are what will help with that then that's what you have to do - as I had to.

My suggestion is if you do take sleeping tablets take Diazepam (valium) as it has a much longer half life than other sleeping meds, which means that when(or if) you have to wean yourself off them you can reduce it much more slowly and in smaller increments without suffering too many side effects. There is a lot of information out there about withdrawing from sleeping meds and the first step that is always recommended is that you transfer from whatever you are currently taking to diazepam before you start reducing.

However, I would try getting your HRT reviewed first, because it should certainly help sort out sleeping problems, as long as you are on the right one.
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Robyn

  • Guest
Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #399 on: March 20, 2012, 01:05:07 AM »

Hi Susan

No, it's actually the opposite. Diazepam has a really long half-life (up to 200 hours) which means it stays in your system for a long time, so that your body doesn't "crash" as quickly as it does with a lot of other sleeping meds. All sleeping meds are addictive, if you take them often enough, and that's the trap. You may intend only taking them on the odd occasion, but once you realise that you do get better sleep by using them, you tend to use them a lot more often, so you become hooked.

From memory zopiclone and tamazepam (which is the one I used to be on) have very short half-lives (probably less than 12 hour), so if you are hooked on them your body craves more really quickly, and that's when you start to suffer withdrawal symptoms. Of course if you do only take them on the odd occasion this shouldn't be a problem.

I wrote a faily long post about it on another thread, so I'll copy it here. I've also got a link to a website that can explain things a lot better than I can....lol.....

I did try zopiclone (brand name Imovane in Australia) but I didn't like it. It gave me a really bitter taste at the back of my throat and made everything I ate taste bitter and sour for at least half the following day.  In fact I almost threw out a brand new carton of milk because I thought it had gone off, until I realised it was probably the imovane causing it.

However, I hate to tell you this, but zopiclone can be just as addictive as any other kind of sleeping tablet. All sleeping drugs are non-addictive if used in very small qualities over a short period of time, but once you start using them for more than a week or two, because of a chronic problem like mine, it can lead to addiction. So if you are using zopiclone please be careful with it, and don't assume it is safer than any other kind of drug. It can be just as harmful as all the others.

There was a time that people thought it was better because it's a non-benzo, but attitudes have now changed. In fact, if you read anything about coming off zopiclone the advice is to switch over to diazepam anyway, because of the long half-life it has. It seems to be the go-to drug that medical people always recommend you switch over to if you are going to withdraw from any benzo or non-benzo.  Withdrawing directly from zopiclone isn't recommended because, like tamazepam, it has a very short half life (from memory less than 10 hours), which means your body "crashes" very quickly when it doesn't get the drug. Diazepam has a long half-life (up to 200 hours) which means that your body can slowly become accustomed to a smaller and smaller dose without suffering too many side effects.

You might like to have a look at this website. It is very interesting and gives information on just about anything you need to know about tranquiliser addiction.

http://www.non-benzodiazepines.org.uk/zopiclone.html

« Last Edit: March 20, 2012, 01:14:36 AM by Robyn »
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sandie w

  • Guest
Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #400 on: March 20, 2012, 06:26:41 PM »

Thanks Ladies.

Robyn,

This is my 5th HRT. Started 2.5 mg last Sep all was ok, Jan i felt unwell GP thought it may be due to going from 1.5 to 2.5... and told me to go back to 1.5mg But when i went to Meno clinic Dr said it was not HRT making me feel unwell....(it was stess) so back to 2.5mg. I have no other symptoms apart from waking during the night sometimes feeling hot...doesn't happen in the day.

Maybe se Gp and see if i can have Diazepam and try them at the weekend so i can catch up on some quality sleep.

TM



 
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silverlady

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Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #401 on: March 20, 2012, 06:49:15 PM »

I must be the exception then I take zopiclone as and when needed and I have taken them for at least fourteen days at a time in the past, I have not taken any for nearly a month now and feel fine, I did find that the first night I did have some rebound insomnia but then was fine and have been sleeping like a log. If I feel very stressed for any reason and can't sleep I take half a zopiclone,  strong cup of coffee can stop me sleeping and cause panic type feelings in me, if I do occasionallu indulge in a strong costa type coffee I know the only way I will sleep that night is if I have a sliver of zopiclone. A course of zopiclone tends to last a long time for me.

Vallium to me is the scary drug and I think much harder to wean off, and it has been the one that I have avoided taking.

I think lack of sleep is the killer and you should not not be afraid to take zopiclone once in a while if your doctor has prrscribed it for you.

silverlady x

Melatonin is suggested as a substitite.

 I must say that I can't imagine a doctor presribing a long acting highly addictive drug like a Vallium for occasional sleeplessness.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2012, 07:19:35 PM by silverlady »
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Robyn

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Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #402 on: March 20, 2012, 09:41:02 PM »

I must be the exception then I take zopiclone as and when needed and I have taken them for at least fourteen days at a time in the past, I have not taken any for nearly a month now and feel fine, I did find that the first night I did have some rebound insomnia but then was fine and have been sleeping like a log. If I feel very stressed for any reason and can't sleep I take half a zopiclone,  strong cup of coffee can stop me sleeping and cause panic type feelings in me, if I do occasionallu indulge in a strong costa type coffee I know the only way I will sleep that night is if I have a sliver of zopiclone. A course of zopiclone tends to last a long time for me.

Vallium to me is the scary drug and I think much harder to wean off, and it has been the one that I have avoided taking.

I think lack of sleep is the killer and you should not not be afraid to take zopiclone once in a while if your doctor has prrscribed it for you.

silverlady x

Melatonin is suggested as a substitite.

 I must say that I can't imagine a doctor presribing a long acting highly addictive drug like a Vallium for occasional sleeplessness.



Well, like I said, all sleeping meds are fine if taken in small doses or for a short period of time. However, no sleeping medication is non-addictive if it is taken long enough, even zopiclone. For some reason there seems to be a lot of misinformation being spread around about this drug, when it can be just as problematic as any other sleeping med. All I'm saying is that regardless of what drug you use, you need to use caution.

Of course not everyone is going to get addicted to it, just as not everyone will get an addiction to any other kind of sleeping med. I've also taken tamazepam for a fairly long period of time without any problems. Everyone is different and some will tolerate these meds very well and others will become addicted within days, and stopping cold turkey can have some very dire consequences. The problem is that you won't know what type of person you are until it is too late, so use with caution. However, it is a fact that if you do become addicted, and you need to slowly withdraw, diazepam is the one that is recommended to be used during the withdrawal period because of its half-life properties.

All I can do is pass on the information that has come from my doctor, and the information that is on that website (please read that website because it will explain why diazepam isn't harder to wean off from), and it is up to people to make their own choices. A lot of people do tend to have a very negative attitude towards valium simply because of the way it used to be prescribed back in the 60s, and that is why the word "valium" is rarely used these days. It can actually be quite a useful drug, if prescribed correctly - and I'll say again you really need to read that website to understand the benefits of diazepam.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2012, 09:48:47 PM by Robyn »
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Robyn

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Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #403 on: March 20, 2012, 09:52:15 PM »



Maybe se Gp and see if i can have Diazepam and try them at the weekend so i can catch up on some quality sleep.

Well, you really need to be guided by your own doctor, because it would appear that doctors in various areas have completely different opinions. There does however seem to be some misinformation out there about how 'safe' zopiclone is. All you need to do is a bit of googling to see that that information isn't correct. I can only tell you what my research has told me, by reading various websites and by talking to my own doctor.

I don't want to be a scare-monger, but you really need to be aware of the risks with all medications you take, especially tranquilisers, so please don't automatically assume that any kind of sleeping medication is non-risk. They are all addictive if taken for long enough, and the time period needed for addiction will vary widely from person to person. For some people it could be months or even years, and for other people is could just be a couple of weeks or even less. You might start out fully intending to only take it on the weekends to catch up on some sleep, but then there's the temptation to start using it more regularly because you need to get a good night's sleep during the week because of work etc, and that's how you get hooked. It's really easy and it can happen really quickly.

I'm not saying don't take any sleeping medications. It was a life saver for me, because you need to sleep, and taking a pill definitely helps. I'm also not saying don't take zopiclone. Just be aware that it can be just as addictive as any other sleeping medication. There are risks with all of them, and be prepared for the fact that you might have to slowly wean yourself off them later on, and that could end up being easier for you with diazepam. That website link I gave explains all that, so please read the information on it so you can make own decision. There is a lot more information on that site other that just the page link I gave, plus there is a lot more information available if you just search for it.

I have no idea if I have an addiction to any of the sleeping meds I've taken, but because I was on zopiclone and tamezpam for a couple of months, I wasn't about to take any chances of stopping them suddenly because even in small doses for short periods of time there is the potential for serious side effects if you don't taper the dose down over a period of time - and that goes for any sleeping medication (ie seizures is just as one possible problem).

As silverlady suggested, you could also try melatonin. I also take that (between 2-4mg) and I find it helps when I do a reduction in the dose I take of diazepam. You could perhaps try it in preference to a sleeping med, because it might be enough to help you, and there are no side effects except maybe drowsiness in the morning if you take too much. I think the maximum dose that is recommended is 6mg, but you would need to check that with your GP.

« Last Edit: March 21, 2012, 12:45:20 AM by Robyn »
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saladgirl

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Re: Tell us how you cope with poor sleeping
« Reply #404 on: March 26, 2012, 06:28:33 PM »

I have trazadone which knock me out but dont leave me feeling groggy b ut up to now just take them 2 or 3 nights a week - however as i am 'teetering on the edge' due to VA the doc has suggested i take 1 am and 1 evening - if that and vagifem doesnt work the he prescribed sitraline!  Not too keen but something has got to work I am a complete shivering tearful sore wreck
 :'(
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