Posted by Elizabeth on August 4, 2001, at 22:05:50
In reply to Re: Reply » Elizabeth, posted by terra miller on August 3, 2001, at 13:04:10
> > Well, I can't use antihistaminic drugs (such as tricyclics, neuroleptics, trazodone, Remeron, etc. as well as things like Benadryl and Atarax) for chronic insomnia because I become tolerant every few days.
>
> yes, i have had that response to trazodone and ambien as well.Ambien is the one thing that's continued working for me. What I've found is that while it only "knocks you out" when you first start taking it, it continues to facilitate sleep for a long time afterwards.
> i rotated for a while and that was somewhat beneficial. kind of like tricking my body or something.
I actually think it's a pretty good idea (although I'm not too keen on using alcohol as a sleep aid). It's important to have a stable sleep-wake pattern. One thing that worked well for me was taking Cylert (a long-acting stimulant) in the morning and Ambien or a benzo at night.
> there is no pattern. i can go weeks without drinking a thing and actually feeling a form of aversion. i can have a week when i drink three times a week, a glass of wine. that's probably accurate. every day is different for me.
It might help you to have a routine. Sleeping is much easier if you are going to bed at about the same time every day and waking up at about the same time every day.
> hmmm, at the peak i probably went 2 months taking it every day, 2 times a day, 1mg at a time. then i quit cold turkey. i've been off it a month now???
Do you really think that if you used it intermittently, as needed, you would still have to go through withdrawal? ("Intermittently" means perhaps taking it once every few days, not every day.)
That hasn't been my experience with Xanax (which I've been using as-needed for years). Actually I've never experienced benzo withdrawal.
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:72451
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010804/msgs/73602.html