Posted by jemma on June 4, 2003, at 13:27:40
In reply to Re: rebound insomnia » zenhussy, posted by Larry Hoover on June 4, 2003, at 11:17:55
Hi Larry -
I'm sorry you're going through insomnia right now. A long time ago, I was addicted to benzos, culminating in an od attempt with benzos and barbituates. The rebound insomnia kept me sleeping less than 4 hours a night for about six months. But eventually I got back to 8 hours.
Things that helped - meditation tapes, in a tape recorder by my bed; aerobic exercise in the day; deep breathing. Probably the most effective tool, one I still use, was memorizing several poems and prayers I found comforting - Emily Dickenson, Wallace Stevens, and especially the 23rd psalm (St. James version, of course). I would mentally recite them and was often asleep before the end of the first one. The psalm especially is about letting go and relaxing into the bosom of god, the universe, whatever.
On a more biochemical note, maybe you could try Remeron at 15 mg. At that dose, it acts almost purely as an antihistamine and is sedating. Even 30 mg is too activating for a lot of people. I think the reason sleep docs love it is that it actually restores good sleep architecture, unlike benzos which repress REM and deep sleep. Also, serzone worked for me like a hammer over the head when I was having trouble sleeping because of a herniated disk.
These days, I tend to rely on very-low-dose melatonin. Even at .375 mg (1/8th a 3 mg. pill), I find it very effective. It's also a powerful antioxidant and is quite neuroprotective, so I think of it as a supplement, not a drug. It's effect is potentiated, by the way, by B6. On a really bad night, I might augment with benedryl or gravol, and that combo (melatonin, B6, and benedryl) totally knocks me out. And, speaking as a recovering alcoholic/addict, it is completely non-habit-forming.
By the way, I do find that NADH makes sleeping harder for me. I use it very sparingly, when I feel depression creeping up on me. Magnesium can also be mildly activating if it isn't balanced by enough calcium, which is mildly sedating. The niacinamide, though, should be mildly sedating. But of course, you know far more about all this than I do.
Good luck getting the rest you need. And thank you for all the information you've provided, much of which I've capitalized on. Niacinamide is a real discovery, especially for its neuroprotective qualities.
Take care -
Jemma
poster:jemma
thread:231352
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030604/msgs/231384.html