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Sleep anxiety - help please!

Posted , 7 users are following.

rllen84347
rllen84347

Hi there, I suffer from severe sleep anxiety. It reared its head last May out of the blue - causing a month or so of chronic anxiety, a bit of depression and hopelessness. I felt like I would feel like it forever. I ended up going on Mirtzaphine which immediately helped and had sound sleeps and manageable anxiety for the next 7 months. In December I came off the Mirtzaphine but instantly became anxious with no sleep again, going back on the Mirtzaphine didn't help and am now on Veldoxin but it hasn't had the same effect. I may sleep well for 3 nights then have 5 terrible nights and my anxiety during the day consumes me. I've tried meditation work shops, yoga, I've been seeing a sleep psychologist for the last 7 months but nothing seems to be helping. Sleeping pills are the only things that get me to sleep on bad nights but they seem to make me just as anxious as having no sleep. I'm at my wits end - any advice possibly would be greatly appreciated :-)

1 like, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Joez
    Joez rllen84347

    Posted

    1st of all FYI . . . . Mirtzaphine is an anti-depressant/anti-psychotic. Does horrible things to the mind and to the body. Uh huh . .   I get the 'yoga' thing. Yoga is great for western practitioners who need to feel as though their yoga experience will assist them in sleep-related disorders. I've done it all from yoga to Acupuncture, massage therapy,   -  -  -  -  - none of that will, alone, be of any serious use and should be reevaluated as a means to attain and/or support sleep anxiety. 

    Talk with a medical specialist (in this particular field of expertise) to begin the process of building your very own 'combination' of medications to treat this serious condition. 

    One combination includes:

    Ambien (10mg or lower depending on body mass)  also known genericly as zolpidem.

    Amitriptiline (between 25 or 50 mg - NO MORE).

    Alprazolam - (starting dose at .25 - thru to 1.2 or 3 mg titration).

    Other (non-benzodiazepam meds) medications normaly taken nightl.

    Take medications 30 minutes before the normal time you retire. Obviously don't drive, use power tools, email or text your family or friends, etc. 

    This combination causes some chemical 'rebind' to take effect. 'Resets'  not the 'circadian' thing (sounds like that isn't your problem) but your 'brain chemistry'. Circadian disorders are 'clock' abnormalities that might be remedied by re-ordering your sleep/wake rituals. 'Sleep anxiety' is a more serious condition that effects the entire brain/body. 

    Best of luck. 

     

    • rllen84347
      rllen84347 Joez

      Posted

      Thanks for your quick reply Joez. I'm really hoping to find something that's long lasting and not in any way shape or form a sleeping pill as that what seems to make me anxious - although I can't sleep without them at the moment, it's a bit of a catch 22.
    • Tilania
      Tilania Joez

      Posted

      Mirtazapine was given to me for anxiety and help with nightmares. It stopped them. Infact I didn't dream at all. So it's not just for one type of problem
  • LUXLUMENS
    LUXLUMENS rllen84347

    Posted

    Hi rllen84347

    I'm sorry to hear you are feeling unwell. I'm not a qualified person so don't think that what I am saying will solve your problems. At best I just want to sow a seed for you to see things from another perspective, which, may lead you to researching the subject more fully.

    Have you ever thought about what is at the root of your anxiety? have you ever considered that something that happened a long time ago, perhaps, even before you could talk, could still be playing over and over again in your mind, beneath your level of awareness?

    Are you aware of your attachment type? It may help you to find out more about that if it piques your curiosity.

    Also, not all psychologists or mental health workers are the same - just because the one you have seen does not seem to have had much of a positive impact, it does not mean that others won't.

    I hope things improve for you very soonsmile

     

  • elizabeth2244
    elizabeth2244 rllen84347

    Posted

    With your anxieties you should try Zolft and Trazodone and Lorazepam to help you sleep.

    I was having a lot of sleep problems myself back in November and December and i went to my doctor and asked him to put me on Zoloft, Lamotrigine, Trazodone besides my Lorazepam and my anxieties are down and my depression is better and i am sleeping better too. Try it it may help because when i was taking melatonin it did not work and made me more depressed so melatonin does not work like they say 

    I just don't want to see you suffer try it

    • rllen84347
      rllen84347 elizabeth2244

      Posted

      Thanks so much for the advice. I will have a chat to my gp about it this week. You've given me a glimmer of hope! Glad to hear you are feeling better! How long were you on all of those meda for? Or still are?
    • elizabeth2244
      elizabeth2244 rllen84347

      Posted

      I have been on lorazepam for a long time the Zoloft, Trazedone and Lamotrigine i started up after the New Year so it has been helping me a lot 

       

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