Which benzo would be best for maintenance and/or tapering while trying to restore sleep patterns that were altered by drug use? SWIM has used small doses of xanax, zoldipem or clonazepam for close to a week (never combining due to cross tolerance except once with 10mgs of zoldipem after 1mg of clonazepam during the day). SWIM tried not taking any yesterday after jumping from 1mg of clonazepam the day before, and could not sleep. He used 45mgs of remeron, 25mgs of seroquel, and about 10 grams of ghb (split into 2 different doses 4 hours apart) last night and did not sleep. Now he feels so heavy and braindead from the stuff he took because SWIM didn't sleep on it. Should SWIM get back on a small dose of benzo until he can sleep easy at night? SWIM has had sleep issues for some time due to other drugs such as opiates, kratom, coke, and adderall (with occasional benzo use at small doses). SWIM recently quit taking coke, opiates and kratom, and has been using benzos for sleep. SWIM has access to xanax, clonazepam, zoldipem, and ghb. The zoldipem and GHB seem to be the least effective for helping SWIM sleep at this point. Should SWIM just stay off benzos and pray he can sleep one day, or would a small dose be ok to restore sleep patterns until his body is fully adjusted from coming off of the other drugs? SWIM never uses high amounts of benzos, and his tolerance is low. This is because SWIM is afraid of full-blown benzo wd's, but SWIM is more afraid to lose more sleep at this point. Please help SWIM. SWIM is not a huge fan of benzos, and just uses them for sleep. SWIM thinks it may be ok to use them for sleep for now because the insomnia was caused by other drugs, and simply returned once benzo use stopped. SWIM wants to detox from all drugs for awhile, and is down to benzos only (and occasional adderall early in the day). SWIM is also getting some clonidine today.
Enlightenme added 271 Minutes and 55 Seconds later...
Ok well SWIM took .5 xanax earlier cause he was freakin out a little bit. He dissolves it under is tongue and spit about half of it out (so he really took about .25). SWIM decided to save xanax as a last resort. SWIM waited a couple hours with little to no relief, and then took 1mg klonopin for sleep. SWIM is still experiencing wd's from other drugs, and the low dose benzo is the only thing taking the edge off. SWIM doesn't want to get into antidepressants for sleep. He was given some doxepin to try, but will most likely obstain. Will try to transition to the clonidine as soon as SWIM can get ahold of himself. SWIM will try a low dose tonight to get a feel for it.
Last edited by Enlightenme; 29-11-2009 at 04:57.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost
SWIM is pretty sure that SWIY won't care for her post.
Seems like SWIY has very simple problem; SWIY is dependent on medication to manage things his endocrine system should be handling with minimal help, if any. And while it is a simple problem, it is hard to fix. Simplicity and difficulty are not the same thing.
SWIY has basically fired his internal regulation staff and outsourced it to the cheapest bidder, who like all cheap bidders, fails SWIY in the long run.
Artificial induction of sleep is not the same as sleep initiated by natural processes in the brain and endocrine system. And contrary to what SWIY may believe, chemical correction of sleeping habits is not correction, it's just being sedated on a schedule. Using sleeping medications to try and 'restore one's clock' is not how it works, or physicians would stop sending insomnia patients to sleep clinics and just get down with that Immovane and its bad self.
SWIY has sleeping problems because SWIY is on stimulants and downers and lord knows what else. One can not reasonably assume that they can take over for their endocrine system and do it properly, let alone for a prolonged time.
SWIM doesn't mean to be harsh, but SWIM thinks honesty is best, and in the case of SWIY, if you want to sleep again you might consider detoxing, or at the very least, cutting down and try letting SWIY's body do what millions of years of evolution have designed it to do: regulate.
If SWIY can manage to get off the drugs, or at least cut down to the bare minimum that SWIY can handle and SWIY is still having sleeping problems then SWIY might consider consulting a physician about his insomnia rather than trying to manage it himself. SWIM understands its unreasonable to just say "stop doing that", but SWIY needs less crap in his system after which he may be surprised at his ability to sleep.
Now, SWIY has written that he HAS ceased to use of the drugs he once did. If this was recently, and SWIY used to be on a lot of those things, frequently, then SWIY maybe experiencing sleep problems because all those outsourced cheap labourors have left the plant in dissarray and the old crew is still trying to figure out what the hell they're going to do, and how to do it.
SWIM applauds the cut down in drugs, but urges you to consider toughing out the rehaul period, rather than prolonging it by trying to treat it with medication. Unless some other underlying pathology exists that contributes to the insomnia, there is little reason to do anything but wait for when sleep will return, and it will.
As always, SWIM strongly urges SWIY to consult his physician and be honest about the drug use and the attempts SWIY has made to try and fix the problems. It is sometimes amazing what solutions your physician can come up when you give him or her the whole, nasty, awful story.
SWIM is detoxing... that's the whole point. SWIM is taking the bare minimum, just to keep from completely crashing. Quitting everything all at once would cause serious problems for SWIM, which is why he has weaned down and eliminated all but benzos for the anxiety and sleep. The benzos really are needed or SWIM will have a panic attack. SWIM was asking for advice about the safest possible use as far as dose and duration; not to mention, tapering so SWIM can be completely clean. Last night SWIM took nothing but a doxepin for sleep and seems to be ok today. Maybe just a little achey. SWIM thinks he's just about there.
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