Insomnia

[PingoTango]

SWIM suffers from really bad insomnia. Right now it's 4:30am and he can't sleep. He slept from 10pm-midnight and has'nt managed to get a wink since. Didn't sleep at all last night.

It's like this most nights for SWIM

Any other members of the wide awake club out there?

[Bajeda]

Swim generally has tons of sleep problems. He can't get to sleep, doesn't get enough sleep, talks in his sleep, moves around quite a bit in his sleep, etc. Melatonin has helped somewhat. As for tonight, swim has to get up early again tomorrow but is probably actually going to get to sleep early for once thanks to Kava. It works quite well, and add some 5-HTP in and its better yet. Swim still wants to try GHB as a sleeping aid though...

[PingoTango]

Ketamine usually helps SWIM get a good night's sleep once the trip has worn off, but he dosen't want to get into using it purely as a sleeping aid.

He's never tried GHB though...

[pankreeas]

I second the tryptophan, and swim might like to know that almost anywhere (altho swim is unsure about in the U.K) can be prescribed. One might want to make an appointment with a doctor because swiy can save lots of money compared to buying it @ a supplement shop. Swim has a permanent refill for his tryptophan. It's under a handful of $ for a months supply if u get it via prescription. Another bonus about gettin it through a pharmacy is the sizes. 50 - 500mg and even 1 gram pressed pills are available in Canada and all cost the same regardless of size.

[The Doors]

SWIM has been using marijuana to help him sleep for the past year and a half and it's worked pretty good. Usually 45minutes to an hour before he plans on going to sleep, a bowl with his bong is good enough!

[Riconoen {UGC}]

Diphenhydramine helps. ambien will knock out a charging rhino if you can obtain it. fighting ambien without stimulants seperates the boys from the men.

[Primacorza]

Is swim a nickname for when you're asking a question for the sake of it and not talking about anyone specific (I'm new)?

I do have insomnia, I have had it for four weeks at least and from the symptoms I personally believe that it's stress relationed. Being stationed in Okinawa (USMC), communication with loved ones is difficult and the solitude after work and the time I have over the weekend doesn't help.

I tried benadryl and it didn't do Jack- frankly antihistamines make you drowsy, they don't make you sleep and since I'm already drowsy 24/7, my body considers it a joke.

So I tried promethazine (Than you Canada!) with slightly better results- it seems promethazine, being related to old antipsychotics, shuts down enough thoughts that it was slightly easier to "shut out" the constant worry and ramblings of my mind at 11 PM, but I still took long to sleep, woke up constantly, had nightmares, and also the Promethazine's grogginess carried through to the next day.

The odd this is I don't seem to have this problem when I'm occupied with work- I fell asleep twice at work- both times without really any control over it (luckily nobody was around to catch me).

So I went to medical, the doc was somewhat unsimpathetic but he gave me a load of advice on sleep patterns all of which I tried, and I was just hoping he would get me some benzos- strong anti-anxiety for my troubling thoughts at night, and strong sedation so I'll actually be knocked the heck out.

He gave me Trazodone- a tetracyclic antidepressant usually used for PTSD and COCAINE addiction. He said nothing about depression (which I don't think I have), basically he admitted he was using it off-label for it's sedation effects, which are a freaking antihistamine effect. If 100 mg of promethazine doesn't work, why would something that makes people tired by accident work? As I expected, it doesn't do anything (it's weaker than benadryl) for my sleep or my dreams, and now I've been simply taking it as ordered on top of benadryl and occassionally other sedatives I come across legally.
***

Sorry for the long story. Please please please, what do you all suggest? A pharmacist once told me that there are herbal aids that work alot better than OTC antihistamines, can anybody confirm this, and what is your opinion of benzos or other Rx drugs for insomnia? I plan on talking to the doc again monday to see if I can get my medication changed- this is not cool.

Thx

[janesays]

swim suffers from insomnia even when not using coke. swim used to take tylenol pm to help with the insomnia, but now even pm meds dont work. swim usually reads or watches a movie/tv to help swim fall asleep because swim always has a lot on her mind.

[Nicaine]

Originally Posted by Riconoen {UGC}

Diphenhydramine helps. ambien will knock out a charging rhino if you can obtain it. fighting ambien without stimulants seperates the boys from the men.

Depends on both dosage and tolerance. Most people don't build up much tolerance to sedative-hypnotics, but SWIM was taking Ambien during the day for its euphoric effects...

[Primacorza]

A narcotic-antihistamine combination seems to work well (benadryl and 7-ohm). On top of the antidepressant I was given, I've started having wonderful sleep.

[CCCP]

what's the problem with zolpidem, zopiclone, eszopiclone, zaleplon, triazolam, temazepam, flurazepam.. or flunitrazepam if you're in a non-psychotic country..

those are really easy to obtain, and it beats GHB and marijuana for sleep. plus theyre dirt cheap..

i don't see what the problem is - can anyone enlighten me? thanks.

[pankreeas]

Well in regards to the zopiclone, ambien , et all.. stopping their use (the longer the regiment, the worse it gets) and attempting natural sleep will make bedtime as much fun to look forward to as your own funeral.

[Bajeda]

Originally Posted by Primacorza

A pharmacist once told me that there are herbal aids that work alot better than OTC antihistamines, can anybody confirm this, and what is your opinion of benzos or other Rx drugs for insomnia? I plan on talking to the doc again monday to see if I can get my medication changed- this is not cool.

Kava Kava, Valerian Root, potentially Lagochiline. For herbal remedies there are plenty to look through, but the only problem is finding out which ones actually work. Swim is rather partial to Kava though he intends to try some others and compare in the future.

Swim has tried benzos for sleep aid purposes and doesn't like them for the same reasons he doesn't like most any non-herbal sleep medicine, and that is the hangover side effects the next day he generally feels.

Swim likes sleep, but he'd rather have a good rested sleep than a pharmacy induced coma-like sleep that makes him feel shittier than if he had just stayed up all night!

Originally Posted by CCCP

what's the problem with zolpidem, zopiclone, eszopiclone, zaleplon, triazolam, temazepam, flurazepam.. or flunitrazepam if you're in a non-psychotic country..

those are really easy to obtain, and it beats GHB and marijuana for sleep. plus theyre dirt cheap..

What makes you say that? From what swim has heard its more of the other way around....

[Trebor]

I've this terrible problom were I can't sleep for ages becuase I have some many thouights running through my head. I seem to be able to fix it though with a nice, hot cup of hot choclate and a good run.

[El Calico Loco]

Swim has suffered from insomnia since he was a child. Nothing works for him quite as well as 50mg diphenhydramine, 6mg melatonin, some vitamin B6, and a shot of Jim Beam.


ECL

[Nagognog2]

One old trick Bongo learned many years ago is HOW to relax the body. Where to begin. If your body is wound up like a spring - sleep is quite difficult as the mind/thoughts tend to follow suit. Maybe it's the other way around - but relaxing the body is much easier than the mind to start with:

Focus - yes focus, even though your trying to shut off that thing - your mind on your tongue. Now actively allow your tongue to relax in your mouth. As you are relaxing your tongue, do the same for your jaw. Then your neck. Now shoulders....ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.....

Many times this will do the trick without reaching for the Ambien, Dalmane, Dead Sheep...

[Bajeda]

Swim knows that trick as well. He had a hypnotist tape he would listen to that had a soothing voice telling him to relax parts of his body and direct his getting to sleep. One time swim used it to have a nice little nap and woke up four or so hours later!

The problem is that when swim uses this regularly if his brain doesnt feel like going to sleep swim can get his entire body to be completely numb and without feeling (like it was all injected with novacaine) but he just can't get to the last step. Its something with the mind.... Don't know what, but swim is just ridiculously bad at getting to sleep, even when he really concentrates, generally from the legs up.

[Riconoen {UGC}]

I've heard of that trick and have done it, I think it's called Yoga Nidra is it not?

[podge]

The best thing to help go to sleep is to exercise. Literally get your body so fucking tired it has no alternative but to sleep. Weights , sit ups , press ups , go for a run , etc.......and the mandatory spliff before bed is always good in swims book.

[El Calico Loco]

My friend Swim used to be good at this type of meditation. He came upon it in a book on self-hypnosis rather than Yoga, but the principle is the same.

He tells me that, in addition to helping one sleep, it can improve the quality of CEVs from psychedelics or dissociatives by a factor of 10. Not the most scientific measurement, I think, but that's what he says.


ECL

[snapper]

SWIM has always been an insomniac. GBL was the best sleep aid ever for SWIM, but is long gone. SWIM gets some relief from kava, and also to a lesser extent from red poppy petal extract, passionflower extract and sometimes corydalis for those bad days.
SWIM has found that lunesta works reasonably well but packs a hangover at the full 1 pill dose. Needless to say SWIM finds a little weed relaxing, but too much will stimulate SWIM and keep SWIM awake.
SWIM never had much luck with yoga, self-hypnosis and other relaxation techniques, but SWIM still tries to clean SWIM's head and focus on the head to toe thing as well. It seems without the drugs it doesn't work, though.

[Bajeda]

^^^^ Swim has been pretty pleased with Kava's sleep inducing effects so far. He finds it doesn't make it especially easier for him to get to sleep (it makes it somewhat easier though) but when he does sleep its much more restful and swim wakes up feeling more refreshed in the morning.

He is still looking around at combinations to work with the Kava to make for a more efficient and satisfying sleep schedule.

[zaven]

xanax does wonders for helping one fall asleep......REM sleep too, wake up feeling like a brand new being......it's highly addictive though, if ya don't have the will power to control it then don't even bother.....before you know it you will be popping xanax all throughout the day....

[darkglobe]

Horlick's. God knows if this is available outside the UK, but there's nothing like a nice warm, milky-drink (non-caffeinated obviously) before bedtime.

By bedtime, I mean 6 hours of lying in bed waiting to get to that point where you know you absolutely cannot stay awake any longer.

Any drugs one would recommend? Preferably natural, as SWIM prefers to keep his chemicals for recreational use.

~Dark

[laws0n]

SWIM has been dealing with insomia for around 4 months. A good night sleep for swim on a school night is 5 hours.

SWIM has tried these natural sleepaids and have found all to be ineffective even in combination:

5-HTP
Melatonin
Valerian Root
Chamomile and "Sleepy Time Teas"
Hyoscyamus Niger
Kava Kava

SWIM's doctor is very conservative and has only perscribed:

Cyclobenzaprine
Amittiptyline

SWIM's mother has also had very bad sleep problems that mimic SWIM's. She called a sleep specialist for an appointment. She has gone through every kind of medication possible and said the only thing that helped her were:

Alprazolam
Clinazopam

SWIM knows the addictive risks of Alprazolam so SWIM and SWIM's mother agreed that Clinazopam would probably hit the nail on the head with the insomia.

SWIM sugguested Ambien but SWIM's mother disagrees with that totally having hears the hype about the "sleep walking side effects".

SWIM would have to agree that a benzo would be more effective too.

Does anyone have any advice on any benzo's or non-benzos that have been effective for SWIM? Keep in mind that SWIM's doctor is probably going to be conservative (same branch as past doctor) so something like "Versed" is out of the question. Also SWIM doesnt want to deal with extremely addictive properties, probably nothing that is as or more dependant than Alprazolam.

Thanks for your help!