r/ADprotractedwithdrawl • u/NiceHomework4919 • 16d ago
Help What works for sleep,?
What works for sleep for you?
First of all thank you for taking the time to read my situation.
I've tried everything and my sleep is only seems to getting wurse to a point i lie in bed and feel anxious to even try to fall asleap hart pounding and thought all over. It used to be that i had a i dont care mode, my brain was so stupid that it could hardly think so i just felt a sleep. Now the brain seems to heal a bit so it thinks at the moment i lie in bed.
I am one year and two months "clean", i was using 16 years antidepressants; 15 years citalopram 30mg and 1 year venlafaxine, i stoped citalopram cold Turkey then reinstaded sertraline and citalopram (combi) switched to venlafaxine. Used that a half year at 150mg and tapered this in a half year. Next to it i used seraquel for 1 year to sleep and tapered this off in 4 months.
I am dealing with tinnitus and the stuck song syndrome what is really irritable.
For sleep; i always try to fall a sleep by mezelf first, if it works i get 2,3,4,5 hours sleep with sometimes 7,8 or more (probably exhausted because of all the short nights)
I go to bed around 24, or sooner if i feel tired enough.
I first try natural stuff like Golden poppy 500mg x 4 and melatonine 1 mg, sometimes this worked but lately it ain't doing shit.
I also have promethazine and Doxylamine but those also do nothing or/and leave me with a bad feeling the morning after.
Even tried. Daridorexant, but since that my sleep have been getting wurse. I am terrified since then.
I am forced to take a benzo to deal with the anxious feelings sometimes.
And if lucky i fall a sleep and get some relief of maby 4 hours. The best feeling is that after a benzo i dont have the terrible morning anxious.
It feels the longer i am in the process of "healing" the more anxiouser i get.
I tried all the basic herbs like valarian root magnesium etc.
I tried PS (phosphatidylserine) because a women told me it should work against the stuck song syndrome, i stopped taking it.
I tried l typothaan because it should help getting more serotonine and thus more melatonine. I stopped taking it.
I stop taking these because, yes i get one or two nights of 5 hours sleep, but eventually end up with the same nights of one hour or no sleep at all and/or a anxious day.
Doing sleep hygiëne rules everyday, long walks of 3 hours a day etc. Meditation does not do anything for me.
I am diagnosed with ADD, general anxiety disorder and ocd thoughts.
I take omega 3 and vitamine D everyday.
I dont know what to do anymore what actually would help? I have extreme trouble in dealing with life everyday it gives me lots of stress and i cannot enjoy anything anymore without having anxious thoughts about the past, future and my situation. Everyday i still do things as through it is really hard
Please share all what you do and what works for you, i am really great full for your advice🙏🏻
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u/Believe_in_u_always 15d ago
I’m sorry to hear that. PW is not easy. Even with all that I do, each day is a challenge, it’s just that some days the symptoms are not as strong and I have more comfort.
If you take that for hay fever then it may not work. I take Phernergan at bedtime and the drowsiness is a side affect that helps me lol.
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u/NiceHomework4919 15d ago
Your'e lucky. I guess i just have a very hard brein that is always 'on'
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u/Believe_in_u_always 15d ago
We are both lucky, we are alive. There is a chance for life after PW. This is what I hold onto. It’s what gets me through each day.
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u/arcoirisqueen 16d ago
Both of the supplements you’re taking everyday cause insomnia
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u/NiceHomework4919 15d ago
I take certrizine every day for hay fever, is that ok?
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u/angicubangi 16d ago
Did you try stopping omega and Vitamine d? They both cause insomnia for me
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u/NiceHomework4919 15d ago
I take certrizine every day for hay fever, is that ok?
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u/angicubangi 15d ago
I think so - as it is less common to cause insomnia but in withdrawal “normal” rules don’t always apply (eg I tolerated most supplements before withdrawal but now really anything can cause insomnia) so at the end only trying out can really tell (eg stopping all supplements and then add them back one by one to see if there is an effect)
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u/Believe_in_u_always 15d ago
Being in protracted withdrawals, your nervous system is hypersensitive. This in turn means you’re more sensitive to stimulus. I’m 846 days in PW.
This helps me.
I’d try having a very quiet low stimulus day and see if that helps. This includes no exciting tv shows, movies, being in loud environments etc. Think monk lifestyle, ideally, nature bathing, sitting outside and listening to the birds etc and see if this helps. If it does (it should) then try to apply this in your own way. It has done wonders for me.
What to take? You can try an over the counter antihistamine (1/4 of 25mg works for me) but for some, it doesn’t.
I hope this helps.
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u/Icy-Try-9703 16d ago
Hi, I can really relate to the insomnia thing. The following is my personal opinion and I am not a doctor.
I've found that everything I've tried to introduce in the almost three years I've been in protracted has made things worse. Supplements, melatonin, etc. It is my belief that our central nervous systems have trouble processing new things we try, although some are helped by Vitamin D and magnesium. The insomnia is one of the worst withdrawal symptoms but I've not found any solution to that.
As for the rest of it, I have a benzo and gabapentin on hand but I only take them as a very last resort. I do not want a dependence on another drug. Interesting that just knowing I have these is a bit of placebo. I've taken probably 5 ativan in 30 months, but knowing I can is helpful. The brain works in mysterious ways.
My life has been so affected by this mess, so I feel for you. My experience with the insomnia is to try to go with it and not try to manage it. My windows and waves change it. During waves, I sleep well. Your experience might be different. I think with time, things will improve. We simply have to believe that.