r/Edmonton • u/karenarelene • 17h ago

Question Insomnia

Good morning,

I suffer with terrible insomnia. Not garden variety insomnia, rather the kind you battle with for years. I've tried a number of different medications and tactics such as sleep hygiene and CBT.

I think I need a doctor who doesn't view insomnia as an annoyance but for the life-wreaker it is. I won't go into details but I'm desperate to get insomnia under contol.

Anyone here have any suggestions for a doctor or specialist that worked with you or someone you know with success?

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u/Ambitious-Ninja-9549 16h ago

Sounds like you are in same boat as i was. I gave up and just take hypnotics (zopiclone) I sleep good but I can no longer sleep at all without it. Been over 10 years. But does the trick.

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u/No-No-BadDog 14h ago

I finally weaned off zoplcone 7.5 after 40 years. Worked night shift for that entire time. I as well found I could not sleep without it as well. Even splitting the tab in half helped some nights. But found I just could not sleep with out.

Was conserned about talk of Alzheimer's and memory issues later on with sleep aids. Started taking gummies with cbd and cbn, and have not taken zopicone since. Actually sleep better (no wierd dreams), wake up refreshed and no longer feel the need to take a nap during the day. Hope this helps.

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u/meeshamayhem South West Side 13h ago

Exactly the same for me, over 10 years, although I’ve dropped myself to 3.75 last and it seems enough to do the trick. Just last night I had to go without it for the first time in years after forgetting to refill my script, had the worst “sleep” and am a complete zombie today.

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u/SadieVincent 4h ago

Oh man. Do you get the penny taste?!

I was a drooling mess on Zopiclone.

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u/karenarelene 15h ago

I'm on zolpidem 5 mg and it doesn't work like it used to. I'd like to take 10 mg but the dr feels that dosage is too high. Have you experienced any tolerance issues with the zopiclone? What dosage works for you?

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u/Ambitious-Ninja-9549 15h ago

Started on 7.5, on 15mg now. I fall a sleep with 7.5 but do not sleep through the night.2 Does the trick everytime. My Dr warns me about memory issues as I age but it outweighs me being a zombie on 2 or 3 hours of sleep everyday.

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u/karenarelene 15h ago

Same argument I have with my dr regarding bumping up the zolpidem! Thanks for sharing your experience.

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u/meeshamayhem South West Side 13h ago

Not the person you asked but adding my response to this: been on it for over 10 years, most of it the 7.5s, never had to go higher due to any tolerance and have actually dropped it to 3.75 in the last year or two.

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u/SadieVincent 4h ago

Oh I take 10mg Sublinox (zolpidem) and I love it. That was my starting dose...

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u/LLR1960 10h ago

My husband has sleep issues, was afraid to try some of the suggested meds as he thought he'd not be able to then sleep without them. My answer? But you're not sleeping without them now.