[Dijimena]

I have been taking ever stronger sleeping meds for decades now and trying to wean myself off. Anybody else in this situation?

[hiker]

Hi Dijimena, I am guessing that you have been adjusting your meds because you haven’t found anything which works consistently without side effects.

I tried doing this for many years without consistent success. I would find something which would work for a while, sometimes. But invariably I would build up a resistance to it. If such a med. combo exists, I think we would have heard.

As far as weaning off, I strongly recommend consulting with pharmacists, who can tell you about the “half-life” of certain medications, and whether you need to taper off rather than stopping suddenly. Be sure to tell them of any other meds you might be taking.

I don’t know if your meds have included anti-depressants. If you do have a depression diagnosis, it can be important to follow up with this. Early morning awakening can be an indicator of depression, but you would want to follow up with a mental health professional. Such meds can help with depression, but they can carry their own side effects and don’t guarantee restful sleep over the long term. Still worth taking in some cases.

Also, I am assuming that sleep apnea is not a factor in your insomnia? This is one aspect of sleep medicine which Western doctors do know about. A sleep medicine physician can set up a sleep study to see if apnea is contributing to your sleep disturbance.

I hope you stay with this site. Lots of good info here, and a steady reminder you are not alone in this.

[Martin Reed]

Hello Dijimena and welcome to the forum.

It sounds as though you’ve found that taking ever-stronger doses of medication isn’t a strategy that’s proving to be effective for you. Have you discussed ways you might be able to move away from medication with your doctor?

There are plenty of success stories on the Insomnia Coach podcast of people who moved away from medication.

You are not alone!

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If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

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