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'Jane' wrote on '15:
Hi Marc, welcome to the forum.
I am sorry your having so much trouble sleeping. I can relate to the tinnitus. I had the once in both ears some years ago. It was terrible, like the Bells of St Pauls ringing in my ears.
Do you have to drive to work? I ask because obviously if you are groggy from lack of sleep you really need to be careful at the wheel.
Being wide awake when everyone else is asleep is awful isn't it, and so unfair. You've come to the right place for advice. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. 🙂
Hi…yes, I have an hour commute each way; I know I have to concentrate very hard while behind the wheel. I don't want to get hurt, or worse, hurt someone else.
'Martin' wrote on '16:Welcome to Insomnia Land, Marc. You're right – you're not alone, even though it can feel like it. We're hear to support you during this struggle and we understand the challenges you're facing.
Is there no way you can get a doctor's note to give you a few more days off work without worrying about your job security? Have you tried having an honest discussion with your employer about your sleep problems? Who knows, perhaps they'll be more accommodating than you'd expect.
Perhaps you could push your doctor for some other treatments that may not rely on pharmaceutical intervention. Have you heard of CBT for insomnia? Does the tinnitus itself keep you awake?
I'm actually very lucky that administration is very supportive, and I was open with them about why I needed a week off…. but when you're a teacher, it's very hard to stay away without worry, because, for example, I have not made substitute plans beyond the 5 days I was out; and I do worry about how it “looks”, to both co-workers and parents, and even the kids…plus, FCATS are right around the corner, and because I have the high-achieving/gifted class, everyone in 3rd grade is depending on me to make sure our average is as high as possible.
Someone suggested applying for short term disability, but I'm going to hold off for now; last night, I threw in a Lyrica capsule, and I actually slept pretty deeply for 6 hours straight, then dozed on and off the rest of the morning. Though I'm groggy from the meds, that 6 hours was a blessing; if I can do it again tonight, I should be okay to go to work tomorrow. I'm just going to have to be extra careful while I drive (it's an hour each way).
I've gotten used to the ringing in my ear, but I'm sure it doesn't help my efforts to sleep. I also started seeing a therapist, just started today; I'm not sure if he's a cognitive behavioral therapist or not, but I suppose most of them make use of that technique to some degree.
Sorry, I started a topic “Xanax saturated?”, not realizing there was already a forum for it…. but check out my initial post there, I am very familiar with Xanax. I don't recommend using it, because you end up needing more and more to fall asleep; and they say it's dangerous to stop cold turkey, once you're hooked.
'ExhaustedMichelle' wrote on '15:I've been prescribed benzodiazepines for years now, switching between xanax, klonopin, Valium, & Ativan. Currently I take an Ativan every night before bed and sometimes one or half of one during the day if I'm having particularly bad anxiety. I try to resist the urge to take more than one to fall asleep or to take one in the middle of the night, because just on that small amount I've noticed my body desires it and I have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if I skip that one nightly dose. It's frustrating to HAVE to take them or feel ill, especially since they no longer work to put me to sleep like they used to. I'm not sure if what your doctor says is true with your natural ability to fall asleep returning after a month. I guess you'll kind out soon, right?
Hi….. Regarding the benzos, they told me that I could not stop Xanax without medical supervision, because I can have seizures. I actually ended up in a detox facility, voluntarily, to get off them. I was only taking a quarter of a bar a night, plus 2mg of Ativan, but they said HOW LONG
I've been doing that was the issue. I was there 3 days (it was a horrible place). They used Valium to ward off withdrawal symptoms, and the then tapered me off that. They advised me not to “cave in” and take anymore benzos, ever….so be careful….try not to depend too much on those particular pills, and ween off the Xanax slowly, if you can. But I understand, I didn't sleep AT ALL last night, in spite of all the other non-addictive meds they gave me. Thinking about returning to my classroom on Tuesday makes me want to cry. If I still had the Xanax, of any other “benzo”, I'd be very tempted to take it, too. And I agree with you, I don't think this sleep problem will be resolved in a month, but like you said, I'll find out soon………
Hi… I'm wondering if anyone else out there was “hooked” on xanax and depended on it to get some sleep. Eventually, if you take it for too long (like I did), it stops working… and now, a cocktail of pills won't get me a good night's sleep. My doctor says that after getting off of xanax (alprazolam) it may take a month or two (!) before I start sleeping normally again. I HOPE that's true, but I'm not optimistic…I've read here that some people have suffered for years. Honestly, I don't think I'll survive that long if I don't start getting some sleep. So, if anyone has had a similar experience, or if you have any input on this issue, I'd really appreciate your input!
'xdunlapx' wrote on '14:Welcome to the forum 🙂 I had been taking 2 sleeping pills (newer kind) and still had issues falling asleep. I can't take the Silenor and Ambien CR anymore (even thoug the ambien cr is generic) due to the outrageous price my insurance charges. I just switched to doxepin 10mg and had success last night but not the first night i took it, the night before. I hope you can find some help here on this site. Have you tried melatonin? I hear many people have good success with that. Much luck to you.
Brittany
Hi, thanks for the input… I'm still learning how to navigate this site, so I'm sending this “test” reply….
I'm so exhausted, at this point, that I mostly just lie there in bed until it's time to get up and drag myself to work…. It's awful. Sometimes, I read for a while.
I have similar concerns; I'm a teacher, and my school is an hour away, with a lot of stop-and-go traffic. I took off a whole week off sick, but am still concerned; I can't take any more days off, and I'm still not sleeping (I got 2 hours, tops, last night). I dread returning to work on Tuesday. So, you are definitely not alone! Currently, I'm taking gabitril, mirtazapine, Elivil, and clonidine. All that to get 2 hours of sleep. I agree that you shouldn't drive, if you don't have to… but I also understand that feeling of obligation, and feeling like you have to go in; I know I'm going in Tuesday, no matter what… I just make a concerted effort to stay focused on my driving, but I wish I had another alternative…
