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Ambien depression

digital dog

Senior Member
Messages
646
I am a life long insomniac and have tried everything you can possibly think of. Ambien is the best thing I have taken but it is now giving me depression (I get insomnia every two weeks approx for four days)

Is it best to be depressed from drugs of depressed from sleep deprivation?

I think the latter but every f****** night I reach for these drugs as I am going insane from lack of sleep.

If I could get rid of one symptom of this illness it would be the insomnia. It messes with my mind and Im not sure how much longer I can cope with this inconsistency.

Insomnia is going to kill me. I honestly can't take this anymore.
 

digital dog

Senior Member
Messages
646
I also want to add that I havent been able to nap for twenty years now. Not one nap in twenty years...not even ten minutes.
Not when pregnant, with a new born baby, not when so sleep deprived or fatigued with illness.
The only time I've slept in the day is when I have had a tummy bug or when I have taken a pill as so tired I'm suicidal.
WHY CANT I NAP? WHY CANT I DO WHAT EVERYONE ELSE CAN DO?
Im so tired and so sleep deprived but can't even get five minutes away from this hell.
Im a freak!!!!!!!
Insomnia is the worst thing in the world. I need escape. I can't do it anymore
 

Countrygirl

Senior Member
Messages
5,429
Location
UK
I also want to add that I havent been able to nap for twenty years now. Not one nap in twenty years...not even ten minutes.
Not when pregnant, with a new born baby, not when so sleep deprived or fatigued with illness.
The only time I've slept in the day is when I have had a tummy bug or when I have taken a pill as so tired I'm suicidal.
WHY CANT I NAP? WHY CANT I DO WHAT EVERYONE ELSE CAN DO?
Im so tired and so sleep deprived but can't even get five minutes away from this hell.
Im a freak!!!!!!!
Insomnia is the worst thing in the world. I need escape. I can't do it anymore

If you are a freak, then so am I digital dog and many others. For me, the very severe to total insomnia has always been the most distressing symptom of this illness. Like you, I also cannot nap. I just never experience that delicious sensation of sleepiness. It is hell. However, 15 years ago I found something that helped me enormously: baclofen. Providing I take it with a little alcohol that I can tolerate...............for me that is ginger wine..............it can knock me out for many hours, although I am always awake for a couple of hours in the night, but that is a vast improvement. The flip side, of course, is that I wouldn't take it more than twice a week at the most as tolerance will build up. Also, I withdrew from it once.............the experience was just about intolerable, so be careful.

I rely on zopiclone every night too, although the side effects can be rather 'interesting'.:D.........and dangerous if I take the full dose of 7 mg. I split it in half and take one or two halves a night.

I hope you find escape from this misery asap.

Thinking of you!

Edited to add that zolpidem (ambien) gave me horrible side effects and I stopped it within a few days.
 
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digital dog

Senior Member
Messages
646
Thank you for writing. Im so sorry you suffer too.
I live in hell. I swing from either total exhaustion/fatigue to sleep deprivation which is a different but equally torturous state.
I will look up baclofen.
God give me strength. My other half can sleep anywhere at any time. He just dozes off for twenty minutes and then wakes refreshed.
I would give my legs for this ability. I really would.
 

digital dog

Senior Member
Messages
646
Baclofen. I don't have muscle spasms or pain that is stopping me sleeping so not sure this would be worth trying. Have no idea how I would get it either.
Thanks for suggestion though. x
 

Countrygirl

Senior Member
Messages
5,429
Location
UK
How did you get baclofen in UK?
My consultant who has now retired found it helped a number of his ME patients. The reason I was prescribed it was to control the fasciculations that were very marked and typical in ME. Bother the fasciculations though....................it is the most effect drug for sleep in my experience.
 

Invisible Woman

Senior Member
Messages
1,267
Have you tried slow release melatonin? In the UK it's available on prescription under the brand name Circadin. Not a miracle cure by any means but I find it helps. I take it for a few weeks and then stop for at least a week and then start taking it again when I need to (usually when the week is up). I think if you don't take breaks you get too used to it and it stops working. Seems to help with the "drop off" and I don't wake up for quite so long or so often.

Tried all sort in the past. Most sleep prep like zopiclone etc make me feel wired.
 
Messages
93
Location
PA/NJ
I too have the same problem. You are not alone. I get soooo exhausted but am never able to nap. I get jealous when I see my family members napping during the day. I also have severe insomnia. Turns out, the more I push myself to do during the day, the less I am able to sleep. so now I try to just do the bare minimum and that has helped a little. What has helped me the most is klonopin, ambient, trazadone, baclofen, tizanadine and melatonin. Maybe you could try some of these????