HopeFloats: Prozac, amino acids, withdrawals – reinstating Prozac

[Sassenach]

Your sleep is improving which is good.

3 minutes ago, HopeFloats said:

Wondering if I should keep trying no more than 2 mg Melatonin or even drop it to .5 mg twice nightly?

As Shep said you may need to experiment to find the optimum dose.

You could definitely try .5ms x 2 tonight as presumably you do not have to work tomorrow.

If you sleep better it would indicate a paradoxical reaction which would be good to know.

 

Sass

[HopeFloats]

I tried .5 mg the other night, too.  I would need to compare my notes between how I slept when I took .5mg and when I took 1mg.

 

My gut is telling me that there is a paradoxical reaction going on with the GABA, Tryptophan and Melatonin.  I believe I have too much in my system.  

[Sassenach]

17 minutes ago, HopeFloats said:

tried .5 mg the other night, too.  I would need to compare my notes between how I slept when I took .5mg and when I took 1mg

Good idea, won't need us soon🤣

[HopeFloats]

19 hours ago, Sassenach said:

Good idea, won't need us soon🤣

 

So, after I took the Tryptophan at 9:30pm, I fell asleep at some point.  Woke up to my 10pm alarm telling me it was time to take the Melatonin.

 

I tried .5 mg at 10pm; went to bed around 10:15pm; then when I woke up at midnight, I took another .5 mg Melatonin.

 

My sleep did not improve though.

 

I went from my bed to my couch at one point, tossed and turned; finally fell back to sleep

 

Around 3am, I felt butterflies; then again around 5am or 6am.

 

Overall, I felt like I had a poor night's sleep.

 

 

[HopeFloats]

8/24:

12 midnight - like clockwork, I woke up at midnight

                       took 1 mg Melatonin

1:30am - woke up again, could not fall back to sleep

2:15am - went to lay on the couch, must have fallen back to sleep, I recall waking a couple more times

6am - woke up, I could hear my alarm that was in the bedroom while I was out in the living room

6:30am - took 1.25 mg Prozac

7:30am - anxiety is a 3, mild butterflies, fidgety on the couch, crying

8:30am - took last dose of DLPA (125 mg)

9am - went to pick up my brother, anxiety increased to a 3/4

9:30am - got home, ate some fruit

11:30am - lunch

12noon - lied on the couch, anxiety has lessened

2pm - 4:30pm - went out to lunch with my husband and brother, back was bothersome and my anxiety is a 3

5pm - at home now, anxiety is a 1 or 2, lied on my couch to rest my back

7pm - fidgety 

8pm - took 400 mg Magnesium and 25 mg Iron

9pm - took 125 mg GABA Calm

9:18pm - noticed some heart palpitations

9:30pm - took 1000 mg Tryptophan

9:50pm - fell asleep

10pm - woke up to alarm to take Melatonin, took .5 mg

10:15pm - went to bed

8/25:

12midnight - woke up, took .5 mg Melatonin, could not sleep

1:20am - got up, went from my bed to the couch, tossed and turned but I think I fell to sleep

3am - went back to my bed, think I feel alseep some

6:30am - took 1.25 mg Prozac, feel butterflies in my stomach prior to taking it

Edited August 25, 2019 by Sassenach
pm not am

[Sassenach]

Hi Hope

 

2 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

10pm - woke up to alarm to take Melatonin, took .5 mg

Wre you in a deep sleep when this happened?

[HopeFloats]

29 minutes ago, Sassenach said:

Hi Hope

 

Wre you in a deep sleep when this happened?

I’m not sure. I know I was definitely asleep but not sure if I had just dozed off or if I had been asleep for 15 min? 

[Sassenach]

This is first day without DLPA, is that correct?

[HopeFloats]

17 minutes ago, Sassenach said:

This is first day without DLPA, is that correct?

Yes, I took 125 mg for two days

Today is the first day with no DLPA.

[Sassenach]

Don,t set alarm tonight.

If you fall asleep naturally, only take .5mg Melatonin if you wake up, if possible take a note of time.

The same if needed later in night.

Each time you wake up it is 2-3 hours after taking melatonin.

Half life is less than 1hr so not sure whether above is because effect has worn off or paradoxical, will ask Shep tomorrow.

 

Sass

 

[HopeFloats]

4 minutes ago, Sassenach said:

Don,t set alarm tonight.

If you fall asleep naturally, only take .5mg Melatonin if you wake up, if possible take a note of time.

The same if needed later in night.

Each time you wake up it is 2-3 hours after taking melatonin.

Half life is less than 1hr so not sure whether above is because effect has worn off or paradoxical, will ask Shep tomorrow.

 

Sass

 

Ok, sounds like a game plan. Thank you!

[HopeFloats]

Hi Sassenach,

 

The anxiety is really bad today.  Not sure if it is because I have been mostly doing nothing so I have not been able to distract myself.

 

It is like a 5.  I know a 5 isn't the worst but my anxiety rarely gives me a break.  It is practically 24/7.

 

I need some relief.

 

Is a beta-blocker ok to use to get me through this rough patch?  I actually already have a Rx for this.

 

It would be one thing if I experienced anxiety a couple hours a day, but mine is all day.

 

Thank you,

HopeFloats

[ChessieCat]

There are many existing topics on this site.  I like to use google and add survivingantidepressants.org to my search term:

 

beta-blockers-propranolol-metopropol-atenolol-etc

 

tapering-beta-blockers-or-alpha-blockers

 

[mdwstrx]

HI HF.

Stopping by to say I hope that you're feeling some improvement even though it can be so very slow.  I'm sorry you're still dealing with the anxiety. 

I did also for some time after reinstatement.  It got much better gradually. 💜 

[HopeFloats]

25 minutes ago, mdwstrx said:

HI HF.

Stopping by to say I hope that you're feeling some improvement even though it can be so very slow.  I'm sorry you're still dealing with the anxiety. 

I did also for some time after reinstatement.  It got much better gradually. 💜 

Oh my gosh, I was thinking about reaching out to you today. It is so sweet of you to think of me. 💜

 

I’m having a tough day. The anxiety rarely gives me a break.  I am looking into whether a beta blocker may help me get through the next few months. I actually already have a Rx for Propranolol. You mentioned taking that at one point. Did you have any problems with it?

 

How long did your anxiety and insomnia last for? 

 

Hope Floats

[HopeFloats]

49 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

There are many existing topics on this site.  I like to use google and add survivingantidepressants.org to my search term:

 

beta-blockers-propranolol-metopropol-atenolol-etc

 

tapering-beta-blockers-or-alpha-blockers

 

Thank you- I will take a look at the links you sent me. 

[mdwstrx]

1 hour ago, HopeFloats said:

Oh my gosh, I was thinking about reaching out to you today. It is so sweet of you to think of me. 💜

 

I’m having a tough day. The anxiety rarely gives me a break.  I am looking into whether a beta blocker may help me get through the next few months. I actually already have a Rx for Propranolol. You mentioned taking that at one point. Did you have any problems with it?

 

How long did your anxiety and insomnia last for? 

 

Hope Floats

 

I’m really sorry to hear.  I remember how terribly uncomfortable it was.  Propanolol helped me a lot but if I took too much, it made me very nauseous. I kept it to about 2.5mg daily and only when I felt I really needed it. Below is a chart copied from my thread  that shows the windows and waves of symptoms and insomnia during my recovery. 

  

Over time, the chart got too big to upload so there are later versions on my thread that show February and March but not the very beginning months.  Those are helpful to see how things began to even out in the later months. I was feeling better by March so about 4 months in total.  

 

Hoping this helps. Please let me know if I can explain anything. 

 

Ps. Alto asked me to provide actual hrs of sleep in December. Up to that point; I hadn’t included the actual hours.  

 

 

[Shep]

On 8/24/2019 at 1:55 PM, HopeFloats said:

My gut is telling me that there is a paradoxical reaction going on with the GABA, Tryptophan and Melatonin.  I believe I have too much in my system.  

 

11 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

 I am looking into whether a beta blocker may help me get through the next few months. I actually already have a Rx for Propranolol.

 

We don't recommend adding in drugs to "fix" withdrawal symptoms. Let's go over some of the reasons why. 

 

First, there's a an additional drug interaction by adding in propranolol. 

 

Drug Interaction Checker

 

That's between Prozac and Propranolol. This checker didn't include GABA, but I would suspect some kind of interaction there because GABA can also lower blood pressure. 

 

Second, in the first post I quoted, you state that your gut reaction is telling you that you're on "too much'. I agree. You're getting paradoxical reactions. So adding in another drug that dampens down the nervous system may help with immediate symptoms, but later on, you're likely to experience rebound and paradoxical reactions. 

 

The more you dampen down the nervous system, the more it fights to stay awake. This is what causes those uncomfortable paradoxical symptoms. So adding in another sedating drug will likely make that worse. 

 

12 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

The anxiety is really bad today.  Not sure if it is because I have been mostly doing nothing so I have not been able to distract myself.

 

It is like a 5.  I know a 5 isn't the worst but my anxiety rarely gives me a break.  It is practically 24/7.

 

I need some relief.

 

Is a beta-blocker ok to use to get me through this rough patch?  I actually already have a Rx for this.

 

It would be one thing if I experienced anxiety a couple hours a day, but mine is all day.

 

I think you solved your problem - not being able to distract. Being able to distract through your symptoms is key. If you can start the day off with some gentle distractions (a walk in the sun, watching a favorite TV or internet show, listening to a guided meditation for anxiety, painting or playing music, etc), you can set yourself up for a better day. Anxiety tends to feed on itself and before you know it, you've entered a spiral that just won't quit.

 

Some helpful ideas and articles:

 

"Change the channel" -- dealing with cognitive symptoms

 

Dealing With Emotional Spirals

 

Withdrawal causing intrusive or repetitive thoughts, rumination, and increased panic?

 

Acceptance

 

Learning how to breathe can be the best defense against anxiety. Learn to breathe and float through your symptoms. This video can help:

 

The Breathing Space by Jon Kabat Zinn video (4 minutes)

 

Pick a few videos you like such as this "breathing space" video and schedule them throughout the day as a reminder to let go of those anxious thoughts. Those thoughts are like heavy baggage, so if you can learn to let go of them now, your journey will be that much lighter. 

 

As my favorite mindfulness guru, Mooji, says, "Your thoughts are just visitors and you are NOT a hotel. Don't invite them in!"
 

Just look at those anxious thoughts as visitors and let them pass by like annoying strangers. There's no reason for you to engage in a thought-stream conversation with them. 

[HopeFloats]

Hi Shep,

 

I appreciate your thoughtful response.

 

It was a bad day and a bad night.  

 

I hardly slept.  I didn't fall asleep naturally after taking the Tryptophan like I was thinking I would.  The anxiety was too high.  I tried using a breathing technique - the one where you take a deep breathe, then keep trying to breathe even further.  

 

The anxiety was bothering me so much that I broke down and took 2.5 mg Propranolol around 2:30am.  It did seem to help.  

 

Then I took .5 mg twice of Melatonin around 2:45am - 3am.

 

I must have fallen asleep for maybe an hour, maybe two hours.

 

Around 5am, I woke up to anxiety, major butterflies in my stomach and toss and turned until 6am when I got up.

 

I am at a loss.

 

Thank you,

Hope Floats

 

 

Edited August 26, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[HopeFloats]

8/25:

12midnight - woke up, took .5 mg Melatonin, could not sleep

1:20am - got up, went from my bed to the couch, tossed and turned but I think I fell to sleep

3am - went back to my bed, think I feel alseep some

6:30am - took 1.25 mg Prozac, feel butterflies in my stomach prior to taking it

                 I.B.S.

6:45am - anxiety is a 1 or 2, mainly butterflies and queezy feeling in chest

9:30am - picked up my brother, anxiety is a 3, stopped off at store

10:30am - got home, anxiety is a 1 or 2

11am - 12noon - anxiety is a 1, back hurts a little

12noon - anxiety is a 2 or 3, heart palpitations start

1:15pm - anxiety is a 3 or 4

4:30pm - anxiety is still 3/4

5:30pm - had dinner

6:30pn - anxiety is a 2/3

7pm - drove my brother somewhere, anxiety is 3 or 4

7:30pm - home again, anxiety is 2/3

8am - took 400 mg Magnesium and 25 mg Iron

           started to feel tired naturally

8:18am - anxiety is back to a 3 or 4

9pm - anxiety is a 2/3

           took 125 mg GABA Calm

9:30pm - took 1000 mg Tryptophan

                went to lie down in bed

10:42pm - not able to sleep

                  took 1 mg Melatonin

                 anxiety seems to be increasing

                   toss and turned, went to lie on couch

8/26:

2am - broke down and took 2.5 mg Propranolol

            anxiety seemed to be increasing even further to a 6

2:30am - the Propranolol seemed to help with the anxiety

                still not tired enough to sleep though

2:42am - took .5 mg Melatonin

3am - took another .5 mg Melatonin

           must have fallen asleep for 1, maybe 2 hours

4:50am - woke up with anxiety, mainly butterflies in stomach

[mdwstrx]

Hello.  I felt I should have qualified that my experience is, of course, unique to me and not necessarily a guide for anyone else.  There are similarities in some cases but the mods are aware of factors like drug interactions that are unique to each person.  I'd also offer that I've noticed frequently that in describing symptoms, it's easy to conflate those of anxiety  with those of akathisia if a person is unfamiliar with the latter.  In my case, until I learned about akathisia,  I thought the symptoms were anxiety on steroids. It was a sense of doom, dread and restlessness that engulfed me and made it near impossible to distract from unless I was moving.  That's why the sports helped me a lot.  It was unrelenting for a time but slowly improved.  Apparently, some other drugs produce this too, like steroids and other psychotropics.  I think distinguishing between the akathisia and anxiety symptoms may help to address a course of action.

 

Thinking of you HF and praying your day improves.  🙏

 

 

 

 

[HopeFloats]

Hi Shep,

Since you believe I have too many amino acids in my system, is there anyway to experiment and maybe slowly decrease the Tryptophan to see if it helps to have less of it?

 

The Prozac targets serotonin and so does the Tryptophan. Maybe my body is saying “whoa” to all the seratonin?

 

Thank you,

Hope Floats

 

Edited August 26, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[HopeFloats]

When I began taking the Tryptophan, I did not take the Melatonin. 

 

Back when I was tapering off the Prozac, it became harder for me to sleep, so that is why I started the Melatonin. Usually 1 mg did the trick and would help me sleep.

 

it wasn’t until after July 24th, when my w/d  symptoms started that I added the Melatonin on top of the GABA and Tryptophan. 

 

Edited August 26, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[HopeFloats]

9 hours ago, mdwstrx said:

Hello.  I felt I should have qualified that my experience is, of course, unique to me and not necessarily a guide for anyone else.  There are similarities in some cases but the mods are aware of factors like drug interactions that are unique to each person.  I'd also offer that I've noticed frequently that in describing symptoms, it's easy to conflate those of anxiety  with those of akathisia if a person is unfamiliar with the latter.  In my case, until I learned about akathisia,  I thought the symptoms were anxiety on steroids. It was a sense of doom, dread and restlessness that engulfed me and made it near impossible to distract from unless I was moving.  That's why the sports helped me a lot.  It was unrelenting for a time but slowly improved.  Apparently, some other drugs produce this too, like steroids and other psychotropics.  I think distinguishing between the akathisia and anxiety symptoms may help to address a course of action.

 

Thinking of you HF and praying your day improves.  🙏

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your input. I appreciate it all. It helps to keep me going. 

[mdwstrx]

I'm glad it helps.  Feel free to pm me anytime if you need to talk. 

I found few outside this forum understand.  

[HopeFloats]

50 minutes ago, mdwstrx said:

I'm glad it helps.  Feel free to pm me anytime if you need to talk. 

I found few outside this forum understand.  

I’m still having a rough time. It’s like the anxiety is getting worse. I know you said you stabilized in 3.5 months but I also read about people who take years to. That scares me so much. There is no way I’ll make it if it takes that long. I am losing hope.

[Shep]

20 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

Since you believe I have too many amino acids in my system, is there anyway to experiment and maybe slowly decrease the Tryptophan to see if it helps to have less of it?

 

Decreasing the tryptophan will likely be the next step.

 

However, if you start taking Propranolol, that may complicate things. 

 

You seem to be trying to medically "fix" your insomnia by taking something every time you wake up. In the long run, you're taxing your nervous system by this type of chaotic dosing.

 

Have you looked into time-released melatonin? This would give you the advantage of taking one pill and letting it release throughout the night. If you wake up, you won't need to take another one and it can get you out of that habit and mindset of grabbing a pill whenever you wake up. I wouldn't go more than 1 mg to start. 

 

Insomnia is brutal, but unless you have another medical condition, it won't hurt you. Many of us go through long periods of chronic insomnia and still go onto heal in time. I know you're trying breathing techniques and not finding that they help get you back to sleep, so you may want to work on accepting that there will be nights with less sleep. And that it's okay for it to be that way for awhile.

 

I, and many others in this forum, find that watching movies on NetFlix, playing video games, reading, listening to music, etc. all helped pass the time. 

 

21 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

9pm - anxiety is a 2/3

           took 125 mg GABA Calm

9:30pm - took 1000 mg Tryptophan

                went to lie down in bed

 

How do you feel after you take the GABA Calm supplement and before you take the Tryptophan? 

 

 

[HopeFloats]

1 hour ago, Shep said:

 

Decreasing the tryptophan will likely be the next step.

 

However, if you start taking Propranolol, that may complicate things. 

 

You seem to be trying to medically "fix" your insomnia by taking something every time you wake up. In the long run, you're taxing your nervous system by this type of chaotic dosing.

 

Have you looked into time-released melatonin? This would give you the advantage of taking one pill and letting it release throughout the night. If you wake up, you won't need to take another one and it can get you out of that habit and mindset of grabbing a pill whenever you wake up. I wouldn't go more than 1 mg to start. 

 

Insomnia is brutal, but unless you have another medical condition, it won't hurt you. Many of us go through long periods of chronic insomnia and still go onto heal in time. I know you're trying breathing techniques and not finding that they help get you back to sleep, so you may want to work on accepting that there will be nights with less sleep. And that it's okay for it to be that way for awhile.

 

I, and many others in this forum, find that watching movies on NetFlix, playing video games, reading, listening to music, etc. all helped pass the time. 

 

 

How do you feel after you take the GABA Calm supplement and before you take the Tryptophan? 

 

 

I went to two different stores looking for time release.  One store only had 3mg time release.  The other store did not have it at all.  I will order some off Amazon today.

 

I don't feel like the GABA Calm does much.  Yes, there are times, after I take it, that it makes me a little sleepy.  There are a lot of times, that I don't feel much of anything.  It was always one of those supplements that I thought I could live without.  It obviously doesn't do much for anxiety and that is what it is suppose to help.

 

So, I am going to be fully honest and let you know that yesterday was a day riddled with anxiety 24/7.  I broke down and took another 2.5 mg Propranolo at 7pm.  I do not want to get into the habit of doing this and I do not want to complicate matters even more than they already are.  But it was 7pm, which is the time my body should be winding down, giving me some sort of reprieve, and my anxiety is like a 6 or a 7, I just couldn't take it.

 

The Propanolol gave me a tired feeling and it may have calmed me a little but not like what I was hoping for.  My anxiety is so strong that 2.5 mg is probably too low a dose.

 

At 9pm, that is when I took the GABA Calm.  I think it may have woke me up a little.  It didn't make me sleepy.

 

[mdwstrx]

I'm so sorry you're struggling so much.  But never give up hope because our bodies change and adjust.  They are miraculous in their ability to heal.  

Our challenge is to learn how to let them heal.  It is, I think, what is meant by accepting where you are.  For most of us,

it's a very very hard reality to find ourselves in.  Once I accepted I was in for the long haul (like anyone who had suffered a severe injury), I realized I had to adjust to a new life

of rest and very limited activity.  I adopted some of the non drug coping techniques found here and parked myself on my sofa most of 

the day, with my Ipad (with the exception of exercising when I was able after the first month). 

 

My faith is in Jesus and I found that listening to Biblical ASMR helped calm me tremendously in the evenings.  

I can recommend a few artists if you have interest.  I also did a trial on Headspace.com learning meditation. 

That helped me a lot as well.  You can also find similar free videos on you tube.

 

I also kept good record of my progress.  If you know how to use excel, I highly suggest you do as well.

It gives you a clear picture of how you're improving.  When I started to have windows, I was amazed how different I felt during a wave.

It was night and day.  In a wave, I felt doomed, much like you do now.  Recalling the previous window did little to reassure me I was healing.

Looking back at my chart proved to me I was when I was certain I was not.  You can see that the windows got longer and sleep improved.  That

gave me new hope.

 

I avoided any triggers, especially reading the horror stories here.  We all walk our own path and it does little good to compare ourselves to 

those who've sadly struggled the most. We don't know their full stories, their makeup or other influencing factors like alcohol, drugs and stress.

 

Hope is what keeps us going.  Find your source of strength and cling to it.  Realize it will take time.  You will overcome this.  💜

 

 

 

[HopeFloats]

Daily Log:  8/26

2am - broke down and took 2.5 mg Propranolol

            anxiety seemed to be increasing even further to a 6

2:30am - the Propranolol seemed to help with the anxiety

                still not tired enough to sleep though

2:42am - took .5 mg Melatonin

3am - took another .5 mg Melatonin

           must have fallen asleep for 1, maybe 2 hours

4:50am - woke up with anxiety, mainly butterflies in stomach

6:30am - took 1.25 mg Prozac

6:30am - 8:30am - anxiety is 4, definitely noticeable and uncomfortable, maybe its more of a 5/6.  I am not good with a scale.

10am - went into work late

All day anxiety was a 4/5/6

5pm - left work

6:30pm - started to feel a little sleepy on my own, but still have anxiety

7pm - couldn't take it, took 2.5 mg Propranolol, anxiety was like a 7 at this hour

8pm - took 400 mg Magnesium and 25 mg Iron

8:45am - feeling tired but still anxious

9pm - took 125 mg GABA Calm

9:15pm - think it may have made me less sleepy

9:30pm - took 1000 mg Tryptophan and went to lie down in bed

10pm - was awake so I took 1 mg Melatonin

8/27:

1:15am - woke up, could not sleep, just lied there in bed

2am ish - moved to the couch, toss and turned, I think I feel asleep

3am - woke up, think i feel back to sleep, anxiety is a 3

4:45am - woke up, think I feel back to sleep, anxiety is a 3

5:42am - woke up on couch, went back to bed and just rested my eyes, anxiety is a 3

6am - got up to feed dogs, anxiety is a 3 

6:30am - took 1.25 mg Prozac

[HopeFloats]

1 hour ago, HopeFloats said:

I went to two different stores looking for time release.  One store only had 3mg time release.  The other store did not have it at all.  I will order some off Amazon today.

 

I don't feel like the GABA Calm does much.  Yes, there are times, after I take it, that it makes me a little sleepy.  There are a lot of times, that I don't feel much of anything.  It was always one of those supplements that I thought I could live without.  It obviously doesn't do much for anxiety and that is what it is suppose to help.

 

So, I am going to be fully honest and let you know that yesterday was a day riddled with anxiety 24/7.  I broke down and took another 2.5 mg Propranolo at 7pm.  I do not want to get into the habit of doing this and I do not want to complicate matters even more than they already are.  But it was 7pm, which is the time my body should be winding down, giving me some sort of reprieve, and my anxiety is like a 6 or a 7, I just couldn't take it.

 

The Propanolol gave me a tired feeling and it may have calmed me a little but not like what I was hoping for.  My anxiety is so strong that 2.5 mg is probably too low a dose.

 

At 9pm, that is when I took the GABA Calm.  I think it may have woke me up a little.  It didn't make me sleepy.

 

I am trying to order 1mg sustained release or timed release Melatonin.  The brands I am finding also contain B6.  Is this ok?

I was thinking of ordering 1 mg and 2 mg 

[Shep]

22 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

So, I am going to be fully honest and let you know that yesterday was a day riddled with anxiety 24/7.  I broke down and took another 2.5 mg Propranolo at 7pm.  I do not want to get into the habit of doing this and I do not want to complicate matters even more than they already are.  But it was 7pm, which is the time my body should be winding down, giving me some sort of reprieve, and my anxiety is like a 6 or a 7, I just couldn't take it.

 

The Propanolol gave me a tired feeling and it may have calmed me a little but not like what I was hoping for.  My anxiety is so strong that 2.5 mg is probably too low a dose.

 

At 9pm, that is when I took the GABA Calm.  I think it may have woke me up a little.  It didn't make me sleepy.

 

It doesn't surprise me that the 9 pm GABA Calm woke you up a little. You added in yet another sedating drug, Propranolol. Again, the more you dampen down the nervous system with sedating drugs, the more it fights to stay awake. This increases the likelihood of paradoxical reactions. 

 

Are you able to take a few days off from work? Since you live in the US, are you off for the upcoming Labor Day weekend? If so, you may want to really work on some non-drug coping techniques and finding distractions so you can avoid the Propranolol. 

 

If you can schedule time off from work and reduce your stress for a few days, you may be able to break this spiral of increasing anxiety because if you don't sleep, you know you can simply stay at home and rest the next day. You won't have that anxiety all night long of knowing you have to get up soon and go into work exhausted. 

 

Just a thought. Strategic use of vacation and sick leave, if you have those as benefits (which sadly, many people don't in the US), may be the best tool in the toolbox right now. 

 

21 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

I am trying to order 1mg sustained release or timed release Melatonin.  The brands I am finding also contain B6.  Is this ok?

I was thinking of ordering 1 mg and 2 mg 

 

This brand doesn't list B6: 

 

Amazon - Life Extension Melatonin 6 Hour Time Released Vegetarian, 300 mcg

 

It's 300 mcg, which is 0.3 mg. You may be able to find a higher dose by searching Amazon or other online sellers, or you can simply take more than one pill to get to the dose you want.  

[HopeFloats]

8 minutes ago, Shep said:

 

It doesn't surprise me that the 9 pm GABA Calm woke you up a little. You added in yet another sedating drug, Propranolol. Again, the more you dampen down the nervous system with sedating drugs, the more it fights to stay awake. This increases the likelihood of paradoxical reactions. 

 

Are you able to take a few days off from work? Since you live in the US, are you off for the upcoming Labor Day weekend? If so, you may want to really work on some non-drug coping techniques and finding distractions so you can avoid the Propranolol. 

 

If you can schedule time off from work and reduce your stress for a few days, you may be able to break this spiral of increasing anxiety because if you don't sleep, you know you can simply stay at home and rest the next day. You won't have that anxiety all night long of knowing you have to get up soon and go into work exhausted. 

 

Just a thought. Strategic use of vacation and sick leave, if you have those as benefits (which sadly, many people don't in the US), may be the best tool in the toolbox right now. 

 

 

This brand doesn't list B6: 

 

Amazon - Life Extension Melatonin 6 Hour Time Released Vegetarian, 300 mcg

 

It's 300 mcg, which is 0.3 mg. You may be able to find a higher dose by searching Amazon or other online sellers, or you can simply take more than one pill to get to the dose you want.  

Yes, if necessary, I can take a few days off from work.  I do have the upcoming holiday off as well.

 

I did not take Propranolol yesterday.  Yesterday, during the day and evening, was a decent day!  My anxiety was no more than a 3,  It might have been a 4 for a brief time.  It was good though.

 

Until, after I went to bed and began waking up at all hours.  

 

It seemed like about three hours after taking the GABA, Tryptophan and 1 mg Melatonin, that I would wake up with anxiety.

 

I don't understand how during the day when I am active, my anxiety is lower, but when I go to bed, it all of a sudden activates.

 

This is what is making me think that I need to get the GABA and Tryptophan out of my system.  Maybe getting it out of my system won't help at all.  I don't know.  I just think it is weird that after taking 3 items that are suppose to help me sleep, within a few hours, awaken me.

 

I searched and could only find two brands of time release Melatonin.  Both contain B6.  One brand has 10 mg.  The other brand only 2 mg.  

 

I guess I could order the brand you found and take 4 of them?

[HopeFloats]

8/27:

1:15am - woke up, could not sleep, just lied there in bed

2am ish - moved to the couch, toss and turned, I think I feel asleep

3am - woke up, think i feel back to sleep, anxiety is a 3

4:45am - woke up, think I feel back to sleep, anxiety is a 3

5:42am - woke up on couch, went back to bed and just rested my eyes, anxiety is a 3

6am - got up to feed dogs, anxiety is a 3 

6:30am - took 1.25 mg Prozac

9:50am - felt a little tired

12noon - 1 pm - lied down in my car, it felt good.  The anxiety was low and it just felt like I was trying to take a nap.  I think I may have almost fell asleep but had a hypnic jerk response.  

4pm - felt like I was waking up more and not as tired as I was earlier 

           back bothering me, sprayed Bio Freeze

5pm - left work

6pm - heart palpitations started, anxiety is at a 4

6:20am - anxiety lessened

8pm - anxiety is like a 1, thank goodness!

            took 400 mg Magnesium and 25 mg Iron

9pm - heart palpitations started again, my husband had just gotten home and he was talking to me about all sorts of things which I think riled me up

           took 125 mg GABA Calm

           didn't feel much after taking it 

9:30pm - took 1000 mg Tryptophan

                not feeling all that tired

10pm - took 1 mg Melatonin

10:07pm - went to bed 

11:22pm - not sure if i feel asleep or not, but this is when I looked at my alarm clock

8/28:

12:39am - awake, starting to feel anxious

1:12am - lying, tossing and turning with anxiety

1:30am - moved out to the couch, watching tv

1:42am - anxiety seems to be lessening, closing my eyes with the tv in the background trying to get tired

3:23am - I guess I woke up, will try and go back to bed

4:48am - feeling anxiety and wide awake

5:30am - after tossing and turning, I decided to just get up

 

Anxiety was tolerable during the morning, afternoon and even early evening

It wasn't until after taking all the supplements and trying to go to sleep that everything changed 

[HopeFloats]

Hi Shep,

 

That brand of Melatonin you found also has 750 mcg.

 

I could buy 1 of each.  300 mcg and 750 mcg. Take two?

 

I did already order another brand, 2 mg Melatonin, time release, which has no B vitamins in it.  Unfortunately, this brand does not make 1 mg time release.  This is the same brand I use right now actually, just not the time release version.

 

Thank you,

HF

[Sassenach]

Hello Hope

 

Sorry I have not been around for a couple of days.

I admit I was annoyed at you taking another drug after you worked so hard with DLPA.

Good job Shep is so patient.

4 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

I don't understand how during the day when I am active, my anxiety is lower, but when I go to bed, it all of a sudden activates.

 

I know I have to stay busy every day because then I do not feel the anxiety, and I am retired.

We notice anxiety when our minds have nothing else to focus on, like in bed.

What is worse, it becomes self perpetuating. This is why distraction techniques are necessary.

4 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

anxiety seems to be lessening, closing my eyes with the tv in the background trying to get tired

I know it is in the background but blue light from from flat screens inhibits sleep, even if you are not looking directly at it.

Have you tried quiet relaxing music?

You are retiring to bed believing you are not going to sleep, it has become a habit.

This is probably why Shep has suggested time off to try and break the cycle.

 

4 hours ago, HopeFloats said:

Maybe getting it out of my system won't help at all. 

I believe it will.

There was a well researched program on tv recently that concluded supplements generally were a waste of money and could cause harm.

However good quality, specifically targeted supplements such as single vitamins,  were advantageous used properly.

We have had  a diversion but back on track now.

 

Sass