Exie 5 years and still not recovered (AD + benzo)

[Exie]

Would the seroquel cause the horrific side effects even taking it just once or twice? at a very low dose. And what else is there for sleep besides seroquel? and not a benzo or AD. I've never taken a z drug but everyone on benzobuddies said a z drug would be bad for me because they're similar to benzo.

 

People in benzo withdrawal on benzobuddies said they took non benzos for sleep like seroquel and it helped. They didn't say it caused problems. So the bad effects and paradoxical reactions happen only in AD wd?

 

oskcajga, did Cassani say if the antipsychotic helped her sleep and if it cauded her problems?

[dalsaan]

We don't advocate taking drugs. There is no quick fix for this. You need a collection of strategies aimed at soothing your central nervous system. Try this video. It has a routine you could do a number of times a day

 

[apace41]

Exie,

 

We understand you are distressed but stating and restating the same question to which there is no answer is not going to advance your cause.  Nobody is going to be able to tell you that even a single use of an atypical is not going to have any adverse effects.  It might be fine and you might get sleep but we simply can't guarantee that which seems to be what you are looking for.  You have stated multiple times that people on this site know more than doctors about this stuff but when people tell you that there could be downsides to taking Seroquel you ask the question in different ways.

 

I'm not sure how we can help you.  Dalsaan has provided several different non-med alternatives to the meds you are proposing.  It would seem that to the extent you haven't exhausted non-med approaches you should try those first.  I know you feel like you have but that can't really be the case given the number of options that people have tried and had success with.

 

Bottom line is nobody on this site is going to validate taking propofol or Seroquel.  The former is NOT A SLEEP AID.  Period.  End of story.

 

The latter comes with risky potential side effects that Osk has succinctly outlined.

 

If you elect to take either that is up to you but not something we would endorse in any way.

 

Andy

[compsports]

Exie,

 

Not much more to add but as one who has had adverse reactions from taking meds one time, which included a trip to the ER, it would be very irresponsible of me or anyone else on this list to guarantee that taking a med wouldn't cause problems.  Heck, even good doctors don't provide that guarantee.

 

As one who is considering going back on meds to deal with my sleep issues, I do understand your desperation.   But asking this site for advice is something I would never do.  Heck, I wouldn't even ask a pro meds site as no one is in a position to give me medical advice regarding meds.  It is up to me to weigh all the issues and make the best possible decision I can.   And if it is the wrong one, I can always change course.   Something you might want to keep in mind.

 

CS

[AliG]

Exie,

 

As one who suffers chronic insomnia , as a result of withdrawal, I have to agree with Dalsaan that there is no quick fix.  If there were, we ( those suffering )  would all be using it . As Andy said, Seroquel is not a sleep aid . It is an anti - psychotic medication, prescribed for bipolar and schizophrenia mood disorders. However, even those medications prescribed for sleep have their drawbacks, as it's nonrestorative sleep. They suppress REM sleep ( deep sleep ) , and cause next day drowsiness and confusion. I would try any and all of the non- drug methods , if and until you find one that works for you.  Try reading through this. It might help.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/555-tips-to-help-sleep-so-many-of-us-have-withdrawal-insomnia/

 

Ali.

[Exie]

I was a bit unsure at first because many people on the benzo forum are suggesting seroquel (low dose is a sedative, antipsychotic at high dose) and sedating ADs for sedation/sleep because it helped them sleep, no issues. Yet everyone on this AD forum are telling me that trying any drug can cause a paradoxical bad effect. So this means that people in AD withdrawal are very sensitive and can get bad reactions to drugs and even supplements, but people in benzo withdrawal are not very sensitive so they take other drugs for sleep with no issues and huge doses of supplements. They're only sensitive to a few foods too, not much.

 

I did see on here that some people get awful reactions from other drugs and even magnesium supplements , though not everyone. Many take a benzo or Lamictal for their AD withdrawal. So I guess its really up to the individual's body, everyone's body reactions are different making it unpredictable whether the seroquel will help me sleep or not. But I have been off drugs for 7 years...do you think its less likely that I would get a bad reaction compared to someone who has tapered off more recently? And at an extremely low dose only once. Benzo people say an extremely low dose (1mg) just once or occasionally isn't much of a problem. Though another concern is that my brain and cns are currently extra sensitive because of the smog, screen, and stress. the Circadin melatonin I tried caused intense anxiety and kept me wakeful all night. However my problem isn't exactly insomnia. When I wake up everyday I'm still sleepy, I just can't fall back asleep after the 3rd time because my nervous system gets intense from hunger. Neurological pressure in my head and shaking in my legs. When I eat and am falling asleep later in the day, it causes a whirly stlimulating feeling in my head which prevents me from falling asleep. This only happens when falling asleep later in the day after sleeping earlier and eating. My brain gets whirly stimulation which lasts for hours. I dont know why it happens, but this is why I need to fall back asleep immediately after waking, to get more sleep. But my cns is intensed from hunger. I need something to directly fully sedate my nervous system immediately like an anticonvulsant does, so I can fall back asleep. It seems sedating drugs/anticonvulsants are the only thing if the magnesium supp doesn't work

[compsports]

Exie,

 

Again, no one can give you the answers you want.   

 

Like you, I have been off meds for several years.   When I took ambien to get back to sleep, the side effects were minimal.   But  it was worthless in the amount of sleep it provided.   Other sleep meds, like the AD ones were even worse and gave me a hangover the next day.

 

And my system is still very sensitive as evidenced by the fact that a BP med put me in the ER. I also don't react well to most supplements.   

 

My point is you don't know what you will react to until you try it and no one on Internet forums can tell you differently.   Whether you try a med or non med for sleep, maybe you should try starting with 1/2 the starting dose as a precaution.

[dalsaan]

Exie,

 

This isn't the site for you. This site is dedicated to supporting people to reduce or stop taking psychotropic medication. The one thing we have in common is that we have been harmed by the idea that swallowing a pill will fix our problems. No one has a crystal ball so we can't say what will happen if you take drugs for sleep but please respect the ethos of the site. By all means feel free to discuss non drug means of addressing your sleep issues.

 

Dalsaan

[Exie]

There is a topic suggesting Lamictal for AD withdrawal, and was discussed early in my topic also. So I thought its ok to ask for advice here on drugs that may possibly help me least harmfully. On the benzo forum people keep suggesting a sedating AD for sleep which helped them. But they're only in benzo withdrawal not AD wd. I've been thinking that taking an AD now while still in withdrawal from another AD would probably worsen my withdrawal from the AD. So I just needed advice from people in AD withdrawal because the people in just benzo wd is not the same...but I get it now. People in AD wd can have unpredictable bad reactions from other drugs so you guys can't offer much suggestions...I have no choice but to get a hospital's help. This extreme lack of sleep I can't bear anymore but I dont know what to do about it, I can't deal with it alone. I need a hospitals help. Im just scared what would happen because of my benzo and AD withdrawal

[AliG]

Exie,

 

What do you think a " hospital" is going to do ? You're right  - we can't offer much, particularly people in AD withdrawal.      Good luck with the hospital. 

[NoMeaning25]

Hospital will put you on a coctail of drugs. Wont solve your problem. But may make it 1000 x worse.

[compsports]

Exie,

 

You're better off going to a doctor and getting a prescription for a sleep med instead of going to a hospital where they will put you on a cocktail of drugs as nomeaning mentioned.   This is not an endorsement of sleep meds but I just wanted to point out what would be an option that is a million times better if you are going to go the med route.

[Tootsieroll]

Ok i havent read the full thread but i was curious if u had have ur adrenals or thyroid checked. It sounds like u may be experiencing high cortisol. I have endured both AD and benzo withdrawal and i have worked hard to bring my cortisol back down. It was affecting my thyroid too. I am also on benzobuddies and having been there for a while i can say that they suggest seroquel in extreme cases and if you read through some old posts, some even experience trouble getting off that. If my memory serves me correctly, i dun think anyone on that forum would actively suggest one to take a benzo ever again. Many have been catapulted backwards and experience symptoms after one dose even after many years off. Ur best bets are benadryl, Hydroxyzine, or tart cherries. The one supplement that got me thru rough times was Relora from the health food place. It suppresses the high cortisol. Do your due diligence and research this and you may find the physiological answer to your problem.

[JanCarol]

Hey Exie - 

 

I'm so sorry you are suffering.  

 

You cannot die from insomnia.  You may want to, but it's not fatal.

 

I understand your desire to sleep.  It's just that so few of us have found "what works."  And, as we are an internet forum, and not doctors, we can't make recommendations.  A forum that *will* make drug recommendations is a scary thing, indeed.

 

Get yourself to a doctor.  Tell them you don't want benxo or Z drug.  Tell them you don't want a strong drug.  If you look around the threads, there are people here on things to "help them sleep."  Sometimes it's an antihistamine, sometimes it's a tiny amount of neurotypical that binds to antihistamine receptors.  

 

Even Will Hall (http://willhall.net) says that sometimes you need something for sleep, and sometimes that needs to be a prescription drug.

 

The danger is that - if you use it too much, it won't work anymore.  AND the risk that it will be activating and bounce your brain some more, prolonging your withdrawal recovery.  But you've been suffering, and instead of "trying it all out" on the web, maybe you need to experiment with tiny amounts.  WE CANNOT RECOMMEND WHAT TO TRY, or IN WHAT AMOUNTS.  Everyone is different.  This should be doctor supervised.

 

AND - when you go to Doctor, it is important to speak calmly, maturely.  If you go in all flustered and crying and upset, you are likely to get unwanted "doctor attention."  You need to "present well," to go to a doctor.

 

Have you tried the natural things?  Lactium, melatonin, etc.?  (please be careful of valerian, it hits the GABA receptors like benzo)

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/555-tips-to-help-sleep-so-many-of-us-have-withdrawal-insomnia/

 

I hope you are feeling better soon.

[lanah]

Have you tried acupuncture? And a relaxation therapist? Sometimes it brakes the cycle with me.