Recommendations for managing insomnia

Hey Lymies,

Any recommendations for managing insomnia? I can't remember the last time I had a real night's sleep. My doctor prescribed Lunesta, which didn't do anything. Latest offering is the antidepressent Trazadone, which in small doses is supposed to help w/ Insomnia. But, even at the max dosage she allowed (100mg), it's not doing anything. Unisom/Benadryl has helped in the past, but I have to take more than is recommended and I'm nervous about taking it for long periods of time. Am exhausted, would appreciate recommendations.

Thanks!

Interesting--I started Rifampin (in combo with Azythromycin) about 6 weeks ago--my feet are feeling better and my Bart rashes stopped spreading, but still no sleep. I actually have some ativan, but haven't tried it at night--am also worried that it might interact with Rifampin...Is Ativan OK with Rifampin?

I followed the "anything to knock me out" plan which included; Tylenol PM, (occasionally Vick's Nyquil), Restoril, a Xanax, and a pain pill (if I had one) and if that didn't do it I might take 1 more Restoril or one more Tylenol PM and if I wasn't out within an hour.... then that was it, I knew I wasn't going to sleep. I usually would put on a pot of coffee, watch old movies (or "Under Our Skin" for the gazillionth time), maybe due a Puzzle book, sometimes clean like one piece of furniture reallly well... write on this site.

I was recently prescribed "Rozerem" for sleep. The pain mngmt. dr. said that Restoril may knock you out, but you're not getting a deep sleep and usually wake up in the middle of the night (which only happened to me a few times)....

And, my new Lyrica rx... seems to be working a little, I can't believe it. I told my husband that my knees and left side of my neck and head still really hurt (ache, crack, grind, etc.), but at least my entire body didn't feel like one big, red, blue green, bruise. And another thing, she believes that the reason the Darvo was working so well for me as opposed to the more potent pain killers was because of the amount of Tylenol that's in the Darvocet. I told her I had been doubling the Darvo dose (which is why my LLDr. referred me to her) AND taking Tylenol. She said that all of the Tylenol could be making my right side hurt. Sooo, I stopped all the Tylenol, and started the Lyrica, I have significanlty dropped the amount of Darvo to about 3 - 4 per day... and NOT doubled up. And, I've discontinued almost all extra Tylenol... and my side has stopped hurting a lot. Every once in a while it hurts, but it's more mild and doesn't last as long.

Hope this helps.

Last summer, I had severe acute insomnia and anxiety.

Trazadone alone did not work- even in a double dose.

It wasn't until I went to the ER that I was rx'd Trazadone and Ativan together for sleep.

Worked like a charm. I slept well that night and every night after. No side effects, either.

I was able to wean off easily.

Hope this helps.

I think I took 50 mg Trazadone and 1 low dose ( I think the lowest- I don't remember the strength) Ativan together once a day at bedtime. I took the combo for a couple of months and then first weaned off the Ativan and then the Trazadone a couple of months later.

Neither Xanax ot Trazadone alone worked. It was the combo that did it.

I hope you get some relief soon. We need the sleep to help us heal.

My former PCP who rx'd the Trazadone told me it wasn't working b/c I needed to relax! Duh, ya think?

Mind you, I was against these meds, but I was desperate. I am glad I got back on track using these.

Wanted to add that I am in Maryland, too.

Post Edited (kitty9309) : 11/20/2008 9:49:27 AM (GMT-7)

I got clearance from my LLMD to take up to 100mg Trazadone w/ Ativan (smallest dose, will have to look at the bottle) while I am on the Rifampin/zithro protocol.

Fingers crossed, wish me luck!

Yes, I already had it from this summer when I was going through an unbelievable herx, but that was before I started Rifampin/zithro (was on Minocin/Amox). Luckily I have plenty left over...

Thank you again!!
:)

Hope the tests bring more answers than questions! The only clear test result I've ever had was the Fry blood smear for Bart, my initial Lyme diagnosis was all symptom based (rashes and other symptoms) and thank goodness my doctor started treatment anyway.

Oh yes, classic Bart rashes on abdomen and down into my groin that I've had since about 1993. I thought these were stretch marks for years and years. Since I've had them for so long I think I was in denial that they really were Bart rashes until I got hit with another tick after I'd started treatment for Lyme, and soon after had new identical stretch mark like rashes popping up, that stopped spreading after I started Rifampin. Finally connected the dots. I also had some very pretty rashes that were probably Borrelia, but instead of a bulls-eye they were more like a rainbow, and slowly traveled up and down my abdomen. Also had a bulls-eye "rash" that was not red/raised bumps, but a deep purple and very painful bruising that spread out from a raised hive like lump in the center. I still haven't had positive tests for Borrelia or Babesia though I've had symptoms and am under treatment for both--only indefinite/unclear results. I'm a field biologist so I have a pretty scary history of tick bites--for about a decade the word on the street in my professional community was "if you don't get a bulls eye rash don't worry about it," and I'm afraid many in the field still follow that advice. Terrible--I had dozens of tick bites before I got sick in the late 90s. The rash I still have is apparently Babesia, my LLMD always looks at my hairline along my neck at the base of my skull--says that I have a rash there (that I cannot see or feel) which is clear Babesia. Haven't read about this anywhere but everytime I go in they check my hair and again say that it is Babesia.

I understand the psychological need for a test result--was stunned/freaked out/amazed/oddly relieved to see proof on the Fry lab test even after 2 years of treatment. I think I still have a lot of denial about all of this despite my long history with it--the test helped with that too. Am still glad my doctors didn't wait for a test result though.