![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by beardedlady on April 14, 2002, at 6:48:01
Janelle:
I have a bunch of suggestions for you, but this is the most important. Try one thing at a time; this way, you'll know what works. I don't know when you are getting off Effexor, but I don't think the B vitamins will hurt you in any way. Maybe it's a similar action to what Iso was talking about--stimulants having a calming effect. Anyway, rather than trying all these things (and the things that others suggest), you should sit with your pdoc and get a plan.
You need to sleep, though. I don't know if you've ever tried Sonata (prescription), but it works well for me. It's a hypnotic, so it sort of stops your mind so you can sleep. Sometimes, though, if your mind is wild, it takes a long time to work. You only sleep four hours on it, so it might help you with going to be early. If I'm not asleep by midnight, I often take it then and sleep for six or more hours.
But I'm on Serzone, which is a sedating AD (at my low dose--250 mg.).
Ask your pdoc about it. It was very successful for quieting my mind. Make sure you tell him you'd like to take it at night before bed (the whole thing--about an hour apart, if necessary). Taking it in the morning will make you groggy all day. The side effects are grogginess and dry mouth almost always. But they go away quickly. There are no sexual side effects (though I do have a lot of sleep orgasms, but that's another story).
(Okay, Janelle, since you asked, I'll post it on PSB.)
Anyway, the one final thing to try--a Tums before bed. Calcium deficiencies are often culprits in insomnia. Tums is pretty harmless. The body can only absorb 400 mg. of calcium at a time, and it usually needs magnesium to be effective, but I'm not fixing what ain't broke in me, so the Tums will have to do it. (I have a standby container of Calmax, just in case.)
I think the first thing you should do is try to replace the Effexor. Find folks with problems similar to yours, and see what works for them. Take a list to the pdoc and ask if any are right for you. Then add these other bits.
But do try to meditate. I used to hate that old saying, "God helps those who help themselves," but it's true, when you think about it (especially if you're an athiest!). The God in you can only be helped by your actions, not your inactions. I know you feel hopeless right now, but you have to help yourself--by practicing meditation or adding exercise or finding a hobby you enjoy that will focus your mind on ONE TASK.
(Sitting at the computer, hanging out at PSB doesn't count!)
I hope you don't see this as a lecture. I really care. I feel a kindred spirit with folks who have insomnia, and I have to help because I know how very painful it is.
beardy : )>
P.S. It is 7:48, and I am off for my 4-mile race walk, which I do in about 50 minutes.
Posted by IsoM on April 14, 2002, at 11:57:22
In reply to FOR JANELLE, posted by beardedlady on April 14, 2002, at 6:48:01
Janelle, beardy's suggestion is excellent. May I suggest that the exercise is VERY important (brisk walks are the nicest, esp at first). But, as pointed out, you also need to do something that calms & focuses you. It's not meditation for me, but my equivalent, I suppose.
I have a bird-feeder on my deck & I always watch the birds for a spell. I think of nothing but the birds, the trees moving in the wind, the clouds, etc. If my mind starts shifting to weightier issues, another movement from a bird brings me right back. I feel refreshed afterwards. Music is good too. It purges , yet feeds, my soul. Sing with the music - it's really healing. Ever wonder why a natural ability to sing (I don't mean note-perfect) in every human is never used? I think not singing as a society contributes to our mental/emotional sicknesses.
Doing these things are equally important - the exercise releases the pent-up muscle tension that will lead to greater mental tension. The calm meditation will release the mental tension & ground your racing thoughts. "Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast." I also put music on most nights to fall asleep to.
None of this will happen automatically. It can take weeks to really see the benefits, but if you do look back a month later, you'll see there has been a great difference.
About the Sonata - if you need to take it twice in the night, it's not a big deal. Perhaps keep a glass of water & an extra pill on your bedside table as an insurance. Knowing it's there, handy to take without getting out of bed, is reassuring & maybe just knowing it's ready will be enough to selep through the night with just the first dose.
Try not to use the computer just before bed-time as it'll only serve to fill your mind with more racing thoughts & experiences of others. Do something mind-numbingly dull instead. And the exercise will tire your body out, helping you sleep better. Before the Industrial Revolution, there was little problem for most people with sleep (except the highly priviledged who did nothing physical). Physical activity is very necessary for our bodies to function properly.
Posted by beardedlady on April 14, 2002, at 12:39:16
In reply to More For JANELLE , posted by IsoM on April 14, 2002, at 11:57:22
Excellent advice from Iso (though she doesn't know her bird watching is the same thing as meditating!) The key is concentrating on one thing and letting go of intrusive thoughts. (I watch birds too. Unfortunately, I watch them poop all over my car. My new tags will say "brdsht" on them, since that's how my car is known to the neighborhood--affectionately, of course.)
I have also taken two Sonata's in a night. I am never groggy from it the next morning. I think it has a very short half-life, too.
Get to work, girlie.
beardy : )>
Posted by Ponder on April 14, 2002, at 13:25:51
In reply to Re: and More For JANELLE , posted by beardedlady on April 14, 2002, at 12:39:16
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.