dizzygirl Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 I figured the best place to find out how effective something is or isnt.. is too ask your opionion on it!well.. after many MANY sleepless nights.. my doc called in a script for Ativan..to help me sleep..isnt this a drug for anxiety?? or is it used for sleep now too?? I was taking Trazadone and ambien for sleep.. i by choice went off the trazadone.. as it was effecting my pots.. and well after 2 yrs of being on ambien everynight.. it no longer works.. so i stopped that too... andlet me tell even before i stopped the ambien.. i was up all night..(and an FYI... Lifetime movie network has some decent movies on late night... also the discovery health channel is very interesting! )anyways.. I get like very potsy around 2-3 am.. and nothing I do relieves it.. and I then start to feel "wired" But I was wondering if any of you take Ativan for sleep.. I dont want to take something for anxiety.. when I dont really have anxiety.. you know what I mean??Ok I am done rambling..dizzy..insomniac.. girl.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Hi,I take Imovane which is not for anxiety.Ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steph37822 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 oops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzygirl Posted August 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 LOL!! I like to buzz around and do Virtual" shopping.. and spend money that I dont have!! LOLInsomnia can break the bank!!I took ativan like 3 yrs ago for anxiety/panic attacks.. or what I was told were "anxiety attacks" .... but later found out from Dr. grubb that I was having "potsy moments"...and I honestly do not remeber how i reacted to the ativan.. I am so hesitant to tkae anyhting having to do with mental health... with all the rigamorol that i have dealt with in the mental health field..SIGH!!!!!!!!!!hopefully no fuzzy heads or grogginess with this med... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzygirl Posted August 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 well low and behold it is 3 am.. and I am still awake..!!! this really stinks!Even with medication in my system i am awake.. how freakin' frustrating.. all I want to do is sleep a nice long 12 hour sleep!!!!!!!!ok well i just thought that I would pop in and see if any of you other insomniacs were awake too..dizzygirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelby Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 IT is 2:32 here and I understand how you are feeling. I am just on this night and day different schedual because it is too hot. I had posted on this topic before in here about getting a CD with sounds of relaxation, that helped me. NOt sure if it will help anyone else. I don't know where to pick one up at though. I tried to go in and find out where I can order the one that I have, and found nothing. I was willing to try to copy and send it to you fellow insomniacs, but I don't know if it would benifit you. If anyone wants it, it isn't copyrighted, I can send it to you. I also have this sleep kit I will see what it holds and get back tomorrow. Shelby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calypso Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 Technically, Ativan was created to prevent seizures and later to relieve anxiety. Just because it is used to treat anxiety does not mean it won't help you sleep, or that you should avoid it because you don't have anxiety. For instance, many of us take beta blockers, which are most often prescribed for high blood pressure. But since they also lower heart rate, then they are appropriate for us.If you're wired, maybe you do have some anxiety but just don't realize that's what it is. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Or even if it's just a POTS adrenaline rush, Ativan and other benzodiazapines often help calm the nervous system and therefore help us sleep.Ativan can be habit-forming, so please take it as your doctor prescribes. Good luck.Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MightyMouse Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 I take a different benzo (xanax, half of a .25 mg tablet), usually once a week or less, to help me sleep. It calms down my nervous system an allows me to fall asleep--I don't have issues with waking in the middle of the night, just with initially getting to sleep.yes, it can be habit forming, so, it's not typically prescribed for long term use. Rather, my doc suggested it's good for helping me keep to my correct sleep/wake cycle, or when needed to reset my cycle for a few days.Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattycake Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 HiWell I have just recently started taking a pill called Avilmil. My daughter has been taking this for 3 months and she has been feeling great. I am in my 40 somethings and can't seem to regulate my temp anymore not sure if its POTS or just age thing. But I can tell you in taking these little purple pills for 5days now I am dead to the world at nite and in fact my alarm clock has to wake me up...I have always got out of bed before it ever rings. Here is the website for this...I guess it could be worth a try. Has anybody eles ever tried this medication? Pattyhttp://www.avlimil.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MightyMouse Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 Patti and others, just a caution about avlimil and other items produced by Berkely, they have had problems with consumers for a few years now regarding 1) the efficacy of their products and 2) billing overcharges. If you want to read more, there is an article about this at QuackWatch, the link is here:http://www.quackwatch.org/15Ads/bbb/enzyte.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattycake Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 HIHey thanks nina for the information.....I was just kind of going on how great my daughter was feeling. Looks like they have had a bunch of complaints...thanks again for the infoPatty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunfish Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 lol...i too have tried the "i need to stay up for this" psych-out with tv programs or whatnot steph. and yes, i'll admit it....when i have cable i am lifetime movie junkie...i even taped a bunch when i had it for a few months to be able to watch them once the cable was gone. my cover is blown, eh? i don't have any specific experience with this med dizzy but will affirm that many of us - me included - take meds for reasons other than their initially intended use. i've joked that if someone were to look at my list of meds and guess my health problems i'd have about 5 new (incorrect) diagnoses!i'm just starting my sleep med journey after much hesitation...starting with melatonin...so far it helps a bit with the falling asleep but not with the waking every 2 hours or so...hope you're soon having wonderfully wonderful sleep!:-)melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madwife Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 Hi guys! Well I am a complete insomniac during night hours which is why I work permanent nights at the moment to try and prevent complete bankruptcy from watching them shopping channels. Whether I'm at work or it is a night off I get very POTSY between 2-4am for some reason, whether this is anything to do with higher hormone levels at this time who knows! I have now been taking Amytriptiline for the past nine months at bedtime (be this day or night) and it has helped immensely with getting to sleep aswell as dramatically reducing the nerve pain I suffer as a result of the CFS/M.E. This is also a drug used for depression but I have now got to the point of thinking let them think what they want...if they have such little knowledge of our condition the likelihood is that they are going to assocaite it to some sort of psychological begginings no matter what medication we are on. The main thing is that we know and the doctors who count know why we are taking it...although I know this is not always the way it works in reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzygirl Posted August 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 madwife..hi..I notice that I get very "POTSY" too between 1-4am.. I dont know why.. but boy it makes it much harder to try and get to sleep..UGH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madwife Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 Hi Dizzygirl! I know how you feel! I'm at work at the moment..doing ok so far but know that the symptoms will soon kick in once I get goin again. Sometimes it gets to the stage where I think I'm gonna have to tell the patients to move over so I can lie down!!! ha ha (I'm a midwife)...poor patients is all I can say. If i'm on a night off then I tend to take a higher doseage of beta blockers just before falling asleep to try and calm the tachycardia but it does affect my BP so can't do this when working or otherwise I would spend the night polishing the floor with my crumpled body!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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