[richka]

My doctor started me on sleeping pills, now I can't sleep without them. Every night I take one prescribed TERAZOLAM 1.25MG plus one PM over the counter pill. It gives me sleep OK but I'd rather not depend on them. For rehab do I just STOP and not sleep for a month? Or is there an easier way?
Thanks

[twinkiedooter]

You could try melatonin to use as a sleep aid. I mentioned melatonin in some of my previous posts and where to buy it cheaply over the net. Just use the search tool here on AMHD. I use melatonin every night to get to sleep otherwise I don't get any sleep. Stumbled onto melatonin sublingual pills a few years ago and there is no "hooking" of this and becoming dependent on something that needs an rx for. You must get the sublingual (under the tongue) version for the melatonin to be properly ingested into your body as taking it and swallowing it is not good as stomach acid disintegrates the melatonin. Melatonin is something the body makes naturally by the way so you are not taking in any kind of man made material that is harmful or addicting.

[spyderglass]

There is no easy way to become 'un' addicted to medication- talk to your doctor first- before you decide to go cold turkey on it, doing so can cause more problems than insomnia

[twinkiedooter]

You can take 5mg of melatonin at bedtime. That should work. It must be the sublingual pills though. Apparently you might not have taken enough for it to be effective. If I take 5mg of melatonin I clonk out within 30 minutes tops and sleep all night long. Oddly, if you take more melatonin than the 5mg it has the reverse effect and makes you wake up! Yep.

[Choux]

Go to your physician and get a schedule for lowering the amount of drugs you take until you are off. For example, drop your dosage by .25mg for two weeks. If you are doing OK, then drop another .25 for the next two weeks. YOu can use a month as your timetable instead of two weeks.

This will work with the least amount of edginess.

If you are able to walk, add exercise by walking in a pleasant surrounding, like a park or pleasant road for daily exercise. Walk at least 2 miles a day, a mile out and then a mile back. This is an excellent habit everyone should have to promote good health.

Best wishes,

[Choux]

I forgot I wanted to add that quite some time ago, I was addicted to lorazapam, took a high dose, and I got off that drug after I retired the way I told you about, incremental decreases, in just over a year or so.

Good Luck, :)

[richka]

Yes Choux, it was quite a day! COngratulations!

[samanthabrown13]

Please can you advise me how I can stop relying on sleeping tablets and I panic thinking am not going to sleep that night