Got no monkey on my back

[karl9000]

OK, I actually HAVE had one my back since 2004. It's called Lunesta at 3 mg. That's 7 years almost to the day that I've had this thing on my back, every night.

On Wednesday coming home from morning Mass, I decided: this is it. I've talked about doing this for about a year now, but I always had a reason not to quit.

No more stalling. I'm not taking this stuff anymore. I'm tired all the time. I not sleeping as well as I should. I wake up groggy, headaches, throat sore, bad taste in my mouth. I don't fell like my APAP therapy is really being effective. So I'm quitting cold turkey.

Or is that cold monkey? I tried quitting once before, about three years ago, and gave up after one night. This time, I'm determined.

Besides, I have no insurance and the $150/month even with the Lunesta discount is killing me.

It's tough. After two nights, I'm "sleeping" fitfully. I'm tossing and turning like a spinning top. At least, it seems that way. And I'm exhausted every morning. And I've got body aches all over the place. I know, 2 nights isn't much, and it sure doesn't mean I've quit. But I just can't "see" me taking this stuff another night.

Here's the funny thing: I don't recall ever dreaming as much as I have over the last two nights. And we're talking real vivid dreams. In spite of waking up a lot, the dreams seem to continue from period to period, like an old movie serial. For years now, I hardly dreamed at all, and if I did, I didn't remember them. But I remember more of these dreams. They sort of make sense, but they sort of don't. Weird.

There's one other thing: Mr Happy is up almost all night. I'm not sure what quitting the Lunesta has to do with it, but THAT hasn't happened for decades. And he keeps getting in the way when I toss and turn.

On the down side, my hyponeas and central apneas are up, almost double. OH well.

I'm not sure why I'm posting this. I just felt I had to.

[sleepycarol]

Congratulations on trying to get off the stuff.

If it doesn't work out, have you thought about trying to wean yourself off? Say cutting tab in half?

[karl9000]

Congratulations on trying to get off the stuff.

If it doesn't work out, have you thought about trying to wean yourself off? Say cutting tab in half?

I tired that when I quit cigarettes and it didn't work very well. Maybe I shouldn't have cut them lengthwise...

Seriously, I know I have to go all out or I'll talk myself right back into full time usage. It's all or nothing. That's how I actaully DID quit the cigs.

[ladyhen]

I think it's pretty typical to have "rebound" when quitting a sleep med (at least it is with Ambien) so hopefully things will get better.

[SleepingUgly]

I don't know if you're supposed to taper Lunesta. Maybe Mr. Happy has to do with the dreaming. (Why am I even commenting on this?! )

[Pugsy]

Decreased libido is a listed side effect for Lunesta. I think the fact that Mr Happy has woke up would be a very good motivator to keep that monkey at bay.

Also I just read that breast enlargement in men is also a side effect...

There are of course many other side effects.

[robysue]

karl9000,

I want to wish you the best of luck in getting off the Lunesta.

You wrote:

It's tough. After two nights, I'm "sleeping" fitfully. I'm tossing and turning like a spinning top. At least, it seems that way. And I'm exhausted every morning. And I've got body aches all over the place. I know, 2 nights isn't much, and it sure doesn't mean I've quit. But I just can't "see" me taking this stuff another night.

How's your sleep hygiene? You will need to make sure that you don't feed the rebound insomnia by worrying too much about how little you are sleeping and how much you are tossing and turning at night. You may find that you will have to help your body&mind to learn to sleep again and to make a deep association that being in bed equals being asleep.

You might also find keeping a brief sleep log (written in the morning after you get up) may help you see the tiny steps of forward progress when you start to get discouraged. In the log, all you really need to track are simple things like what time you went to bed, how long you think it took to get to sleep, maybe the number of times you remember waking, when you got up, and some kind of mental estimate of how long you think you slept. And how you feel when you have to get up and face the day. Over several weeks the journal will help you see small, but positive trends in your sleeping. And that should help with the motivation that you currently have.

Again, good luck with getting the monkey not only off your back but out of the bedroom entirely!

[chunkyfrog]

Congratulations. Your 'res-urrection' should tell you that you're on the right track.

[karl9000]

Thanks for the replies, folks. It helps me a lot to "talk" about all this.

My waking libido has been fine for a 57 year old. If it starts getting any better, pity my poor wife! She may want to start sneaking me a Lunesta in my nightly chamomile tea so I'll have to watch her.

I'm actually not worried about the tossing and turning or waking up; I just accept it as part of the process. The first time I tried to quit, it was an issue and really affected me a lot, but not this time. I just say a silent prayer and ask God for his mercy everytime I wake up. It seems to help. I then roll over and wait for sleep to come again.

I go to bed the same time every night and keep the same process I went through while on the Lunesta so I guess my sleep hygiene is OK? I'm staying in bed even when I wake up which may or may not be what I'm supposed to do, but I don't want to start changin things up and then have to get back to my schedule. In fact, I'm about 20 minutes from bedtime so I probably won't be "back" here tonight. Gotta get into my "day is done" mode!

The aches and pains are just part of the process, I guess, and the worst part of the whole thing right now. I'm probably sleeping enough to dream, but going into that sleep that lets the body efficiently repair itself.

I know things will get better; it's just going to take some time.

Thanks again, everyone!

[robysue]

I'm actually not worried about the tossing and turning or waking up; I just accept it as part of the process. The first time I tried to quit, it was an issue and really affected me a lot, but not this time. I just say a silent prayer and ask God for his mercy everytime I wake up. It seems to help. I then roll over and wait for sleep to come again.

I go to bed the same time every night and keep the same process I went through while on the Lunesta so I guess my sleep hygiene is OK? I'm staying in bed even when I wake up which may or may not be what I'm supposed to do, but I don't want to start changin things up and then have to get back to my schedule. In fact, I'm about 20 minutes from bedtime so I probably won't be "back" here tonight. Gotta get into my "day is done" mode!

A couple of questions about the staying in bed and "waiting for sleep to come again":

1) How long would you estimate that it takes the sleep to come?

2) When lying in bed waiting for sleep to return, do you ever find yourself getting more awake or antsy, worried, tense, frustrated, or angry that it's taking too much time to get back to sleep?

As long as you're getting back to sleep in a timely fashion (with your definition of "timely fashion') and are not becoming more alert or antsy, worried, tense, frustrated, or angry when you're waiting for sleep to return, then there really is no reason to get up out of bed.

And it sounds like giving your problems to God through silent prayer is both helping you get back to sleep in a timely fashion AND helping you not become worried or angry about not getting back to sleep.

Best of luck in getting the monkey fully off your back in a very short time.