kori Posted November 6, 2013 Report Share Posted November 6, 2013 Has anyone taken adderall and also was prescribed xanax (or a benzo) and quit them simultaneously ? Benzo WD causes horrible insomnia...can anyone whose experienced this nightmare list some ways of getting sleep? Ive gotten sleep but never two consecutive days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted November 6, 2013 Report Share Posted November 6, 2013 Hey Kori. I quit adderall and ambien at the same time. It was indeed a nightmare. I couldn't deal with the insomnia and wanted to focus on quitting adderall first so I went back on ambien for two more months. By that time I was through the adderall withdrawals and felt stable enough to quit ambien, and it was a lot easier the second time around, with occasional help from OTC sleep aids. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kori Posted November 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2013 Thanks cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Hi Kori, I'm in the same boat Cat was in. I stopped ambien and then started taking it again (at half suggested or .5mgs) several weeks later due to the debilitating effects of insomnia I was experiencing. I take xanax too, but have only lowered the dose. I take about 4mgs a day; 2mgs XR before bedtime. I have no plans on quitting that until I feel more confident about Adderall recovery and sleep issues. I'm sorry you are having to go through this. I know how it upsets my whole world when I don't get the proper rest. I hope you are able to find a solution that works for you. You are by no means alone in trying to overcome two or more addictions that go hand in hand with Adderall use. Alcohol, weed, cigarettes and downer pills come to mind right away. I believe that with Adderall use, there is always going to be some substance to counteract the stimulant high and I think that this adds another level of complexity to recovery...and one that we should not be afraid to talk about. If there was ever a threat to my quit, walking around on a few hours of sleep in a week over and over again, would be it. To the people of the forum: Is insomnia a part of Adderall recovery? We all get the hypersomnia and sleep "forever" phase in the beginning, but then we are out of balance and have sleepless nights. Throw in PAWS episodes and it complicates matters even more. Adderall messed with our sleep/wake cycles while we were using. Is it logical to expect some issues with the sleep wake cycle while we recover? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quit-once Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 My benzo of choice was ativan, and I pretty much had stopped taking it by the time I quit adderall. In fact, since quitting adderall, the only time I have taken attivan is when I am traveling for work and sleeping in a hotel room ( only a few nights per year). I was lucky enough to escape that addiction. So here is my perspective of imsomnia without the complication of benzo addiction or withdrawl. During the first year of two of recovery, I was frustrated that I couldn't sleep on my terms. I became a morning person. I could not stay up late and crashed on the couch most nights between 9-10 PM. And I would awake at the crack of dawn, even earlier during the dark season. I had a hard time staying asleep all night too, and most nights I would get up at least once to pee. It was difficult to go right back to sleep, too. I believe that adderall was hard on my kidneys, and I also believe that calcium pills and even vitamin d is hard on the kidneys too. I have been sleeping much better since my pill cleanse in september. I am still not the night owl I would like to be and most of the time I go to bed by 11, but I have been sleeping through the entire night and have been able to sleep in on some rare mornings. I require seven hours of sleep, and I just can't sleep any more than that even if I try. (I was lucky to get five hours of sleep during adderall.) My experience with sleep disturbances during recovery was not as much about insomnia but more about sleep timing and staying asleep. One other thing that messed with staying asleep in early recovery was muscle soreness, especially in my middle back, and regular yoga practice over the last year has helped to reduce that issue. Another thing that really fucks with my sleep is drinking alcohol and I sleep a lot better when I don't drink beer after dinner. GERD and acid reflux also used to mess with my sleep but I beleive that part of recovery is also behind me now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Quit-once, Thank you for sharing your experience with sleep while recovering from Adderall. Some of the things you said that I can relate to: During the first year of two of recovery, I was frustrated that I couldn't sleep on my terms. – Check. I had a hard time staying asleep all night. - Check. It was difficult to go right back to sleep, too. – Check. I was lucky to get five hours of sleep during adderall. – Check. Sleep disturbances during recovery was not as much about insomnia but more about sleep timing and staying asleep. – Check. GERD and acid reflux also used to mess with my sleep. – Check. I believe that adderall was hard on my kidneys, and I also believe that calcium pills and even vitamin d is hard on the kidneys too. – I believe the same things. From what I gather we Adderallics share some similar sleep disturbances after quitting. It’s nice to feel not all alone. Thanks again Q-o. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinW Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 It seems that I have sleep issues at least once a week (thank you Jon for making me more aware of the problem); last night I awoke at 1:40 and didn't get to sleep until 3:30. During that lovely time I started to obsess over a single issue. But yeah, check to so many of the points mentioned above. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swervecity Posted November 10, 2013 Report Share Posted November 10, 2013 Kori, I don't know if you had seen any of my posts here from October, but this was the issue I was facing. Where are you with this currently? How much of what are you taking? What goals do you have concerning the medication? If you are off the benzo's and adderall, how long were you on them, and how long did it take you to come off of them? In the end, this is going to be a difficult transition in your life. Quitting Adderall is a pain, but quitting benzo's can be a monster in comparison. I'm not saying this to scare you. The internet can really mess people up who are going through major life changes by implanting horror stories into their heads. There is hope, and both withdrawals can be managed and be done in a way that is somewhat comfortable. But you need to really educate yourself and your doctor on what's really going on for that to take place. I'm in college at 31, in a dorm that's like a daycare center, and I am adjusting to benzo and amphetamine changes successfully. So it is possible, and sleep will come. I know how much insomnia sucks. Would like to here where you're at, as well as get the answers to those questions. I can't offer any suggestions about sleep without some information. In the meantime, I highly suggest going here and reading all of this: benzo.org.uk it's a good start. Let us know how you're doing. Regards, Paul 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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