Side effects?

...perhaps some chamomile with honey?

hahaha

I mean, I don't think chamomile tea with honey is gonna do squat for someone with chronic insomnia like me... 🙂

but thanks anyway 🙂

Go to sleep! 😁

Emily Myers78 said:'Go to bed! 😁

I just can't 😁 😢

brisknomad6 said:Is it actually possible for a medication to work the exact opposite way it's intended to?

Let me explain...

Last night, around 9 PM, I decided to try a sleep aid for the very first time because I’ve been dealing with chronic sleep deprivation and feeling just completely wiped out...

I've been under so much stress lately and my internal clock is totally out of whack, so I thought I'd finally give myself a chance to rest.😁

But instead...
At 3 AM, there I was...
a) wide awake and staring at the ceiling
b) tapping my foot incessantly (my dog was actually complaining about it)—and I'm not the kind of person who fidgets or taps their feet like that.

I hadn't touched any coffee since 3 PM, no tea either, and I haven't had a drink in over two weeks...

I had a colleague go through something almost identical once... Even a tiny 5mg dose hit her the exact opposite way, so she ended up having to break the pill in half just to cope!
Her doctor basically just gave a vague lecture on homeopathic principles and called it a day...
Sometimes it really feels like modern medicine can't provide a clear answer for everything we experience...

brisknomad6 said:Sorry, rapidranger79 🙂

This is my first time even trying something like this...

Plus, my doctor actually suggested this exact same medication four years ago when my sleep issues first started, but I wasn't ready to go down that road back then.🙂

swiftscout8, I don't touch beer. 😢

I have no idea how old you are, what your lifestyle looks like, if you’re dealing with any underlying health issues, or if you're a heavy smoker... and honestly, all of that dictates how you sleep.
Between high-stress living, being cooped up indoors, or just a lack of physical activity... there are a thousand different triggers. And those triggers change everything about how you should treat it.
Sure, popping sleeping pills is the path of least resistance, but isn't it true that your body eventually builds a tolerance? Then you need stronger doses, and before you know it, you're stuck in a loop that never ends.
Maybe you should talk to your doctor about a short three-week course of a mild sedative instead...
I ended up having to take Xanax myself back when I was struggling with thyroid issues—specifically hyperthyroidism where everything was just running too fast.

Honestly, you’re probably better off heading back to see Dr. Smith to have a real heart-to-heart—especially if you've been dealing with this kind of stuff before.

But I mean, it really comes down to your lifestyle too... like, maybe things aren't hitting the way they should if you've been mixing meds with, you know, some other illegal substances lately. It's just a straight-up fact that messing with that stuff completely rewires your brain chemistry.

For me, my serotonin production basically just quit on me, and I seriously doubt if something like Lexapro or Zoloft would even touch the problem at this point. No effect whatsoever.

I couldn't sleep for the life of me, but once you start taking some of that stuff—and I mean only if you're truly desperate, because honestly, try everything else under the sun first—man, it felt amazing. Like, I was just so calm and chill, you know? Everything felt right. Then about a month went by, and finally, the pills started doing what they were actually supposed to do. You know how it is—most of those meds need a solid month before they even kick in properly.😢 If you’re "just" dealing with insomnia, I’m really not sure if those specific meds are even the right move for you. I mean, let's be real: for other people, those things serve a different purpose entirely, and frankly, they can be total garbage with a mountain of side effects that you definitely don't want to deal with.

You can find some stuff at the pharmacy—what was it called... mostly valerian root tea, if I’m remembering correctly. You even see it added to certain beers sometimes. It knocks you out cold. Give it a shot; it might actually help.

swiftscout8 said:You can find some stuff at the pharmacy—what was it called... basically, it’s valerian root tea (hopefully I didn't get that wrong). It’s even used in beer. It’s known to knock you out. Give it a shot; maybe it’ll help.

Just to correct that quote, though. It’s hops in beer that have the calming effect, not valerian. Maybe some kind of hops "tea" would do the trick? 😁

brisknomad6 said:I was actually worried there would be too much and it would kill me in two days😁

granitebadger25? 🙂

granitebadger25 🙂 dream of justice, which is exactly what I recommend to you as well😬

I just want to reinforce what rapidranger79 already stated... read it carefully and stop experimenting aimlessly.

With medication, anything is possible, including sedative side effects, but in your case, it’s unlikely; you aren't exactly that type of specimen. 😁

rapidranger79 mentioned thyroid issues and hyperthyroidism, and I believe someone else brought that up to you earlier... have you actually checked that?

brisknomad6, I've known you online for a very long time (and it has been a long time), and you are constantly struggling with sleep. Your lifestyle is anything but organized or normal. You work night shifts, which is a total disaster for your circadian rhythm. Instead of resting, you just keep pushing... eating on the go, smoking heavily, drinking way too much coffee (how many cups a day?), and probably soda too (?) ... I know you dance, but is that enough physical activity for you?

Try taking some vacation time. Go hiking on Mount Everest, exhaust yourself properly in the fresh air, stop smoking (especially at night), cut back or eliminate coffee and soda entirely, and eat in the morning rather than at night... in the evening, drink chamomile tea (use plenty of it, so the whole room smells like it)... if all of that doesn't help, then—and only then—does it make sense to consider sedatives, and even then, only under a doctor's advice.

If none of that works, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a workup at the Sleep Disorders Center—it's located in Brooklyn, but don't let the location discourage you. 🙂

Joshua Chavez said:Just wanted to fix a quote there. Beer actually contains hops, which act as a sedative, not valerian. Maybe a little hop "tea" would do her some good? 😁

Hops. Right. How unexpected. 😕

As far as I'm aware, beer isn't brewed exclusively from hops. 😕

swiftscout8 said:Hops. That's weird. 😕

As far as I know, you don't just brew beer using nothing but hops. 😕

No, that’s not right. :-) Beer is actually brewed from barley, water, yeast, and hops. I guess you could say hops are more like the seasoning—they add the bitterness and help balance the flavor profile. They also have a bit of a calming effect, I think.

And if you swap out the barley for wheat, you end up with a wheat beer.

granitebadger25 said:granitebadger25 🙂 dreams of justice, which is honestly what I’d suggest for you too 😬

thanks so much 😁

yeah, you’ve got a great memory 🙂 my rhythm and vibe haven't changed in years (actually, maybe they've gotten even more intense lately)... before, this whole insomnia thing used to wreck me (like you know), but now I'm kinda just used to it...

but, man, as the years go by 😬 I feel like I just run out of steam way faster... so like, that day I was just exhausted as hell, so I figured, hey, let me just nap and catch some Z's

but nope, it totally failed me, haha

so here's the deal—yesterday, well, actually today, I had one latte in the afternoon and then some soup around 9 PM... I never drink Coke, ever... seriously, never. I tried swapping it for black tea with milk and honey, but even that stuff has caffeine in it, and light tea just doesn't hit right for me... see, I'm making progress, teehee ...

I only dance once in a blue moon now, but whenever it's not pouring rain, I'll take a quick stroll around the block with Dad (I know, I know, it's not enough, but it's something...)

Sometimes exhaustion just wipes me out by 8 PM, but then I'll wake up at 9 and everything just goes totally sideways because then I can't fall back asleep at all...

My annual vacation is my absolute lifesaver because I can just crash until 11 or noon, so at least I get some sleep regardless of when I finally pass out, if nothing else...

So yeah, that's basically my life story 😁 I was just wondering if meds could fail to work or even have the opposite effect...

signed: brisknomad6, wide awake like it's high noon, instead of 3 AM 😂 when you just deeply, truly hate whoever decided to wake you up 😍

not even one single damn minute 😠 😠 😠

There isn't a pill in existence that can fix you, so you might as well just give up on them now😛
Since your conscience is far from clear, there’s simply no help to be found here, none at all😲😱

Robert Evans said:there's just no cure for you, man, you might as well just give up on the pills already😛
i mean, look, if your conscience isn't clear, there's just no helping you, seriously, NO HELPING😲😱

Just a quick correction because that wasn't quite right😁

I didn't sleep at all, like, zero sleep whatsoever😁

I'm a lost cause, honestly😢

It usually happens in the spring, or just whenever you happen to fall in love. 😉

It’s such a great feeling! 👍

Sandra Wilson38 said:It happens in the spring, but honestly, it's just what happens when you're in love 😉

Man, that feeling is just the best! 👍

nah, it’s definitely not because of that 😁 seriously

Like I said: conscience