Kaylish

[houghchrst]

Hi Kaylish, Christina here. Just wondered how you were doing. Hope you are well.

[kaylish]

Hiya. Thanks for checking in on me. My blood test was negative for Lupus which I was pleased about but I still had a sleep problem which is still up and down but better than it has been :)) I tinkered around a lot with the melatonin and the Doctor gave me more sleeping pills. After almost 5 months of horrendous nights I decided they were the only thing that put me to sleep. I think I have found a good combination of 2-3mg melatonin and half a sleeping pill. The melatonin doesnt do it on its own but I do think it improves the quality of my sleep which I doubt a half a pill alone would do after my last experience with them. Its still early days with this. I have tried more cannabis and that also does not put me to sleep on its own (it used to) Mixed with the other two however it worked most of the time..lol. In some respects I feel as though I created a problem with my sleep when I gave up cannabis as I am now reliant on more to put me to sleep than I ever have been. Hope all is going good for you Christina ******

[houghchrst]

That's great that your test came back negative for lupus. I am glad that you are sleeping a little better. I hate having to rely on the meds too. Makes ya wonder which was worse I know. You brain chemistry had started to change already when you quit the cannabis and I think that would contribute to why it no longer worked for sleep. Smoking it changes the neural pathways in your brain course I imagine in your studies while getting clean you probably learned that.
I hope you continue to do even better.

[kaylish]

Thanks for that. Yes I did learn about the change in brain chemistry..should have left it as it was...at least it was stable..lol Or was it?..lol. I also learnt about PAWS !! Post acute withdrawal syndrome.......it's rather nasty. There is another shift in brain chemistry at intervals of 3,6,9,12 months..and the rest. So just when you think things are coming right....oops, think again !! I guess you would be familiar with this. How long have you been on sleeping meds for and what are your chances of coming off them without too much disturbance to the sleep cycle?? Just curious.

[houghchrst]

Oh Jeez I have no idea. I am also BiPolar type II with anxiety and some other issues thrown in and also suffer from chronic pain and all that also affects my sleep habits. Before I was diagnosed I was med free pretty much from early 2000 until about 2005 and I had long periods in there when I slept really good. But there were periods of time in there when I was taking a lot of pain meds for my feet and sometimes that would interfere, then after I was diagnosed with my mental illness it seems as if my sleep patterns became really screwed up . I rarely have a night that I don't wake up a time or two or three lol. For you I wouldn't worry about it. You have no mental illnesses ( well besides your addiction ) so I think it is just a matter of your brain finishing its readjusting and cleansing itself and you developing a routine before bed even when you are on the meds. Letting your brain get fair warning that it is just about bed time.

Be well.