I just wanted to post an update on my sleeping issues, and what is working/not working at this point, in the hopes that it might be helpful information for others with sleeping issues, as insomnia can be hell.
Melatonin supplements proved to be a bust, and in fact put me into a bad "sleep hole" for a few days that I had to climb out of. Once I understood how natural melatonin is produced in the body (very tiny amounts, continuously over many hours) I saw that I was trying to make changes in a very delicate, fine-tuned system with a sledgehammer. Obviously melatonin is part of the equation, but I had to figure out another way to harness it.
I gave up on the attempt to wean off of amitryptiline, and am currently on a dose of 6 mg per night. In the future, I will need to taper off of it very slowly, as I have been on it so long.
So I've been working on ways to enhance the natural melatonin production in my body, and conversely cut back on cortisol production at inappropriate times. For the last five days I've been using "blue blocker" goggles for the two hours before bedtime (8-10 pm). I have to say so far, I am quite pleased with the results. I'm sure it is a conditioned response at this point, but as soon as I put them on, I feel very relaxed, on the edge of drowsy. I fall asleep almost immediately when my head hits the pillow, and my sleep is getting progressively better. Only a couple of wake-ups, I fall back to sleep quickly, and overall sleep time is more (8 to 8 1/2 hours?). Since I am using very obtrusive ski goggles at this point, I have to hide from the world, and it will be great to get my sunglasses soon. I've also installed f.lux on my computer, and replaced my bedroom light with a non blue-light emitting bulb.
On the advice of a naturopathic pharmacist, I increased my progesterone cream from about 5mg to 10 mg (still a very tiny amount). I'm feeling remarkably calm and an overall sense of well-being ("happy" seems too trite a word). She also suggested lavender oil as a replacement for my beloved benzodiazephine, and I'm glad to report that it does seem to give a remarkably benzo-like reduction in anxiety level, though it is very mild. Currently I don't need it, but having that as a back up, rather than the benzo, would be great.
As far as diet, I haven't changed much. Still at a moderate carb level of about 50g/day. Breakfast and lunch are usually quite low carb, dinner is where the carbs are at. I also skip breakfast about twice a week. I'm not sure at this point if I want to attempt decreasing carbs further--probably not. First off would be removing grains completely (though I eat very little now), and removing problematic dairy products, in order to lose weight. I'm just starting to research dietary ways to support melatonin production.
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