can't sleep!

[Batistara]

Hello all!
I am seriously in need of some advice!
I have always had really bad problems sleeping, starting from a very early age. Now it has gotten so bad that I just can not fall asleep until I've been up for 2-3 days straight and my body just completely gives out. On the rare occasions that I actually feel sleepy at a "normal" time, I go to bed and either cannot fall asleep despite being sleepy because of all the "chatter" going through my head, or I have such vivid dreams that I wake up feeling like crap! I am currently taking diphenhydramine (Benadryl/Dramamine) and Pepcid for a skin disorder I have - I though that the diphenhydramine might help with the sleeping a bit, but it hasn't. Also, I don't smoke, drink caffeine, or use any other "stimulants". I have tried everything - KavaKava, Valerian, Melatonin, most of the otc sleep aids like Unisom and Nytol (which also are diphenhydramine), and even a prescription sleep aid, Sonata. Nothing made me even remotely sleepy or seemed to help in the least. A while back, I had a stomach virus and was taking promethazine (Phenergran?) for the vomiting - it actualy helped me sleep tremendously. However, after a week or so, it stopped having any effect. I tried a little tinkering and increased the dosage several times to no affect. I've been to my doctor about this plenty of times, and only once has he ever prescribed me anything (the Sonata whic didn't work). I'm getting this feeling that he is just dismissing my problem, or that he believes that it's not as bad as it really is. (It's really troublesome now because I'm in college, and it's really affecting my school work) I'm afraid to go back to him because I'm worried that he may think I'm just looking for drugs or something. Also, I'm not holding out much hope for the Rx meds, because they are usually only prescribed for a week or so at a time - I think I'm more afraid that I will find something that works, but that after a couple of refills, I'll be "cut off" and that will be the end of my sleep again. I don't know how to go about this - I want to try different meds to try to find something that works without seeming like I'm scavenging for a prescription high. I am at my wits end and I just can't handle this much longer!! Any ideas, comments, advice, etc. would be GREATLY appreciated!!!
Thanks,
Amanda

[clweidmann]

Dear Can't Sleep,

You poor thing! I thought I had a problem. Two suggestions:

1. Ambien--a relatively new drug that is not supposed to be addictive, and no hangover. I thank God for it!

2. Could the Benadryl be doing the opposite of what it should? I had taken it off and on since the age of 12 or so, and was given it in a hospital ER for giant hives. It made me jittery and unable to go to sleep for a while.

It's worth a shoot! Let me know!

Cheryl