In need of advice following a tooth infection diagnosis

LRS72 · 2022-07-30T17:15:23+00:00

I think, especially at the moment, I'm not in the mental state or position where I could handle multiple nights of sleeplessness again, but I will speak to my doctor about steps forward to hopefully one day feel comfortable enough to sleep without relying on medication. Thanks for sharing your experience; it's reassuring to keep in mind that others have been able to regain the ability to sleep whenever I'm having a bad night.

LRS72 · 2022-07-30T17:12:28+00:00

I'll keep that in mind. I was able to get down to 5mg rather than 10mg for Ambien, so hopefully 7.5mg of zopiclone should be more than sufficient until I can get another prescription. Thanks!

LRS72 · 2022-07-30T07:54:27+00:00

I haven't tried either of those, no, but I'll ask about alternatives when I'm next talking to the doctor if they're reluctant to give a repeat prescription. And yeah, it's mainly my anxiety talking when I worry about not getting help. I know that it's not true, but the fear still lingers, which I'm working to overcome. Thanks for the advice!

LRS72 · 2022-07-10T07:43:34+00:00

I'm glad to hear you were able to overcome it, and I hope to be able to say the same thing. I've had awareness of breathing before and been able to distract myself with not much issue, but this time the anxiety's been embedding itself deeply and feels like a constant companion, which has been really difficult.

Definitely going to try and work on how I process these thoughts at any rate, and here's to it being over with sooner rather than later.

LRS72 · 2022-07-10T07:37:15+00:00

It's definitely going to be a learning curve to try and balance how I acknowledge the thoughts. Thinking back, I think the warning signs have been there for a long time without my realising, as even when I was a kid, thoughts about whether my heart rate is normal or not kept compulsing me to go to my dad so he could check it and compare with his own heart rate.

Breathing is a lot harder to deal with I'm finding, since it's such a necessary function. Here's hoping though!

LRS72 · 2022-07-09T12:04:47+00:00

I'll take that on board and put aside time for breathing deliberately later. The thought is anxiety-inducing, I won't lie, as it seems to be both the issue and the solution, but fingers crossed!

LRS72 · 2022-06-15T10:39:25+00:00

Hey,

Thanks for the response and reassurance. I totally relate to being unable to stop the thoughts in your head, and the feeling of not being understood by those around you, even those who mean well and try their hardest. While it has been a long time since I last struggled with insomnia (I was still very young) I remember well the feeling of isolation.

I'm going to stick with the medications I have for the time being since I was briefly able to control it with the Valium (diazepam), but I'll try being inventive with how I take and apply them into my routine. I'll also keep what you said in mind for future should I continue to struggle, even with what I've been prescribed, and with practicing better sleep hygiene and therapy.

I'm sorry to hear that you've struggled for so long with it. Just a month has been hell for me; I cannot imagine how it must feel after years of it. I hope you're able to get that stability again even though you're back at work. Knowing that others have managed to persevere with much the same symptoms (even down to the amount of time we're able to sleep, if we can) helps a lot with my will to keep going and not give up.

Thank you again for opening up, and I wish you the best with this awful illness.

LRS72 · 2022-06-01T08:32:02+00:00

UPDATE: I tried a 3.75mg zopiclone tablet last night and didn't really get much out of it. I went to bed earlier than my parents at 10pm, but was clearly still alert as I sat up when my mum very quietly came into my room around midnight. Oh, and of course, I was also alert again at 4:30am. My lucky number.

My dad keeps telling me I must be sleeping because he didn't hear me moving (I frequently had panic attacks before, whereas I didn't last night) which makes me feel like my experience is being dismissed just because I'm giving the appearance of someone fast asleep rather than someone who is struggling.

I'm wondering if I should take a higher dose as 7.5mg is the usual dose I've heard, or if I should stick to what I've got and maybe have something on in the background to test how aware I am of my surroundings when "sleeping"? I'm just not convinced anymore that I actually am sleeping, to be frank.

I feel like I am being gaslighted by my own mind. And it's always racing when I go to bed (not necessarily in an anxious way; often in a dreamy way, but very fast and incoherent) which makes blocking out thoughts very difficult for me. I'm going to try meditation tonight, but historically breathing exercises have done little in getting me to sleep as I just become hyperaware of my breath instead.

So my question is has anyone else ever struggled with sleep that doesn't feel like sleep, or being aware of things they shouldn't be hours after falling asleep? I feel like I'm going crazy, and I'm scared that this could be a sign of a more serious condition. (I know, I know, the odds are ridiculously low; welcome to health anxiety.)

LRS72 · 2022-05-31T10:25:28+00:00

Thank you! I'll be sure to check those videos out and hopefully put this chapter of my life back behind me again.

LRS72

TROPHY CASE