Ever since Jude was diagnosed, I have been taking a sleeping tablet called Zopiclone. A succession of doctors at our medical clinic have been quite happy to prescribe it for me on a month by month basis. Right up until yesterday. You see, we have a new doctor, a lady doctor, not that I have anything against lady doctors you understand. This one is very good. And very strong willed. She has let me know in no uncertain terms that Zopiclone is only a short term quick fix get you over the hump sort of drug that shouldn't be taken any longer than 2 weeks at a time. She even went as far as to say that I would be doing myself less harm by getting drunk every night than to continue taking it. All sorts of possible nasty side effects which if you really want to know about are probably on the net somewhere.
Then we got to talking about why I have problems sleeping. Its a problem that I have had long before Jude got MND. It's just that I can cope a lot easier with stress if I have a good night's sleep. But she didn't want to hear that. She went off down a very murky path involving depression & Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I know I'm not depressed. I know depressed. I have been down that path & spent 2 years on anti depressants. When I finally weaned myself off them, I vowed that I wouldn't ever get into a situation where I needed them ever again. That still stands. As far as OCD is concerned, nobody that really knows me thinks I have it. Sometimes I just lay awake & worry about things. How strange. Our pharmacist doesn't think I'm depressed either. She has a similar thing. Like me, if she can get a good nights sleep she can cope.
The doctor gave me a weeks worth of Zopiclone & wants to see me again in a week. They have gone into my bedside drawer next to the anti depressants. I'll not take any more. I didn't take one last night. I didn't sleep all that terribly well, but I did sleep & the roof didn't cave in. I went back to the Pharmacist this morning & she has given me some herbal capsules. Hopefully they will help a bit. Even if they don't I am prepared to tough it out & get my head sorted sufficiently to sleep .
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2 comments:
Sleep deprivation can be a real pain if you let it.
I do puzzles, and Tony watches TV with the hope of catching up sometime. Nana naps are good if you can find a space between the cats.
I have started taking St Johns Wort, 2 x day. Absolutely marvellous things for stress, with the side effect that I am sleeping better, without my brain racing 100 miles an hour. Couldnt do any harm to try them.
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