weaning myself off 15mg starts tonight-my diary starts here

[ElviraJoy]

Hi.
My husband snoring was a nightmare to me=( So i digged the web and found lots of information about it. I arranged it and so here are a few tips that can help you stop snoring the natural way without using any drugs:
* Try to stay at a healthy weight.
* Establish a routine. Make an effort to go to bed at the some time every night.
* Avoid sleeping on your back.
* Put some bricks under the legs of your bed to raise its head by 4-5 inches. This can help you stop your tongue from falling towards the back of your throat, which can result in a blocked airway.
* Quit smoking to reduce the inflammation of the airway.
* Stay away from sedatives and antihistamines.
* Get regular exercise.
* In case the air in your home is too dry, you should use a humidifier.
* If you have a stuffy nose, use decongestants to correct the problem.
* Don't use overly soft or large pillows.
Unfortunatelly forum format doesn't allow to publish all tips and info about it, so you can read more on my page

[ElizabethJane]

Your post would be very useful Elvira for somebody whose problem is snoring or their partner snores. Maybe it will be of some help to others. The problem that we were discussing was being unable to sleep, disturbed sleep, getting off to sleep, staying asleep, being woken early. I expect that you could add snoring to this if a partner snores. As for me well if I am snoring then I would be asleep and that is the desired state. Mirtazapine does affect sleep in the lower doses extremely sedating in the higher doses (me?) it seems to inhibit sleep.

[JT69]

Hi Elizabeth-Jane.....that made me giggle.....Jo.

[smudger]

Love the snoring tips thanks. Sleep oh sleep, where art thee oh sleep.............. Think Im gonna take an mp3 player to bed when I find one, maybe that will send me to sleep like the tv did last night. Can't keep sleeping on sofa, really bad for back.ElizabethJane I think mirt def affects sleep! I am very up n down though. Some good, some bad.really interested to hear how hypnosis goes.

Day 4 After I went swimming day 4 was good. I need to keep moving! I need to keep busy.

[ElizabethJane]

Dear Smudger good to hear that you are swimming. It should definitely help you to sleep. How are the withdrawals going? We have just bought a new sofa but I haven't slept on it yet. I really wish I had the answer to our sleep problems. I'm hoping the hypnosis will help me. I'll let you know how it goes. I have sent a message to the the therapist but I haven't heard anything back yet. I seriously tempted by those Glen Harrold (sp) cds but haven't succumbed yet.

[JT69]

Hi Lynne
Glad your day turned out good in the end. Did you go for the CBT in the end. I bet you slept like a log last night after that swimming??? I hope you did anyhow. Visited a relative this morning after spending a fortune in the local card shop!!! So many birthdays coming up. Having a pretty good day again today...may it continue. Just wondered how you were doing. Jo.

[smudger]

Day 5 ElizabethJane whio is Glen Harrold please? Don't seem to be suffering withdrawals as such on this low dose. Can't believe it? Jo I did go to CBT. I actually wanted to finish painting my daughters architraves in her bedroom instead. The CBT counsellor said I could have cancelled to do the painting if I wanted because as far as she is concerned, if I do something that makes me happy then thats therapy in her eyes! Wow, isn't that great? I said I felt it was wasting an appt that somebody else could have and she said its not a waste in her eyes because its part of the whole process of getting better!Wow! Slept on the settee again last night coz I was so wide awake at bedtime n hubby has the sniffles anyway so I wanted to avoid catching it! Spare room mattress is too uncomfortable for me. Today has been a good day so far. Been swimming, got some shopping for Mum from town n then went round Mum's n cleaned her kitchen for her. It really needed it and it was so satisfying. Her eyesight isn't what it used to be. I decorated her lounge last yr, it nearly killed me! Won't be attempting that again for a while! Jo are you finding the good days are getting more than the bad. Whats different on those days that are good compared to the bad. I mean what do you do thats different that may contribute to it being good?

[JT69]

Hi Lynne, yes am finding that the good days are getting more than the bad, in fact this is my 3rd good day on the trot!! I think that I am just keeping myself busy and going out more now. The first 2 weeks I just couldn't leave the house as I felt so awful with the side effects from the new meds and the withdrawal from the old. Once that all started to go I then found I could do more and so I went shopping on my own etc and did the things that previously I couldn't (if that makes sense). Am glad you are not suffering any withdrawals and pleased you having a good day today. I dont know about you but alot of it with me depends on how I feel when I actually wake up. If I wake up feeling good then I usually have a good day but if I wake up feeling "down" then I have to battle against it until that feeling goes and that usually happens if I keep myself busy. Jo.

[smudger]

I agree Jo. Its an uphill battle to claw your way out of despair when you wake up feeling that way. I guess the trick is to become self aware, and to be conscious of what personally motivates you. For me, its go for a swim if I wake up feeling bad. I could easily just binge (on chocolate) which is where I've gone wrong so many times. I think the medication has its place, in my case to lift my mood enough for me to even get off my backside. I don't think I could have done it without. I still go to bed at night thinking "please let tomorrow be another good day". I hope one day I won't think like this anymore and that I can keep the positive thoughts I feel today for ever. Its gr8 to hear that things are turning around for you too. Keeping busy is so important!

[JT69]

Your post makes so much sense Lynne. I think I will always have to take the medication as in the past when I have tried to come off it, I go perhaps 6 months (if I am lucky) and then end up on that down ward spiral again. This bad spell i am experiencing is the worst I have ever had and I guess I was stupid as thinking back the signs were all there but I chose to carry on regardless and when I did start back on meds (citalopram at the time) it was too late and the illness dragged me to depths I had never experienced before. My treadmill and this forum have been my life savers and the mirtazipine too, and people like you and your support.