Author: tearj3rker
Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 1:43 am
It seems a really difficult situation for you and your father. His commitment to staying off narcotics including Suboxone is really admirable too, and IMO it’s something that should be supported.
It sounds like he’s in pain to some degree. While insomnia is a symptom of PAWS, in my experience it doesn’t get this severe. If the insomnia was related to the buprenorphine withdrawals, it really should be getting better, not worse over time.
Is it possible he’s still going through some kind of pain, and that’s what’s preventing him getting decent sleep? He sounds really resilient, and determined. But that combination of medications would knock most people flat, so there must be something that’s stopping him from being comfortable in bed.
Are you finding he’s edgy / racy when he’s awake? Is he keeping active? What non-medical ways have you experimented with? The best thing I’ve found is being active, walking / jogging / bike riding, physical labor etc. A nice bath / shower before bed, reading a book, a meditation / relaxation CD to listen to in bed etc. Also cutting out all caffeine and marijuana is a must, I can’t stress that enough. Marijuana, while making people drowsy, actually messes with sleep cycles, and people wake up much less rested if they go to sleep stoned.
