Anybody ever have insomnia after a concussion?

Have you tried gummies?

R1, what kind of gummies?

DK -- but I was just reading in the WaPo that there are gummies formulated specifically for sleep.

Weed gummies, he meant

Can we assume you were properly treated after the concussion? MRI or doctor’s visit?

Ashwaganda is great for getting back on a good sleep cycle.

R5, yes, I was seen in the ER, had a head scan, and followed up with my doctor.

A concussion can cause inflammation and acupuncture might be able to help bring it down, but just make sure it's someone really good.

If you can be in bed by 10 and asleep by 11---even if you only sleep for a short span of time---this will help. You want to be asleep by 11 p.m. so your body can heal faster.

R6, thanks. Do you have a brand name for the ashwaganda?

Thanks, R8. I’ve been turning in every night between 9 and 10 pm. Will add acupuncture to my list. I know of someone competent.

When I get back to work, I work a 9 to 5 schedule. Fortunately, my boss knows about my problem and is willing to let me work a flexible schedule until the sleep problem is sorted.

[quote][R6], thanks. Do you have a brand name for the ashwaganda?

I'm not r6, but I use Oregon's Wild Harvest in a liquid form.

.Good luck.

Good old ZzzQuil is the only thing that works for me currently. Though I don't think it's recommended for daily use.

R12 Zzzquil is exact drug in Benadryl. Op, you can get super cheap OTC Benadryl.

I had a head injury back in August with 17 staples in my head. I've had a lot of trouble sleeping and all that helped me was Ambien. They wouldn't prescribe them right away, but when they did it helped get me back on track as far as sleeping. Nothing over the counter worked. Not being able to sleep is just awful.

Hope you're doing okay, OP, and finally able to get some restful sleep.

I truly believe I have invented the cure of insomnia. I am not a medical professional. But this 100 percent works for me = 20mg Melatonin.---10mg Ambien---one shot of Nighttime Nyquil....I have never have a sleepless night with this concoction..Of course, just like many geniuses before me, I will never get the credit I deserve for curing insomnia. Maybe I should look into curing cancer next? No Joke.

OP here—thanks to all who’ve responded w/ lots of good info.

I saw a naturopath this week, who is testing my blood and saliva for thyroid and cortisol levels to start with.

One thing I question—naturopath wants me on 800 mg if magnesium glycinate per day, which seems like a dangerously high dose. Christ.

I wanna be lulled to sleep, not into a goddamned coma.

I’m not sure this doc knows what she’s talking about. Think I prefer trying your recipe, R16. Thanks for that.

Also naturopath wants me on hyperbaric oxygen treatments three times weekly. Still researching that but side effects are a bit scary.

And R16, how long have you been using your concoction?

I just assumed it was my excitement after, you know, doing the jobs.

I’ll let you know tomorrow, OP. I’m tired now and going to bed.

I’ll tell you when I wake up.

[quote]all that helped me was Ambien.

Don’t take that, it makes you racist!

The dosage for the magnesium glycinate does seem high, but otherwise it's a great supplement and really does provide numerous health benefits (including the sleep benefits).

I use 5 mg THC gummies Indica. It is very calming and sleep inducing.

r17, for the love of god, do not take 20mg melatonin with 10mg Ambien and Nyquil at the same time. That's a recipe for multiple drug toxicity that could kill you.

You start with just 1 or 2mg of melatonin and work up to maybe 10mg. It shouldn't be taken with Ambien at all, let alone 20mg of it along with the maximum dose of Ambien.

The active ingredient for sleep in Nyquil is doxylamine succinate, which is Unisom. You can take Unisom with melatonin; I'd go with 3mg melatonin and one Unisom Sleep Tab, a half dose, and go from there. You can probably take Unisom with Ambien but ask a doctor first.

You want the Unisom (or generic) and not the Nyquil. You don't want to be taking Nyquil every night because of the Tylenol and the dextromethorphan in it. The dextromethorphan can also cause drowsiness and slowed breathing, so taking that with Ambien AND melatonin AND doxylamine is just asking for trouble.

This poster has been claiming they take these massive amounts of melatonin for years and I've asked them about it numerous times, and they never respond. I don't know if they're just overdoing it or if they're one of the chuckleheads on here who thinks it's funny to give bad medical advice.

This is probably the most dangerous thing I've seen them post.

OP here.

R24, I tend to agree. I err on the cautious side. Last night I was really not serious about following that recipe. More speaking out of desperation.

You are correct about lower doses of melatonin actually being more effective, which has been studied.

Good news, though—Last night, I got so desperate that I bought a box of Unisom (doxylamine). A half of one tablet (12.5 mg) combined with melatonin 5 mg and magnesium glycinate 133 mg, and I slept and dreamt! Woke up a few times but able to get back to sleep! I feel refreshed for the first time in almost two months.

I hope that I can cut out the Unisom in time, though—it’s not meant for long-term use.

Thanks to all for your ideas and kind words. Will keep you posted as to whether or not this combo works as a stopgap to get me functioning for my return to work.