Bipolar Disorder Support Group
Bipolar disorder is not just a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders marked by periods of abnormally high energy and euphoria, often accompanied by bouts of clinical depression. This is the place to talk about your experience with bipolar disorder, learn from others' experiences, and find support.
So tired of no sleep. I believe it's making my depression far worse. I'm not in a Mania-predominant phase so these days it's very rare. But it certainly is making me more high-strung at times when it's not appropriate to be, people are seeming to think I'm losing my marbles.
Luckily I have one or two friends who still will laugh with me at life's pointless bullshit and other silly, absurd things after they've witnessed the most horrifying of my self-deprecating sad-sap moods, who understand that I can only let my depression come, be what it is, and then let it go.
On the issue of sleep though, nothing is helping. I've had insomnia for years, I was on Ambien I think at 16. Sometimes I'll have no problems initiating sleep or staying asleep, and this grace period can last months, even a year or more. Then this poop happens.
I'm already taking Soma at night because my back muscles seem to think they're real funny with their clenching-for-no-reason mayhem, and I use Melatonin and occasional Diphenhydramine as well...... annnnnnd nothing.
On average I go to sleep at 1 in the morning and wake up around 5 or 6. Not cool, nature. Not. Cool.
Luckily I have one or two friends who still will laugh with me at life's pointless bullshit and other silly, absurd things after they've witnessed the most horrifying of my self-deprecating sad-sap moods, who understand that I can only let my depression come, be what it is, and then let it go.
On the issue of sleep though, nothing is helping. I've had insomnia for years, I was on Ambien I think at 16. Sometimes I'll have no problems initiating sleep or staying asleep, and this grace period can last months, even a year or more. Then this poop happens.
I'm already taking Soma at night because my back muscles seem to think they're real funny with their clenching-for-no-reason mayhem, and I use Melatonin and occasional Diphenhydramine as well...... annnnnnd nothing.
On average I go to sleep at 1 in the morning and wake up around 5 or 6. Not cool, nature. Not. Cool.
All those things you mentioned do diddly for me too. I have a script for Lunesta for real emergencies but taking stuff like that every night is not a great idea as it's addictive. For years I was on seroquel at night, varying doses. Apparently the small doses will knock you out better than higher doses - seriously small, like 25-50 mg. Some people get really knocked out when they take it and that will last the first few weeks until your body gets used to it. I had to switch because I started having tardive dyskinesia from it after being on it for 13 years. So now I take trazodone and that's working for me. I had to play with the dose for a while because not enough trazodone and guess who was getting only 3 hours a night??? Now I'm on 200 and it's working. No weight gain or sleep eating from it too, wish I had tried it years ago. Good luck.
Same deal with sleep aids. I'm trying to practice relaxing into it but my mind's so busy, I'm not entirely sure how. I was on Trazodone in the hospital, like 400 mg I believe and I could still hardly sleep. Between Trazodone morning hangover and high-dose Clonidine opioid detox making my blood pressure wonky, I struggled to even stay awake most of my stay there.
All in all I'd be willing to give Trazodone another try (: I have to keep in mind Summit was very cold and was a disruptive, foreign sleep environment and I was coming down from pills basically with no taper so of course I wasn't going to sleep like a kiddie. I've heard it's very successful.
Medicinal Marijuana is legal in my state now in pill and injection forms. MJ's not my thing but I won't be nit-picky at this point. I'm sure there's a process and it's most definitely not covered by insurance, but it's a future possibility for my pain and insomnia.
I think that might be true of Seroquel. I got to where I was breaking crumbs off the 50mgs and it was still too strong. Whereas before I was on 100 full mgs a night it doesn't make sense....?
I hope you find something to help with this soon.
Judd- Seroquel worked for me for quite a decent while, it doesn't seem to s'much these days... lx
KatLin- I'm sorry you've had a lifelong issue with this. ): Most people don't develop it until young adult years I believe. I'm not sure what rose rum is, is it an alcohol beverage? I don't really use alcohol, lol. Oversleeping makes me feel lazy, but at this point I'd love to.
Have you tried melatonin, valerian root, lotus? Some people swear by nature's pharmacy. I think there's a poly-tolerance development issue with people who are on sleep aids lifelong, to where your mind is less affected by otherwise potent things, which is why a natural substitute might be a breath of fresh air.
If you're in desperate need, try the OTC meds aisle at Kroger or Wally World. Look for things with GABA, which is the same brain chemical benzo's work by [potentiating].
I think your just gonna have to find the right med combo.....i take trazodone & seroquel, sometimes klonipin if i really cant sleep.
I wish you luck