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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by beardedlady on May 29, 2002, at 6:12:54
Last night, I couldn't fall asleep after an hour and a half. (My bed time is when my daughter goes to bed--9:00. I usually drop out of touch in 5 minutes.) So at 10:30, I took a Sonata and slept from 11 to 2. At 2:30, I took another Sonata, and I slept from maybe 3:30 until 6. Not good, all those pills, and fewer than six hours of sleep.
I can feel this will go on for a week, getting worse before better. I am so not liking myself or anyone right now. My daughter has allergies or a cold, and I am hardly sympathetic. My skin is clammy and I felt like I was covered in polyester all night. I had my air conditioner on but was still sweating.
I think lack of sleep is the worst thing. For me, it causes everything else.
I am very very frustrated. I have been down to 250 mg. of Serzone since February. I don't want to go back up to 300.
beardy : (>>>
Posted by Phil on May 29, 2002, at 6:45:33
In reply to UGH, posted by beardedlady on May 29, 2002, at 6:12:54
beardy, Have you spoken to your doc? Sounds like something has got to give.
I wonder if 25mg of Amityiptyline might work.
I take a real small dose of Xanax occasionally and sleep like a rock.
I took Amitriptyline for years (250mg day). I was living in a no air conditioning house in S Texas. Many nights were very hot and humid. I was living by Copano Bay. I never once had trouble sleeping or staying asleep. It was the best quality of sleep, woke up feeling good almost everyday. If not for trip., there's no way I could have slept.Just woke up,
Phil
Posted by beardedlady on May 29, 2002, at 6:55:39
In reply to Re: UGH » beardedlady, posted by Phil on May 29, 2002, at 6:45:33
Phil:
Thanks for the advice. Thing is, this med has worked fine for three years, with only an occasional problem. But I will talk to my pdoc about that next time I see him. I heard that med has good quality sleep. Someone once thought I had fibromyaligia (I don't, thank heavens, though I'm not sure I believe the presentations of that illness, which seem to encompass the general new age laundry list of symptoms), and I was petrified when he said he would have my pdoc switch me to Amitriptyline (sp?). So who knows?
I am just having a very bad time of it right now. I can't get happy about my daughter, who's sitting here begging me to let's wash my car today. The sun hasn't been out a couple of days, which is possibly the problem. And maybe hormones. I don't know. I feel like crap.
Thanks for your response. Sorry you're up so early (unless you have to go to work, in which case I'm also sorry!).
beardy
P.S. I know nothing about that med. Maybe you could post something on PB? I hate looking stuff up. The side effects list makes me petrified.
Posted by Phil on May 29, 2002, at 7:04:13
In reply to re: trip » Phil, posted by beardedlady on May 29, 2002, at 6:55:39
The side effect list is scary and I had a few of them. The 25mg dose is small and I would start at 10mg and go up slowly. If you noticed SE's, you could get off of it pretty quickly. I'll post a link on pbabble. Good luck. Not sleeping well sucks(technical term).
I don't think 25mg would have too many SE but who knows, you know??
Posted by mair on May 29, 2002, at 7:39:12
In reply to UGH, posted by beardedlady on May 29, 2002, at 6:12:54
I tried to post a message to you yesterday, but managed to lose it somewhere - very discouraging since it took me awhile to type it to begin with.
I don't know anything about Sonata. I take klonopin, in fairly small doses at night. It's been much more effective for me than other sleep-inducing drugs like trazadone and ambien, because those drugs don't allow me to sleep all night. Klonopin does. If I know I'm going to have trouble on a particular night, I up my dose before I go to sleep. It doesn't seem to make me feel any groggier in the morning and once things settle down for me, I seem to easily go back to a lesser dose. When things are really tough, I take some xanax too.
I was on serzone for awhile and being on it was supposed to render klonopin superfluous. It never really did.
I have greaat sympathy for you. I draw such a strong connection between sleep deprivation/disturbance and depressive feelings, and like you, I tend to panic a little when I get out of a good sleep pattern. Usually if I can find a way back into a rhythm (hopefully after only a couple of days), then I'm ok for awhile. Sometimes weekends help. Is this a problem likely to iron itself out once school is over?
Mair
Posted by beardedlady on May 29, 2002, at 8:53:49
In reply to Re: UGH » beardedlady, posted by mair on May 29, 2002, at 7:39:12
I have just realized that today is my anniversary. For three anniversaries now, I have had relapses of some sort. Last year, I had a migraine that interrupted my vision for the week during my anniversary. The year before, I had weaned off the Serzone and had been taking nothing for a month, when I had a terrible relapse--during my anniversary. (The previous year, I believe I had just gotten a lot of relief from Serzone, having discovered it in March of that year.) And before that, I didn't have this problem!
I am so depressed.
I just went for a jog with my daughter on her bike with training wheels, and now we are going to wash my car. I feel better, but I still feel weepy. My daughter heard me cry for a second this morning, and it really upsets her. I pretended she had made a mistake, that I had something caught in my throat while I was talking, and she hasn't brought it up.
Thanks for your concern and help. I don't think I want to change my meds just yet, as I have been through these relapses in the past and really just need someone to say I'll come out of it as I always do. Why don't I know this by now, after three and a half years of this pattern?
beardy
Posted by wendy b. on May 29, 2002, at 16:38:35
In reply to UGH, posted by beardedlady on May 29, 2002, at 6:12:54
Beardy, I will write more, just know that I am thinking of you fondly and lovingly. Right now, I am taking my daughter to a dress rehearsal for her dance recital, but will write later tonight...
Please be well,
Wendy
> Last night, I couldn't fall asleep after an hour and a half. (My bed time is when my daughter goes to bed--9:00. I usually drop out of touch in 5 minutes.) So at 10:30, I took a Sonata and slept from 11 to 2. At 2:30, I took another Sonata, and I slept from maybe 3:30 until 6. Not good, all those pills, and fewer than six hours of sleep.
>
> I can feel this will go on for a week, getting worse before better. I am so not liking myself or anyone right now. My daughter has allergies or a cold, and I am hardly sympathetic. My skin is clammy and I felt like I was covered in polyester all night. I had my air conditioner on but was still sweating.
>
> I think lack of sleep is the worst thing. For me, it causes everything else.
>
> I am very very frustrated. I have been down to 250 mg. of Serzone since February. I don't want to go back up to 300.
>
> beardy : (>>>
Posted by wendy b. on May 30, 2002, at 1:08:30
In reply to Re: UGH » beardedlady, posted by wendy b. on May 29, 2002, at 16:38:35
Ohhhhh, Beardy, I just spent an hour writing to you, and I lost it in my sleepiness... Just logged out of explorer before I posted it.... I will re-write it tomorrow... love, W.
> Beardy, I will write more, just know that I am thinking of you fondly and lovingly. Right now, I am taking my daughter to a dress rehearsal for her dance recital, but will write later tonight...
>
> Please be well,
>
> Wendy
>
>
>
>
>
> > Last night, I couldn't fall asleep after an hour and a half. (My bed time is when my daughter goes to bed--9:00. I usually drop out of touch in 5 minutes.) So at 10:30, I took a Sonata and slept from 11 to 2. At 2:30, I took another Sonata, and I slept from maybe 3:30 until 6. Not good, all those pills, and fewer than six hours of sleep.
> >
> > I can feel this will go on for a week, getting worse before better. I am so not liking myself or anyone right now. My daughter has allergies or a cold, and I am hardly sympathetic. My skin is clammy and I felt like I was covered in polyester all night. I had my air conditioner on but was still sweating.
> >
> > I think lack of sleep is the worst thing. For me, it causes everything else.
> >
> > I am very very frustrated. I have been down to 250 mg. of Serzone since February. I don't want to go back up to 300.
> >
> > beardy : (>>>
Posted by beardedlady on May 30, 2002, at 5:36:03
In reply to Re: UGH times two..., posted by wendy b. on May 30, 2002, at 1:08:30
Posted by beardedlady on May 30, 2002, at 5:36:43
In reply to Re: UGH times two..., posted by wendy b. on May 30, 2002, at 1:08:30
Posted by Gracie2 on May 30, 2002, at 17:17:27
In reply to Re: UGH times two..., posted by wendy b. on May 30, 2002, at 1:08:30
Seroquel adjusted my sleep schedule. This was nothing short of a miracle as I have had problems with insomnia since I was a preteen.
Although I am taking a fairly large amount as treatment for my bipolar disorder(400 mg)I've talked to people on PB who have been helped by as little as 25 mg a night. The good news is, it's not a benzo and, once you find the dose that's effective, you don't have to increase the dosage for it to remain effective.
I know you said you didn't want to switch medication but I feel your pain. My insomnia was chronic and debilitating, I was always exhausted and nervous and I looked like hell.
Just a suggestion if you don't start feeling better.
-Gracie
Posted by beardedlady on May 30, 2002, at 17:32:03
In reply to One suggestion, posted by Gracie2 on May 30, 2002, at 17:17:27
Is that an AP or a mood stabilizer? Does it cause bad weight gain? I'm open to switching meds, but I've sort of gotten used to this one, and it usually works, so I don't want to deal with terrible side effects.
beardy : )>
Posted by Gracie2 on June 5, 2002, at 23:08:47
In reply to Thank you, too. » Gracie2, posted by beardedlady on May 30, 2002, at 17:32:03
Sorry it took me so long to answer-my goodness this board rolls over fast!
Seroquel is an anti-psychotic. I was indignant about being prescribed this drug because I don't consider myself to be psychotic, but apparently some docs use it to treat bipolar disorder. Before my pdoc prescribed it for regular use, my regular doctor prescribed it to be used 100 mg PRN for anxiety. It works well for me, although it took some time to adjust to the higher dosage of 400 mg...made me very tired for awhile.
No weight gain, thank God. You can't take it with alcohol or it might make you sick.
If you're still having trouble sleeping, it's worth a try, start at low dosage.
-Gracie
P.S> now addicted to Baileys and club soda.
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