Posted by ronaldo on January 24, 2007, at 2:52:20
In reply to Lithium Insomnia, posted by becksA on January 24, 2007, at 1:05:36
Hello becksA
I have suffered insomnia with Lithium for several years. Are you sure it is the Lithium that is causing it? I always put my insomnia down to Olanzapine which was at first great for insomnia but later faded but I guess when I think about it then it was probably the Lithium all along. Either that or my wife getting up in the night and disturbing me. She is not well God bless her and she can't help it. But we now sleep in seperate rooms which should minimise the disturbance. But I am a very light sleeper.
At present I am tapering off the Olanzapine as I don't like it and in any case it stopped working for sleep several years ago. At present I am getting a decent night's sleep on 5 mg of diazepam taken at night. I can't imagine what that will be like to taper off. Once I'm down to just the Lithium, 900 mg, then I will see what my sleep is really like. In the past, and I have taken Lithium for some 30 odd years, I always felt that the Lithium helped me to sleep. But then 5 or 6 years ago I started sleeping badly and went on to the Olanzapine, purely to aid my sleep. That helped for a couple of years and then faded. Since then I have tried various anti depressants which were all useless. I think my background mood is manic or slightly manic which possibly prevents my sleep. I will be going on an exercise regimen at the gymn shortly which may dampen down any residual mania.
Please let me know what your pdoc prescribes for your insomnia. Babble mail me if you like. BTW how is the job going? OK I hope.
ronaldo
> I see my pdoc tomorow, so I'm thinking of asking for a sleep aid, but how common is insomnia with Lithium patients? It doesn't happen to me too often, but when it does, it is incredibly frustrating. (like tonight). I just got up after tossing and turning for 2 hours. I don't want to end this because it has been a HUGE asset in my anxiety while tapering off the Klonopin. I've also put up with lethargy, and other mild annoying side FX because it has helped so much.
>
> How commmon is this insomnia with lith?
>
> thanks
poster:ronaldo
thread:725837
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070119/msgs/725860.html