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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by adamie on May 31, 2002, at 11:11:08
the last 4-5 days i have gotten almost no sleep at all. today i actually maybe got 1 hour of sleep or maybe 2. and i dunno if it was a coincidence but after waking up i was all shakey, had a lot of mental pain, and depression just far more severe than the period where i was attempting to sleep the whole night. now a bit after the completely horrid feeling is lessened.
what will happen if i continue to get only 1-2 hours or sleep a night. it seems i am never tired. i dont even yawn. actually i maybe yawned once. and normally when someone doesn't get enough sleep their eyes would hurt. mine would. but they dont seem to hurt at all. also i am losing a lot of weight. i can hardly get myself to eat anything.
i am thinking of going back on zyprexa. it saved me once when i was suicidal. it made me feel better, eat more, sleep a lot, but i was always sleepy during day time on it. at least it progressed that way. more and more sleepy. would lowering the dose have helped?
anyway maybe i should try seroquel. AP's have been the only reliable meds for my severe dep and anxiety.
i see my new pdoc on june 5th, meanwhile i dunno what to do. i am currently taking paxil 5 days or so. it makes me feel like a zombie but maybe much of this is just due to feeling much worse these past 6 days. often i feel quite suicidal and hopeless.
does risperdal help people sleep? maybe i can take that. until i see doctor.
but i really really need to eat. so perhaps i can get something from family doctor.. i dunno
Posted by crepuscular on May 31, 2002, at 12:59:09
In reply to Severe Insomnia, what will happen? need help, posted by adamie on May 31, 2002, at 11:11:08
i've been in this exact same state before and it really sucks. not sleeping is bad, magnifies all aspects of mental illness, increases suicide risk. yuck!
my solution has been seroquel at night (sometimes w/klonopin when i really want to sack out), zoloft in the am, and vigorous exercise. i really think exercise is effective at re-setting your internal clock, stimulating appetite.
are you also getting psychotherapy? i know it can be lame, especially if you've had years & years of it already, but almost every study shows it is protective for relapse. at minimum, it spares your friends & family from the terrible burden of the illness.
best of.
Posted by beardedlady on May 31, 2002, at 13:25:13
In reply to Re: Severe Insomnia, what will happen? need help, posted by crepuscular on May 31, 2002, at 12:59:09
I and several others responded to you before about sleep, about getting out of the house, about dwelling on your pain, about being around other people, about exercising, about hot baths, etc. I don't think you responded (and that's certainly your right), but you continue to post the same questions, and new people give similar responses.
I am wondering if you are able or willing to follow some of the advice we have given to you. It seems to me you are looking for a pill to cure you. I did the same thing. But you really can't do it by medication alone. You have to take some action yourself. While I was looking for that magic pill, I had to get out there and jog every morning, even though I was so tired I couldn't stand it. Eventually, the exercise allowed the magic pill to work.
As far as your body and your need for sleep, let me assure you, as my pdoc has assured me in the past: your body will protect itself. You will not die from insomnia, and you will not go crazy, though you may be quite uncomfortable. Trust that your body will let you sleep when you absolutely need it. It will happen.
In the meantime, find something in the many prior posts. Surely some of that advice is bound to work for you, even if it doesn't look particularly appealing at the moment.
beardy : )>
Posted by adamie on May 31, 2002, at 13:40:12
In reply to posts from folks trying to help, posted by beardedlady on May 31, 2002, at 13:25:13
what is wrong with wanting more opinions? a few responses aren't going to give me all the answers.
excersize hasn't helped me sleep. i respond to posts if i am in the mood to respond. so excuse me for not feeling well enough.and i do not ask the same questions over and over. and many of the new questions people dont want to even reply to. in my posts i say some of the same stuff over again so whoever reads my post would know more about my situation and would be BETTER INFORMED to give me opinions. if you hate me then that is your issue but you dont need to discredit my postings. i am going through a lot of hell.
my illness was caused by a medication, and medications are what will primarily help. so i will rely on that. i try my best to keep myself busy. I dont Dwell on things. but i'm not going to pretend everything is alright.
> I and several others responded to you before about sleep, about getting out of the house, about dwelling on your pain, about being around other people, about exercising, about hot baths, etc. I don't think you responded (and that's certainly your right), but you continue to post the same questions, and new people give similar responses.
>
> I am wondering if you are able or willing to follow some of the advice we have given to you. It seems to me you are looking for a pill to cure you. I did the same thing. But you really can't do it by medication alone. You have to take some action yourself. While I was looking for that magic pill, I had to get out there and jog every morning, even though I was so tired I couldn't stand it. Eventually, the exercise allowed the magic pill to work.
>
> As far as your body and your need for sleep, let me assure you, as my pdoc has assured me in the past: your body will protect itself. You will not die from insomnia, and you will not go crazy, though you may be quite uncomfortable. Trust that your body will let you sleep when you absolutely need it. It will happen.
>
> In the meantime, find something in the many prior posts. Surely some of that advice is bound to work for you, even if it doesn't look particularly appealing at the moment.
>
> beardy : )>
Posted by rainbowlight on May 31, 2002, at 13:57:23
In reply to Re: Severe Insomnia, what will happen? need help, posted by crepuscular on May 31, 2002, at 12:59:09
Are you bipolar by chance? You could be in a manic phase. Personally, if it were me and I wasn't sleeping I would get help ASAP. Insomnia catches up with you and can send you to the psych hospital if it happens for a long period. People with mood disorders do not do well with lack of sleep. Maybe you could call the new doctor and explain the urgency of getting help. I hope you are feeling better soon.
Posted by adamie on May 31, 2002, at 14:02:27
In reply to Re: Severe Insomnia, what will happen? need help, posted by rainbowlight on May 31, 2002, at 13:57:23
i may have bipolar symptoms but no doctor ever suggested i was bipolar. for them it's been severe depression and anxiety. from what i heard manic phases are supossed to feel great. well i feel horrible. i sure wish i were bipolar.
i might get a prescription faxed today from family doctor to local pharmacy... for zyprexa 10mg. i hope the doctor approves since i took it before.
i tried calling the specialist clinic today but no one answered. just answering machine.
i just dunno how i could go from sleeping easily to almost no sleep. something deffinetly changed in my illness.
> Are you bipolar by chance? You could be in a manic phase. Personally, if it were me and I wasn't sleeping I would get help ASAP. Insomnia catches up with you and can send you to the psych hospital if it happens for a long period. People with mood disorders do not do well with lack of sleep. Maybe you could call the new doctor and explain the urgency of getting help. I hope you are feeling better soon.
Posted by beardedlady on May 31, 2002, at 14:51:54
In reply to Re: posts from folks trying to help » beardedlady, posted by adamie on May 31, 2002, at 13:40:12
> if you hate me then that is your issue but you dont need to discredit my postings. i am going through a lot of hell.
I wasn't doing that, nor do I hate you. Please don't twist my words or post accusations. I guess that it would help if you also include the things you've tried that have not worked. One thing you haven't said in any post I've read (and I've read a lot of them) is that medication caused your mental illness. That's certainly important.
I hope someone else can help you. I really do.
beardy
Posted by Trisha on May 31, 2002, at 15:12:12
In reply to Severe Insomnia, what will happen? need help, posted by adamie on May 31, 2002, at 11:11:08
Hi Adamie,
I am so sorry for the pain and anguish you are going through. I have been there, so I know how it feels. By any chance, did you start to experience the insomnia, mental torture and anorexia since you started on the Paxil? This is exactly what happened to me after only a few days of starting Paxil. I did not sleep at all for days. I ended up in the psych. ward at the hospital and was given new meds. It was truely a horrible experience and it has taken me a long time to get better. I'm still not all the way there, but things are better. Please know that you ARE going to get better as soon as the meds. are adjusted. Don't wait too long, I started to really suffer the longer I went without sleep. If you want to talk more, just let me know. Your in my thoughts and prayers.Trisha
Posted by adamie on May 31, 2002, at 16:04:16
In reply to Re: Severe Insomnia, what will happen? need help, posted by Trisha on May 31, 2002, at 15:12:12
the sudden insomnia and lack of appetite started 1 day before the paxil.
you can e-mail me at adamie18@hotmail.com
i got prescription for zyprexa today. going to pick it up soon. and stopping paxil i think. it's possible i have loss of all passion for my lady friend along with loving emotions due to the change in my mental state but i think it's due to the paxil. i dont want to live a loveless life, not being able to care about anyone...
> Hi Adamie,
> I am so sorry for the pain and anguish you are going through. I have been there, so I know how it feels. By any chance, did you start to experience the insomnia, mental torture and anorexia since you started on the Paxil? This is exactly what happened to me after only a few days of starting Paxil. I did not sleep at all for days. I ended up in the psych. ward at the hospital and was given new meds. It was truely a horrible experience and it has taken me a long time to get better. I'm still not all the way there, but things are better. Please know that you ARE going to get better as soon as the meds. are adjusted. Don't wait too long, I started to really suffer the longer I went without sleep. If you want to talk more, just let me know. Your in my thoughts and prayers.
>
> Trisha
Posted by Chloe on June 1, 2002, at 18:04:29
In reply to Re: Severe Insomnia, what will happen? need help » Trisha, posted by adamie on May 31, 2002, at 16:04:16
>
>
> the sudden insomnia and lack of appetite started 1 day before the paxil.
>
> you can e-mail me at adamie18@hotmail.com
>
> i got prescription for zyprexa today. going to pick it up soon. and stopping paxil i think. it's possible i have loss of all passion for my lady friend along with loving emotions due to the change in my mental state but i think it's due to the paxil. i dont want to live a loveless life, not being able to care about anyone...
>
> > Hi Adamie,
> > I am so sorry for the pain and anguish you are going through. I have been there, so I know how it feels. By any chance, did you start to experience the insomnia, mental torture and anorexia since you started on the Paxil? This is exactly what happened to me after only a few days of starting Paxil. I did not sleep at all for days. I ended up in the psych. ward at the hospital and was given new meds. It was truely a horrible experience and it has taken me a long time to get better. I'm still not all the way there, but things are better. Please know that you ARE going to get better as soon as the meds. are adjusted. Don't wait too long, I started to really suffer the longer I went without sleep. If you want to talk more, just let me know. Your in my thoughts and prayers.
> >
> > TrishaAdamie,
I would suggest you stay on the paxil. It is best not to change more than one medication at a time. This way, you will know what med is giving you the problem.For example, Say you get the Zyprexa and take it tonight, but discontinue the Paxil within the same day or two. Then tomorrow or the next day, you discover you have horrible mental pain and mind torture. How will you know if the Zyprexa is causing it, or withdrawal from Paxil?
The combination of Zyprexa and Paxil might work very well together. Zyprexa will help with your sleep, increase your appetite, and decrease you anxiety that you are unable to love or feel affection. The Paxil will lift you spirits in time, and give you energy and motivation to do things during the day when you are not sleeping.
Zyprexa+SSRI is tauted as an excellent cocktail to combat severe depression. And SSRI"s do not always cause sexual dysfunction. You are depressed! How can anyone who is depressed and overwhelmed with mental torture feel like being affectionate? When I am severely depressed, affection is the last thing I want. That is something I want when the mental torture is better.
I hope you sleep well tonight. :)
Chloe
Posted by JohnX2 on June 1, 2002, at 18:51:28
In reply to Severe Insomnia, what will happen? need help, posted by adamie on May 31, 2002, at 11:11:08
I might recommend an add on prescription of
the medication Neurontin. Maybe titrate upto
900 mg (300 mg 3x day). This is a very mild mood
stabilizer that has good antianxiety properties
for many and is used for bipolars. It also helps
many with sleep. It works very differently than
the APs. It kinda works in a mechanism like the
benzos, but not quite, and is non addictive. Neurontin ~generally~
has mild stabilizing to mild antidepressant
properties.You could also experiment with a more hard core
mood stabilizer like Depakote (say start 250-500 mg).Usually these mood stabilizer meds work fast and are
much more bearable than antidepressant. They also help
to stop racing thoughts.Best Wishes,
John
> the last 4-5 days i have gotten almost no sleep at all. today i actually maybe got 1 hour of sleep or maybe 2. and i dunno if it was a coincidence but after waking up i was all shakey, had a lot of mental pain, and depression just far more severe than the period where i was attempting to sleep the whole night. now a bit after the completely horrid feeling is lessened.
>
> what will happen if i continue to get only 1-2 hours or sleep a night. it seems i am never tired. i dont even yawn. actually i maybe yawned once. and normally when someone doesn't get enough sleep their eyes would hurt. mine would. but they dont seem to hurt at all. also i am losing a lot of weight. i can hardly get myself to eat anything.
>
> i am thinking of going back on zyprexa. it saved me once when i was suicidal. it made me feel better, eat more, sleep a lot, but i was always sleepy during day time on it. at least it progressed that way. more and more sleepy. would lowering the dose have helped?
>
> anyway maybe i should try seroquel. AP's have been the only reliable meds for my severe dep and anxiety.
>
> i see my new pdoc on june 5th, meanwhile i dunno what to do. i am currently taking paxil 5 days or so. it makes me feel like a zombie but maybe much of this is just due to feeling much worse these past 6 days. often i feel quite suicidal and hopeless.
>
> does risperdal help people sleep? maybe i can take that. until i see doctor.
>
> but i really really need to eat. so perhaps i can get something from family doctor.. i dunno
This is the end of the thread.
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