Mental Health Sleep issues making other problems worse.

Karbon1991

Bluelighter
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Messages
149
Location
England
Hi, I'm new here so I hope I'm posting in the right place.
Before Christmas I started seeing a psychiatric nurse for all my issues. Drug and alcohol problems. Depression & anxiety. And most of all sleep issues.

Since then though the nurse quit and my GP took over the role of Psychiatric nurse for now. I've stopped using stimulants. I don't often drink anymore. And since he took over, I was diagnosed with GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder) and he believes there's a possibility of Bi-Polar so he's referred me to Psychotherapy, I've been put on Citalopram 20mg and Zopiclone 3.75mg. This was the start of February.

The citalopram definitely helps my depression and slightly helps my anxiety. The zopiclone does help my sleep. I've now ran out of zopiclone and my GP insists I have a week or so off zopiclone to prevent building a tolerance and/or addiction.

I was prescribed Naproxen and Tramadol for my back pain. The Tramadol also helped my depression slightly. And helped my sleep. But I'm now out of Tramadol and they weren't on repeat prescription. I've been put on Gabapentin recently too.

My sleep is starting to go back to how it was before medication (terrible). And the citalopram doesn't seem to be doing the job as good as it was doing. I've read that Gabapentin can make depression worse sometimes. But it seems to be helping my back pain so I don't wish to stop taking it.

Does anyone here think my sleep and depression problems are maybe going to as they were before because I've now stopped taking Zopiclone & Tramadol? Or am I over thinking this?

I don't want my GP to think I'm trying to get more drugs out of him. But I'm starting to wonder if I may be getting mild withdrawal from Tramadol? And maybe zopiclone withdrawal too? My sleep problems are making any other mental problems worse. Especially anxiety. I also end up feeling very drowsy during the day. But I try to keep good sleep hygiene so I tend not to nap during the day.

Is this just a sleep issue do you think? Or withdrawal? Or maybe even both?

Any advice is appreciated.
Thank you.
 
I think it's a little bit of everything u mentioned..tramadol is a sketchy drug so withdrawal from a few weeks of it will definitely be uncomfortable
 
I've been to the doctors today and he's told me its probably the Gabapentin making my depression worse and to step back my dosage. He's also given me some more Tramadol. Hopefully I'll be hearing from the back specialist soon. I don't know if I want to stop the Gabapentin myself because it does help my back to a certain degree. Should I just do as my GP says? Or should I see if taking Tramadol again gets rid of any bad effects I'm currently having?
 
Should I just do as my GP says? Or should I see if taking Tramadol again gets rid of any bad effects I'm currently having?

We can't advise you what course of action to take, other than you should do what is recommended by your GP as they are a trained professional unlike us.

I assume your doctor would have considered the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms from the Tramadol in reaching his conclusion. Bear in mind you are only reducing the dosage of Gabapentin, not completely coming off it... so hopefully you won't lose all the benefit.

I hope the change helps.
 
Thank you I hope they do to. I forgot to mention though. I am to lower my Gabapentin dosage and eventually stop taking them. I think your probably right though, I should just follow his instructions.
Thank you.
 
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