Sleeping meds - opinions?

[T1gersxjaw]

Hi guys. I have bipolar 2 (although I am beginning to notice increasingly worse "hypomania", so I don't know if I could be bipolar 1...) but regardless, I just went off lithium and latuda and all my meds aside from

klonopin (1mg in the morning .5mg at night)
gabapentin (600mg in the morning, 300mg at night)
lunesta (3mg at night)

and I CANNOT sleep. I just can't sleep. I have been off my meds for about a month, completely aside from the klonopin, and the gabapentin and lunesta were recently added (although I have been on lunesta for a few years in the past)

anyways, the lunesta isn't cutting it. some nights i can fall asleep, after a few nights of poor sleep, or i can if i add in other substances.
but i can't survive using illicit drugs or pills not prescribed to me every night to fall asleep.

Any suggestions?? Going back on strong psych medicine is not an option at this point in time.
I need help.
Thanks

 

[Erikmen]

Hi there!
I'm not sure if we can give medical advice other than suggesting you look for a doctor.
I know how bad it gets whey you don't sleep.
And those psychiatric pills are pretty heavy..

 

[Mysterie]

i would look into getting a prescription for 50mg ER seroquel ASAP (like today)

it gets taken an hour before going to bed, and should put you to sleep

i would use it as needed, so not more than once or twice a week if possible, if taken every day the sleep effect doesn't work so good, and if you stop taking it, it gets even harder to sleep for a few days.

its really, really important to get a decent amount of sleep most nights when you have a tendency towards (hypo)manic states, if you are unable to sleep for multiple days in a row, feel that you are not tired after missing a lot of sleep, thoughts are racing 100mp/h, see your doctor!

you may need to take a small dose of olanzapine or a similar mood stabiliser if you have already elevated to hypomania or mania.

anyways, see a doctor and tell them whats up

 

[LilikoiMoon]

That's part of the bipolar, insomina in droves. As someone mentioned, find a Dr. Just changing your bipolar meds may make a huge difference in your sleep pattern. Good luck.

 

[Erikmen]

Seroquel is like one of those meds you want to avoid, I guess. It will make you heavy and drowsy for at least 14 hours. Good sleeping medication though.
However, if you want this buy 100 mg pills, and take half to see if you need more.
I used to take 150 mg. It knocks you down and with time you'll gain weight. It makes me so lazy..

 

[Rachella666]

Bipolar 1 here. Why did you go off the lithium? What dosage were you on? I think its a wonder drug!

 

[SixBuckets]

I have bipolar and chronic insomnia. The latter predated the former, so I'm not sure if they're linked, but it does seem to be a commonly reported combination.

I take Stilnox (Aussie Ambien) and melatonin, which work well as a combination. I average around 5 hours sleep a night. If you're trying to keep your pharmaceuticals consumption low, maybe try the melatonin by itself? It's not going to put you to sleep if you're hypo/manic, but it might help in the interim periods.

 

[T1gersxjaw]

It's complex. I felt it limited my creativity and sex drive and basically my beauty to see and experience life at its fullest... What makes it complex is I was also on Latuda, which is similiar to abilify, it's an antipsychotic. So I don't know if lithium necessarily caused those side effects. But I felt like a zombie, and writing is my passion and I just couldn't do it.
Do you find lithium sort of mind numbing?

 

[soggybabies]

Hi!
I have bi polar type two as well along with epilepsy. I take lamictal and klonopin (1mg 1-2 a day as needed).
I could not sleep, getting just a few hours if I was lucky from nightmares of watching my friends suicide.
I was scared to go to bed.
My Dr. perscribed me klonopin for sleep, but I find it really just makes my anxiety about sleeping go away, not really making me tired.

What I do to sleep is I have pure (as pure as you can get) melatonin. I put snort about 10mg (i use to do a lot of coke and it gives a good sensation) and then let 5mg dissolve on my toungue.
I then take 2 bendadryl along with 2mg klonopin. I give it 30 mins to an hour of listening to music which helps me sleep. If I am not tired I dose up on Dramamine. I if am really desperate then I will down some NyQuil.

As I have myoclonic epilepsy and have had 3 tonic clonic ( grand mal) sleep is the biggest trigger.

TO BE WARNED, consult with your doctor first, though I have not had any side effects other than being groggy and tired in the morning, I go from 4 hours of sleep and waking up 5-10 times a night to 7 hours and only waking up 2-4 times while on these routine.

Some suggestions that are not medicine is make your room/bed as dark as you can and as cold as you can. Try not to do things other than sleep in your bed.

Insomnia is tough and sleep affects your whole body and brain.

I wish you the best!

 

[soggybabies]

What type of melatonin do you use? Do you ingest it orally? I have "pure" melatonin (as pure as they will let you buy) and I usually take around 15mg a night orally taking some but letting 10mg either sit on my tongue or snorted.

I have bipolar and insomnia .... and epilepsy and when I don't get atleast 4 hours of sleep I get myoclonic twitches. Also benadryl helps me out as well.