Anti-depressants

[chaoticfirefly]

I saw my doctor the other day to see if I can't get put on something that can actually put me to sleep because I have severe insomnia on top of anxiety and depression. He looked into my old files from when I was seeing three different psyciatrists and psychologists for the same things and found I was exhibiting the same symptoms from when I was a kid.

So he put me on some anti-depressants that I was on then, after I admitted I was suicidal and cutting myself as well (much like when I was a kid) to combat the depression because it also helped me sleep then and helped everything but now, it's made me uppity and twitchy. I have a 12 hour shift tomorrow since they couldn't find someone to fill in for the person who walked out because of an a-hole customer.

So I took a left over ambien and now I can't feel anything and wide awake.

Do any of you have suggestions? I just want this fixed. Ambien made me crazy, and everything else I was prescribed contained an ingredient that my body is immune to because of constant overdoses (I took enough to kill a grown man) and melotonin makes me high and then depressed and then dissociative.

How do you guys deal with this?

 

[chaoticfirefly]

i have tried that. i have tried everything in the book. i have literally stopped eating as well in hopes it would help.

 

[miss-a]

I used to have sleep problems. It's much better now. I'll list some of the things I know, although I suspect you've heard it all before and tried. But on the off chance there's something here new to you here goes:

Turn the lights down in the evening and don't watch tv or do computer at night.

Don't starve yourself. Not having enough blood sugar to get you through the night will cause you to wake up. So eat a balance meal two to three hours before bed.

Herbs like chamomile can help, prior to bed.

Moderate exercise during the day can help. But keep it moderate. Over-exercising can cause insomnia. and keep exercise during the day, not before bed. It can keep you awake if it's too close to bedtime. It can be as simple as taking a walk on your lunch break.

Keep caffeine, sugar, refined foods, tobacco, preservatives, etc. out of your life.

Eat a diet with lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins.

Make sure you are hydrated with lots of filtered water. YOu need half an ouce for every pound of bodyweight. so a one hundred pound person needs at least fifty ouces of filtered water. do filter it. The chemicals in tap water can impede hydration and Walmart has filters by PUR for under twenty dollars.

Magnesium with your evening meal can help.

Get full spectrum light for at least an hour or two daily, either outside or use full spectrum lightbulbs. There's a company called BlueMax that sells them that fit right in your regular light fixtures. Do this during the day, not before bed. You want low lights before bed.

Get lots of people praying for you about this.

That's all I've got for now but if I think of more, I'll add them.

Blessings and prayer,
a

 

[Jeshu]

I saw my doctor the other day to see if I can't get put on something that can actually put me to sleep because I have severe insomnia on top of anxiety and depression. He looked into my old files from when I was seeing three different psyciatrists and psychologists for the same things and found I was exhibiting the same symptoms from when I was a kid.

So he put me on some anti-depressants that I was on then, after I admitted I was suicidal and cutting myself as well (much like when I was a kid) to combat the depression because it also helped me sleep then and helped everything but now, it's made me uppity and twitchy. I have a 12 hour shift tomorrow since they couldn't find someone to fill in for the person who walked out because of an a-hole customer.

So I took a left over ambien and now I can't feel anything and wide awake.

Do any of you have suggestions? I just want this fixed. Ambien made me crazy, and everything else I was prescribed contained an ingredient that my body is immune to because of constant overdoses (I took enough to kill a grown man) and melotonin makes me high and then depressed and then dissociative.

How do you guys deal with this?

I also suffered from chronic insomnia - I averaged 3 hours a day for years - I found that modern medication couldn't help me and that I am allergic to anti-depressants.

My psych put me on a small dosage of haloperidol to act as an anti-psychotic and tegretol as mood stabiliser. The tegretol has worked miracles for my insomnia, from which I have been completely healed, if anything I sleep too much. It is great to get a good night sleep again every night.

 

[chaoticfirefly]

I used to have sleep problems. It's much better now. I'll list some of the things I know, although I suspect you've heard it all before and tried. But on the off chance there's something here new to you here goes:

Turn the lights down in the evening and don't watch tv or do computer at night.

Don't starve yourself. Not having enough blood sugar to get you through the night will cause you to wake up. So eat a balance meal two to three hours before bed.

Herbs like chamomile can help, prior to bed.

Moderate exercise during the day can help. But keep it moderate. Over-exercising can cause insomnia. and keep exercise during the day, not before bed. It can keep you awake if it's too close to bedtime. It can be as simple as taking a walk on your lunch break.

Keep caffeine, sugar, refined foods, tobacco, preservatives, etc. out of your life.

Eat a diet with lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins.

Make sure you are hydrated with lots of filtered water. YOu need half an ouce for every pound of bodyweight. so a one hundred pound person needs at least fifty ouces of filtered water. do filter it. The chemicals in tap water can impede hydration and Walmart has filters by PUR for under twenty dollars.

Magnesium with your evening meal can help.

Get full spectrum light for at least an hour or two daily, either outside or use full spectrum lightbulbs. There's a company called BlueMax that sells them that fit right in your regular light fixtures. Do this during the day, not before bed. You want low lights before bed.

Get lots of people praying for you about this.

That's all I've got for now but if I think of more, I'll add them.

Blessings and prayer,
a

I've tried most of those things. Full spectrum lights where I live are too expensive, I can't work out 10 months out of the year because I live in a frozen wasteland and gym memberships are about 100$ here. Chamomile does nothin for me.

But thank you.

 

[chaoticfirefly]

I also suffered from chronic insomnia - I averaged 3 hours a day for years - I found that modern medication couldn't help me and that I am allergic to anti-depressants.

My psych put me on a small dosage of haloperidol to act as an anti-psychotic and tegretol as mood stabiliser. The tegretol has worked miracles for my insomnia, from which I have been completely healed, if anything I sleep too much. It is great to get a good night sleep again every night.

Oh wow. Lucky.

 

[chaoticfirefly]

seems like my body will play the "how drugged up and sleepless can i get until i pass out at the most inoppertune time" game. it's happened before. i think i've gone a month and then BAM fainted during gym class during one of those stupid 45 minute runs. Outside. On pavement.

I'm debating about asking my doctor for Ambien and staying on the stupid anti-depressants to counter the crazy the ambien causes. I only stopped taking it because my useless psychologist said I should.

Three weeks later, I'm hearing voices and seeing things and everything worsend 10 fold. and my psychologist yelled at me for asking my doctor to be put on meds. So I showed her my sleep journal. She now thinks I'm crazy and should be under a suicide watch.

 

[PlayWithFire]

I understand how awful and debilitating both sleep deprivation and depression can be. And (in my personal experience) how much one can play off the other.. I get far too little sleep for a while which worsens my mood - which makes my sleep schedule even more dysfunctional - which makes me more depressed, anxious, etc. - which makes the sleep worse - etc.

i have literally stopped eating as well in hopes it would help.

Not eating typically makes insomnia (significantly) worse. It often will also cause worsening problems with depression, anxiety, regulating moods, etc. All of which are issues by themselves - and can just make problems with sleep even worse.

I do empathize with the desperation that lack of sleep can cause.. But starving yourself is not going to help.

Full spectrum lights where I live are too expensive

I think miss-a may have been referring to light therapy? It can help with various sleep problems and mood disorders. I believe you can find some pretty good options online within various price ranges (google "light therapy"/"light boxes").

I'm debating about asking my doctor for Ambien and staying on the stupid anti-depressants to counter the crazy the ambien causes. I only stopped taking it because my useless psychologist said I should.

What sort of 'crazy' is caused by Ambien for you?

I was on Ambien when I was 14-16 years old. After a while it wouldn't make me fall asleep but I would do things in a semi-conscious state with no memory of it afterward. Some very dangerous things that I (years later) still cannot remember doing.

There are a lot of different medications that can be used for sleep and/or mood disorders. Maybe you could try talking to your doctor about some of the other options?

(Sorry if any of this came across as some sort of lecture - not my intention..). Take care.

 

[St. Paul]

I saw my doctor the other day to see if I can't get put on something that can actually put me to sleep because I have severe insomnia on top of anxiety and depression. He looked into my old files from when I was seeing three different psyciatrists and psychologists for the same things and found I was exhibiting the same symptoms from when I was a kid.

So he put me on some anti-depressants that I was on then, after I admitted I was suicidal and cutting myself as well (much like when I was a kid) to combat the depression because it also helped me sleep then and helped everything but now, it's made me uppity and twitchy. I have a 12 hour shift tomorrow since they couldn't find someone to fill in for the person who walked out because of an a-hole customer.

So I took a left over ambien and now I can't feel anything and wide awake.

Do any of you have suggestions? I just want this fixed. Ambien made me crazy, and everything else I was prescribed contained an ingredient that my body is immune to because of constant overdoses (I took enough to kill a grown man) and melotonin makes me high and then depressed and then dissociative.

How do you guys deal with this?

Ask for Trazadone. 150mgs will knock you out.

 

[miss-a]

I've tried most of those things. Full spectrum lights where I live are too expensive, I can't work out 10 months out of the year because I live in a frozen wasteland and gym memberships are about 100$ here. Chamomile does nothin for me.

But thank you.

I live in the Northeast so I get what you're saying, and I don't like gyms. Here's a great free online resource you can use to workout at home:
Exercise TV/Start walking at home 1 mile with Leslie Sansone - YouTube


And here are the very inexpensive full spectrum bulbs: BlueMax Full Spectrum Compact Fluorescent Lights

Also, I forgot to mention that there is a period of adjustment, weeks and maybe even months for your body to readjust and learn to sleep right again, so, though I realize you may already know this, there is a level of persistance that is key. Keep it up. You've got nothing to lose and lots to gain, a healthier body and feeling better.

 

[miss-a]

Oh, and another herb to try is passionflower.

 

[chaoticfirefly]

Ask for Trazadone. 150mgs will knock you out.

My doctor put me on that. It didn't work. 50 mg, and I personally upped it to 200 mg, still didn't work. Mixed it with Tylenol PM, still didn't work. Mixed it with melatonin. Nothing.

@MissA: I'm getting too exhausted with fighting with this. No matter what I do, nothing helps. I'm taking near-overdoses on everything and anything, and there's been absolutely no success. I've missed a week of work just because I can't filter when I'm so exhausted and I'm 100% more irrational and sensitive and sometimes even violent. I'll check out the herb. Thank you.