Quote:
Originally Posted by NaoSky
Oh wow, 40 years?! You definitely have some wisdom with this Illness!! Have you had sleep problems the entire time? I was diagnosed this year and have had sleep problems only during the mania and depression, not when I was hypomanic. I’m really hoping I don’t have to battle this for the rest of my life! I would have continued sleep pills but they don’t work for more than 3-4 hours and when I try to increase the dose or take more when I wake up, they still don’t work. I’ve tried 4 different ones. So I used meditation on YouTube now that helps put me to sleep and when I wake up it helps me go back to sleep... but total I get 4-5 hours. Still it’s about the same or better than the sleep pills. I’m just hoping when my mood improves so will my sleep. I’m still going through the depression with some anxiety.
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i've compulsively researched this disorder and for most of those yrs. i was on only 450mg lithium which destroyed my thyroid, parathyroids and quit when it started affecting my kidneys so i've been off it for several yrs. i still have anxiety and o.c. but no depression; i used to sleep well; perimenopause was difficult but got on estrogen patch and am still on it. progesterone nightly really gives addl. sleep and great dreams. just recently my psych nurse said to add 1/2 seroquel if my 3-meds per nite don't work but that sleeping pills only put you to sleep but i still have to deal w/hypomania/anxiety/o.c. i've been on 1/2 klonopin for more than 20 yrs. so it would be a hellish long-term withdrawal to get off bentos so for me, at my age, i'll stay on my med combo for sleep rather than go thru the agony of benzo withdrawal. no doubt the pandemic has additionally affected all of us. best of luck.