[lilithmoon]

My dr upped my meds after I called her and told her im stressed out and she said I need support. She first asked me if I want my meds increased...im not the dr?? And then she said shes giving me a low dose of sleeping pills to take at night bc I usually sleep at about 3am...which keeps me tired all day or napping.... isnt the napping throwing me off....I mean I can fall asleep easy enough...but at night not so much bc I get a second wind...or im not tired/ ready to sleep..from my nap. My hb thinks I sleep too much.... but I said to him..if I fall asleep at 3, wake at 8, then nap from say 10 to noon again thats 7 hrs...so my body is getting enough sleep but at the wrong time. Do you think pills taken at say 10pm will get me back on track? Last night I couldnt fall asleep until 1am. Slept until 11am...but slept thru and felt refreshed. Usually id wake up inbetween that time. Havent got the sleeping pills from the pharmacy yet. Im afraid to take them.... also she said take my effexor in the a.m not p.m. but I thought they make u drowsy? P.s. I have 2 small kids so obviously this is very bad and im actually more depressed over guilt from my bad sleep routine but the depression makes me want to sleep when my baby is, and my 3.5 yr old watches cartoons. I dont want a lecture...my post is for advice and help bc I know im messed up. Thanks for any help.

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[lilithmoon]

45 people have read this post but not ine has helped lol! Is my question too crazy?!

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[justbeingme80]

I just wanted to reply to your post. When I took Effexor I took it in the morning because it made me unable to sleep. Not sure if it's supposed to make you sleeping, but it kept me up at night. As for the sleeping pills, I do take them and I find them helpful. It would be up to you if you wanted to take them. You could try them if you wanted. Maybe it would help you get back to a sleeping at night routine? I know someone that got in the habit of napping in the afternoon and then staying up at night and it helped them get back into the routine of sleeping at night.

[-jimi-]

Did your sleep change with the Effexor or is it a pattern from before? Some people are simply not morning people. That is nothing to be ashamed of even if society tells us we should be.

If sleep changed with Effexor yea it can do that. It didn't matter when I took mine, it messed up my sleep very severely. I could sleep normal hours on it but I was never more than barely asleep. I was often fully aware of what was going on around me still sleeping. It didn't make me sleepy at all but it was toxic for my sleep.

[Auntie2014]

I wish I could come up with a solution for you.All I can say is that I hope you find something that will work for you. I totally get the total of 7 hours but is installment bit because that is my solution to my problems. I do not like the feeling of being zonked out of my mind when I wake up so prefer not to take anything for "sleeping". I do have panic attacks though so take a low dose of Lorazepam at 10pm nightly. I take stronger doses PRN for the panic. My Pdoc calls the PM dose maintenance to keep some in my system so I don't need as much during the day.

I usually sleep from about midnight to 2-3 am then later will sleep another couple hours. A couple times a week I end up with a middle of the day nap but that is usually when the PTSD/Panic kicks in. The extra PRN Lorazepam dose being the culprit for extra nap though.

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by lilithmoon

a low dose of sleeping pills to take at night bc I usually sleep at about 3am...which keeps me tired all day or napping.... isnt the napping throwing me off....I mean I can fall asleep easy enough...but at night not so much bc I get a second wind...or im not tired/ ready to sleep..from my nap. My hb thinks I sleep too much.... but I said to him..if I fall asleep at 3, wake at 8, then nap from say 10 to noon again thats 7 hrs...so my body is getting enough sleep but at the wrong time.

Do you think pills taken at say 10pm will get me back on track?

P.s. I have 2 small kids so obviously this is very bad and im actually more depressed over guilt from my bad sleep routine but the depression makes me want to sleep when my baby is, and my 3.5 yr old watches cartoons. I dont want a lecture...my post is for advice and help bc I know im messed up. Thanks for any help.

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No lectures from me, about sleeping when the kids sleep nor for cartoons, no lectures, at all. It's understandable, practically unavoidable, children are the epitome of the ultimate change of sleep schedules, takes a toll on our bodies, in ways, that we don't even begin to comprehend, and frankly, it's draining, emotionally, physically, mentally, socially. I know, I have three. Grade schoolers now, but 3 within 4 years...I'm sure, you can appreciate how much I can appreciate what you are struggling with here.

I have a sleeping pill myself. You ask, if taken, at 10pm, would that help you get back on track? Yes!! Yes!! Yes!! Is your husband willing and able to help, on those nights, if the kids wake up and are in need? Because, I don't know, about you, but mine aren't designed for nightly intake, only to help me, get back to a better sleep routine, so I can function.

[healingme4me]

Oh I wanted to add, that I don't wake up, with a groggy feeling. Just feel, well, rested.

[RoseInterrupted]

Been on Effexor since late last year. Currently on 75mg dose. I was never a great sleeper to begin with due to anxiety, however I could usually get a reasonable nights sleep, but almost from day one on Effexor (37.5mg at start-up) my sleep was decimated. Since the Effexor, I'm lucky if I can get to sleep before 5.30-6am and if I have to work an early shift it means I don't get to sleep at all because the alarm goes at 4.51am. One of my biggest problems is strong tensing of my right leg muscles, not a cramp, it's just like tensing up to jump a puddle or something and I can't control it except by getting out of bed and going for a walk.

The strange thing is that I can still perform well in my work environment and not feel terribly tired and I still don't sleep the next night or subsequent nights. If I don't have to get up (like this morning) I drop off to sleep around 5.30-6am and sleep until 9am, then I'm up and off with no sign of sleepiness, yet by midday, I sometimes feel like lying down, but even then I don't really sleep. I lay there in one spot without moving for an hour, turn over to the other side and lay there for another hour then get up again.

Effexor is basically keeping me wired all day and I'm seriously doubtful if I'll ever sleep properly whilst on the stuff. I might also add that my motivation to get anything done has completely gone out the window. I feel really guilty because I haven't vacuumed for weeks and the "dust bunnies" are slowly piling up. I just don't care any more........... about anything!!

[RoseInterrupted]

Originally Posted by healingme4me

I have a sleeping pill myself. You ask, if taken, at 10pm, would that help you get back on track? Yes!! Yes!! Yes!!

I've been wondering the same thing. If I rotated my times around hour by hour on a daily basis (so not to encourage SSRI withdrawal) and began taking them around 9-10pm, do you think it would help me get to sleep at a more appropriate time?
Rose.

[live2ski66]

I've been taking Effexor XR since 2000. I started at 75mg, went to 150mg and stabilized there for a long time. Then my life got out of whack so I went to 225mg, the max dosage recommended. That helped me regain my life so with docs approval I went back to 150mg. I always take it first thing in the morning, before my shower. I went through I period I couldn't sleep (when my life was crazy). I would stay in bed until dark, then sneak around in the dark,go to bed around 5am and do it again. At first my doc recommended taking 0.5mg of Klonopin before bed. At the time that made me groggy the following day. He finally prescribed Ambien 10mg. What a difference that made. I have to be awake during normal business hours and my crazy sleep was jeopardizing my job. I take the Ambien around 9:30 and I'm ready to wake up by 6:30. If you want to go the non prescription way you can try melatonin. I've used it, I prefer the reliability of Ambien. Then again I live by the motto "better living through pharmaceuticals".

[RoseInterrupted]

Originally Posted by live2ski66

He finally prescribed Ambien 10mg. What a difference that made. I have to be awake during normal business hours and my crazy sleep was jeopardizing my job. I take the Ambien around 9:30 and I'm ready to wake up by 6:30. If you want to go the non prescription way you can try melatonin. I've used it, I prefer the reliability of Ambien. Then again I live by the motto "better living through pharmaceuticals".

Thanks for the info, but there's been quite a controversy about Ambian in Australia and I seriously doubt my doctor would prescribe it. He hit the roof when I merely suggested a script for Xanax which early this month has been removed from the ability of GP's to prescribe it. It's now only to be used in psych setting and then only in extreme cases and no more than 4 times during the admission.

I think I may have to eventually go off the Effexor. I may have been misdiagnosed anyway due to my bad habit of only telling doctors a quarter of the story

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by RoseInterrupted

I've been wondering the same thing. If I rotated my times around hour by hour on a daily basis (so not to encourage SSRI withdrawal) and began taking them around 9-10pm, do you think it would help me get to sleep at a more appropriate time?
Rose.

When I had this prescribed initially, I was on Celexa. I was taking the Celexa in the morning, and by bedtime, I was unable to sleep. Switching hours on your SSRI, may be something you'd want to discuss with your pdoc or even perhaps your pharmacist?

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by RoseInterrupted

Thanks for the info, but there's been quite a controversy about Ambian in Australia and I seriously doubt my doctor would prescribe it. He hit the roof when I merely suggested a script for Xanax which early this month has been removed from the ability of GP's to prescribe it. It's now only to be used in psych setting and then only in extreme cases and no more than 4 times during the admission.

I think I may have to eventually go off the Effexor. I may have been misdiagnosed anyway due to my bad habit of only telling doctors a quarter of the story

My learned rule of thumb, in the states, is to not walk in, mentioning any specific med. I let my pdoc give me, the meds, based upon his knowledge of me, as his patient.

[RoseInterrupted]

Originally Posted by healingme4me

When I had this prescribed initially, I was on Celexa. I was taking the Celexa in the morning, and by bedtime, I was unable to sleep. Switching hours on your SSRI, may be something you'd want to discuss with your pdoc or even perhaps your pharmacist?

I have to speak to my GP who prescribed it next week to fill out a mental health care plan, so will ask about the hours then.

I'm off to a new pdoc once the plan is done and I'm so anxious about it that the Effexor might not as well be on board at all. I'm going through the same range of catastrophic emotions I used to go through years ago and I really thought all that was behind me. I keep reliving past crap and just can't seem to stop. I don't know what's happening any more
Distressed Rose!

[RoseInterrupted]

Originally Posted by healingme4me

My learned rule of thumb, in the states, is to not walk in, mentioning any specific med. I let my pdoc give me, the meds, based upon his knowledge of me, as his patient.

Well, I used to get it in the past from another GP and certainly never abused it. I only ever used it to "get over the hump."

All I told my newer GP was that I was "anxious" and a little ocd, but I failed to mention that an ex-friend from the past phoned me out of the blue and I agreed to meet her for lunch and try to repair some damage from years ago (I had a major melt-down in a department store because of a remark she made) During lunch, she told me I'd left behind a "trail of shattered relationships!" WTF??? I went home after that thinking I was in control, but as soon as I was safely home, I fell into a deep despair and have been rumination over it ever since. That was last November!!

No wonder I went to my doc feeling anxious, hurt, empty, depressed, self loathing, frantic......... the list is long! Then all I managed to tell him is that I had anxiety, but he did catch me right off guard when he exploded about the Xanax. He's lucky I kept enough control not to explode on him

Rose.

[lilithmoon]

I was doing good, but on the weekend my whole family had quiet time and we napped. Even my husband. Now im finding it hard not to nap at 6pm or so after waking up at 11am. This keeps me up until 4am. My hb was working his second job this evening and my baby woke at 11am like me and when she slept at 6 well that was the perfect time fir me to lay down knowing I shouldnt but feeling tired and nothing to do..its -30 here so thats cold...my hb has the car and my so s just play xbox or do whatever. I tell myself theres nothing wrong with the nap but whats wrong with it is staying up late and my daughter having that late nap means shes up late too and my almost 4 year old wakes up earlier..say 9am and sometimes sleeps later..like on the weekends if hes not at his dads house.... which messes up my time when he is home because I nap more when hes at his dads and its quiet. I guess its been a habit so long I dont want to break it in some ways. I get this alone time late at night, but its not good for the kids. I guess im selfish and in a bad habit.

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[lilithmoon]

I also haven't tried the sleeping pills yet bc I feel like if they make me drowsy in the morning, thats no good, or what if they wake me after 4 hrs and im up anyway?! Also...do I need them if im able to fall asleep when I try..except for at say...midnight bc I had a nap earlier. I havent taken the 225mg of effexor yet bc I still have about 2 weeks of 150mg, although I feel better than last week. I think I was feeling down bc I had some beers with the girls for a birthday and it totally depresses me and makes my anxiety bad for about 2 days after. I rarely drink but when I do I drink too much bc im so excited to feel that weight off me for a bit, but of course the hangover is terrible!

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