[Miss Laura]

I work 30 hours a week. Its a stressful job. I have insomnia and have had it for about as long as I can remember. I am now ZOMBIEFIED now. I cant function. In bed at 1030pm world record for me. I have been crying as I have that hangover effect. My head is spinning, my eyes are sore and heavy and I have a killer of a sore head. Sleeping tablets dont work for me. Herbal or prescribed. I am a lost cause when it comes to sleep. I hate it

[madisgram]

i struggle with sleep too, miss laura. recently i've tried taking an OTC med for allergy/benedryl. if all else fails i take 2 and it gives me some sleep. will discuss with my pdoc next time but i prefer not using the prescribed meds for insomnia due to their addictive build up in my body. i am bipolar and once at work everyone was taking herbal stuff-melatonin-so i tried it. my mood took a severe nose dive...scared me to death! exercise helps me some and nightly rituals help too, like reading instead of t.v.

[blueoctober]

Miss Laura; I have struggled with sleep too at times. Sleeping pills only work about half the time for me and if I use them for a week straight they don't work at all. Have you discussed it with your p-doc? There are other med options available that help with sleep that aren't specifically sleeping pills. It may also mean that your meds need to be tweaked. I hope you are feeling better soon.

[Miss Laura]

Still awake. 1 hour been in bed. Head is sore. Too hot, too cold, too sore. My gp and psych know about my sleep. I have been on sleeping tablets which have been upped. Stil nothing. I have been on Mirtazipine which was also upped. Stil nothing. I might as well just stay awake at this rate. Up for work in 6 hours. Dont think I wil be getting much sleep tonight. This sucks!

[VickiesPath]

OTC sleep meds (Benadryl, sleep inducers, etc) are meant for short term use only and if used continually will have the reverse effect and keep you awake. Melatonin is a natural hormone and can work well for some but is meant to be used on a limited basis as it can interfere with the natural production of this hormone in your body if used repeatedly for a lengthy time.

Prescription sleep meds are not necessarily addictive if used for short periods of time as prescribed and are best to get your sleep cycle back on track and to give you and your doc enough time to investigate changes to your medication regimen that may need to occur in order for you to regain some control over your sleep patterns, such as taking one med in the PM instead of AM or splitting a dose, adding a new med, etc.

I have taken a prescription sleep aid (Ambien) for several months and sometimes I take it and sometimes I don't....it simply depends on if I fall asleep within an hour of retiring or not. Also, my pdoc gave me a good tip: I break it in half and take only half the pill at bedtime and then IF I awake before my sleep is complete, then I take the other half to restart the cycle and get my full 7 hours.

I hope some of this is helpful. Best of luck. I know how crappy it is to miss out on sleep. I just spent a week fighting jet lag. Yuk!

[gow13]

I sleep using my Klonipin for my anxiety and TMJ and Corona light. Sad, but the only way I can get by.

[madisgram]

www.mayoclinic.com/health/melatonin-side-effects/AN01717
just so you understand why i mentioned the melatonin fiasco that i had... it's cause i'm chemically sensitive to a lot of stuff which can in turn upset my balance with the bipolar. don't know your dx but in any event working with your pdoc for the best remedy is a good thing. my insomnia and bpolar go hand in hand, justme. if i'm in a balanced phase i sleep well. the good news for me is the insomnia eventually runs it's course. it is difficult to deal with it when you work tho. i used to just get up, put on the suit, and head on down to the city at 3 A.M. cuz staying in bed made me so frustrated.
as commented on, benadryl can act as a stimulant if over-used. but for an occasional fix, it's worked for me.

[Travelinglady]

Hey, Miss Laura. I'm sorry to hear about your chronic sleep problems. I'm going to propose something a bit radical--and some people might say controversial, because technically it IS an anti-psychotic drug--but have you tried Seroquel? In a sense, it is a high-powered benadryl. I was actually prescribed it for bipolar, for the manic component. My general practitioner says she does prescribe it for insomnia sometimes. She also told me that all regular sleep aids lose their effectiveness at some point with a person, so they have to switch to something else. I'm limping through with Ambien at the moment--will likely need to switch soon. I think one of my other meds (trileptal) is interfering with my sleep. I have used benadryl before, too. Here's hoping you'll have a good night's sleep soon!

[blueoctober]

Originally Posted by PAYNE1

but have you tried Seroquel?

Serequel gave me the best sleep.

[Miss Laura]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the post's.

I got some sleep a sort of less than 3 hours sleep.

Today have felt SOOOOOO unfunctional. 2 meetins at work lasting 5 and a half hours altogether. My Manager was quizzing me as I looked really unwell and tired in work. I spoke to her and she said you have bipolar? I couldn't believe she knew. This manager has been great with me since last year and has been the one I talk to the most. She is my Area Manager. I told her ye its bipolar... she guessed last year and told me so but this is the definate answer. She always makes me cry its a stand in joke between us now. I was crying and she was being soooooo nice to me

So I thought I better tell my actual manager... I spoke to her in private and she was like you will be fine. You will. Don't worry. I was nearly in tears again and she was sooo nice to me too :O

I can't believe they were so nice to me

[blueoctober]

Originally Posted by Miss Laura

I can't believe they were so nice to me

I'm glad it was a positive experience.

[EileenG]

I don't sleep well either, It's so exhausting, I feel like I can't function during the day. I hope that things get better for you. My doc prescribed Trazodone and it does help sometimes.

[Miss Laura]

I am goin to doctors tomorrow as I really cant go on anymore. My head is constantly splitting, my eyes r so heavy and sore. They r hurting actually on my forehead. I feel exhausted but cant sleep. I cant win

[Nessie]

Originally Posted by gow13

I sleep using my Klonipin for my anxiety and TMJ and Corona light. Sad, but the only way I can get by.

I wish I could say I didn't know what you're talking about. No matter how much I hear about dual diagnoses and the neutralizing effect of booze on antidepressants and mood stabilizers, red wine and bourbon still work better (and faster) for calming the anxiety than do the benzos. The depression eventually catches up with the drinking, but I guess part of the reason I don't quit is that otherwise the anxiety and feeling like I'm going to burst make me unhappy as well, just in a different way. I wish you the best in finding a healthier way of dealing with this-- and if you do, please let me know!

[Miss Laura]

Went to Gp's this morning.

She has put me on Lormetazepam 0.5mg for sleep.

She has given me 10mg Citalopram as she thinks I stopped taking Citalopam 20mg far too soon. I thought it would be ok but nope. So guess its my own fault.

Feel so ill (not mentally well kinda but not my mian concern) I need sleep and I need to get rid of the stinker of a sore head and the nauesea and the sore eyes.

I have to go back and see her in a week. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[blueoctober]

Originally Posted by Miss Laura

Feel so ill (not mentally well kinda but not my mian concern) I need sleep and I need to get rid of the stinker of a sore head and the nauesea and the sore eyes.

That could be withdrawal symptoms from the citalopram. I had the same symptoms when I didn't taper off the first time I tried to get off it.

[Travelinglady]

So glad to hear your work environment is being supportive. I'm sure there are lots of people out there--even in work places--who have struggled with insomnia. I've started listening to a relaxation tape now before I go to bed.

[madisgram]

AWESOME...i'm so happy for you.

[PT52]

Hope you feel better soon, Miss Laura, and hope you get lots of sleep.

[Miss Laura]

Thanks guys,

Got sent home early from work due to my sever headache and feeling ill as hell.

Sleeping tablet will be took tonight I am soooo looking forward to it hopefully it will make me sleep

[AliceInFantasyland]

Dear Miss Laura, I understand what you mean about lack of sleep. As long as I can remember I have had difficulty in sleeping and staying asleep. I'm bipolar and even in a manic depressive state all I do is lay around and don't want to get up...but I don't sleep. I am on 2 medications now. 1 for pdoc and it's a antihistimine and my reg doc gives me tamazepan. Those 2 do help at times. I don't know how to sleep without any medication. I have taken sleeping pills for years and the doc changes them because after a while they do not work. I am happy if I can get at least 5 hours of sleep. My body has adjusted to this but there are times of staying awake for 3 days gives me hullucinations and my mood really goes manic. I wish I could be like other people who fall asleep before their head hits the pillow.