So I've been off of Seroquel for a little over 3 weeks.

I also haven't had a decent night's sleep in a little over 3 weeks.

I was taking Ambien, then Ambien CR, with Xanax...added some natural sleep stuff...some benadryl...
Tried some Percoset and muscle relaxers I had from throwing my back out.
NOT ALL AT ONCE BTW, just mixing and matching!!!!

Just wanted 7 or 8 hours of sleep in a row.

Saw T on Thursday who found my pdoc....luckily in the same practice...she said "we can't have you not sleeping" I think I must have looked pretty crappy....I never go out without make up and I think i was rambling a bit...gave me Lunesta...actually slept LESS...

I'm getting very worried about this sending me into some kind of bipolar episode...I've never gone this long with insomnia before.

i have to call the dr next week to tell her how Lunesta is working

Supposed to leave for a 10 day vacation with my husband next week and I'm really worrked that if I'm not sleeping and getting sick we will fight and it will go really badly - last summer i was trying a new med while we were on vacation and it wasn't fun.

ugh.

[Forgive77]

Why did they take you off the Seroquel. Is that too nosy? If it was working why would they take you off of it?

[ScooterBug]

Jaded, I used to have trouble sleeping when they switched me off of Seroquel. It is VERY frustrating. I would try to do some different things and try to sleep. When you are worried and you "try" to sleep it makes matters worst.

1. do not eat anything heavy before going to bed
2. only use your bed for sleeping or intimacy - otherwise you'll be ok with paying bills etc and your mind will wonder to those things when you try to sleep.
3. have some sort of white noise in the room. They sell the actual white noise machine but anything like a loud fan would work. (this decreases the annoying sounds that you might focus on instead of sleep like husband snoring, leaky faucet)
4. about 20-30 min before bedtime take time to let out all worries. Write a to do list or talk to someone about your concerns etc and get it out of your chest. This will help clear your mind. (yea, I know ... I never had my mind be quiet ... but it does minimize the thoughts)
5. make sure the room is not too hot. it should be about 68-70 degrees for comfortable sleep.
6. make sure the room is not too bright - when you turn off the light and your vision adjusts, you should only be able to make out the shape of your hand.
7. last but not least do not do anything that will keep your mind too busy before going to bed - no tv, or books, etc - keep it simple and mindless.

I really hope this helps you. It helped me when I went through it and although it was not a full night's sleep, it was better than no sleep at all.

[Forgive77]

Originally Posted by ScooterBug

Jaded, I used to have trouble sleeping when they switched me off of Seroquel. It is VERY frustrating. I would try to do some different things and try to sleep. When you are worried and you "try" to sleep it makes matters worst.

1. do not eat anything heavy before going to bed
2. only use your bed for sleeping or intimacy - otherwise you'll be ok with paying bills etc and your mind will wonder to those things when you try to sleep.
3. have some sort of white noise in the room. They sell the actual white noise machine but anything like a loud fan would work. (this decreases the annoying sounds that you might focus on instead of sleep like husband snoring, leaky faucet)
4. about 20-30 min before bedtime take time to let out all worries. Write a to do list or talk to someone about your concerns etc and get it out of your chest. This will help clear your mind. (yea, I know ... I never had my mind be quiet ... but it does minimize the thoughts)
5. make sure the room is not too hot. it should be about 68-70 degrees for comfortable sleep.
6. make sure the room is not too bright - when you turn off the light and your vision adjusts, you should only be able to make out the shape of your hand.
7. last but not least do not do anything that will keep your mind too busy before going to bed - no tv, or books, etc - keep it simple and mindless.

I really hope this helps you. It helped me when I went through it and although it was not a full night's sleep, it was better than no sleep at all.

Thanks for that. That might help me too !!!

[blueoctober]

Scooter gave excellent suggestions.

Can you try to go back on a low dose of the seroquel? I struggled with my sleeping when I tapered off too. You may want to go on 50mg/night until you return from your vacation.

Hope you get some sleep soon

[Eloise42]

I have had insomnia my entire life. Benadryl (large quantities of it) worked briefly. I don't take naps. The only times I have ever napped were on vacation. I konk out almost immediately.

When I don't sleep I just get very fragile, sensitive and weepy. I have never had a manic episode triggered because I just feel tired. The only medication that knocks me out (and I mean the ONLY one) is Remeron. It is my magic bullet.

So hopefully the vacation trick works on you and you have a sympathetic and supportive husband.

[Kmbpeace1171]

I had an extremely stressful time and had insomnia for 3 months, what I did was just lie down and watch movies all night it relaxed me enough to be okay and SOMEWHAT functional the next day, it worked for me might not work for u just tho't i'd share what I did. When my life calmed down and I moved into my own apartment it took me over a month to be able to get some "normal" sleep I have accepted my new sleep pattern being from 3 am or so until 10 am or so and to not fight it and get frustrated really helped me a lot, acceptance has been key in my recovery not so sure any of this will help just wanted to offer hope that it is survivable. I am living proof. U will be okay and will figure things out with time. Take care.

Originally Posted by Forgive77

Why did they take you off the Seroquel. Is that too nosy? If it was working why would they take you off of it?

I've been trying to get off of Seroquel for 3 years.
Number 1 reason was the weight gain. Tried substituting Geodon for it 2x but the side effects were awful for me. At that point I still needed that type of med.

In the last few months I have made numerous lifestyle changes and have been very stable. My weight loss struggle has been something my pdoc has been well aware of for years and so she finally agreed that I could stop it without switching to something else and we tapered off of it.

Can you try to go back on a low dose of the seroquel? I struggled with my sleeping when I tapered off too. You may want to go on 50mg/night until you return from your vacation.

I look at those pills every night blueoctober, but I won't put it back in my body. I can't. I'm not going through the withdrawal again and I lost 3 pounds this week. i was so happy to see the scale move I started crying. I haven't lost 3 pounds in one week since before I went on Seroquel. It also was making me feel overheated and out of breath at the gym. Trying to lose weight has been a major factor in my mental health for many years.

Elana - i get weepy and fragile like that from being overtired - I passed that over a week ago - I have gone to hypomanic from over exhaustion before and it is a known trigger for bipolar. I have a great husband who is supportive, but he's not always that sensitive. I've been trying to get out of going on this trip for the sake of our marriage but he really wants me to go. We're supposed to be camping, which I've never done, and if you know me, i'm more of a hotel girl than an outdoors girl so I'm apprehensive about it already!

1. do not eat anything heavy before going to bed
2. only use your bed for sleeping or intimacy - otherwise you'll be ok with paying bills etc and your mind will wonder to those things when you try to sleep.
3. have some sort of white noise in the room. They sell the actual white noise machine but anything like a loud fan would work. (this decreases the annoying sounds that you might focus on instead of sleep like husband snoring, leaky faucet)
4. about 20-30 min before bedtime take time to let out all worries. Write a to do list or talk to someone about your concerns etc and get it out of your chest. This will help clear your mind. (yea, I know ... I never had my mind be quiet ... but it does minimize the thoughts)
5. make sure the room is not too hot. it should be about 68-70 degrees for comfortable sleep.
6. make sure the room is not too bright - when you turn off the light and your vision adjusts, you should only be able to make out the shape of your hand.
7. last but not least do not do anything that will keep your mind too busy before going to bed - no tv, or books, etc - keep it simple and mindless.

This is great advice -

My bedroom is only used for bedroom activities

The getting the stuff off your mind thing is something my pdoc had suggested and I was doing for a bit but stopped. Thank you for reminding me.

I listen to sleep music - it has delta waves in it and is very soothing for me - it knocks me out - it's the staying asleep I need.

The good news is that i slept a bit more last night!

My husband set the tent up last night in our yard.
i went to bed much later than usual and I took an extra xanax - so in total,.75 xanax and 3mg of Lunesta. Fell asleep very quickly.
He woke me up because it was very cold and he wanted to go inside (he didn't want me to wake up alone outside so i forgave him for distubing my sleep)
fell right back to sleep inside, and I think I slept 6 hours.

Tonight i'm going away with a friend for her birthday. I'm hoping that mixing up my sleep schedule will help to reset it.

Thanks everyone for the advice and support!

A lack of sleep always causes me to be excessively hypomanic, though I can get over sensitive or even aggressive once I get closer to being able to sleep. But at the same time, a lack of sleep almost ALWAYS indicates a fresh manic episode, so I think you should keep on the lookout for signs of a manic episode so you can make sure to keep yourself in check before doing something impulsive or silly. Unless you're type II, in which case, you should watch out for an increase in depression because that can be indicated by poor sleep quality & early morning waking. Is it a problem with falling asleep specifically or do you wake up in the middle of the night or wake up before you've had proper rest? I hope you sleep well soon! : )

[mgran]

I've gone down on the seroquel as well, and as a result I'm wide awake at night, and exhausted during the day. Today I simply couldn't move, it's awful. And now I'm convinced I'll have another sleepless night.

[blueoctober]

Originally Posted by jadedmoonbeam

I look at those pills every night blueoctober, but I won't put it back in my body. I can't. I'm not going through the withdrawal again and I lost 3 pounds this week.

I understand jaded and congrats on the weight loss! It will get better your, body/mind just needs to get used to falling asleep on it's own.

[mokie]

Hang in there im right behind you with this.

Is there a reason you can not call and let them know the Lunset is not working. They may be able to prescribe you something else. I take ambien that is the one that helps me the most out of all other meds.

As for your husband maybe deep down he feels that taking you away from your home may be benefical for you to distract you from stress. He may just not understand exactly what you are going through. Even though the thought of you going any where may be tough for you you may get some needed sleep. What do you have to lose you can get a new view of things and may be able to at least relax some.m

[kaliope]

i seemed to have insomnia all my life. ambien worked somewhat, so did seroquel, lunesta made me more suicidal. everybody questioned the caffiene, the energy drinks, but it didnt seem to matter, i cut them off in the afternoon and i would still be up until four am. turns out that i am so hypersensitive to caffiene, that if i have it early in the day, it still is keeping me up till four am so i had to cut it out completely. now i find i need to sleep 10 -11 hours a day to feel good. but i go to bed and I actually fall asleep within a half hour without drugs, big difference.

soooooo.....
I went to Atlantic City last night with one of my best friends.
I asked her how I seemed to her and she said I seemed a little off but she doesn't seem like she has to be concerned yet.
She said I'm talking a lot and really fast. I don't feel right. The lack of sleep is really starting to get to me.

But I love gambling and am actually really proud of my self control last night. I won money for the first time ever and was practically having heart palpitations cashing out. I came home with the money....I didn't shop or gamble it away which is huge for me whether I'm hypomanic or not.

What is everyone's opinions about napping? I never nap, but I'm wondering if even napping might make me feel better.

Originally Posted by Shayatanica

A lack of sleep always causes me to be excessively hypomanic, though I can get over sensitive or even aggressive once I get closer to being able to sleep. But at the same time, a lack of sleep almost ALWAYS indicates a fresh manic episode, so I think you should keep on the lookout for signs of a manic episode so you can make sure to keep yourself in check before doing something impulsive or silly. Unless you're type II, in which case, you should watch out for an increase in depression because that can be indicated by poor sleep quality & early morning waking. Is it a problem with falling asleep specifically or do you wake up in the middle of the night or wake up before you've had proper rest? I hope you sleep well soon! : )

Lack of sleep has made me go manic before but I'm BP II - I fall asleep. I wake up within 2 hours. Fall asleep again. Wake up in 2 hours. It's torture.

Originally Posted by mgran

I've gone down on the seroquel as well, and as a result I'm wide awake at night, and exhausted during the day. Today I simply couldn't move, it's awful. And now I'm convinced I'll have another sleepless night.

I'm sorry you're going through this too.

Originally Posted by mokie

Hang in there im right behind you with this.

Is there a reason you can not call and let them know the Lunset is not working. They may be able to prescribe you something else. I take ambien that is the one that helps me the most out of all other meds.

I think it's my own stubbornness keeping me from calling. I'm being pretty stupid, huh? I should just call tomorrow.

As for your husband maybe deep down he feels that taking you away from your home may be benefical for you to distract you from stress. He may just not understand exactly what you are going through. Even though the thought of you going any where may be tough for you you may get some needed sleep. What do you have to lose you can get a new view of things and may be able to at least relax some.m

You may be right - we've gone back and forth on me coming with him on this trip 5 times already.

Originally Posted by kaliope

i seemed to have insomnia all my life. ambien worked somewhat, so did seroquel, lunesta made me more suicidal. everybody questioned the caffiene, the energy drinks, but it didnt seem to matter, i cut them off in the afternoon and i would still be up until four am. turns out that i am so hypersensitive to caffiene, that if i have it early in the day, it still is keeping me up till four am so i had to cut it out completely. now i find i need to sleep 10 -11 hours a day to feel good. but i go to bed and I actually fall asleep within a half hour without drugs, big difference.

I've cut down drastically on caffeine, but I get horrific migraines when I don't have coffee in the morning. I rarely have it after 10 am. I have never been very sensitive to it - just more sensitive lately.

[blueoctober]

Originally Posted by jadedmoonbeam

What is everyone's opinions about napping? I never nap, but I'm wondering if even napping might make me feel better.

Continuous sleep for at least 8 hours is best. I do nap when I'm working nights, but it's because my sleep isn't as restorative when I'm on nights.

@ Kaliope: I have the same exact sleep problems that you do! I've been an insomniac since I started puberty, caffeine hypersensitive (I actually twitch so much when I OD on it that it looks like a seizure!), & now I need around 10 hours of sleep before I feel "well rested". I did more research & I attribute the insomnia & oversleeping to a disorder called 'Non 24 hour circadian cycle' where you need more hours of awake time & more hours of sleep time because your circadian rhythm is naturally different. It interferes a lot with schedules such as school/work/etc.

@ Moonbeam: Yeah, that is a 'early waking' disorder associated usually with depressive problems. I hope you can find something to help you sleep though!! Good luck to you.

I called my T/Pdoc.
Seeing PDoc tomorrow
T is calling me back later to discuss the whole vacation thing with me.
You guys are awesome.

[cheeri]

Jaded, let us know what doc says. I have a cool app on my phone that plays good sleep music. Thunderstorms, ocean waves, whatevs.

To all you caffeine junkies, I quit coffee about a month ago. I'm not hypervigilant about it...still have a coke here and there. It took nearly two weeks, but I am sooooo glad I pulled it off! I actually have more energy and racing thoughts have improved. I highly recommend being patient and trying it out.

I had a conversation with the therapist this afternoon. She wants me to see the doctor (I tried to reschedule because I am.....well because I am me and that's what I do) and she said no, I have to go tomorrow because she is fitting me in at her lunch time. If I get some sleep the vacation is more do-able. i'm also thinking it might be better to go away than to be alone for 6 days.

Husband is saying he really wants me with him on vacation. He is being much more sensitive....i forgot who said maybe he would be sensitive....but it's impressive.

I'm at the point where I'm so tired but I'm dreading going to bed.

I only had a little tiny bit of coffee this morning. Only water after that and I'm trying not to drink much at night so I don't have to get up to pee either.

Wish me luck and sleep for tonight!

3.5 hours of sleep last night.
I can't find my journal to write in.
My stomach is so upset.
I keep starting to cry.


I'm glad I'm going to see my dr in a few hours but i really hope she just sees i am extremely overtired. i just want to sleep. If i could get a few nights of uninterrupted sleep I would not go totally manic. I can't start any new psych meds if i'm going on vacation.

[okayone]

I have had problems sleeping my whole life and also have bipolar disorder. What I take is Saphris, a relatively new drug which puts me out within 15 minutes of taking a dose of 15mg and I sleep a good 6 - 8 hours. Otherwise, I don't sleep at all - so ask your doc about it and feel better!

Originally Posted by okayone

I have had problems sleeping my whole life and also have bipolar disorder. What I take is Saphris, a relatively new drug which puts me out within 15 minutes of taking a dose of 15mg and I sleep a good 6 - 8 hours. Otherwise, I don't sleep at all - so ask your doc about it and feel better!

I don't want to go back on an antipsychotic if I don't have to. It was the whole point of me going off of Seroquel.

I'm hoping if I catch up on sleep I'll be ok.

Tonight I'm going to try and stay up late so that i'll sleep through my 2:30am wake up point.

[mokie]

jademoonbeam, I am so glad to hear that you spoke to T and going to Pdoc. I fully understand that you don't want to start any antipsychotic meds. Since I am new to learning on my illness. Is it possible to get on an antipsychoitc and take for a brief time to you feel more stable and then get off of it slowly till you need again? Was wondering cause that is what I would like to try.

You have a wonderful husband who cares about you.

[FuriousGeorge]

Hi Jadedmoonbeam,

Glad to hear that you have tapered off seroquel and the weight it provided. Losing sleep can be rough though.

I've started to taper off Seroquel as well. I'm down 25% in dosage, and I have had not my usual 8 hours sleep since. I tend to wake up and fall asleep many times throughout the night.

Anyways, hope things get better for you soon.

Originally Posted by mokie

jademoonbeam, I am so glad to hear that you spoke to T and going to Pdoc. I fully understand that you don't want to start any antipsychotic meds. Since I am new to learning on my illness. Is it possible to get on an antipsychoitc and take for a brief time to you feel more stable and then get off of it slowly till you need again? Was wondering cause that is what I would like to try.

You have a wonderful husband who cares about you.

I was on an antipsychotic for over 4 years...this time.
I'm not putting that stuff back in my body - I take 2 mood stabilizers and an antidepressant, plus a tranquilizer/anti-anxiety medication.

I'm not unstable - I just need to get some rest.

As far ask going on one briefly till you feel better for you...i don't really know - that is up to your individual doctor.

Hi Jadedmoonbeam,

Glad to hear that you have tapered off seroquel and the weight it provided. Losing sleep can be rough though.

I've started to taper off Seroquel as well. I'm down 25% in dosage, and I have had not my usual 8 hours sleep since. I tend to wake up and fall asleep many times throughout the night.

Anyways, hope things get better for you soon.

Hi Furious George-
Glad you are tapering - get your sleep in check as soon as you can so you don't go through what I'm dealing with!