[TRNRMOM]

have lived w/bp2 for more than 35 years and am now having difficulty with insomnia and especially the racing thoughts at bedtime, keeping me awake. ambien puts me to sleep but it doesn't take away the racing thoughts. my pdoc wants me to up my dosage of seroquel at bedtime to 3/4 of a .25mg. tablet. am fearful of weight gain so i only take a 1/4 of a .25mg. tablet which really doesn't help w/the racing thoughts. any input would be appreciated.

I'm the same way. Thoughts racing through my head, double checking my day and thinking of tomorrow and suddenly, boom, it's three am and I just pick up where I left off and if i'm lucky then i'll be able to sleep again till 5.

I love ambien!

[faerie_moon_x]

I've had racing thoughts my whole life. I don't know how to make them stop. It's one of my worst symptoms.

i hate racing thoughts.

but when they happen i say.. okay, well- bring on the music!

i have certain types of music and certain songs/ artists that make them calm down for a while... oh, no it's not a full time solution, but it works for while the music's on- and as long as i keep the music on loop, it tends to help

Because body chemistries may be so different, it's difficult to know just what will help with insomnia, but there are some things that have worked for me that I will share with you--bearing in mind that we're all different, please.

I'll begin by saying this: it is a known fact that the longer we take a drug, the more likely we may be to develop an intolerance to it over the years.

Stop having wheat in your diet at night, at least. We don't have to have grains to thrive, and evidence is mounting now that they may cause cerebral injury for those sensitive to them. Cutting back at least after lunch may help keep you calm in thinking. It may be the gluten that is bothersome for many.

Cut a lemon in half in the afternoon and squeeze it into a glass of ice cold water. If, after 4 hours, you don't feel calm, repeat the process. Lemons are probably the most alkaline food we can ingest, although they taste bitter. They are transformed during digestion into strongly alkaline residue which is very calming for the system.

All meds leave an acidic residue. If you can avoid having to take meds before bedtime, you'll be better off to do so. They can create excessive acidic residue in your fluids and tissues which is inflammatory. (Even an aspirin, according to my psychiatrist, may be beneficial.)

Cut back on so much meat in the diet, eating more fish, green vegetables, salads, and fresh fruit.

Add about a gram of Omega 3-6 fatty acids to your diet daily. They are known now to reduce inflammation and are calming mentally. I rate them as No.2 in diet changes that are helpful. Rather than drink milk, try a calcium supplement recommended by your physician. (Always choose pharmaceutical grade vitamins and minerals if you use them.)

If you are sensitive to caffeine in any forms, whether in tea, coffee, chocolate or anything else, you should stop using it. It plays havoc with those who are sensitive to it.

Bipolar illness is a chemical imbalance; it is also an inflammation of a portion of the brain in which the brain fires too rapidly. Doctors don't know why yet (via psychiatrist). Please Google www.http://doctoryourself.com and look down the left-hand column until you see an article called "Caffeine Allergy" by Ruth Whalen. It clearly implies that bipolar illness may be, in part, a cerebral allergy and that caffeine (for those sensitive to it) may play a major role in the serious consequences of indulging in caffeine.

Whatever we can do to reduce the acidic residue of medications may be helpful for us. After months of exercising some of the principles of diet changes to improve mental clarity and rest you may find that you feel better than you have in years. In some cases, it is possible even to reduce the amount of medications necessary to have chemical stability in brain function.

Please try to investigate these things, including the use of a food med now called Deplin (a form of concentrated Vitamin B9 which can cross the blood-brain barrier and is helpful for those who do not manufacture the enzymes necessary to metabolize folic acid for brain consumption).

It's all out there and if you have a good psychiatrist, he's going to know about some of these new discoveries that are beneficial for the bipolar patient and will recommend them. If your doctor has asked you to cut back on caffeine use, he is one who knows about that.

I am very wary of physicians who just keep pouring on the medications.

I have found that a mineral called molybdenum is very helpful in calming the
rapidity of thoughts, too.

Take care and I hope you find the things that will work for you.

[MommaR]

I have this same problem! My t suggested I concentrate on my husband, try to regulate my breathing to his once he goes to sleep. I just talked with her today so I haven't had a chance to try it yet but at least its something new to try, hopefully it will occupy my mind and slow down those crazy whirring thoughts that plague me when I try to sleep.

[TRNRMOM]

i have read all of your r eplies and several of you have merely validated that you also suffer racing thoughts that interfere with sleep. i have made modifications in what i eat and drink, use 2 noise machines, can't listen to hubby's breathing as i go to bed much earlier than him..t.v. turned low doesn't work, nor do hot baths, or calm music so i'm really asking what those of you who medicate, what works for you. tried melatonin, doesn't work, ambien puts me to sleep but i don't stay asleep, and when i combine a little klonopin with seroquel, i do sleep but the hangover next day is horrid. is the reality that i will never have a good nite's sleep. this insomnia is new and i've been diagnosed and medicated for 35 yrs. and at a point in my life where i have the most serenity.

[faerie_moon_x]

Actually i sleep a lot better next to my husband. Before him, I barely ever slept. I would have racing thoughts constantly. When he came along he's like my personal sleep aid. I never figured out why. And if I'm really having trouble I just need to cuddle up to him and it's like he has some soothing aura.

Well, some of it may be due to the calcifying of the pineal gland which produces melatonin when sunlight begins to fade at twilight. You need to help yourself boost melatonin by cutting off television and computers several hours before going to sleep. That gives the pineal gland (if it's still producing melatonin) time to manufacture melatonin in the presence of diffused lighting for restful sleep.

It is characteristic of aging that sleep becomes somewhat more sporadic. You help it along with diet, exercise, CPAP (constant positive air pressure) application if sleep apnea tests show you need it. If you take afternoon naps, you should be tested to determine if you do have sleep apnea.

Medications? Clonazepam (Klonopin) .5 mg when needed only; aspirin . An antihistamine prescribed by a doctor such as Xyzal 5 mg is very helpful (pronounced ziezal).

Other than the suggestions I've already listed, I don't know what else might help.

The best help for me has been CPAP therapy because I was missing some REM sleep at night and consequently not getting sufficient oxygen. Your body naturally adjusts to the CPAP over 30 to 60 days, and you feel rested and relaxed in the morning. It's better than any medication, frankly. And you don't have periods of 3-4 hours of sleep and then suddenly become fully awake.

Histamine will interfere with ability to sleep. Medication intolerance can be a problem there (or unidentified allergies)

Frankly, it's a search that each person must go on to find the things that are making sleep at night difficult.

I hope you find the things you need to help.

[treehugger727]

I'm sorry to see that the racing is so bad. It is also one of my most bothersome symptoms. I take 100 Mg of seroquel. It was 200 but I could not tolerate it so I went down. It gave me mushbrain in the am for hours. I can't sleep without meds. It sucks. It makes me fearful that I might never be able to function without something pharmaceutical to sleep. Cannabis helps but wont keep me asleep, same with ambien, melatonin, every Otc sleep aid I have tried, etc. Sometimes listening to guided relaxation meditation works in the middle of the night. Hope you find your answer.

[~Christina]

I have done Hypnotherapy with my T for the racing thoughts it has helped, not a complete cure but I see a decrease.

Racing thoughts are exhausting ! I hope you find some relief

[bluemountains]

My t helped me to perfect self-hypnosis and mindfulness. Both have been good tools for me to settle my thoughts somewhat. I still have to help the relaxation with klonopin, too.
Bluemountains

[Phoenix060912]

I know you are looking for answers to the insomnia issue. Many of us are. I have problems at night not only with racing thoughts but also with voices and hallucinations. I am taking 0.2 mg of clonidine, 50 mg of Vistral, 2 mg of Risperdal, 900 mg of Seroquel, 2500 mg of Depakote, and 150 mg of Zoloft. You'd think with all of that I'd be a tranquilized zombie, but I am not. My therapist uses relaxation techniques with me and hypnosis. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It does calm me down though not the flow of thoughts or voices. The meds aren't reallyu working for me currently. Actually, my symptoms are getting worse. I, too, am doing the change in diet and adding excercise to my daily regimen. So far no improvements. It sucks, for lack of a better word. Have I gained weight with the meds? Yes and no. I'm not sure what has caused the weight to level or gain a little bit. Whether it is the meds or the increase in weight training and exercise. I think it might be both. Anyhow, I kind of went off topic. Sorry. Have you ever tried free writing what your thoughts are as you have them? That used to work for me until the voices got so loud. Now I have a hard time distinguishing between reality and the voices. Keep a journal next to you in bed and write when you have trouble sleeping. It may work. As for meds, nothing is working for me yet. But I keep trying. You should too. Hope this helps a little.