[franz kafka]

I feel a bit manicky tonight. I'm having some euphoria, in particular. Everything feels magical and very very special. I'm dazzled by the miracle of life... moving, eating, loving... I'm so very amazed by how much life has gifted me. Feeling kind of spiritual and blessed (I'm NOT a religious person usually).

I was balls to the wall manic this time last year. Guess I'm just having breakthrough symptoms?

Anyone else in my situation?

[Sad Mermaid]

I would take Ambien PRN and re-assess tomorrow morning. I am in a similar situation. The most important task is to keep to a regular sleep-wake schedule and not make exceptions for weekends.

[franz kafka]

True that. I've been relying on clonazepam for that recently. I've been drinking a bit tonight though so I'm worried about taking extra meds...

[Sad Mermaid]

If you have been drinking, it is better to avoid Ambien or Clonazepam - you are right. I think it is OK to take Seroquel for sleep, but am not sure.

[still_crazy]

Harcore episodes can take a while to simmer down. When I had my hardcore manic episode, I was given heavy, involuntary shock treatments (yes, its the 50s where I live, lol). Despite that, plus the high dose Depakote, Risperdal, later the daytime Klonopin and PM Ambien...the psychosis and generall crazy-ness took a while to subside.

I'm not trying to say "toughen up," or anything stoopid like that, but I am saying that the drugs, even shock, only do so much. I would say try not to drink too much, try to keep a good sleep cycle (thanks, SadMermaid), and also I'd personally be careful with the modafanil. I hope its helping, but it can de-stabilize --some-- people, sometimes. Having said that, from what little I've read about it, its often a better option than Ritalin, the amphetamines, etc.

I hope things work out well for you.

[boogiesmash]

Originally Posted by Sad Mermaid

If you have been drinking, it is better to avoid Ambien or Clonazepam - you are right. I think it is OK to take Seroquel for sleep, but am not sure.

My pdoc in the past reluctantly put me on 50 mg of seroquel to sleep. She eventually stopped don't want me on too many antipsychotics and said talk to my gp for ambien.

[Sad Mermaid]

Originally Posted by boogiesmash

My pdoc in the past reluctantly put me on 50 mg of seroquel to sleep. She eventually stopped don't want me on too many antipsychotics and said talk to my gp for ambien.

What I have been told is not to combine Ambien with tranquilizers, such as Klonopin - you can stop breathing at night for real.

I find it irritating that the pdoc would not handle Ambien herself but defer to GP. By the way, it was my GP, not pdoc, who warned me about the potentially lethal benzo-Ambien interaction.

[bioChE]

Originally Posted by boogiesmash

My pdoc in the past reluctantly put me on 50 mg of seroquel to sleep. She eventually stopped don't want me on too many antipsychotics and said talk to my gp for ambien.

Your psychiatrist said talk to your GP for Ambien? I've always had my sleep meds prescribed by my shrink.

[Sad Mermaid]

Originally Posted by bioChE

Your psychiatrist said talk to your GP for Ambien? I've always had my sleep meds prescribed by my shrink.

especially given that sleep is the #1 concern in bipolar management...