Taking more tegretol than needed

My sleep schedule got messed up last semester, and unfortunately I can't fall asleep until four or five a.m., but I also have a class in the morning. There have been some days where I take two more tegretol than I should just to get myself to sleep, but it makes me feel groggy the next day so I don't like doing it. I don't advise doing it.

I feel tired all day, and I don't nap so I'll be able to sleep at night, but then I feel energetic at night time. My brain won't shut up, and I feel like I should go out for walks in the middle of the night.

I'm getting melatonin soon, which helps, but this sleep problem is really frustrating.

I have bipolar disorder and adhd, and I've read that both of them can cause sleep problems.

I think taking a stimulant would make it very hard to sleep. Are you on something for the ADHD?

Doubling or tripling dosage of a strong mood stabilizer is not a good idea. Do you have any benzo that you can take? Or are you already out of it? Use melatonin, valerian, antihistamines, or a triple dose of Niquil, the one with alcohol in it. All of these would be much better and safer to take than overdosing on Tegretol.

Please don't take more tegretol than prescribed. This med is based on your tegregtol labs and blood level of the med and taking more can give you toxicity. Ask your pdoc for something else. You're playing with fire doing this.

Moreta is right. You could start experiencing negative side effects if you are above therapeutic dose of Tegretol. These can vary, but one I've experienced is double and blurry vision. That makes it hard to walk, definitely unsafe to drive, and is just plain disturbing.

Honestly, of my meds, Tegretol is not the one I'd choose to increase for help with sleep. I'd talk to your doctor about adding something more appropriate rather than increasing Tegretol against medical advice. Seroquel is what helps my sleep, but I take it according to my psychiatrist's direction.

I take adderall, but even on days when I don't take it, I still have trouble sleeping.

I ran out of sleep aids, but luckily there's a chance I could get some tomorrow. I'm tired of doubling my dosage, because it makes me feel weird the next day, and I ruin my pill taking schedule.

I've been thinking about seroquel, or just talking to my pdoc about medicine.

I recommend Meletonin as it's over the counter, easy to find at any pharmacy or supplement store, and is natural and I haven't had a single issue with it.