[amicus_curiae]

Beginning when I was 23-24-years-old, I had nightly hallucinations as I was trying to get to sleep. The longest-running was auditory and I would listen to a radio program hosted by Mr. Post. It was a mixture of a kind of talk-radio and music. A wide variety of topics (usually concerning the depths of my depravities) and such odd music.

He’s been gone for years, now, but returned last night. I couldn’t sleep — I haven’t slept — because of the things that were said and the loudness of the music.

My antipsychotics can’t be increased. Does any know of medications that helps with hallucinations that are not antipsychotics?

I can’t have him in my life again.

I didn’t know where to post this, really.

My thought is to make sure it isnt something else. I’ve read about carbon monoxide from faulty or incorrectly installed appliances causing false sense of haunting.

I read about it while looking at my own scary experiences, which turned out to be sleep paralysis (those don’t go on all night, so that wouldn’t be it).

I don’t know what else to suggest. Is anything stressing you out lately? Any change in meds or other (amount of alcohol etc?)

Well—what about calling the doc for a reshuffling of meds? Maybe more of one less of another so it isn’t more overall? Or more in the evening and less other times so you can sleep?

Have you talked to your psychiatrist a lot about this? If so, what did she/he say?

I generally only have hallucinations when full blown manic (and usually in the hospital). I have had hallucinations when severely depressed, but not that often, and usually when I was in the hospital. However, I did have musical hallucinations at one point. At the time, I was not significantly manic or depressed. In response, my psychiatrist added Tegretol XR (an anticonvulsant moodstabilizer). I had to start that medication at a low dose and work my way up to a therapeutic level. Actually, my psychiatrist kept raising it until my musical hallucinations went away (but still in a therapeutic level range). Once I reached 1400 mg the musical hallucinations disappeared completely. I have never had them since. Tegretol XR has been my primary moodstabilizer for more than 7 years, accompanied with an antipsychotic.

There was another time that I thought I was having hallucinations. They were more like time and space distortions for the most part, but occasionally I would see and hear things that were so incredibly unlikely that they were clearly hallucinations. My psychiatrist thought that was seizure activity, but it is likely that it wasn't. Another theory was that these experiences were dissociative hallucinations. I can't be 100% sure if that was the case, but once I began to master grounding techniques, these occurrences went away.

Do you only have these auditory hallucinations (when not severely manic or depressed) when just falling asleep? If they do seem very sleep-oriented maybe that's simply the issues. I don't understand such things well, but my speculation on this is only based on the little I learned in psychology classes. Please do discuss your experiences with your psychiatrist. They are the most qualified to get to the bottom of them.

Amicus - how are you doing now?

[amicus_curiae]

Originally Posted by key tones

My thought is to make sure it isnt something else. I’ve read about carbon monoxide from faulty or incorrectly installed appliances causing false sense of haunting.

I read about it while looking at my own scary experiences, which turned out to be sleep paralysis (those don’t go on all night, so that wouldn’t be it).

I don’t know what else to suggest. Is anything stressing you out lately? Any change in meds or other (amount of alcohol etc?)

No. He and his guests are real and — I mean to say that they are articulate. I’ve slept with a white noise machine for many years but that’s a custom tone around here.

I might have a 10% slice of stress; nothing unusual. No change in meds, I don’t drink alcohol, there was a great loss, though. This is my third night without sleep. I assumed my sleep position earlier and as my head nestled onto and into some of the finest pure-white-high-fill-goose down, the music started (this program has a sort-of intro songs — any type of genre. And I was startled. And here I am.

I see my shrinkT today. I look like crap! My caregiver and I are reorganizing my closet and yesterday she put my hanging clothes into my den. I don’t know what I’m going to wear.

Sorry for the raving on like this.

[amicus_curiae]

Originally Posted by key tones

Well—what about calling the doc for a reshuffling of meds? Maybe more of one less of another so it isn’t more overall? Or more in the evening and less other times so you can sleep?

I see her today! My antipsychotics are maxed out and didn’t make me sleepy when I started them or now. I take a very small dose of an antidepressant and, yeah, Xanax, daily. And I’ve two-dozen remaining daily meds for my various diseases, primarily heart meds. I mean to enquire about another med that might be worth a try.

Thank you.

[amicus_curiae]

Originally Posted by BirdDancer

Have you talked to your psychiatrist a lot about this? If so, what did she/he say?

I generally only have hallucinations when full blown manic (and usually in the hospital). I have had hallucinations when severely depressed, but not that often, and usually when I was in the hospital. However, I did have musical hallucinations at one point. At the time, I was not significantly manic or depressed. In response, my psychiatrist added Tegretol XR (an anticonvulsant moodstabilizer). I had to start that medication at a low dose and work my way up to a therapeutic level. Actually, my psychiatrist kept raising it until my musical hallucinations went away (but still in a therapeutic level range). Once I reached 1400 mg the musical hallucinations disappeared completely. I have never had them since. Tegretol XR has been my primary moodstabilizer for more than 7 years, accompanied with an antipsychotic.

There was another time that I thought I was having hallucinations. They were more like time and space distortions for the most part, but occasionally I would see and hear things that were so incredibly unlikely that they were clearly hallucinations. My psychiatrist thought that was seizure activity, but it is likely that it wasn't. Another theory was that these experiences were dissociative hallucinations. I can't be 100% sure if that was the case, but once I began to master grounding techniques, these occurrences went away.

Do you only have these auditory hallucinations (when not severely manic or depressed) when just falling asleep? If they do seem very sleep-oriented maybe that's simply the issues. I don't understand such things well, but my speculation on this is only based on the little I learned in psychology classes. Please do discuss your experiences with your psychiatrist. They are the most qualified to get to the bottom of them.

Yes, this very old and bothersome auditory hallucination begins just as I’ve nestled my body into the ‘ready for slumber’ state. I’ve heard this in MDD and manic moods. I seem to always be in one extreme mood or the other and I have another world that I’m in 22 hours per day.

Some people are lucky enough to only hear lovely music and the like.

Mr. Post should be dead.

I see my shrink/T in about seven hours.

Originally Posted by amicus_curiae

Yes, this very old and bothersome auditory hallucination begins just as I’ve nestled my body into the ‘ready for slumber’ state. I’ve heard this in MDD and manic moods. I seem to always be in one extreme mood or the other and I have another world that I’m in 22 hours per day.

Some people are lucky enough to only hear lovely music and the like.

Mr. Post should be dead.

I see my shrink/T in about seven hours.

Musical hallucinations are not always "lovely music and the like". They became severely distressing. You obviously have no clue what my experience was like.

I hope Mr. Post goes away soon.

[star123]

Originally Posted by amicus_curiae

Beginning when I was 23-24-years-old, I had nightly hallucinations as I was trying to get to sleep. The longest-running was auditory and I would listen to a radio program hosted by Mr. Post. It was a mixture of a kind of talk-radio and music. A wide variety of topics (usually concerning the depths of my depravities) and such odd music.

He’s been gone for years, now, but returned last night. I couldn’t sleep — I haven’t slept — because of the things that were said and the loudness of the music.

My antipsychotics can’t be increased. Does any know of medications that helps with hallucinations that are not antipsychotics?

I can’t have him in my life again.

I didn’t know where to post this, really.

Sure shot answer is alcohol

[amicus_curiae]

Originally Posted by BirdDancer

Musical hallucinations are not always "lovely music and the like". They became severely distressing. You obviously have no clue what my experience was like.

I hope Mr. Post goes away soon.

As the show continues, he’s a DJ and he plays music. The music becomes more a more distressful, a kind of frenzy of different genres, but all following the same beat, and there is nothing lovely in that music.

It’s the intro music that’s lovely, whether big band, swing, classical, rock, etc. I give into it because it’s so pleasant. But then he speaks. And the bad music will come. It’s the cacophony within the same beat that’s terrifying.

I have not slept again. He’s like the monster hiding under the bed of a child.

I’m a little loopy from lack of sleep.

[amicus_curiae]

Originally Posted by star123

Sure shot answer is alcohol

Um, really?

I don’t drink alcohol. Almost every medication that I take forbids the use of alcohol.

I don’t know how to use it? I’ve had Jack Daniels mixed with coke, gin and tonics and beers and ales but not often or in excess. I’ve been ‘drunk’ twice, maybe. Is the goal to become so drunk that the hallucinations stop?

I suppose that I could have my friend stop at a liquor store coming back from my appointment this morning.

[pirilin]

Can't help you here. I've made great efforts for having any kind of hallucination.
Specially seeing or talking to my Father, May God Rest His Soul. And I don't even remember his voice.

[*Laurie*]

Hello a_c, I'm sorry I have not seen your thread earlier than now. What you're going through sounds extremely difficult. I am so sorry that the unpleasant radio show has returned to bother you.

When manic I lie in bed and listen to music in my mind. The music is all sounds that I like; it's like listening to an album I'm fond of. (Usually it's Pink Floyd, I assume that's because there is such a variety of sound in Pink Floyd's work.) But yes, after a while the music becomes intrusive and keeps me from sleeping.

I suspect that a change in medication dosage or type is in order?

Please let us know what your pdoc suggests. I am sending you love and have my fingers crossed for your well-being and mental peace.

[*Laurie*]

Any word? How are you?

[*Laurie*]

Returning here to check for you a_c.

[amicus_curiae]

Originally Posted by *Laurie*

Any word? How are you?

Yes, it’s Thursday morning now.

I am ashamed.

My shrink/T put me on a mood stabilizer (Lamictal??) and Tuesday night I fell into an exhausted sleep and I — well, I wet the bed. The clean-up frazzled me so badly that I’ve not even arranged my daily meds.

Incontenence is very, very rare for me. This is, maybe, my third time over twenty-years? I had a ‘breathable-but-waterproof’ mattress cover on the bed. Still...

I’m having to titrate up to the maintenance dose but she believes that I might benefit from getting away from this manic marathon without investing in life-threatening doses of antipsychotics. I hope so.

Just as a P.S. — I really like this woman. I like the way that she began my therapy. I like her philosophy and approach.

Don’t you use Lamictal? Someone here does as I know that I’ve seen it listed a few times.

***It’s four in the morning, the end of December***

[*Laurie*]

I'm so glad you've checked in a_c. I was concerned about your well-being.

The first week I took Depakote, many years ago, I wet the bed. Had never happened before or since. Awakening to the realization of a soaked bed was upsetting and even frightening, as I didn't quite know what had happened.

You were surely absolutely exhausted and fell into a collapsing sleep.

Yes, I am on Lamictal. My pdoc had put me on the basic maintenance dose and I found myself very "flat"...I posted about it, long thread- you assisted me greatly. When I couldn't bear the lack of at least some of my hypomanic self I dropped my Lamictal dose down some. Saw my pdoc; she said, Okay. So I'm currently taking just 75 mg./day. So far, so good. Enough "me" to be me, but no irritability/anger/rage.

It's a great thing, liking and trusting your pdoc. Seems to me she made a smart move by prescribing Lamictal for you.

Keep us posted on how it's going with your new med.

I’m so glad you are OK! I’ve been worried.

I don’t take Lamactil or I would comment. It sounds like you have a good pdoc.

The first time I took Zyprexa, I slept for 2 1/2 days (after I was severely distraught due to no sleep for many days, and manic of course). I woke up confused, dizzy, and I nearly fell down the stairs. After a while I got some bearings, and I called the pdoc and they told me to drink something, I was confused and dizzy from dehydration. I don’t think I had eaten anything for days either, and probably didn’t drink enough water and I’m sure I would have wet the bed if I had.

It happened to my (young) mother when she took too much Ativan with her other meds because she couldn’t sleep.

It’s nothing to be ashamed about.

[Shazerac]

Wow, so sorry you’re having a rough time. I hope this lamictal works for you.