Agitation, Irritability, Insomnia

how did taking your meds earlier work out for you?
I added 5mg of zyprexa and melatonin along with my other meds to finally get some decent sleep.
bizi

(((((((( Wild Coyote )))))))))

I’m trying not to be “bitter” that I can’t even take the meds

Ah well

I’m not Superbear

You’re an inspiration here dear person, thanks for being you ... you’re always thoughtful and kind, even on bad days

And maybe for you too, like me, most days are “bad” - just some not as awful as others

Hi bizi!

I am adjusting time and dosage every night, trying to find a dose which allows me to sleep and to function the next day. Last night, I'd decreased the dose some and I was a bit clearer today.

I have tried both high dose and low dose melatonin, with no luck. My pdoc claims additional melatonin only works for those with a melatonin deficit? Anyway, does not work for me.

I cannot take Zyprexa. I cannot take any drug that has the potential to further prolong the QTc interval.

I am glad this combo works well for you! Sleep is so important!

Thanks so much!


WC

Thanks, FuzzyBear!!!

Yes, most days are very challenging.
I like to be nice to my friends here.
We are all in this together!
Much Love,
WC

I am feeling like a loser.

I am either incapacitated by symptoms or am incapacitated by meds.

I have a lot to attend to and cannot get things done.

I am sure some others here go through the same.


WC

you are not a loser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you are trying to make this work for you!
hoping that you get this figured out asap.
(((((HUGS))))
bizi

WC,

I am thinking of you and also wanted to say that you are not a loser, far from it. Maybe after awhile your body will adjust to the gabapentin.

That's a pretty high dose so it not too surprising it would cause drowsiness through the day even though you only take it at night.

My sleep has been disturbed recently by my son wanting rides at night from the train station. Last night, a male knocked on my car door and started shouting at me whilst i was waiting for my son to walk from the train to the car. It got my adrenaline going and made it hard to fall asleep. It is the 3rd time it has happened whilst I was waiting to pick up my son. Now I just remember to lock the door once i park there. I don't like to leave the car running the whole time and the car doors unlock once you switch the engine off...

It could be that part of the drowsiness is due to not getting enough sleep for a long time and you will recover some energy once you get more solid nights of sleep.

I am living in a state of chronic fatigue so I have a lot of sympathy for your situation.

Take care,

tecomsin

Hi tecomsin,
Thanks for your support.
There's a lot of pressure to attend to things right now, lots of meetings and deadlines. It cannot be blown off, without severe repercussions. It's putting a lot of pressure on me right now. So, I have less patience with the drowsiness/side-effects. I cannot function well on the med and I cannot function w/o it.

I am adjusting the dose nightly, slowly cutting back on it, with pdoc's blessing. Hopefully, I can get a lesser dose to work well enough.

Oh, wow! Yes, the visits to the train station sound unnerving!
My adrenaline would surge, too! Please do be careful!

Thanks Again,
WC

Gabapentin has had much less of a hangover effect for me with time. Back when I could know this I was on 400 mg at bedtime and finding that dose took a while with either too much or not enough sedation. Now I'm on 800 mg but it is probably too much combined with clozapine so I'll go down soon I hope since I'm not about to lower the clozapine dose. I've been all over the place with dosing and timing but it did work for me and before clozapine it was very, very important for me as a sleep med. I was on 1200 mg-1500 mg of Seroquel but it wasn't sedating like gabapentin.

I hope you find a magic spot and that you can balance sleep and fatigue. Just hang in there as your body may need less sleep after you get caught up somewhat; that happened for me on clozapine. I was completely exhausted on it and then needed less sleep after my body recovered for months of little sleep.

Thanks, bizi!
I just have a lot to attend to right now. These are very stressful life matters which need extra attention right now... with potentially severe financial repercussions. I won't get into the complicated details here on PC. Suffice to say: I've got to be able to function well.

Thanks for your support.

WC

Thank you for your support!
I am hoping I can find the sweet spot. Soon, would be great! Lol!
I'm probably being impatient. This sleep issue has been going on for 4 months, getting worse each week. My new pdoc is trying to help; we are limited in which meds we can use due to the QTc prolongation potential of some meds.

Maybe the sedation will subside some, as you have mentioned. I hope so.
I had dropped to 800 mg. last night and am going to hold there.

Thanks for your encouragement!

WC

Ahhhhhhh be kind to yourself.

The sedation starts to slide away so there is really no sedation soon as your body adjusts to it at night time.

I’m sorry you have so much to manage. Your tough and will barrel through it. Do NOT beat yourself up. Seriously don’t it won’t help and your too sweet !

Keep resting whenever you can

Always in my thoughts

Thanks, Christina!
Lol! I'm not so sweet when I am agitated... or very frustrated from being so sedated! I'll try to chill.
Thanks so much!

WC

That'd be crazy if they found out you had sleep apnea, on top of everything else. The plus side being it'd explain a few things and its pretty well correctable, if I'm not mistaken.

I do feel for your situation. Being able to pull up FA off the top of your head, on demand, and present it in the way the person sitting across from you is going to be able to digest requires lots of prep - tough, tough, tough. Doing it under chronic sleep dep conditions - ah man.

Looser - nah, far from it. I have to salute you.

Thanks for your support!
I cannot do a sleep study until I am sleeping. I have been in for a consult. I probably do have sleep apnea. I definitely have sleep anxiety from PTSD.
However, the anxiety is much lower when sleeping at home (which I am); I am not as hypervigilant as when I try to sleep elsewhere.

I appreciate your insights and your support.

WC

WC,

I had a sleep study a couple of years ago. I had some interruptions but didn't cross the threshold to sleep apnea. I think gabapentin can take awhile to fully deal with anxiety conditions. Or it takes awhile for our thought processes to change.

I also suffer from bouts of anxiety although I am not at the moment in a situation where i have to deal with anything, the way that you are. I am glad you have your husband to help you get through this and hope it all works out for you so that you can look forward to being in a less demanding circumstance.

Financial worries can be really troublesome. It's good you have support of your pdoc and to find that sweet spot for gabapentin and perhaps any other med that might contribute to sedation.

Thank you, tecomsin!
My husband is a big help! I am lucky to have him.
I think I am being a bit impatient due to other stressors right now.
I appreciate your support.

WC

Just catching up about a week's worth of posts...

Agree with the others -- you're not a loser, NOT IN THE LEAST, so please don't beat yourself up, ok?

One thing that caught my eye several pages back was about mixed and its association with BP I. That used to be the case. But in the DSM-V, they've gone with this "features" thing. One of which is "mixed features", which can be attached to a BP 2 dx. Long/short, they've now recognized that mixed can happen to 2s too.

I really hope this situation improves for you soon!!!! (And that the pressing financial complexities resolve as well.) Lots of

Hey Innerzone!

I feel like a loser when I am overcome with illness and/or side-effects and cannot attend to important business. When overwhelmed, I cannot attend to the basics, either.

Thanks for the clarification on "mixed episodes." It seems to fit. I am going to ask my pdoc when I see her next.

I am fortunate that my H can attend to things; yet, I know he feels like he wants/needs my participation, too. On one matter, we have a large community meeting this week and people tend to be very upset, so it can be a bit triggering. I am usually just fine with this; yet, when feeling agitated, it is more difficult to sit through it. (In the last meeting, some guy was angry and was calling me names because of my stance; it can get very heated. It has been a hostile environment, with lots of commotion.)

Thanks so much for your insights and your support!


WC

My pdoc had prescribed both gabapentin and Lamictal. This is a re-trial of both meds. I was already on some gabapentin and we've been adjusting the dose. I've been having such a time with the gabapentin, I have not started the Lamictal. I've been concerned I could not tell which med is causing which side-effects if starting them both at the same time.

My point: pdoc prescribed both gabapentin and a mood stabilizer.

These episodes are difficult to deal with. I've been feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. (I am safe.)

My H is very patient and very supportive. He also wants to know "what's going on?" It can be a challenge to put it into words and a challenge to understand.

I deeply appreciate the ongoing support.


WC

I hope your reading this after you wake up from a good amount of sleep

Haha! You caught me!

Well, it's 2:33am and I have just taken more gabapentin. Just had 3.5 hours of sleep and am wide awake. Another dose will likely cause more sleep.



WC

I did see my pdoc. Yes, this qualifies as a "mixed" episode.
You are a smart cookie, Innerzone!

Still trying to get through it.

Thanks again!

WC

Bad data formatting in Excel doesn't make me want to go on a murderous rampage AT ALL.

welp. I just lost 3 hrs.

Haha coyote i had thought i hit the BP daily check in. man. my brain is fried. I'm sorry. I guess it does fit in with agitation though. Don't mind me while I lose my mind.

Also mixed episodes are the worst. I was in one in 2015 for 8 months. Took like 3 hospitalizations to get meds right. Took a **** ton of therapy and personal work I was just a depressed ball of rage and kept getting psychotic. 0/10 do not recommend. It'll get better. Moods eventually pass just takes time. I keep telling myself that hoping things get better ha. one day.