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*Beth*
is practicing healthy breathing for brain, mind,
body, spirit.
Member Since: Jul 2019
Location: Downtown Vibes, California
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#41
That's really interesting about the time you go to bed in connection with the sleep meds you take. I've never thought of that before.
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Tart Cherry Jam
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#42
Lowered to 70 mg and doing ok!
It still feels like a miracle each morning to wake up knowing that I did not have to take Zyprexa to sleep! |
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Tart Cherry Jam
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#43
There appears to be a connection, which is all new to me! On zyprexa it was best to go to bed before midnight. Closer to 1AM and it was hard to fall asleep and when I did, I later did not feel rested. But this med combo, it still works if I go to bed later, but I then need to sleep longer. Very interesting.
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catches the flowers
*Beth*
is practicing healthy breathing for brain, mind,
body, spirit.
Member Since: Jul 2019
Location: Downtown Vibes, California
Posts: 15,701
(SuperPoster!)
23.7k hugs
given |
#44
It really is interesting. And likely not something you'd hear about from a prescriber. I appreciate you sharing that info, TCJ. And it's terrific that you've discovered it!
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Tart Cherry Jam
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#45
Quote:
The big test it next week, though, when I go back to work after a short term disability I was on to effect this change. I am release to work only 50% in the first week, though, and then almost 100% for two months and then 100%. So we will see how it goes. In the first week I plan to work afternoons. A little anxious, of course, about how this will all play out. But glad that I no longer depend on Zyprexa for daily living. |
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Tart Cherry Jam
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#46
I have just come back from a visit to a new sleep medicine doctor. I went for a second opinion but also thinking of transferring my care to her, and she was much more thorough than my previous provider, so I plan to transfer the care to her. She thinks excessive sleep requirement is due to mismanaged sleep apnea, i.e. I am using a wrong machine and also on incorrect settings. So now an in-depth sleep study will be on Oct 30 and then she will read it and likely prescribe a new machine, which I will then probably get my late November. She says that I will be very happy with it. I hope this means a positive change for me.
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Tart Cherry Jam
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#47
The insurance has not approved my sleep study and it was rescheduled for late November: the sleep medicine clinic staff think that they might get approval in the next couple of weeks. Right now I need exorbitant amounts of sleep and cannot work for this reason. I believe it also makes me depressed and anxious, but I am not faulting the medication mix. I think the meds work well, but they cannot be miracles, can they?
I am now on 50 mg of Thorazine for sleep and on 40 mg of Latuda for general mood management. I feel thankful that such low dosages of drugs work for me, but if the sleep apnea situation does not improve, I will be applying for disability insurance. |
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Tart Cherry Jam
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#48
I had the sleep study. I was then prescribed a BiPAP machine which seems to be working well but by itself did not reduce my sleep need. My psychiatrist suggested that I reduce the dose of Thorazine (which I take for sleep as I cannot sleep unassisted by a medication) and that, knock on wood, seems to be helping. I have gradually come down from 100 mg to 20 mg. At 30 mg I started seeing positive changes and now on 20 mg I can get up at a reasonable time. Not at 6AM, but between 7:30 and 8:30. I will try reducing to 15 mg to see if I can further shrink my sleep need. I am gearing up to go back to work in April (I could not work due to hypersomnia).
My Latuda dosage is now 100 mg. At the end of the month I will have the first sleep medicine follow-up after starting on BiPAP and after that appointment a check-in with my sleep psychologist. In a way I cannot believe my luck, luck being that I no longer need Zyprexa, that I am on a non-weight-gaining mix of meds and that such a tiny dose of Thorazine is sufficient to make me sleep. I mean, the FDA-approved max for Thorazine is a whole gram and here I am, doing just fine on 20 mg. |
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Tart Cherry Jam
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#49
And the liver enzymes AST and ALT are finally back to normal. Either it is the weight loss, or the reduction in Thorazine dosage, or both. I am happy.
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#50
This is really great news, Tart Cherry Jam! I wish you luck in the next phase of your recovery -- getting back to or to a place you really want.
I had a similar experience with medications. For the first few years of my treatment for bipolar disorder I was on a roller coaster with my moods, sleep, body weight and various other side effects. Over time, my medications changed, sometimes for the worse, but then for the better, better, a little better, etc, with only brief increases and less desirable changes. I still have a little ways to go, though, in terms of overall health and an ability to tolerate higher stress levels sufficiently. __________________ Dx: Bipolar type 1 Psych Medications: * Tegretol XR (carbamazepine ER) 800 mg * Lamictal (lamotrigine) 150 mg * Seroquel XR (quetiapine ER) 600 mg * Seroquel IR (quetiapine IR) 50 mg * Lyrica (pregabalin) 100 mg |
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Tart Cherry Jam
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