How long?

Took a long nap. Feeling better! We are having floods here. Just makes driving difficult! It’s only till 4:00.

I'm sorry I'm down to the last meds too

So far the Vraylar hasn’t given me any side effects except sleepiness. But they can happen at any time. If I have to go off Vraylar and Gabapentin my next option is ECT!

I’m so tired! Vraylar plus Klonopin makes me and I took the Klonopin at 4:45 a.m.! It’s now about 12 hours later. I’ll take my 2nd dose when I get home from choir. It makes me so stoned!!!

Are the meds helping with your sleep any?

I have found that for me the thing that helps mania and psychosis the most is good, consistent sleep. Though on the flipside, without meds, my sleep is hopeless.

The night dose of Klonopin doesn’t seem to do much but maybe that’s because I’m not doing much? Just in bed? The morning dose hits me about 20 minutes later and today I had gone to Dunkin - an 10-minute drive- and was sooooo tired there and so stoned that I couldn’t post here except for nonsense! I went and sat in my car until some of the effects wore off well enough so I could post here and drive. I had a decaf coffee because I don’t want to mix caffeine with Klonopin OR Vraylar! At any rate no matter when I go to bed- having taken all my meds- I end up wide awake at 4 a,m.! Around 9 a.m. I took a 2-hour nap and felt better tired-wise.

Just home from choir rehearsal. That’s better than any therapy! My brain has so much to think about while singing that there isn’t any room for psychosis it seems!

It’s 3 a.m. and I’m wide awake! I only went to bed 3 hours ago. Ugh.

Edit: I managed to get back to sleep and got up at 6.

I got 2 hours of sleep last night.

I just bought $30 of science diet canned cat food for my cat. She doesn’t even need it! At least all my bills are paid. Thank god most come out automatically the first week of the month. However, my credit card is near the max. Two months of a mixed/manic episode!

My case manager has been texting me a million questions all morning!

Everything okay?

Good session with pnurse practitioner ! We’re sticking with 3mg Vraylar and klonopin and hopefully the symptoms will be gone in a couple weeks. If not we’ll try 4.5. There’s a new med I could try if Vraylar fails but it has urinary retention as a side effect. But it’s good as far as td and akathisia. And ECT is a last resort! Yay!

Oh yeah. She also said I was getting dangerously close to full blown mania.

I mentioned this to my pnurse and said yes performing or just listening to music can stop psychosis!

I dunno why she was asking so many questions unless she was just reporting to pnurse.

Psych nurse said that’s because I’m on so many meds that prevent side effects.

The new drug is called Cobenfy.

Cobenfy is the brand new antipsychotic. Right on their site first thing it says….

Do not take COBENFY if you have trouble emptying your bladder completely or at all (urinary retention problems); moderate or severe liver problems (impairment); gastric retention problems (your stomach empties slower than it should); an allergy to COBENFY, xanomeline, trospium chloride, or any of the ingredients in COBENFY; or an eye problem called untreated narrow-angle glaucoma (fluid build-up in your eye).

I have had urinary retention three times in the last couple years- twice from psych meds! No thanks!!! Plus I have fatty liver and always have raised liver enzymes! I almost had a liver biopsy because my liver enzymes shot way up a couple months ago. Sometimes I wonder what my pnurse is thinking!

After three weeks on the 3 mg Vraylar and 2 mg klonopin I feel so much better! No more psychosis or delusions! Choir is going very well. We are ramping up for Holy Week- the week before Easter. Lots of services! Lots and lots of singing!

So happy to hear that!

Glad things are smoothing out!

Been up since 2 a.m. went to sleep around 9. We are getting up at 5ish. Breakfast at 6 then church/friend goes home., All I can do if I can’t sleep anymore is lay here in bed with the cat.

I looked at the menu online. They have fish and chips! Yum!

The 8:00 service just started. I hear the viola. I got to church and got a parking spot! I did have fish for breakfast! I skipped the fries. Not much into fries. Asked for mayo instead of tartar sauce as that has pickles and or Worcestershire sauce.

I hope people like my mom are able to livestream the 10:00 service. But if not, it will be up on YouTube after a short while. I'm going to sit in the congregation for my ex’s solo. I think I saw that they'd set up microphones near where the three of them will be performing. I'm excited about that. The anthem has a viola part, too.

I took my morning meds when I got here including Klonopin and am feeling dozey. Didn't sleep well last night anyway. Never do when Caleb's here even though we don't sleep in the same room. Choir doesn't have to be here till 9 but that's dressed and ready to go., Right now it's 8:30. I already got my hymnal marked with sticky tabs and went over my trouble spots in the anthem on the piano.

Ok wish I could nap but we rehearse Tenebre after the service till 1:00 so rest for the weary!