[laikashuman]

So, I'm bipolar and I had a psychotic manic break (I don't know how else to describe it) last week and went into the hospital and spent a few days there.

They put me on Ambien 10mg and I slept really well at the hospital. But since being home (got home a week ago) I've had 3 completely sleepless nights even after taking an ambien, waiting an hour, then taking another one.

Last night I even tried to take a 3rd one which just made me nauseous, but didn't help me sleep at all!

Anyone ever have an issue like this on this or other medication?

I can't seem to get myself put back together on the little sleep that I've been getting. I don't feel like myself yet and this is really hindering.

Luckily, I do have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow afternoon, so I don't have to wait long to try something else if need be.

They were giving me melatonin with the ambien at the hospital, but I haven't been able to buy any yet, could that make that big of a difference?

Opinions and Tips GREATLY APPRECIATED!

[dmhobbit]

I tried Ambien for a short while once... it made me sleep-walk and cook late night meals to which I would wake up in the morning and have no recollection of the mess in my kitchen, so I stopped taking it and took trazadone for a good many years until I started waking up a bit sick and under a trazadone hangover. I have recently six months ago been on 100mg of Seroquel and love it. It puts me to sleep in about an hour and I don't wake up sluggish, but refreshed. I get about 8 hours in now. It does cause some very vivid and colorful dreams some nightmares but nothing I mind in trade for the solid sleep. Maybe ask your p-doc if you can try trazadone or Seroquel... do some research and read up on them so you can have a good discussion about these meds their pros and cons and what might work for you.

With bipolar and sleeplessness (sp?), it just may mean that you're still manic and need a higher dose of mood stabilizer or something. If Ambien's not doing it, I don't know what else to suggest. There are other sleep aids out there but, really, this could just be a symptom of being in acute mania.

[TRNRMOM]

i'm bp2 and have racing thoughts and cannot sleep w/o medication. a pharmacist told me that ambien will put you to sleep but it won't keep you asleep; melatonin and other orc drugs don't work; only thing that works for me is 1/2 of 25mg. seroquel; yes, the sleep is deep, the dreams are vivid and non-stop and i wake up hung over but it's the only med that works for me.

[regretful]

This is similar to the problem that I had with Ambien...when it did work, which was rare, I slept for 3 hours only, then not back to sleep afterwards. The only thing that has worked for me with sleep was to take no medication whatsoever (not that I'm advocating for that). I was also prescribed remeron in the past, which is supposed to be sedating, but that had zero impact on my sleep. I wish you well...