Mental Illness

[proximitywithoutintimacy]

You are the first person to respond to me, but no worries.

I'm doing a little better now; the nightmares aren't helping, but I'm doing my best to just not think about them.

Thank you

[lipstixgal]

The insurance company took away my ambien and I need it to sleep!! so sad going to talk to doctor about what else he can prescribe for me or increase the klonopin at night!! does anybody have any suggestions for sleep aids??

[proximitywithoutintimacy]

Take a hot shower just before bed, and then drink some chamomile tea - I promise, it helps.

[Toughy]

Originally Posted by lipstixgal

The insurance company took away my ambien and I need it to sleep!! so sad going to talk to doctor about what else he can prescribe for me or increase the klonopin at night!! does anybody have any suggestions for sleep aids??

I am not giving you advice.....I don't know enough about you individually. I'll tell ya what works for me.

I take an antidepressant called mirtazapine (Remeron) at a 15mg dose. At that dose one of the side effects is being drowsy (at 30mg this side effect is greatly lessened...more is not better). It also helps control my nightmares. It does not alter normal sleep patterns. Ambien, Seroquel and Klonopin interrupt normal REM sleep which is a very bad thing.

Most insurance companies have mirtazapine in their formulary.

[lipstixgal]

Originally Posted by Toughy

I am not giving you advice.....I don't know enough about you individually. I'll tell ya what works for me.

I take an antidepressant called mirtazapine (Remeron) at a 15mg dose. At that dose one of the side effects is being drowsy (at 30mg this side effect is greatly lessened...more is not better). It also helps control my nightmares. It does not alter normal sleep patterns. Ambien, Seroquel and Klonopin interrupt normal REM sleep which is a very bad thing.

Most insurance companies have mirtazapine in their formulary.

Thank you I will ask for that if I cannot get ambien again!!

[Toughy]

Originally Posted by lipstixgal

Thank you I will ask for that if I cannot get ambien again!!

you should read up on mirtazapine before you go to your doc....

[moxie]

Originally Posted by lipstixgal

The insurance company took away my ambien and I need it to sleep!! so sad going to talk to doctor about what else he can prescribe for me or increase the klonopin at night!! does anybody have any suggestions for sleep aids??

In addition to Toughy's response, you can also try trazodone (generic name, most general practitioners will prescribe) or you can go to any store that sells vitamins and get some melatonin (always check with pharmacist first). It might be difficult if a regular family doctor is prescribing your sleep aid to get them to put you on Remeron; a psychiatrist would be more willing to do so as they are better educated as to how it might interact with other medications as it is a psychotropic medication.

Not giving any recommendations, just some other options.

[LeftWriteFemme]

[SingularNYCFemme]

I'm very happy to have found this thread. For years I was treated for dysthymia. Only after a second antidepressant pooped out on me (can't believe that's a medical term) was I reevaluated as having bipolar II. At the moment I am taking lithium, Abilify, lamictal and Klonopin. My doctor and I have been working on the lamictal level, but somehow it's not working very well for me. If we go up, I get fuzzy and have a hard time concentrating; if we go back to the previous level, I get cranky and irritable. I'm not happy that the lithium has put weight on me, but I am happy to be stabilized. The doctor before the one I have now just kept throwing all kinds of medications at me, and I went through such a hard time; it was awful. My new doctor is much more careful about what he prescribes and the dosages given. I'm not completely sure about the Abilify, which was prescribed by the previous doctor, except that apparently the withdrawal is really awful.
Anyway! It's really wonderful to have a place to come and share about these things. Thanks for being here.

[SingularNYCFemme]

Strange to post right below my last post but oh well. I am going through more medication changing; I also found out I have a vitamin D deficiency, and will be taking something to restore that and then supplements. My psychiatrist is all for it, as he says it should improve my mood, which definitely needs improving.

I hope everyone is doing okay.

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by SingularNYCFemme

Strange to post right below my last post but oh well. I am going through more medication changing; I also found out I have a vitamin D deficiency, and will be taking something to restore that and then supplements. My psychiatrist is all for it, as he says it should improve my mood, which definitely needs improving.

I hope everyone is doing okay.

I totally endorse taking vitamin D as a mood enhancer... I know we get vitamin D from sunshine, too, but I don't know how that works.

[Outlaw]

Originally Posted by IslandScout

I totally endorse taking vitamin D as a mood enhancer... I know we get vitamin D from sunshine, too, but I don't know how that works.

Your body stores vitamin D and can make it when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is also found in some foods, mostly ones like milk that have been fortified with vitamin D. There are two forms of vitamin D: ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). Some research suggests that cholecalciferol is better at raising levels of vitamin D in the blood.

Read more: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/v...#ixzz26DG2vszm

[SingularNYCFemme]

Originally Posted by Outlaw

Your body stores vitamin D and can make it when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is also found in some foods, mostly ones like milk that have been fortified with vitamin D. There are two forms of vitamin D: ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). Some research suggests that cholecalciferol is better at raising levels of vitamin D in the blood.

Read more: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/v...#ixzz26DG2vszm

I'm to take prescription strength ergocalciferol for eight weeks and then go to vitamin D3 supplements after that. This is my medical doctor's treatment; my psychiatrist agrees with it, though, as he feels it will improve my mood. There are a few factors that would seem to be causing problems with my absorption of vitamin D, so hopefully this course of treatment will do the trick. Thank you for the info and the link!

[txdoc]

Originally Posted by moxie

In addition to Toughy's response, you can also try trazodone (generic name, most general practitioners will prescribe) or you can go to any store that sells vitamins and get some melatonin (always check with pharmacist firsI sleep bettert). It might be difficult if a regular family doctor is prescribing your sleep aid to get them to put you on Remeron; a psychiatrist would be more willing to do so as they are better educated as to how it might interact with other medications as it is a psychotropic medication.

Not giving any recommendations, just some other options.

I sleep better on trazodone than ever on ambien

[Prudence]

For sleep... OTC Melatonin:
Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. It helps regulate other hormones and maintains the body's circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is an internal 24-hour “clock” that plays a critical role in when we fall asleep and when we wake up. When it is dark, your body produces more melatonin; when it is light, the production of melatonin drops. Being exposed to bright lights in the evening or too little light during the day can disrupt the body' s normal melatonin cycles. For example, jet lag, shift work, and poor vision can disrupt melatonin cycles.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/m...#ixzz2BvPngQwn