Comments on: Bipolar Medication Spotlight: Sleep Aids

By: E

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:11:47 +0000

I have PTSD and have found a very small dose of Seroquel to be very effective when my insomnia and nightmares were at their worst.

Now that I have integrated the trauma I have been weaning down on it, and will use herbal sleep aids as needed. The Seroquel under 100mgs at the time was a life saver though.

By: nicole

nicole — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:27:18 +0000

I am 27 years old. fiancee of 3 years made love to me last night very passionately, after taking a sleeping pill. He is bipolar as well. When he woke up in the morning, he didn’t remember a thing. Is that because of the sleeping pill? He sais he remembers the first part of the night, but that he was sure we fell asleep afterwards.Everything else that happened is blank. He also fell asleep while driving for a few seconds next morning.

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:43:26 +0000

I’m diagnosed Bipolar I. I have experienced insomnia now for about 3 or 4 years. I’m currently on Lamictal and Ambien. I used to take Seroquel but the weight gain and blood pressure was becoming a major issue. Ambien seems to be the only thing that works. Thing is when I stop taking it I can’t get to sleep again and insomnia continues where it left off. I’m getting much more stable on 200 mg of Lamictal but the insomnia will not go away! Even when I take 2 Benedryl it will not make me sleepy. I have to take about 4 or 5 to knock me out and that leaves me with a hangover the next day. Without medication my brain won’t shutoff at all. I don’t seem to dream but only think wild thoughts in this sort of restless half awake half asleep state. When this happens I wake up and feel as if I never went to sleep. My eyes burn and my head hurts. Melatonin really wacks my brain. It creates an sort of unpleasant buzz in my brain. I’m afraid of getting addicted to Ambien but nothing else I’ve tried works. Like other peoples experiences I don’t find Trazidone sedating at all.

By: bipolarbecky

bipolarbecky — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:23:13 +0000

This is Becky again — I was taking 10MG Ambien (5mg didn’t do a thing); now on 12.5 MG Amien CR with .5MG Klonopin together – still trouble sleeping. WHen I mixed the two together I was knocked out great but doctor advised against it.

By: bipolarbecky

bipolarbecky — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:18:08 +0000

I have had trouble sleeping for year — before I started seeing a pychiatrist would take cocktails of melatonin, nyquil, benedryl (up to 14-15 benedryl a day.) Yes, I agree with the person who said when it says, “causes drowsiness” I say, “I wish!” Bipolar runs in my family and we tend to be manic about 95% of the time and antidepressants of any kind cause us to have our head spinning — tarazadone threw me manic and I started shaking, not getting sleepy. Seroquel knocked me out so hard I couldn’t wake myself up from the horrible nightmares it caused – all my hidden fears came out and I had hand tremors for two days. I have been on Ambien (take 900 mg lithium daily, 1mg klonopin daily plus “causes drowsiness – NOT allergy meds) and it worked for 2 months, but kept taking me longer and longer to get to sleep until I finally couldn’t. Doc switched me to Ambien CR along with .5mg Klonopin which worked a few times, but now still I have to “jazz it up” with benedryl, melatonin and nyquil and sleep in a quiet room away from my husband as even his sneeze or cough wakes me up – which is no fun. Any thoughts? I’m 48 and going through the change and in the fall I get more manic, summers usually more depressed.

By: Dana

Dana — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:54:16 +0000

I am Bipolar and am struggling with sleep and a drug that controls my bipolar freakouts during the day. I have tried seroquel, lithium, risperdal and now my pyschiatrist is trying to figure out what next. any suggestioins? I’m going crazy and the lack of sleep does not help. thankz

By: Enda Hubach

Enda Hubach — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:34:20 +0000

Nice post! would like to see how this game plan pans out over time please keep us posted

By: Jimmy

Jimmy — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:53:06 +0000

I wake up three or four times a night because my left leg and knee are aching. I have not had an injury to that leg so I don’t know what is causing this. I walk for exercise about 20-30 minutes at least five times a week with no problem. My leg does not bother me except at night when I am in bed (when I have checked the clock it is usually 4 or 5 o’clock am). This puzzles me but do not want to take a sleeping medication.

By: happy bp

happy bp — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 18:35:07 +0000

Lunesta works for me, if there is no anxiety involved. If I have anxiety, I need to take a xanax. Unfortunately, I can only get about 14 lunestas for every 2 months. It makes me feel like a drug addict. I don’t abuse, and I’m a hight-functioning bipolar. Any suggestions?

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 21:11:32 +0000

I’ve tried most of the usual bipolar meds; however, I have problems with the idea that I could gain so much weight I could get secondary health issues, or taking drugs that make me feel like a total zombie. Having facial twitches and other symptoms aren’t much fun either. I have been without meds and trying to go to school. I am not the type to abuse drugs and I will have an occasional drink now and then.
During finals and test times I have terrible insomnia due to manics. I have had issues with finding a Doctor that is willing to treat the insomnia issue.
If you can find a doc who is willing to treat the issue of sleep alone, that is a good thing. I wish I could.
:-C