Insomnia

[RWG]

I have gone to a psychiatrist that specializes in sleep disorders. This is after 25+ years of insomnia.  I don't just get one or two hours of sleep.  I don't get any.  He put me on Seroquel 100mg, Elavil 25mg, and a Xanax 1mg.  He said this is enough to put anybody to sleep.  Well after lying in bed for two hours wide awake I got up and tried to read to get tired.  At 6am I fell asleep until 7 AM.  I do get excercise and eat right.  Every med I ever take seems to have the opposite effect on me than everyone else. Has anyone ever had insomnia this bad?  If a sleep psychiatrist can't help me, I doubt any of you can.  But I  am getting desperate, and wonder if I should follow his advice and keep taking these meds.  Why put up with the side effects if they aren't helping, and possibly making it worse.  The doc said to give the meds time to work, but I thought side effects happened right away, and besides I have been on Seroquel 50mg for a month.  He told me not to drink alcohol with it, but I find that a few glasses of wine while sitting in a hot tub seems to work.  This can't be worse for me than all of this mind altering psych drugs.  Any help please.  Since I have started seeing a doctor for this I can't function in every day life.

[amythist2779]

Chcnme. I was thinking that same exact thing...what if he does get relaxed enough and falls asleep?!! Hes going to drown!! Gosh!

RWG my understanding is that it sometimes takes awhile for some of these meds to start working. I know that when I was first diagnosed with bipolar they told me it would take 6 weeks for the meds go actually get into my system and start working. I thought well whats going to help me now? But after staying with it they did start to work. Maybe you just need to give the meds a little more time? I understand your concern though trust me. I take alot of meds each day, as I have a ton of medical issues. They prescribed me amitriptalyne and also cymbalta because they told me it would make my pain level go down, or atleast I would be able to tolerate pain a little better. HA!! I have been on the cymbalta for almost a year now and the only thing it helps with is my depression and the amytriptalyn helps me sleep. Trust me I sure wish they could find something to ease the pain I deal with everyday, cuz it sure sucks. (pain due to cushings disease and fibromyalgia.)

[RWG]

I'm sorry for all of the trouble you are having and I really hope your pain eases.  I did sit in the hot tub last night and drank some wine.  I took the 100mg of Seroquel, but nothing else.  I still only slept about four hours and wake up feeling like my body is all knotted up inside and very unrested. I'm at the point that I don't know if the meds are causing this or if they are supposed to help it. A few months ago the insomnia didn't bother me that much, but I told a family doctor about it and he gave me Lexapro which had a very negative affect on me and caused me to feel really nervous and shakey.  The Lexapro is out of my system by now, but the anxiety is still here.  I don't know why he prescribed an ssri for insomnia, unless he thoutht I was depressed and that depression was causing the anxiety.  It wasn't

[RWG]

Oh yeah, I never take the Xanex if I am drinking the wine.  Actually I think it is the effect of the hot tub that makes me sleep more than the wine..

[RWG]

Dangerous, maybe, but when you go without sleep long enough, you do whatever it takes to sleep.  The side of the bottle just says use caution when consuming alcohol.  Alcohol could make you drowsier or something like that.  I was going to sit in the hot tub tonight, take the seroquel, and drink maybe three glasses of wine.  I wasn't goint to take the Elavil if I drink the wine.

[chcnme]

Oh ok, I see - sorry - I didn't understand  (thought this med regimen had been going on for several years.)  I don't blame you on the med concern (I would be concerned, too, about taking all of those meds for sleep.) I guess the best you can do is to give this some more time on the meds and see if it starts working.  By the way, alcohol is not supposed to be consumed with any amount of Elavil - not ever, not any amount, none, zero, zilch, not a drop.  It could be dangerous.

Best of luck.  

[chcnme]

You're probably relaxing in a hot tub right now with a bottle of wine, so - do not expect me to feel sorry for you if you fall asleep in there :) Just kidding. Yeah, I was kind of overkilling on the alcohol, but it can be dangerous with Elavil (but you are on a very very low dose of it, so...but still - be very careful.)  Just don't let alcohol become the medication. It can happen.  I still think you should put the alcohol totally away on those meds.  Hot tub? I'll go with that kind of therapy for sleep for sure.

[RWG]

I'm sorry. maybe I wasn't too clear on my posting.  I have only been seeing the doctor for three weeks, and hadn't been on the meds befor that.  As for as exercise goes, I normally run 5 to 7 miles a day.  I have run several marathons.  I have had the sleep problems for over 25 years, but have only used OTC meds like Melatonin.  Years ago I tried Bio-feedback and that didn't work.  The only reason I even have a hot tub is because I bought it about 5 years ago because of the insomnia.  I carefully follow most sleep hygene methods other than the wine which seems to work.  I am a bit concerned about taking these types of meds, but I figured since I have gone three weeks with this doctor (One of only 5 Sleep Psychiatrists in the USA)I should follow what he says for a while.  I just need to find ways to sleep until he works for me.

[chcnme]

Hi RWG.  If you've been going to a doc this long with complaints of not being able to sleep (and you aren't sleeping on those meds) it's fair to say something is wrong and something needs to change (agree?)  Since this has been going on for decades, have you considered that it might require a major life change of some kind, such as cutting out all alcohol, increase your exercise, cut out all caffeine, no naps in daytime  (do something different.) If you physically exhaust yourself with an exercise program every single day, day after day, you will eventually sleep.  The body and the mind will say "it's time to sleep".  If the meds aren't doing anything and you've been on them for years, there is no reason to take them.  Tell your doctor they aren't working.  If the doctor has not made any alternative suggestions to you, go find another one.  Best of luck.