Aa
Medication query
After a rotten winter full of depression I was so relieved to have a spring hypomania which I have largely managed to control myself I now have to admit it is starting to get a bit much. My last question described a collapse after a week of non stop activities /driving hundreds of miles on a handful of hours sleep where what I diddnt say was that I did many outrageous things. I realised that I have to slow down but I am finding it more and more difficult to stop being excited, and it is noticable to others now.
Despite readjusting the seroquel, and I'm on a hefty dose 500mg I still have real trouble sleeping and cannot understand why I feel so very hyperactive and exitable on this kind of medication. Especially as when I started I had the opposite problem of lethargy (but then again I started when I was depressed). All the posts I have read describe seroquel as bringing people down effectively from mania or anger even on lower doses, anyone have an explanation why I seem to be the exception? My CPN said that 'if I am bipolar then seroquel should be working, does this mean she doubts the diagnosis? I know my behaviour is getting more and more extreme due to my hyperactivity and lack of impulse control because now my relationship is at stake and I don't want to lose what stability I have :-)
Any advice appreciated, and doesn't need to be speciificly about seroquel but any bipolar drug that seems to work well then stop!
Despite readjusting the seroquel, and I'm on a hefty dose 500mg I still have real trouble sleeping and cannot understand why I feel so very hyperactive and exitable on this kind of medication. Especially as when I started I had the opposite problem of lethargy (but then again I started when I was depressed). All the posts I have read describe seroquel as bringing people down effectively from mania or anger even on lower doses, anyone have an explanation why I seem to be the exception? My CPN said that 'if I am bipolar then seroquel should be working, does this mean she doubts the diagnosis? I know my behaviour is getting more and more extreme due to my hyperactivity and lack of impulse control because now my relationship is at stake and I don't want to lose what stability I have :-)
Any advice appreciated, and doesn't need to be speciificly about seroquel but any bipolar drug that seems to work well then stop!
I'm glad you are feeling better and good for you for giving up the caffeine. I know it is hard. I wish I could give up eating too much dark chocolate. I've been too much of a night owl lately.
I was wondering if the "you are joking" comment was kinda not translating well.
Everyone reacts differently to medication and vitamins. For me, B-12 induces mania, and this may sound strange, Vitamin E makes me hallucinate and makes me manic. If I take any B vitamins I will usually cut them in half and take the lowest dose. I don't take any vitamins that have 100% Vitamin E.
Have you tried Lithium? That helps a lot of people with Bipolar 2. I think I remember you writing you had Bipolar 2.
Having Bipolar 1, I suffer mostly from extreme mania that usually starts off as not sleeping. It usually happens to me in the spring because we have here in California a time change that results in one hour less sleep. The trazadone helps me to sleep and I use it when I stay up all night which is not healthy for me.
My problem now is that I have been eating too much Dark Chocolate. I was feeling really depressed and started taking Wellbutrin then I stopped and felt worse. The chocolate makes me feel better, but now I am eating 5 pieces a day and I stay up way too late.
Everyone reacts differently to medication and vitamins. For me, B-12 induces mania, and this may sound strange, Vitamin E makes me hallucinate and makes me manic. If I take any B vitamins I will usually cut them in half and take the lowest dose. I don't take any vitamins that have 100% Vitamin E.
Have you tried Lithium? That helps a lot of people with Bipolar 2. I think I remember you writing you had Bipolar 2.
Having Bipolar 1, I suffer mostly from extreme mania that usually starts off as not sleeping. It usually happens to me in the spring because we have here in California a time change that results in one hour less sleep. The trazadone helps me to sleep and I use it when I stay up all night which is not healthy for me.
My problem now is that I have been eating too much Dark Chocolate. I was feeling really depressed and started taking Wellbutrin then I stopped and felt worse. The chocolate makes me feel better, but now I am eating 5 pieces a day and I stay up way too late.
Hi, I have been a little better, mostly due to changing my lifestyle and forcing myself as best as I can to slow down. I found that it was best if I explained to my partner (who has schizophrenia and in a long term unit, but an absolute diamond ) that I struggle with over excitability and asked him to help me calm down with my speech and so forth so I could slow enough to be coherent. I rarely involve him with my problems but by sharing this he understood and was very supportive, whereas before I shared, he was a bit confused by my behaviour.
Thanks for your all your suggestions regarding sleep aides, and I will take note and definately bear them in mind if the situation continues. I am still not sleeping as well as I could. It is interesting how some anti-depressants can also be used to avert mania in low doses.
I think there is a definate link between mania/depression and sleep and believe that if one can regulate their sleep it makes such a difference! and Adel I took notice of your comment about drinking caffinated drinks - you are right and so now I have changed to decaffinated until I can eventually stop them too!
Thanks for your all your suggestions regarding sleep aides, and I will take note and definately bear them in mind if the situation continues. I am still not sleeping as well as I could. It is interesting how some anti-depressants can also be used to avert mania in low doses.
I think there is a definate link between mania/depression and sleep and believe that if one can regulate their sleep it makes such a difference! and Adel I took notice of your comment about drinking caffinated drinks - you are right and so now I have changed to decaffinated until I can eventually stop them too!
Hi
I apologize.
Besides, the americans use "you must be joking" not in its proper sense but figurative meaning "i find what you say as strange"
Again thank you for replying. My idea about AD's in general is that all the ones i tried drove me manic eventually. If i can find one that doesn't cause mania then i believe this is the solution to bipolarity, this is my modest view simply because you will not get neither manic nor depressed. it's like my small doses of AP's my pdoc says i use them as sedatives not as antipsychotics.
So it's perplexing trazadone, and another lady here mentioned remeron too. I know some AD's are good for anxiety this is not new to me, but an AD that can help me sleep especially that i can be very well BP1 is strange, anyway I memorized the name now along with remeron.
the other thing you said "If I can get 3 full nights of sleep with the Trazadone then I can kick off my mania" is also strange to me. I also know that insomnia can drive one manic but the opposite is strange that you can stop the mania by sleeping well. sure this happens to you of course yet i can't find an explanation. My AD's i use to wake me up and boost my energy.
What about B12 you didn't mention anything about it
I apologize.
Besides, the americans use "you must be joking" not in its proper sense but figurative meaning "i find what you say as strange"
Again thank you for replying. My idea about AD's in general is that all the ones i tried drove me manic eventually. If i can find one that doesn't cause mania then i believe this is the solution to bipolarity, this is my modest view simply because you will not get neither manic nor depressed. it's like my small doses of AP's my pdoc says i use them as sedatives not as antipsychotics.
So it's perplexing trazadone, and another lady here mentioned remeron too. I know some AD's are good for anxiety this is not new to me, but an AD that can help me sleep especially that i can be very well BP1 is strange, anyway I memorized the name now along with remeron.
the other thing you said "If I can get 3 full nights of sleep with the Trazadone then I can kick off my mania" is also strange to me. I also know that insomnia can drive one manic but the opposite is strange that you can stop the mania by sleeping well. sure this happens to you of course yet i can't find an explanation. My AD's i use to wake me up and boost my energy.
What about B12 you didn't mention anything about it
This is the second time you asked if I was joking about something. No I am not joking.
Learning how to use Trazadone as a sleep aide has kept me out of the hospital for over 6 years now. Before that I had 5 manic hospitalizations because I stayed awake for days and weeks until finally I got so manic I was put on an involuntary hold.
Trazadone works for me. If I can get 3 full nights of sleep with the Trazadone then I can kick off my mania.
The psych doc at the hospital and a lot of other psych docs says it is an antideppresant, but in a small dosage it is a sleep aide.
Starbunny - hope you get some sleep. Keep me updated on how you are doing.
Learning how to use Trazadone as a sleep aide has kept me out of the hospital for over 6 years now. Before that I had 5 manic hospitalizations because I stayed awake for days and weeks until finally I got so manic I was put on an involuntary hold.
Trazadone works for me. If I can get 3 full nights of sleep with the Trazadone then I can kick off my mania.
The psych doc at the hospital and a lot of other psych docs says it is an antideppresant, but in a small dosage it is a sleep aide.
Starbunny - hope you get some sleep. Keep me updated on how you are doing.
Another antidepressant that can put you to sleep is Remeron. It knocked me on my butt. I took Trazadone for a week. I read that it is best to take it an hour before bed or with food two hours before bed. If I ddn't set my alarm clock though I could sleep for 12 hours straight. I ended up having to stop it though because of very vivid dreams and other weird side effects.
The thing with any medication is that everyone has a different reaction and side effect profile. What works for one person my not work at all for another. You sound quite manic. You should discuss a mood stabilizer and something other than Seroquel to slow you down. There are many meds out there to try. Sounds to me like your CPN doesn't know much about psychiatric meds. If possible, I would try to find someone new, preferably a psychiatrist.
The thing with any medication is that everyone has a different reaction and side effect profile. What works for one person my not work at all for another. You sound quite manic. You should discuss a mood stabilizer and something other than Seroquel to slow you down. There are many meds out there to try. Sounds to me like your CPN doesn't know much about psychiatric meds. If possible, I would try to find someone new, preferably a psychiatrist.
unfortunately after posting what abt side effects. see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trazodone
what abt Priapism among other things
what abt Priapism among other things
Actually I heard trazadone is mainly used as a sleep aid these days and I was recommended trazadone if I kept having trouble falling asleep.
you are joking. haven't heard of trazadone but being an AD helps you sleep sounds funny. is this happenning all the time or only to you as a special case. if this is true and sure is to you then perhaps you are shooting 2 birds with one bullet. kill depression and insomnia. i know you are BP1 so it's good that this drug doesn't induce mania.
sometimes read that BP pts don't benefit from AD's because their depression is huge whereas in my case any minute dose helps me out of it, only that i become more susceptible to mania.
about not taking vitamins before bedtime, what about B12. until now i didn't use it though i knew abt it from your last correspondence. my stupid pdoc said no use of using it, though i believe he is ignorant.
stabunny: how come you suffer from insomnia and drink coffee and tea ?? one tries his best to avoid all stimulants. BP is no joke and insomnia is killing. bschrib mentioned something which regulates sleeping but can't remember now the name and exist already in our body something like meletonin.
Other members using pls comment on trazadone. this could be an interesting solution to many of us
sometimes read that BP pts don't benefit from AD's because their depression is huge whereas in my case any minute dose helps me out of it, only that i become more susceptible to mania.
about not taking vitamins before bedtime, what about B12. until now i didn't use it though i knew abt it from your last correspondence. my stupid pdoc said no use of using it, though i believe he is ignorant.
stabunny: how come you suffer from insomnia and drink coffee and tea ?? one tries his best to avoid all stimulants. BP is no joke and insomnia is killing. bschrib mentioned something which regulates sleeping but can't remember now the name and exist already in our body something like meletonin.
Other members using pls comment on trazadone. this could be an interesting solution to many of us
Hi Starbunny, Yes I use the Trazadone as needed. It is an antidepressant, but when used in the small dosage it works as a sleep aide. That's what my pdoc said. It works great sometimes I use half a pill to sleep. It does not induce mania. Let me know what your doc says, make sure to tell him the name brand is Desyrel. It works so well that's what they give me in hospital when I haven't slept in weeks from mania.
Hi Athena, yes I am guilty of drinking caffinated drinks :-( and I know that it does have a bad effect on me, but very very difficult to stop!! I'm not on an anti-depressant, and I eat less grapefruit now that I have read here that it interfers with drug metabolism.
I don't take any vitamins but I do drink tea before bed but once I manage to sleep i do not have to wake up to go to the loo.
I feel reassured that your dose of seroquel is not far off mine and that you also sometimes need a bit of extra help, and that you have also experienced anger on it! I looked up tradazone and found out it's a weak antidepressant - do you use it PRN or on a daily basis? and do you find it doesn't induce mania? Sounds an interesting option and thanks for the advice!
ILADVOCATE Thanks for your advice also, one thing that I have taken away with me from all this is that I could do with discussing the ideas raised with my pdoc, if I can access him again! and look at ways I can alter my lifestyle as well.Cheers:-D
I don't take any vitamins but I do drink tea before bed but once I manage to sleep i do not have to wake up to go to the loo.
I feel reassured that your dose of seroquel is not far off mine and that you also sometimes need a bit of extra help, and that you have also experienced anger on it! I looked up tradazone and found out it's a weak antidepressant - do you use it PRN or on a daily basis? and do you find it doesn't induce mania? Sounds an interesting option and thanks for the advice!
ILADVOCATE Thanks for your advice also, one thing that I have taken away with me from all this is that I could do with discussing the ideas raised with my pdoc, if I can access him again! and look at ways I can alter my lifestyle as well.Cheers:-D
Hi Starbunny,
Sometimes people will have opposite reactions to medication. Maybe you are having an opposite reaction than the norm.
Are you drinking caffeine or chocolate? Are you taking an antidepresant? Those things can stimulate the mania. Are you eating grapefruit? That will make the meds not work. Are you taking any vitamins? Are you drinking too much water before bed or eating too close to bedtime? Sometimes doing those things will stimulate the brain.
I take 400mg of Seroquel, but sometimes that is not enough to sleep so I take one or two 50 mg tablets of Trazadone (Desyrel is the name brand). The trazadone knocks me out and my pdoc says it allows the brain to go through all the stages of sleep.
What's strange is that when I am on 300mg of Seroquel I get really angry. I looked up Seroquel induced anger and there are a lot of people that get that.
Sometimes people will have opposite reactions to medication. Maybe you are having an opposite reaction than the norm.
Are you drinking caffeine or chocolate? Are you taking an antidepresant? Those things can stimulate the mania. Are you eating grapefruit? That will make the meds not work. Are you taking any vitamins? Are you drinking too much water before bed or eating too close to bedtime? Sometimes doing those things will stimulate the brain.
I take 400mg of Seroquel, but sometimes that is not enough to sleep so I take one or two 50 mg tablets of Trazadone (Desyrel is the name brand). The trazadone knocks me out and my pdoc says it allows the brain to go through all the stages of sleep.
What's strange is that when I am on 300mg of Seroquel I get really angry. I looked up Seroquel induced anger and there are a lot of people that get that.
Medications have standard side effects and of course there are ones that are less common. Seroquel can cause agitation as an uncommon side effect. I was able to tolerate Seroquel (although I did encounter sedation but I divided it into two doses and slept through the morning dose). The other issue is extra pyramdical side effects and that's sometimes confused for agitation and can cause insomnia so that would be worthwhile to discuss with your psychiatrist as a potential cause as then a side effect pill is needed. Its not uncommon for a person to stop responding to some medications as well over a period of time but it depends on the specific medication as to the cause. The Seroquel might not be working which would be one cause or it could be that it is causing some mood changes of its own but it would be essential to discuss with your psychiatrist which might be the potential cause. You could look at the medication website first to fully understand it and then discuss it further with your psychiatrist.
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