WHAT SHOULD I DO

[gustavo552]

FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS I HAVE BEEN DEPRESSED BECAUSE OF AN EX RELATIONSHIP AND WAS ON ZOLOFT AND ANOTHER MEDICINE CALLED RESPRIDAL. AND I STOPPED TAKING IT BECAUSE I WENT FROM 180 POUNDS TO 210 IN A FEW MONTHS. I ALSO FELT VERY DROWSY AND I FELT EVEN WORSE TAHN BEFORE. AS SOON AS I GOT OF THE ANTI DEPRESSANTS I STARTED WORKING OUT ABOUT FOUR TIMES A WEEK ON JANUARY 2008 AND I QUICKLY BEGAN TO LOOSE WEIGHT. BUT HAVE BEEN HAVING DIFFICULTY FALLING ASLEEP AND WORSE STAYING ASLEEP. I TOOK MELATONIN FOR SOME TEMPORARY RELIEF AND AFTER A WEEK IT NO LONGER WORKED. AND I STARTED TO URINE EXCESSIVELY TO THE POINT WHERE I AM WAKING UP AT LEAST TWO TO THREE TIMES AT NIGHT TO URINE. AND ASIDE OF THAT I WAKE UP ANOTHER TWO FOR NO REASON AND LATELY HAVE ONLY BEEN GETTING ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE HOURS OF SLEEP A NIGHT. I EAT VERY HEALTHY, NEVER FAST FOOD, JUNK FOOD, SODAS, NOR DRINKS HIGH IN CAFFEINE. BY THE WAY IM 18 YEARS OLD AND I ALSO HAD A URINE AND BLOOD TEST TAKEN TO SEE IF ANYTHING WAS WRONG AND EVERYTHING WAS GOOD SO IM SUSPECTING THAT I MIGHT HAVE SOME SORT OF SLEEP APNEA. WHAT COULD I DO TO IMPROVE MY SITUATION BECAUSE IM IN HIGH SCHOOL INTO WEIGHT LIFTIN AND PIANO AND BECAUSE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP AT LEAST SIX HOURS STRAIGHT IT HAS BEEN AFFECTING ME.  I HAVE ALSO LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT CURRENTLY AT 160 WICH IS TO SKINNY AND EVEN THOUGH I EAT A LOT I NEVER GAIN WEIGHT AND MY APPETITE GETS BIGGER AND BIGGER. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND I DO? THANKS

[Gregg D Jacobs, Ph.D.]

You should first be assessed for depression again since you stopped the depression medications, felt worse afterwards, and have lost a lot of weight. Although the weight loss can be due to exercise, it could also be due to depression and stopping the depression medications. Secondly, drowsiness is a symptom of sleep apnea so you should be evaluated by a sleep center. Once the depression and sleep apnea have been assessed, you can consider cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as your next step as discussed in many of my previous posts (or see my website) but the depression and apnea should be assessed first.

Dr. Jacobs
www.cbtforinsomnia.com

[Gregg D Jacobs, Ph.D.]

This is a question for your primary care doctor.

Dr. Jacobs

[gustavo552]

THANKS FOR RESPONDING SO QUICKLY ALSO MY OTHER QUESTION IS WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING ME TO URINE ABOUT TEN TIMES A DAY EVEN IF I LIMIT HOW MUCH WATER I HAVE. I THINK THAT BECAUSE OF THIS I CANT GAIN WEIGHT EVEN THOUGH I EAT VERY WELL HIGH IN CALORIES AND PROTEIN ANDL LOW IN TRANS FAT AND SODIUM. I WILL GO TO  A SLEEP CENTER THIS WEEKEND.