My own trial

[Always Changing]

Steven:
I really think you might need to talk to your prescribing doctor re: sleep problems and your desire to not be on your medication. It would appear to me (imho of course) that you might need med adjustment. Do yourself a favour and stop messing around with the meds, take as prescribed only , if not working for you then you talk to your doctor, it only makes sense doesn't it??

 

[Steven_v]

just really want my sleep meds to work at this point

 

[David Baxter PhD]

It's not that simple Steven. Your doctor prescribed a mix of medications for good reasons. You really should get back on the medications your doctor prescribed.

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Urm, think of it this way, Steven;

Are you a doctor? Would you tell someone else to do what you are doing to your medication?

If you said no being a doctor, what makes you feel you are qualified to completely stop medications? Do you know how doing that is going to affect your sleep patterns? Do you know if your combination of medication has time (at least 3-6 weeks) to get up to the levels needed to work together properly? Do you know if the reason they were combined was to help you sleep better at night? Do you know what will happen to you physically and mentally if you come off the medicals suddenly instead of weaning yourself on them? Do you care at all about what will happen to you and anyone you love if you do this?

If you said no, you wouldn't tell someone else to play with their medications like you are, why are you doing it to yourself? If you said yes, you would tell someone else to do that with their medication, see my above paragraph: are you a doctor?

Why are you dealing with your prescribed medication on your own and not going to the doctor to tell him you are having issues? What happens if you make yourself worse, and then because you sabotaged your recovery, you do something in your mania, or depression, that you regret later? You'll almost have to start from scratch. Why would you want to do that to yourself?

 

[Steven_v]

so cant get an appointment till the 13th of next month. really dont know whats gonna happen between now and then

 

[Always Changing]

going back on meds in hope that my sleeping pills will start working again.

This is believe is the correct course of action Steven, it might take a few days (or more) to build up to the levels you had in your system before stopping them so patience is key here ok.

really dont know whats gonna happen between now and then

The 13th while for some would be a good bit away, is not really that far away and you can be active in that time by journaling what is going on for you each day, this will help your doctor when you do see him.
So my suggestion would be to make notes on:
the time you take your meds each day,
what if anything you did that helped you to wind down before bed. what helped\what didn't help,
make special effort to note your sleep patterns, what time you went to bed, what time\s you woke again etc etc, and what you did while awake during those times.
make notes on your mood.. ie: low, hypo, irritable, happy, confused, depressed, and so on.

If you can (and its only a suggestion) do this, it maybe that while doing it YOU might see a pattern of some kind and maybe able to see if there's anything in your daily schedule etc that you can change to help enhance the benefits of your meds, even if you do not see anything you can change, you will still be in a good or better position to discuss your meds etc when your apt comes up.

 

[Steven_v]

tonights gonna be a hard one to get through

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Why?

 

[Steven_v]

my moods just getting lower and lower and its getting harder for me to sleep. struggling to hold on really to be honest lack of sleep is realy the hard bit

 

[Always Changing]

tonights gonna be a hard one to get trhough

How did you get through last night Steven? did you manage to get much sleep?
are you making daily notes for your doctor..

 

[Steven_v]

im dragging myself through the days as i dont feel interested in doing anything. then at night i jus watch films in a dark room till i start feeling tired normaly around 4 then lay in my bed till i fall asleep. then wake up at about 9 and begin the whole day again. maybe sometimes getting an hours sleep in the day

 

[Always Changing]

Can I ask you what were your interests before you started to notice feeling distinterested in doing anything.?
In what way are you dragging yourself through your days? Do you get out and walk? run? cycle? look at the sky? Getting any fresh air?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Don't you think it's time to get back on your medications, Steven? Don't you think you've learned everything to learn from your little experiment?

 

[Steven_v]

David Baxter. i only came of my meds for about a week untill i noticed my sleeping pills no longer worked. ive been back on my meds since last thursday

"always changing". i use to be interested in normal things talking with mate watching films reading books. i drag myself through the day as in i still try to do usual dailly stuff going into town going over to see friends but just have no energy or interest in it

 

[Always Changing]

Glad to hear that... keep it up okay.. even when you really really don't feel like it. Remember what I said earlier in the thread about patience as you wait for your meds to kick back in again and even if they do not do the job you want them to do.. You need to keep your daily routine going and even adding to it some more maybe. Anything that keeps you involved with others and in moving about is good and healthy okay. This may help you from falling any deeper into a depressed state. Its called being pro active in your own care ( at least I think it is ) and not relying totally on the meds.
Hang in there Steven.. you have I imagine been in this place before and came out of it. you will again. work at it.. do not let this get you down too far this time around.

 

[Steven_v]

i just hate the nights theres nothing to do and nothing to send me to sleep

 

[Always Changing]

Maybe stop trying so hard and or thinking on it so much.. that may help either. Put on head phones if you have them and listen to your favourite music while you lie there, you might even find yourself humming or singing the songs in your head. if no head phones, have some music playing low so that you have to listen out for it. That too will have you thinking on something other than lack of sleep. Worrying about not sleeping is not going to get you to sleep any quicker is what I am saying.

 

[Always Changing]

Hi Steven,
How are you getting on?

 

[Steven_v]

great this is really gonna mess up my body clock. i went for a nao at 5pm and didnt wake up till 11pm. dont know what to do sleep wise now

 

[Always Changing]

What did happen sleep wise?. for instance.. did you get more than say 4\5hours sleep?.
Whats been happening during your days? are you still getting out and about.. etc. ?
In all fairness. do you really expect to be able to get adequate sleep having gone for a "nap" at 5 pm in the evening?. at that hour its maybe going out for a walk instead of going to bed might have been a better choice.