Sleep frustrations

Has anyone been started on a med that completely messed with your sleep, even if it is supposed to have a sedative effect?

I am getting very frustrated with saphris. I have been on it about two weeks. My pdoc warned me that it would put me to sleep almost immediately. I find that it makes me feel drugged, but it takes me way longer to fall asleep.

I am on saphris as an addition to my mood stabilizer. Most of my breakthrough symptoms consist of pmdd depression every month. I have never had issues falling asleep, unless I am feeling manic. Sleep used to be a blissful comfort to me. I used to read until I drifted off, sleep pretty well, and then wake up pretty slowly and naturally. These days, I find myself anxious about taking the med and going to bed, no matter what I do beforehand to make myself relaxed and tired. It seems that the med hypes me up while making me feel drugged, so I can't read. I don't really remember much of my dreams until I am about to wake up, and then I wake up suddenly and can't stay in bed, even if I haven't slept my normal amount. The best way I can explain it is that my sleep feels weird and not natural, and I just can't wait to be done with it.

Has anyone had issues like this with a med? How did you cope with them? Did they eventually subside, or did you go off the med? I know that this type of side effect isn't one of the terrible ones, but I find that it is really messing with me. Any advice?

Thanks forum.
Carrie

Sleep is one of my sore pts too so if it was me, I'd go back to the pdoc and see what else might work out better for u. Seroquel is what works for me but everyone is different.

Good luck
Blue

That's one of the reasons I am not on Saphris anymore. I just couldn't sleep right and I always got anxious and had seizures when I took it and went to bed.

Now I'm on Latuda, and am much better now for sleep.

Carrie,

I am hoping to go back on Saphris Monday. I didn't take it long enough to know how it effects my sleep, but I do understand that it is a good med with few side effects. I don't think you have been on it long enough to know how it will effect you in the long run. I would talk with my pdoc and continue to take it unless he changes it.

I would like to bring up a bit of a side topic not related to Saphris. You may possibly find this information helpful for yourself. I noticed that my monthly cycles always seemed to bring me down into a depressive state rather quickly and it lasted a good solid 7-10 days. My gynecologist suggested that I consider using Mirena which is a form of contraception. A possible side effect of using Mirena that it actually stops monthly cycles in a large percentage of women. I have not had a menstrual cycle in over a year now. The depressive states I endured every month due to hormonal fluctuations are now gone.

Not sure is this is something you would consider but worth looking into.

Thanks, everyone for your responses. I will talk to my pdoc soon at my next appointment.

Starry,
At my last appointment, my Gyn suggested this to me, but my husband and I are looking at getting pregnant within the year, and I am afraid it would be a waste of money, or it would mess with my fertility. But I appreciate the suggestion.

PMDD is so frustrating! You can feel great the rest of the month, but have serious downs those 10 days before -- which is 1/3 of your life, so that sucks.

I wish there were a better hormonal approach to bipolar.

Carrie

Bob,

Good luck with the saphris! It is supposed to target mania, so maybe it would help you not feel so restless. I am guessing you can't tolerate the new med you were put on?

I read somewhere that antipsyhotic meds show their full effect in 5 days. Maybe this isn't true. I do think that Invega showed its effect very quickly -- just had the side effects. With the saphris, I have been on 18 days. The side effects seem really minimal -- except for that sleep thing. I think part of this is that I have never, ever taken sleeping meds. I have never needed them! I used to hate being on antidepressants, before my dx, because they would mess with my sleep.

Just curious, why did you have to go off saphris before?

Carrie

Its all too complex. I started to type of a response and then gave up. In short, I've found that too little of an antipsychotic affects my sleep. Mostly because I become mildly hypomanic, despite a truck load of meds. In these cases I might fall asleep, but will wake up at 1 am and start baking cakes, driving to 24 hour joints and/or spending lots of time on the computer. With the dosage raised, I'll sleep better. In my case I've needed lots of medications to sedate me into baseline mood. But now, I sleep 8-9 hours per night, which is reasonable. I get a little Seroquel XR grogginess, but it is something I can live with.

Recently, even on my current mix, I've started to have trouble falling asleep. I'm very antsy. I use other things to help me. I eat a yogurt before bed and I use my sound machine. That does seem to help. Ideally I should take my nighttime meds very early, like at 8 pm. I take my Geodon at about that time. Things like TV and my computer must be avoided, for many reasons.

Carrie.

Thanks. I went off of Saphris because there is a possible link to heart trouble and I didn't want to risk it. But I have changed my mind. Don't know that my pdoc will agree, but that is what I will ask for.