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Long post ahead but I'm scared. Have I been diagnosed with a mental illness?
I've been dealing with insomnia (due primarily to anxiety / stress) for decades. As I get older (just turned 58), the insomnia has really become unbearable. On a good night, I get maybe four or five hours of sleep and I can function pretty well throughout the day. But there are many bad nights when I get little to NO sleep at all. The days following those nights are unbearable.
So about six months ago, I convinced my doc to let me try some sleeping pills. I was prescribed with Lunexa - 3mg, daily. But as is well known, the Lunexa worked fine initially but as my tolerance to the drug built up, my insomnia returned. Lately, there have been nights when I've taken 3, 4 or even 6mg of Lunexa and it had no effect on me.
The lack of sleep has made me a very unhappy person to be around. I snap at the slightest things. One recent event: I took a trip to New Orleans to visit friends in a cancer support group I belong to. When I got to my destination, I went to the car rental counter where I had reserved a car. When I got to the counter, there was no car. Although the guy behind the counter tried to help, I went ballistic. I was screaming and yelling, I was making a scene, etc. My wife was scared, she thought I was going to get arrested. I've always had a 'bad temper' but this was a nightmare. Reflecting on it now, I can't believe I was like that.
So this past week, I've stopped the taking the Lunexa and I went back to see the doctor looking for help. The Lunesta was no longer working and my insomnia was taking a toll not only on me, but those around me.
After filling out questionnaires asking me my medical history and talking with the doc for a bit, the doctor felt I had the classic signs of mild depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Accordingly, I've been prescribed bupropion, 150 mg each morning, along with trazodone, which I am to take each night to help me sleep. Both drugs are considered atypical anti-depressants.
Like I said above, I'm a bit scared by this. Does this mean I have a diagnosed mental illness? What should I expect from this drug combination in the coming weeks? The doc said I should feel better, have a better outlook on life, and I would get the needed sleep I've been lacking.
I've been taking the new meds for three days now; I've read that it can take weeks before one feels any benefits from them.
What should I be looking for? Mood changes? More sleep at night?
Will I have to take these drugs forever in order keep the anxiety / stress / insomnia at bay?
OP: I don't have the insomnia issue I hear so much here and I've worked to get a sleep combo to give me a good 10 hrs deep quality sleep. It didn't happen overnight and my sleep issues hit me after menopause time. So I was in 50's....I'm 81.
Have you ever considered seeing an Integrative MD or Naturopath or even a Homeopathic MD.
Plus there are homeopathic sleep remedies and I've posted a post in Supplements a while ago. Homeopathy does work and people just don't go to this medicine. Yes, it's used in so much of the world but the least in the U.S.
Sleep is so critical and so healing. One has GOT to get that sleep.
I don't know why people STOP at one type of doctor to help them, there are many types of medical people out there to help us.
Some "innocent" supports I use in my comb are Inositol, Calms Forte', Magnesium so you might want to look into these and also 1/2mg Melatonin.
Last edited by jaminhealth; 11-06-2019 at 08:10 PM..
I've been on Trazodone (100mg) & Zoloft (25mg) for about 4.5 years now. I was diagnosed with GAD & mild depression.
My diagnosis came after adopting my 4th dog & I worked myself into a tizzy because I wanted the adoption to work since I had been without a dog for 13 months, & my previous adoption failed. I would compare it to as close as I'll ever get to bringing home a newborn baby. Before going to the doctor for help, I had slept just 10 hours in five days. I was a mess.
I have issues with noise--both loud & sudden, & repetitive noises. I view them as a threat to my ability to relax & destress.
I am a big proponent for agreeing that exercise really helps. But my exercise efforts (via walking my dog) have been challenging because of all the noise around me.
Deep breathing to calm myself helps me too. I do this before I go to bed, and as I lay in bed before I get up.
I think the Zoloft helps me cope with the noise around me by calming me. And the Trazodone helps me stay asleep. When I feel I cannot relax at night, I sometimes will take a 3mg melatonin to relax me before bed. Then an hour later, I'll take the Trazodone.
Sleep deprivation disrupts your cognitive ability to function. Think of your brain as your body's computer. You need rest to reboot your system & make it functional. Keeping to the same sleep routine is a must.
Focus on your doctor's prescription to help you rather than on labeling your diagnosis. Think of the possibilities that this medication combination will help you find your new normal.
I think it took 2 weeks for the Zoloft to help with my anxiety. I've probably only had 2 or 3 nights of poor sleep after taking Trazodone for 4.5 years. Just remember, you must take it every night even if you think you don't need it. I've made the mistake of thinking I was plenty tired & thought I would sleep through the night without taking it. I was wrong.
Good luck to you. Give yourself time to let the meds work for you. Wishing you peaceful rest.
Yes, it sounds as though you did receive a diagnosis that falls under the "Mental illness" umbrella. But at least now you are treating the CAUSE (anxiety) as opposed to a symptom (insomnia).
You may or may not need to take these meds forever. You may develop a tolerance for these as well and need to switch to other meds.
There could be some initial side effects that will go away, like stomach upset, brain zaps, headaches, etc. Your response could be anything; if it's a good fit for you, you could start feeling less anxiety and more positivity within the first week. Or some people notice no change at all and need to try another med.
Depression can be like an illness, because it’s a mental illness.
Some people always have a certain sickness. Others always have depression.
Some people get depression for a period of time. They recover and no longer have depression.
Some people get sick every now and then. In a similar way, some have depression that comes and goes.
Don’t worry about the stigma of a mental illness. Just get help for your sleep issues; you’ll be a lot happier. Life isn’t about building walls around yourself to protect your view of yourself. Just take care of your body, get sleep, and don’t worry about it.
I’m 25; I’ve already gone thru depression/anxiety stuff. It’s a family thing. I’m finally moving on to a career. I always wanted to be first and best; I had to let go of that. It made me a much nicer person.
Trazodone works well as a sleep aid. I took it for a number of years for insomnia and would still be taking it, but it was causing neurological problems such as vertigo and muscle twitches. I hated to give it up because I knew I would always get a good night's sleep when I was on it. But it might be just what you need. I now use a combination of CBD, medical marijuana edibles and melatonin, and I still get a good night's sleep but without the side effects.
UPDATE: It has been five days since I started a regimen of 150mg of Bupropion HCL every morning and 50mg of Trazadone every evening before bed.
I am not doing well.
Over the past two nights, I've managed to get 3 to 4 hours of sleep. This morning, when I went to shut off the alarm clock, I noticed my left hand had a slight tremble to it. Both hands feel warm and tingly, as if they are 'falling asleep.'
I am unable to concentrate or focus at work. I'm a software engineer / computer programmer by trade so this is not good. Additionally, I have to drive to the office two days a week, 1.5 hours each way. Today while driving to work, I felt uncomfortable and unsafe. I'm worried that I'm going to get into an accident and hurt myself or others.
I spoke to a psychologist yesterday. She asked me a bunch of prepared questions from her PC. After talking about my symptoms for a bit, her only suggestion was that I try 'sleep restriction therapy' to try and improve my sleep. I told her I already tried this six months ago under the supervision of another doctor and it didn't work. She told me to try it anyway and come back in two weeks to provide an update.
I am miserable and don't know what I should do. Do I stay on these drugs in hopes my sleep will improve?
Trazodone is often used for neuropathy, so a fun side effect is that it might cause neuropathy if you don’t have it. I take Topamax and also have the tingly feelings and sometimes burning feet feelings, but it is only intermittent. The trembling is also an expected side effect as is early insomnia.
I recently started Effexor and got little sleep my first week but felt super exhausted during the day. It got better the second week. It has been about 6 weeks now and those effects have passed. I have been on Topamax 5 years and the tingling has actually gotten a little worse recently, so that might not get better for you. I don’t find it that bothersome.
Long post ahead but I'm scared. Have I been diagnosed with a mental illness?
I've been dealing with insomnia (due primarily to anxiety / stress) for decades. As I get older (just turned 58), the insomnia has really become unbearable. On a good night, I get maybe four or five hours of sleep and I can function pretty well throughout the day. But there are many bad nights when I get little to NO sleep at all. The days following those nights are unbearable.
So about six months ago, I convinced my doc to let me try some sleeping pills. I was prescribed with Lunexa - 3mg, daily. But as is well known, the Lunexa worked fine initially but as my tolerance to the drug built up, my insomnia returned. Lately, there have been nights when I've taken 3, 4 or even 6mg of Lunexa and it had no effect on me.
The lack of sleep has made me a very unhappy person to be around. I snap at the slightest things. One recent event: I took a trip to New Orleans to visit friends in a cancer support group I belong to. When I got to my destination, I went to the car rental counter where I had reserved a car. When I got to the counter, there was no car. Although the guy behind the counter tried to help, I went ballistic. I was screaming and yelling, I was making a scene, etc. My wife was scared, she thought I was going to get arrested. I've always had a 'bad temper' but this was a nightmare. Reflecting on it now, I can't believe I was like that.
So this past week, I've stopped the taking the Lunexa and I went back to see the doctor looking for help. The Lunesta was no longer working and my insomnia was taking a toll not only on me, but those around me.
After filling out questionnaires asking me my medical history and talking with the doc for a bit, the doctor felt I had the classic signs of mild depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Accordingly, I've been prescribed bupropion, 150 mg each morning, along with trazodone, which I am to take each night to help me sleep. Both drugs are considered atypical anti-depressants.
Like I said above, I'm a bit scared by this. Does this mean I have a diagnosed mental illness? What should I expect from this drug combination in the coming weeks? The doc said I should feel better, have a better outlook on life, and I would get the needed sleep I've been lacking.
I've been taking the new meds for three days now; I've read that it can take weeks before one feels any benefits from them.
What should I be looking for? Mood changes? More sleep at night?
Will I have to take these drugs forever in order keep the anxiety / stress / insomnia at bay?
I've been taking Ambien for about 31 years. I initially started when I was doing a lot of international travel and couldn't sleep without taking a sleep aid. About 15 years ago I decided I wanted to get off the pills and went to a sleep therapist. He said that I needed to go without Ambien for three weeks and my "problem" would be over. Worst three weeks ever. I then decided to keep taking Ambien and have never looked back. Recently switched from the 10mg to the 12.5mg. No problems. When my doctor asked when I was going to quit I answered never, and she was fine with it.
Along with the Ambien I also take two Tizanidine pills, which are short acting muscle relaxants. I have a good sleep every night and wake up feeling fine.
You're overthinking this issue. Do whatever you want. It's your life.
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