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Re: Meds are screwing up my sleep cycle » KaraS

Posted by Sarah T. on September 17, 2005, at 22:58:58

In reply to Meds are screwing up my sleep cycle, posted by KaraS on September 17, 2005, at 22:21:15

Hi Kara,

I'm so sorry that you're having such a difficult time. I'm even more sorry that I don't have much to suggest because I suffer from very similar problems. My circadian rhythms have been whacky for years. The only things that seem to help me are exercising early in the day, and doing that on a regular basis, and having to be some place (such as a job or school) on a regular basis. I think the most important things are regularlity and consistency.

I have read that vigorous or fairly vigorous exercise suppresses melatonin for about 12-13 hours in some people. That seems to be true for me. The timing of my exercise seems to have more to do with when I get sleepy than when I've woken up that morning. If I get up at 7 a.m. but don't exercise until 2 or 3 in the afternoon, I'm unable to sleep until about 2 or 3 in the morning, no matter how tired I am.

Are you taking Dexedrine now? How late is your last dose? For some reason, when I was on Dexedrine, it didn't affect my sleep cycle much. Again, the timing of my exercise seemed to have more to do with my ability to fall asleep than anything else. So, you're still on Doxepin. Are you still on that very low dose? How late do you take it? Do you think you'd be less groggy if you took it earlier the night before?

I wish so much that I could help you. The only thing that seems to help with problems like this is military-like discipline regarding one's schedule. It helps to HAVE to be some place in the morning, no matter how gruesome the thought. Or, perhaps, it's best to find a job with later hours, such as a second shift job or nearly second shift. I once had a job that was from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. I liked those hours. When I've had second shift jobs, I've never, ever been late, and I've never had difficulty getting to work. I truely believe that some people are night owls and others are larks, so it may turn out that we shouldn't try to fight who we are. Maybe we have to accept that we're night owls and adjust our lives accordingly. I don't think I've reached that stage of acceptance yet. I'm still trying to fit in with the larks.


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poster:Sarah T. thread:556157
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050914/msgs/556195.html