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Still can't stay awake, Lamictal added, new probs

Posted by Reggie BoStar on January 15, 2007, at 19:47:31

Hi Everyone,
I posted a thread here a few weeks back about a "morbid sleeping pattern" that's been making me more or less completely dysfunctional.

I was sleeping in marathons of 50 - 60 hrs, then staying awake 5 or 6 hrs per day for 2 or 3 days, then back to oblivion again.

I'm Bipolar II. The depression cycles last about a month, then "hypomania" (i.e. just not as depressed) kicks in a for few days. This occurs during only one of the waking sessions per month; the rest are basically walking wounded days.

My pdoc has added Lamictal to my meds to try to even out the mood swings, but after two weeks it's not helping at all with anything. I still struggle to be active when I'm awake but am totally exhausted after 5 hrs and again when I wake up 18 - 19 hrs later.

I went in for one of those sleep tests and came out negative for any signs of apnea or other disturbances.

It also seems to be making it very difficult to urinate. I had this problem before when I was taking too much Buspar. I had to be catheterized in the ER twice - UGH! My pdoc lowered the Buspar dose and it went away.

Here it is again, this time on a low starter dose of Lamictal. Last time around a urologist did a detailed endoscope exam of my bladder and gave me the green light, and agreed that it was probably meds.

So here I am. Still out of my mind with depression, and now fear for my life, when I'm awake, asleep at least 18 hrs per day, and then every week asleep for a marathon of 2-3 days.

I have NO problems sleeping during those hibernations, either. I get up to go to the john, drink a bottle of Ensure ("complete nutrition"), give my lucky-a** cat his phenobarbitol, and go back to bed.

And now my urethra is starting to close shut as tight as a vise.

I'm taking:

Depression - Cymbalta, Lamictal, Wellbutrin
Migraines - Neurontin, Gabitril, maxalt, Axert
Alcohol cravings - Naltrexone

I gotta say that the Naltrexone is the only one that works great. The others, I don't know.

Hey, I'm getting sh*t scared. I keep thinking now that I'm either going to drop in my tracks or die in my sleep any time now. I have a really strong fear of death.

I had to post this, don't know what else to do..

Thanks for the ear and for reading through this encyclopedia my friends,

Reggie BoStar

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Psycho-Babble Medication | Framed

poster:Reggie BoStar thread:718409
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070113/msgs/722669.html