Sleep

I have made an observation about myself and sleep. I am sleeping way too much and I have found myself lying to my fiance about how much I sleep. When I first realized this I thought it was because I have had to work one third shift the last two weeks in a row, but.... It started happening before the thirds. I always feel tired and unrested. I'm constantly moving from my bed to the couch, couch to the bed. Part of that is physical discomfort some of it is sleep disturbance. I don't think it is med related, as I don't remember having problems sleeping when I was on Lamictal before. But I have no idea why this has become such a problem. I don't feel like I ever accomplish anything. I find myself taking naps, going to work late, getting irritable when people wake me up...etc. Anyone have any input???

Rather than leave you with absolutely no advice, I'll chime in just a bit.

When I find myself sleeping more, it's usually the start of a depressive episode. I will sleep 10-12 hours and feel like I haven't slept any. So I will want to sleep more. But what I DON'T do, I've noticed, is exercise, because who wants to go for a walk when you are so tired? . Are you getting exercise at all? It doesn't even have to be a lot. Going for walks, doing some yoga, a bike ride, etc. It is really hard, when you feel tired, to get up and do things, but it helps.

I was also going to suggest this may be the start of a depressive episode. When are you next seeing your Dr? If it is not for a while do you think you could expedite your appt?

Cracked

I see my new therapist tomorrow. I don't see a pdoc til August. I don't tend to have depression episodes in the Summer, only Winter. And I have never slept this much. I feel like it's ruining my life. I'm so grumpy. I had a good week and a half where I felt normal and before that I was hypomanic, so it might be a possibility that my cycles are changing.... I kinda hope not, since I know how it is to be depressed in the Winter and normal to hypomanic in Summer. If that gets screwy... Yuck. I like the predictability of the cycles.

On another note, I am 99% certain that my GF is Borderline Personality Disorder which doesn't help matters any, especially since I am also. Sometimes we get along so well, other times, we are almost dangerous to each other.

Something else that I just have to talk about is sex. Since I have been diagnosed I haven't wanted to have sex. Before I wanted sex all the time. Sometimes too much. I make my GF mad because I turn her down. I feel like it's a chore.

Ugh! When I first found out what was wrong with me I was like "finally", and did everything I could to help myself. Now lately not so much..... I feel kinda hopeless sometimes.

Def discuss it with your therapist but is there any chance of expediting your psych appt as the more you say the more it sounds like you might be entering a depressive phase. Sleeping and low libido being two warning signs. Good luck

Cracked

mo11,
Just fyi- psych meds (especially the AD's) have a tendency to kill libido. It's hit or miss which meds do that, as we all have different experiences with different meds. But wanted to let you know that you might want to consider that as a cause of the lack of sex drive as well. For me, Celexa was by far the worst (I felt wierdly "numb" from the waist down, if that makes sense), but Cymbalta/Zoloft combo did it too, and when my doc added Trileptal to my Prozac (my current cocktail) it's happening again. Fortunate for me, there's not a man in my life, so while it's bothersome, it's not really an "issue" atm.

Depression and other psych conditions, in and of themselves, can def kill libido... but wanted to mention the meds aspect, as that REALLY kills it for me sometimes.

Hope you find relief soon.
Koshka