Tgif 3-27-09
 

Hi all!

How is everyone doing and what's on your agenda for the weekend?

Saturday I plan to wash clothes, and clean. Sunday I will be having lunch with a friend and then scrabble. Then Sunday night I'll go to church with another friend.

It's cold and rainy here by me and it appears it'll be a rainy weekend.

Tonight I am just hanging out... watching television...

Tomorrow.... hmmmm.... probably laundry, maybe a little reading, and just resting...

Sunday.... Meeting with a friend for some casual conversation....

I hope someone has a more exciting weekend than I have planned...

:hug:
Abbie

Yesterday and Today I did trainings for new volunteers with two of
my co-workers. I've finally gotten through it without coughing or
having bad times. I'm so excited.

Tomorrow I plan to do some laundry and Spend the day with Derrick
and his friend Chris. And we need to go birthday present shopping
for my sister's foster daughter.

Then Sunday we go to a birthday party in Kokomo and help get
Derrick ready for school on Monday after this last week off.

Its been a fun week.

Donna

Hello, All,

I had a difficult week:
Depression caused by Not Sleeping caused by Anxiety.


Anxiety eased up a bit today, so now I hope to sleep.

M.

Abbie, your weekend sounds pretty good to me. Enjoy.

Donna, it is nice you had a fun week.

Mari, I hope the anxiety gets better.

barbara

Hi, Befuddled,
I hope that you enjoy your weekend.
M.

Thank you Mari.

One of my neighbors called me early this morning and woke me up. She's been calling me early in the morning and waking me up for the past week or so. Today I had words with her as I'm tired of her disrespecting my wish not to be called in the morning. She was arguing with me like she was in the right. I can not go back to sleep in the morning once woke up so I am operating on not enough sleep today.

barbara

turn off the phone
 

Barbara,

'Sorry that you have someone inconsiderate in your life like that.
I can usually go back to sleep -- but not always and sleep is soooooo precious and important -- so I understand how put out you might feel.

We sleep with no phone in the bed room and the bedroom door complete closed. I also have a "white" noise maker on in the bedroom.
We never hear any phone when we are sleeping.


When I lived in a different apt with a different set up I used to turn off the ringer on the phone every night. It was ok for me to make phone calls, but no one could get me after a certain time or unless I was a awake and had remembered to turn the ringer back on.

Ever since I can remember, I have had electronic voice mail at home -- I can't hear the other person's voice. So the phone rings four times and goes to voice mail -- like a cell phone. I love it. (So even if the ringer was turned off, I still got the phone message of course.)

I learned these things from my tdoc who taught me a lot about Cognitive behavior Therapy.
He thought that I should make sure that my environment supported me and that I should not
make ANY accommodations to the environment or even to other people.

(I wonder if he has mellowed and changed a little since I knew him.) Anyway, he was good because when I first met him I was in my 20s and putting up with lots of garbage from other people -- and suffering tremendously because of it.

M.

I was going to say I turned the ringer off the phone in our bedroom. When
my husband first started working afternoon's because he usually
needed to sleep later. So I made sure he got the chance.

So I've left it off its much nicer not getting woke up at all hours.
And I can sleep through it most of the time. I just have to be careful
because of Derrick and his seizures.


I am having a good Saturday, hope everyone else is.

Donna

hello. i am much calmer
 

I'm mellow this weekend.

I got to cook TWICE :) tonight was impromptu... mom went, arrgh i've gotta do this that and ... oh you're going out? i was... but i just said why and found out a veggie-cooking person was needed - SHE * NEVER * ASKS so she really was time-bound i figure and i really like cooking (especially veggies). so i changed back again from outdoor clothes (yep, i was at the grabbing the keys point already) and hopped to it. they were good. dad prefers them cut differently but phooey. i did cut them differently - that's the point. he likes them cut one particular way, and that way only and sorry but i figured howabout something DIFFERENT is all... anyway. they came out nice. :)

tonight.... we (FINALLY) spring forward. i have already changed all our "common" clocks as well as my personal ones. i'd rather spring sooner than hit 2 am and go grooooaaannn... oh yeah, it's 3. lol. so that's the end of my "ahead of time" postings. heheh. probably this will be the last one since i am off to IM with a friend in a bit here.

i hear ya on the phone ringers and i always turned phones off when the environment was in my control. now i can only control my cell, but when i'm not up for it ... it's off. so i'm totally on board with that!

Abbie, would i be off base to say that you are sounding a little calmer? (LOL could be projecting - i am calmer than i was... BIG TIME! :D)
Mari i'm sorry to hear about the anxious insomnia that is nasty i hope that resolves and you get some good, DEEP sleep. i find that when anxious even if i sleep i get lighter, lower quality sleep. i am sending you soothing thoughts...

extend that too everyone. :grouphug: for some reason, i feel like soothing thoughts are the thing for all of us tonight. :sunchair:

aha! here is my friend pinging me... off i go now...

:) much calmer ~ waves ~ off Zyprexa too ;)

Thank Mari, Donna, and Waves.

I would have to unplug my phone in the bedroom cause there is not a way to turn off the ringer. I have a problem with unplugging the phone in case I were to need to call out in an emergency. I would hate to try to plug the phone back up in the dark.

Mari, how did you sleep last night?

Donna, have fun at the party today.

Waves, I am glad you feel much better. The veggies sounds good. That's what I need more of instead of so much meat.

Barbara

Hi Waves...
Calmer NO.... just the opposite!!! I am trying to deal with some very confusing news that could turn very bad at the drop of a hat. I'm waiting for the other show to fall... if you know what I mean...

I wish I were calmer... I am very tired from the lack of sleep... I do sleep some but I am having terrible night mares.....

Thank you for caring!!!
Abbie

Dear Abbie,
Keep doing whatever you can to keep yourself calm. :hug: :hug: :hug:
Sleep is the best thing you can do.
Also, avoid making any big decisions or taking on new projects -- brain might not be thinking clearly.
When do you see the tdoc or pdoc again?
Can you bring someone with you to the next appointments? Someone who can help you communicate your needs??

M.

Stop answering the phone
 

Barbara,

I used to unplug my phone -- depending on what my apt situation was.

Since being ready in an emergency takes precedence over sleep in your case, you can buy a phone with the nob / button that allows you to turn it off and on.

When I buy my phones, that is the major item I look for.
I have two cheap phones in the house.
Both have caller ID and the ability to turn off the ringer.


Sometimes I take a nap on the couch near the phone. Regardless of who is on the caller ID, I do not answer the phone if I am sleeping.

There is no one who could be calling that is worth my talking to. NO ONE. Just because it rings does not mean that I have to answer it.

Seriously. What information do I need that is more important than sleep?

I,f god forbid, our country is at war, I'll find out when I wake up and turn on the tv or find someone in the neighborhood to talk to.

A friend of mine lives within a range of a nuclear power plant. They have set up outdoor sirens to notify people of a safety issue. No one is going to call him by phone to tell him to take precautions.

Hubby and I do not answer the door when someone knocks unless he knows it is the postman.

We control who talks to us.
If they want to bang on the door because no one is answering, that is their problem (and the neighbors, but not ours).

The neighbor person can be ignored.
If she wants to make a nuisance of herself by banging on windows or something, then you can call the cops.

You could also consider changing your phone number and giving it out only to people who are worth waking you out of your sleep.

M.

Abbie, I hope things be work on for you. Lack of sleep can really work on us.

Mari, point taken.

barbara

I apologize
 

Barbara,

I think I got a little carried away with the phone thing. Sorry.
You can see that the phone is an "issue" for me.

Maybe I am a weirdo about sleep. I do not have cats, dogs, or children because I care about my sleep that much.


Mari

We had a great time. I took Sabrina and Will and Ethan too.

My mom and sisters really enjoyed seeing my grandson's. And thanked
Sabrina for bringing Will and coming. It was so nice. Derrick had
a great time too.

Donna

Here it is.... 1:27 in the morning.... and I am wide awake....

I found a bottle of ambien full 30 day script worth......but won't take it as I don't know how it will affect my other meds.... though it is VERY tempting.

:(
Abbie

Abbie - Ambien likely ok, but caution better. Besides, it only shortens latency.
 

in simple circumstances, i would tell you to pop 30mg of ambien and see how things go. but you have already complex circumstances. so i am 100% with you on not taking it.

What you could do, however, since today is monday (well, here it is already monday... i have not slept either lol btw, and i don't wanna take sleep meds during day time now :rolleyes: but i will nap at least.

I would get your pdoc (in person or on phone, but HIM, not staff) and ask him about taking the Ambien. It *could* help:

-- remind him of your other meds (make list of meds & doses before call)
-- inquire as to safety with your other meds (should be ok but always best to check.
-- ask how much to take (taking too little won't help, so ask for a range to try. generally, range is 10-40mg depending on severity, but in excess of 40mg-ish it is discarded by the brain, so no sense using more.

Also REPORT SLEEP PROBLEMS in detail

i suggest writing the stuff down before calling:

---- latency: whether you have trouble FALLING asleep and why (e.g. racing thoughts and/or anxiety, agitation... other.)
---- persistence: whether you have trouble REMAINING asleep (Ambien alne will NOT help with this but he might give you something which can, to combine with the Ambien
---- total average sleep in a 24 hr period. #hours sleep in a single, typical sleep/nap.
---- THE NIGHTMARES. people have had odd experiences with ambien... low quality sleep, anterograde amnesia (can happen with any benzo but ambien (a simil-benzo) has some freaky stories)
---- SLEEP QUALITY - for instance, whether you remember your dreams easily - this is an index into how deeply you sleep, and whether you wake or semi/wake after each cycle whether or not you are aware of waking.

------------------ on dreams....

i had problems with Seroquel at 400mg dose - with sleep - specifically hypnapompic and hypngagogic hallucinations accompanying sleep paralysis. Seroquel could be producing similar problems even at a higher dose. I did not find it a particularly useful drug. I don't know if doses over 600 are ever given - at that dose it worked for me as far as sleep.

Hang in there, take heart. make notes, call pdoc or give notes to tdoc and ask her to mediate. TAKE CARE OF YOU!

((( hugs )))

~ waves ~

I'm still awake.... 7:44 am.....

my pdoc isn't in today....

:(
abbie

Well.... Here it is...11:40 PM.... and I am still awake....:(

I can't get my mind to calm down....:(

Dear Abbie, :hug: :hug: :hug:
Sending hugs and lots of sympathy.
If you can sleep during the daytime, please do that.

Some people can take Benedryl -- after talking to their pdoc --and get help for sleep. It doesn't work on me -- has the opposite effect that it is supposed to have.

Has Ambien worked for you before?
When you call the pdoc on Tuesday, you can ask about Ambien.

BUT here is my non-expert advice.
Ambien will not really even touch the situation that you are in. In my non-expert opinion, you need a few medications re-arranged.


When you call, have ready the information that Waves listed.
And make certain that you talk to the pdoc.
Tell the person who answers the phone that you feel that this is a serious situation that needs his immediate attention.


I hope that you get some help.

Mari

Abbie,

I hope that you have gotten enough sleep last night. Hugs to you.

barbara

Hey there
 

Hi Abbie,

I hope your pdoc is reachable today - at one clinic or another.

When i can't sleep due to thoughts racing like that well... Ambien... hehehe... like sugar candy. it's a short-acting drug only to shorten sleep latency. it doesn't affect racing thoughts, or anxiety. The RxList monograph lists 10mg as the max daily dose also, so any pharmacist could not tell you to take more and anyway it is not the right drug here.

Like Mari, benadryl gives me a paradoxical reaction - yikes that's two of us. What about you? Have you taken it? If you have not tried it before, i wouldn't chance it right now.

If you cannot get hold of your pdoc today and still no sleep, do consider ER. Let someone take you rather than driving. You will need to bring ALL your scripts - bring the bottles.

Also make the list as far as your symptoms before you go, of the stuff i mentioned in the last post. Otherwise it will be too easy to get confused once there.

Hon, I really think you need a pdoc, now. If your clinic will not give you a number to reach your pdoc today, please consider ER.

One last shot...do you have any dosages of meds that you are allowed to take PRN???? if so post them... let's see what "the house" offers...

:hug::hug::hug:

My sleep is all over the map right now, but at least it's ON the map somewhere, and enough of it!

Sending you peaceful thoughts.

~ waves ~

Abbie

I'm wondering how you are too. I am up because I slept last night
and 2/3rds of today because of a migraine. So I had to catch up
with my In*Source work.

Now I"m checking in on my friends. And thinking about what I need
for tomorrow. I am just thinking ahead.

Donna

Hi, Donna,
Thinking ahead for tomorrow sometimes keeps me up.
I try to put things in a list so I can forget about them until tomorrow. That works. But I have to make an effort to do that.

I hope that the migraine is gone.
M.

Abby, let us know how you're doing. I am thinking of you.

Donna, I hope your headache goes away.

Barbara

My headache went away. Thank goodness.

Today I went and learned about diet for diabetes.

Donna

I'm still here... still awake....

going to step away from here for a while...
please don't worry....

i'll be back when I can get a grip on things...
:o
Abbie

abbie
 

How come your having a hard time sleeping? Did your doctor take you off the Seroquel. BF:hug::hug::hug:

Hi, Abbie,
'Sending hugs.
M.

Brokenfriend and Abbie
 

Dear Brokenfriend,

Abbie is still in a mixed mood. Her meds are not cutting it. i know you take a low dose of Seroquel and that works for you for sleep, but maintenance therapy and treatment of acute episodes are very different. Also, people respond very differently to different dosages. I, for one, would not even notice 25mg of Seroquel. To get solid sleep i was having to take SIX HUNDRED mg of Seroquel. 400 gave me parasomnias... i would sleep but i would keep waking up and be all messed up and stuff. and i was not even in an acute state as is Abbie. So you see there are many different factors to consider.

Mixed moods are notoriously difficult to control. They involve the energy of mania so, in a mixed state, sleep can be one of the first things to go out the window - either become irregular, scarce, or absent.

In case you had not seen it or all of it, Abbie originally started posting about this in her thread Any one ever felt this way?? but it sounds like you have since you mention the Seroquel.

Forgive me if i am out of place; I am answering you because Abbie has indicated she might not be around... i hope you don't mind... I hope Abbie doesn't mind...

((( Abbie )))

Dear Abbie thank you for letting us know. Good Luck and hang in there! I will be keeping you safe in my thoughts as i'm sure will others.

:grouphug:

~ waves ~

Abbie

You are in my thoughts too.

Donna

Let me go back and read,"Any one ever felt this way?" I have a hard time reading sometimes,so I don't read alot of the threads at this time. I go into something like a overload,if I read to much. I wish that I didn't have this problem.

Thanks for letting me know. I'm on 300 Mgs of Seroquel a night. They want me to take over 400 Mgs.,but my ear started ringing,and I went back down to 300 Mgs. The seroquel may not be the problem. I'm taking other things into consideration.

I have mood swings,and I took a test on Thursday at my counsellors office,and I ended up saying yes to all of the questions. My Nurse Practitioner said in a report that I may be Bipolar,and this test at my counsellors office was conclusive.

I'm thinking what. Do I have about 5 mental disorders? These things never end in my life. I go from disorder,to disorder,to many disorders at one time. These individual disorders are not at full strength all at once,thank goodness,but they are bad enough to keep me afflicted,and wondering.

I didn't sleep well with 300Mg's of seroquel last night. It happens sometimes. BF:hug::hug:

Dear Friend,
Maybe if they can get a good grip on a diagnosis, they can give you better medications and improve your other treatments as well.
Don't worry about how many diagnoses you might have.
Bipolar can be an umbrella and cover a few of the other ones for you. :rain:

Sorry that you missed a night a sleeping at 300 Seroquel.

M.