hot weather,sleep and euro 2016!!!!!!!!

[milkyjoe]

hi im back!!

                   A week ago my doc agreed to reduce my citalopram from 40mg to 30mg(im sure its not working anyway). almost immediately my sleep has suffered. I started having trouble dropping off.

Im thinking that the hot weather is to blame, but 4 days on and its getting worse. my mood has always been pretty low for years so any probs and i go backwards fast.

and now euro 2016 is on and my mates wanna go boozing to cheer mighty england on. what do i do? go back to 40mg or change?

thanks for reading! and hopefully giving me some advice.

[Amanda_George]

What is your bedtime routine?  Do you keep your bedroom window open all day to cool the bedroom down?  What about removing the duvet?  I'm just trying to think of things I do is all     What about only going to bed when you can barely keep your eyes open and then listen to the radio and read a magasine until you fall asleep?  That's what I do every night   

[milkyjoe]

hi amanda, sorry for late reply. i been in hell for a while now.i just dont seem to sleep. going docs today to hopefully get some help for my lack of sleeping. if i get no help im prob gonna go back to drink. which i dont wanna do.

As for your questions i dont leave window open as my wife gets scared,i dont have a duvet either. i leave tv on as i get even more anxious when its off. i drop off to sleep for about 2 seconds and its infuriating. if i read i get really tired but soon as i stop im fully awake. i need something to relax me really. but docs dont seem to wanna know

[Amanda_George]

I hope your doc can help you today!  I used to be the same as you so I really do understand, but I can also tell you that you can get out the other side too.  Do you go to bed before or after your wife usually?  Maybe you could read a magasine and keep reading until you fall asleep?  Do you have a TV in your bedroom or just downstairs?  Maybe watch TV and read until you fall asleep so that you can pick up where you left off if you wake up during the night?  That's what I used to do 

[milkyjoe]

Hi. Yeah I do read and I go to bed same time as wife. But need to get a lamp as having light on affects my wife's sleep. Doc gave me propranolol today for my anxiety disorder. Its so frustrating that it keeps flaring up. I wish I could not care whether I sleep or not. That would be fine. But its an absolute catastrophe if Can't sleep.  Wonder if hypnosis could work?

[Pip]

Hypnosis, like anything, will work for some people but not others.  Personally I couldn't go through with it due to the fear of having more to feel anxious about and / or more to feel depressed about.

I was taking Citalopram for a while but it only worked for a short time.  Now I am on Sertaline 150mg and with all the medication I'm on I should be sleeping well which includes Tramadol.  I also take Amitriptyline 50mg which was for pain initially (10mg) but with doctor's supervision I raised it gradually to 50mg to help me sleep.

Of course it depends on what meds you are on over what your doctor will prescribe you.  My best advise is see your doctor and be completely honest even if it sounds silly as it will help your doctor to help you.

[Amanda_George]

Hi. Yeah I do read and I go to bed same time as wife. But need to get a lamp as having light on affects my wife's sleep. Doc gave me propranolol today for my anxiety disorder. Its so frustrating that it keeps flaring up. I wish I could not care whether I sleep or not. That would be fine. But its an absolute catastrophe if Can't sleep.  Wonder if hypnosis could work?

How would you feel, just as an experiment, going to bed when you can barely keep your eyes open instead of at the same time as your wife?  There's a lamp I think I've seen on Amazon that is a sort of light on a strap around your head which is just bright enough to read by but would hopefully not affect your wife's sleep... might be worth a try?

Do you exercise during the day?  Hopefully that would keep you awake during the day but wipe you out at night?

I haven't got any experience of hypnosis, but like Pip said, it works for some, but not others... maybe research it but don't book anything yet?

 

[milkyjoe]

Yeah. If I could persuade the wife to go to bed on her own I can try it. I will see if I can get a head lamp type thing cost reading is the best option. 

[Amanda_George]

Maybe introduce it slowly - go to bed later one night a week for a month then two nights a week, then three, then four etc?  Introduce it slowly and hopefully you will both get the sleep you need?   

[milkyjoe]

i think there is some software that i can use for my tablet that dulls the screen. so i can read books on that 

[Amanda_George]

i think there is some software that i can use for my tablet that dulls the screen. so i can read books on that 

It sounds like it would really help you if you can find the software!  What sort of tablet have you got?  I've got a Kindle Fire   

[milkyjoe]

hi. i have a motorola xoom tablet. okay so quick update. went to docs and im off citalopram  . i think the doc got sick of constantly harassing him, he changed my meds to 30mg of mirtazapine anhd gave me some zopliclones. im to stop immediately with the cit and go straight onto the mirt. scary stuff  :scared003:
think im gonna suffer some side effects. i wont be using the zopiclone though. but its a relief its there.

[Amanda_George]

I hope the Mirtazapine works better for you than the Citalopram did, Joe!  Are you seeing a psychiatrist or anything like that or just your GP?   

[milkyjoe]

Yeah I gotta wait four weeks for therapy :-(

[Amanda_George]

I'm sorry they're making you wait for so long     I hope the time passes quickly for you!