mood stabilizers and sleep aids

[reinventingmyself36]

Hi all,

I was wondering what are some good mood stabilizers that you take with an antipsychotic that helps with stabilizing mood and doesn’t have weight gain as a side effect?

Best sleep aids? I currently am on seroquel for sleep anxiety bipolar and only sleep 4-5 hours.. any combination of meds you take that help you sleep longer?

I want to bring up more med options to my psychiatric nurse practitioner than the ones he offers me that don’t really help or have severe side effects? Any tips appreciated.

I am looking for a new psychiatrist in the meantime but so hard to find. Thank you

[dogandcatlover27]

Do you take Lithium?

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to dogandcatlover27]

no not yet. I think in the past I did but I don’t recall staying on it long. Do you know ppl that take it?

[dogandcatlover27 in reply to reinventingmyself36]

I have known people that have taken it but you need regular blood tests to check how much is actually in your bloodstream.So the level can be adjusted so it doesn’t become toxic.I knew someone who had to stop taking it because of this.When she was taking it she felt very well.

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to dogandcatlover27]

thank you for letting me know. Yea I heard one needs to constantly check their blood levels. Uggh

[Frankie24 in reply to dogandcatlover27]

lithium is very hard on the kidneys. Just a warning. I know it can be a very effective drug for some. Was hell for me ! Made me feel so out of it. I have kidney disease and found out to late that it can damage the kidneys

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to Frankie24]

oh no! Sorry to hear that. Guess it’s not an option for me since I had kidney issues in past. What to do

[Yogibear11 in reply to dogandcatlover27]

My daughter got delirium from Lithium

[EndUser13]

I hated Seroquel, I'd get high then pass out for 14 hours. Maybe it was too high of a dose?

I've always had trouble sleeping and lots of nightmares. Mirtazapine has been a god send for me, mixed with some melatonin and an audiobook in the evenings.

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to EndUser13]

oh no! What dose were you on? I am at 200 mg for sleep with trazadone and I must have very severe insomnia since it knocks me out for 4-5 hours. It also makes me moody, irritable.. but nothing has worked. I take melatonin but it doesn’t work for me.

I read that mirtazapine causes weight gain and increased appetite. Is that true? I’be tried so many meds nothing works.

Maybe I’m too lazy since I lay in bed on my time off mainly due to high anxiety.

Thanks for sharing! Hope your doing well

[EndUser13 in reply to reinventingmyself36]

Too many drugs cause weight gain! I take my Mirtazapine in the evening and I didn't notice any big gains so... I don't know, everyone is effected differently.

PTSD and anxiety have always been hell on my sleep, for as far back as I can remember, I feel for you!

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to EndUser13]

thanks for sharing. I’ll ask my psychiatrist

[Frankie24 in reply to reinventingmyself36]

I have been taking mirtazipine for over twenty years for anxiety/ depression and sleep. I have never had weight gain as a problem with it.

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to Frankie24]

oh that’s great! I’ll consider it. How have u been doing?

[mathematics]

Hi I take syonell or Depakote 2 x 500 mg tablets a day for my mood stabilizers and have abilify maintena depot once a month for the psychosis. I sleep like a log . I did put on weight as it increases your appetite and does change your metabolism and I was on letrozole a hormone tablet as well to stop my cancer re-occurring. I have however joined a slimming club and managed to loose 3 stone, I eat loads but it is the right kind of food , I wish that I had known what to eat earlier instead of bread and all the wrong things . My weight is now stable. I also do not have to take the letrozole anymore so that probably helped. Hope you find a solution and all the best.

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to mathematics]

oh wow you really went thru a lot. I also am eating unhealthy but now maintaining weight and can’t risk any meds causing increase in appetite. That’s great that you were able to lose the weight and find the right foods to eat. I need to find the right satisfying meals that will make me to feel full and lose weight . How did yup start to change the foods you eat? Thanks so much for sharing and your support

[Dreamdash in reply to reinventingmyself36]

It’s a little pricey, but a subscription to Hungry Root helped me straighten out my food choices. Good luck!

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to Dreamdash]

thanks I’ll check out

[mathematics in reply to reinventingmyself36]

I went to a slimming club and they advised on what was free food, which is food that does not pile on the weight like baked beans, pasta, salad, fruit, vegetables and lean, fat free meat and potatoes, 0% fat free yoghurt and eggs pulses to name a few, all of which you can eat as much as you want then cut down to one large piece of whole meal bread or 2 small pieces of whole meal bread a day or a whole meal pitta bread and either a pint of milk semi skimmed or low fat cheese about 30g x 2 a day. Hope that gives you some idea of what to go for and you can eat as much as you want of the free food and cut down on cake, biscuits, gravy, chocolate, fatty meat and sugary cereals as they call it syns. It really worked for me. If I get hungry in the evening I eat boiled eggs or make myself a salad with ham and even pasta with a stock pot. Hope this made sense and all the best. It is better if you can find a slimming group as they can advise you better than I can however.

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to mathematics]

oh this is so helpful. I’m addicted to sugars. But pasta is great

[mathematics in reply to reinventingmyself36]

Thank you, look after yourself and hope you are able to sort out your meds and get a good night sleep soon.

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to mathematics]

thanks so much

[friendly34]

you could try amitrypline? it is a muscle relaxant and anti depressant. i take this with seroqu/quetiapine

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to friendly34]

thank you will discuss it with my doc

[Frankie24]

Hi, I take a small dose of Depakote 500mg. at night along with rexulti and a small dose of mirtazapine which helps with sleep. I also take lamictal in the morning which is a wonderful mood stabilizer that has no weight gain and actually helps lift your mood if you are having depressive episodes. The lamictal can also be taken at night.

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to Frankie24]

for some reason lamictal didn’t help me. Depakote I’ll ask abt thanks

[Mehundrew5]

I am takin Lamotrigine 150 mg twice daily

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to Mehundrew5]

it works? For me it did nothing

[designguy]

You might try CBD, I even found a CBD that had some other herbs in it for sleep that helped. don't take it if you have glaucoma though.

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to designguy]

where can I get the best ones?

[designguy in reply to reinventingmyself36]

I see you live in the US, do you live in a state that has legalized it, if so go talk to someone at a good dispensary near you. The tinctures I got are from Sun God Medicinals in Oregon and I have the CBD Hypnos Tincture and the CBD Heka Tincture. The natural food stores here also carry CBD products so you could try there if it's legal in your state.

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to designguy]

I think it’s legal here. What do you feel when you take them? Thank you

[designguy in reply to reinventingmyself36]

I just feel a mid calming effect, there is no THC in them so you won't get a buzz or high.

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to designguy]

lol I want a high too! My bro gave me a gummy but I felt nothing

[designguy in reply to reinventingmyself36]

Maybe you need the extra-strength ones - lol or just more of them.

[Frankie24]

I have seen where Vraylar is being used for Bipolar depression and mania. It seems to have few side effects. Weight gain being one of them. I have never been on but it is worth checking out.

[reinventingmyself36 in reply to Frankie24]

I tried it and it didn’t help me. Thank u