Insomnia

[LeighB]

Hi - first time posting on here - feels a little strange. Never done this before. I have been treated with severe depression for many years now. Seem to go round the block everytime with meds. Start new ones, feel better for awhile, and then seem to feel they are not helping. I'm on Cymbalta at the moment and have terrible insomnia - I already can't sleep, so it's been a disaster. Dosage halved and still no 😴😣 and wake early! Nothing worse for depression than not sleeping. Anyone else had this on C or Duloxetinne as it's also called?

[BettyA]

Hi Leigh,

Maybe you could ask the doc if you could take an OTC sleep pill...such as Unisom, which works well for me.

Just please don't let them put you on Mirtazapine. (also called Remeron)..it is pure HELL coming off of them...its no wonder there are many forums dedicated to this problem to support people. I was on the smallest dose available, and only took them once at night for about 3 1/2 weeks... suffered about JUST as long withdrawing from them...Just mean this to be a helpful hint.

I wish you all kinds of good luck... its tough not being able to sleep. Something will work out for you!! Take care, Leigh!

BettyA

[Hidden in reply to BettyA]

Hi I find doctors are very reluctant to give out sleeping pills these days. I take the lowest dose of mirtazapine (and also cut them in half) and they work well for me. I have never tried coming off them though. x

[LeighB in reply to BettyA]

Hi Betty! Thank you for your sweet reply. The problem is I have such chronic insomnia I am on sleeping pills, and they don't work on Cymbalta! Physchaitrist put me on 120mg, but they are supposed to be an excellent anti depressant, however the not sleeping affected me straight away! I have cut down, but they also cause me the most awful sweats, literally get drenched, and have never experienced that on anti depressants before! I saw my GP the other day, and I'm ready to stop taking them, but she's not keen because of my anxiety. Am seeing my Physchaitrist next week, and want to be completely weaned off them, but what will I be prescribed next - have tried so many! I agree about trying to come off things - not so easy once you start! Too many people suffer - life is chaotic - we all need to slow down and acknowledge one another - this is why people turn to the virtual world, I guess! Take care now! !

[Kjb1980]

Hey welcome to the site. There is nothing worse than not sleeping if you don't struggle to get up with depression as it is your exhausted from lack of sleep !!! Can you get any sleeping tablets to help for when your desperate ? I know this is only a temporary fix. I use an app called "headspace " it's free and a ten minute relaxation technique which seems to help a little. I used to always dread going to bed incase I didn't sleep which made it worse because I created anxiety about going to bed then couldn't sleep. Try a few relaxation techniques some nice lavender oil on your pillow maybe some light music ? It's a bit of trial and error. I'm on sertraline which seem to work well and my sleep is a lot better. Good luck hope you get it sorted xx

[LeighB in reply to Kjb1980]

Hi! Thank you for your reply - will look up that app! Yes, am exhausted all the time, my bed is my best friend and my little safety haven, but also a dreaded island, as I never know what sort of night I'm going to have! I think insomnia is unfortunately also genetic, and my mind has a life of its own! I had to give up work, as I can't cope in the mornings, everything goes backwards! And slooooooowly! I'm not that young, so my ambitions are all curtailed, and I'm very happy being in my own space at home! Take care now.

[Mia51]

Hi there,Welcome to the sight,everyone here is lovely.I suffer both anxiety and depression which makes it hard to treat.Im on30mg duloxetine and im suffering from insomnia.If I go up to 60mg it makes me too anxious.I dont know if the meds are causing the insomnia as I used to be on duloxetine for years and it didnt affect me then.Goodness knows what it s because I tend to blame everything on side effects of drugs.Hope you find some answers,if you do get back to me. Take care.

[LeighB in reply to Mia51]

Hi Bengal! Was very nervous to try chat, but had such sweet replies, am quite touched, as I'm quite quiet and solitary. I too suffer terrible anxiety, and the not sleeping has been chronic for years. Well, that's exactly what I am on -Duloxetine, which is also known as Cymbalta, same thing. I was started on 120mg - to be taken at night - to help with my anxiety, and the terrible 'morning terrors' as I call them! Well, it helped a bit in the beginning, but then I couldn't sleep much - maybe a few hours WITH a sleeping pill, and this has just got worse and worse. I have cut them down to 60mg in the morning, but still can't sleep, and also have dreadful sweats, which I've never experienced on anti depressants before, so want off them! Don't know what I'm going to be prescribed next - I find changing meds helps for awhile, and then they become less affective - well, for me, anyhow. Doctors often tell you too that the anti depressants help with the anxiety, but I have never experienced this. It's more circumstantial. I think women suffer sleeplessness much more as we get older - not sure if we think more, are more analytical, fragile and sensitive and churn things over and over in our heads! 😣😥 My sister reckons we also develop angry hormones as we get older! Ha ha! 😲😨😭 Perhaps this too keeps us awake!

[Mia51 in reply to LeighB]

Hi Leah,I had a laugh about women getting older-more analytical,fragile and sensitive,Im sure your writing about me! It does make you feel better realising your not the only one whose got all those problems.Im very wary about changing meds as I tried so many especially 2014, it was horrendous I ended up very ill.Its been really good to talk to you as Im a loner and usually isolate myself from everyone.Let me know if you have any good results .Love to you.

[LeighB in reply to Mia51]

The only way I've got through a lot of things is to have a good sense of humour! Sometimes mine gets a bit buried, under the layers of complexities, but I still try and bring it to the surface, and there is nothing nicer than making people laugh! I'm also a complete loner, and like to 'nest' in my own comforts where nobody can 'get' me! Am also sick of trying different meds - am seeing someone next Friday, and we'll see what he suggests, as I can't stay on the Cymbalta. I actually prefer women doctors, they relate better, but I don't have a choice in this. My GP is a woman and she's divine - I can say anything to her! I emigrated to England 6 and a half years ago, and that has also been very difficult, although I'm settled here now, and very grateful to be. Nighty night to you, and anyone else who might need a nighty night, and sleep tight! Ha ha! I wish...😉One eye open! xxx

[Mia51 in reply to LeighB]

Nosy me,where do you originate from? I am Scottish and live near the English border in a very beautiful little town next the sea.

[Mia51]

Me again Leigh,what about trying melatonin, its a natural sleep hormone,ive tried it and my neice swears by it

[formidible]

Hi Leigh,

I found Mirtazapine is the best anti-depressant for insomnia. You take it before bed and it helps sleep, unlike most other anti-depressants that you take in the daytime. Oddly they are most sedating when you first start them on the lower dose. When you increase the dose later on the sedative effect lessens but I found they are still the best anti-depressant for me and actually work.

[LeighB in reply to formidible]

Hi Formidable! Thank you - that sounds like what I might need. My insomnia can trigger everything, but I've found that doctors don't always understand that - serious sleep deprivation is lousy, they use it to torture people! I think that anti depressant was mentioned to me before they tried the Cymbalta or Duloxetine, but it also apparently increases your appetite! Same one? Rather that than Russian roulette everytime I wonder if I'm going to sleep for a bit or thrash around the duvet! Midnight, and my eyes are like an owls...

[formidible]

Hi Leigh,

Yes its the same one - it does increase your appetite but if you eat more you can always do more exercise to compensate. I also find meditation can help as well as the right room temperature etc. If you get really desperate there's always Zopiclone, but you shouldn't be taking that for more than a few nights at a time as it become addictive. Yes not getting a good nights sleep can affect everything including energy levels. I hope your sleep improves.

[loggerslot]

you can try some natural ways to get sleep. I tried about 3 of them with good results. one is take lavender oil extract and put some drops on your pillow before you go to bed. the fragrance is said to help relax and put you to sleep. try some lemon juice with warm water for about a few weeks before you go to bed, this helps with sleep, relax the stress and anxiety and rich in vitamin C. the other method is a sceptical one, try listening to solfeggio frequency 528hz (relax) or 432hz (sleep) or 936hz (pineal gland), don't listen one after the other but leave a day's gap and see how you feel. there's a bit of science behind it in the sense that everything in the universe including living tissue is about vibration or resonance. sometimes the resonance of our body is dormant and this helps to liven them up. pineal gland helps in modulating our sleep pattern.

It's my personal view that medication for depression is only a temporary fix. a large part of the work and a difficult one to try to get better is adjusting or retraining our minds to react differently to situations. This can take a few years but never try to withdraw from trying.

See how you get one