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Can't Sleep; Can't Eat

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Posted 5/30/2012 2:47 PM (GMT 0)
I need some advice, maybe just kind words for frayed nerves.

I am just on lithium right now.  The side effects of seroquel were getting to be too much and my Dr. is OK with me being off.  He would rather I be on 150 mg, prescribed it and I have it for whenever I need to go back on it.  When I stopped seroquel, my weight dropped.  It "fell off" with no work.  It feels really good!  I do not want to go back on seroquel and start gaining weight again.  I am trying to stay stable at hyperthymic - just below hypomanic.  I'm a better person that way.

So any sign I'm headed for elevated mood is stressing me out.  I can't sleep.  Uggh.  That's HUGE.  If I don't sleep I will be hypomanic.  I am trying to sleep!  I laid in bed - awake - for 5 hours!  I finally got so fidget-y that I laid down on the couch - and finally fell asleep there.  I went back to bed when my fiance got up and slept 2 more hours.  All very restless.  It's upsetting!

But I can't eat now and I'm worried about that too.  My appetite dropped sharply when I went off seroquel.  Yesterday I ate a candy bar to get over 500 calories.  Seriously, I've never experienced this before.  I don't know what to do!  This morning I was trying to find something I could eat and prepared a toaster strudel - usually a favorite treat.  I couldn't eat it.  I did drink some milk.

I don't know if I should take some klonopin and try to relax / stop worrying about it.  Or if I need to do something?  I am frustrated and worried!

Posted 5/30/2012 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
This to will pass-it always does.
hugs,CAREN
Posted 5/30/2012 4:35 PM (GMT 0)
I brought flowers and an "I'm sorry" card in to work for the receptionist. (We had a mini cold war going on for a while.) Now that we've sorted things out, I felt bad! I got red roses for my fiance too. :) He had already talked to everyone at work which was a huge relief for me. I feel better, I should make a list of things stressing me out and try to resolve them all. Maybe that will help with sleeping/eating?
Posted 5/30/2012 11:56 PM (GMT 0)
I feel relieved. I could eat at suppertime! I am sooo tired. No nap today. Can't wait for bedtime and hope I can still sleep then.

My son is home, my fiance tried to talk while I washed dishes. Life is good. :)
Posted 5/31/2012 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
For me it's simply relaxing and accepting what things are for what they are. Getting upset about it only makes things worse.

If your up, meditate. Listen to music and enjoy the night for what it is. Nights are increadably peacefull.

Bill
Posted 5/31/2012 1:21 PM (GMT 0)
I did sleep. Not as well as normal, but so much better. A huge relief. I was getting so worried about it!
Posted 5/31/2012 2:48 PM (GMT 0)
I am already super stressed out this morning. I'm going back to bed.
Posted 6/2/2012 1:21 PM (GMT 0)
Doing better this morning! Found my smile! :) I am seeing friends for a playdate, seeing my brother for his birthday, then rushing home to see my fiance before he leaves for an overnight trip for work. After that... anything could happen. I am trying to not worry about it.

bill - I got your voicemail yesterday. Yeah, I know - a little delayed. But thank you for checking in with me, it was very sweet of you.
Posted 6/2/2012 1:21 PM (GMT 0)
Doing better this morning! Found my smile! :) I am seeing friends for a playdate, seeing my brother for his birthday, then rushing home to see my fiance before he leaves for an overnight trip for work. After that... anything could happen. I am trying to not worry about it.

bill - I got your voicemail yesterday. Yeah, I know - a little delayed. But thank you for checking in with me, it was very sweet of you.
Posted 6/2/2012 8:54 PM (GMT 0)
I don't fight sleep anymore. I sleep when I am tired and do other things when I am not, no matter what time it is. However, if I was working this could be a major problem. I wish you balance and calm for the rest of the weekend!
Posted 6/3/2012 12:50 PM (GMT 0)
You know how I feel about sleep; it's number 1 on the list.

I hope you can find a system that will help you get the hours of sleep you need. I hope you manage well with the lithium as well, I am sure you get your levels checked?

Hugs,
M.
Posted 6/3/2012 4:56 PM (GMT 0)
I couldn't sleep last night. Stopped fighting it about 4 a.m. and laid down on the couch instead. Fell asleep - go figure. I went back to bed at 7 a.m. and slept later - went to a later chuch service this morning. I can really feel my mood go up when I miss sleep. It's alarming! I am OK though, I'm safe. Smiling a lot, but I'm thankful for that. I thought I would cry all day and feel lonely. I feel confident and independent. Still looking forward to my fiace coming home tonight. :)
Posted 6/3/2012 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for reminding me to smile today! I too slept very little and am planning a nap this afternoon. My sleep cycles are inconsistant...so I am just going with the flow for today. I also forget to eat and have no appetite. I just can't eat when I am not hungry. It feels wrong. Maybe a banana later on though.
Posted 6/3/2012 5:42 PM (GMT 0)
I know red! I'm trying to find palatable foods that are calorie-dense. I've lost 10 pounds in a week from no appetite! I'm happy to shed the weight, but I'm very aware this is not healthy. I can lose up to 20 more pounds, but not more than that. Which means that I might start drinking Ensure in a couple of weeks. :/

So far I can get down chocolate milk (the really rich stuff, not low fat), orange juice, cottage cheese. I was able to eat eggs a couple of days ago (my fiance makes them with lots of butter - yum!) but I can't eat that today. Sometimes if I cut something into tiny bites I can eat more of it. I think I could eat a toaster strudel today - maybe part of one. It would be good for me to try to eat healthier (lower-sugar) things (like vegetables!), but that means fewer calories.

I haven't even managed to get in 100 calories yet today. I poured a cup of chocolate milk but couldn't finish it. I'll force myself to eat at least 500 calories.

Thanks for your post on the other thread. :) Funny, pointed, and sweet.
Posted 6/3/2012 9:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hang in there friends :)
Posted 6/4/2012 10:43 PM (GMT 0)
I feel weak today. I didn't go to the gym. I was able to eat a little bit more today. (That's assuming I can eat supper.) I didn't sleep well last night, but I was able to stay in bed. I got in a little nap.

I've lost 30 pounds now, but that looks to be a plateau.
Posted 6/5/2012 6:35 AM (GMT 0)
I figured out what is going on with my eyes. The stress from nearly losing my relationship and moving (into the moving truck and then back into the house), triggered ocular migraines. I'm happy to have an answer. I'm going to have my fiance check my eye pressure tomorrow. They feel like they are going to explode when it comes on.

Slight improvement on eating - I got in about 200 more calories than each day in the last week. Sleeping is worse. I couldn't even nap today. And I'm online 4 hours after I should be in bed. *sigh*
Posted 6/5/2012 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
Just a thought - have you had your lithium levels checked recently? I had ocular migraines and loss of appetite when my lithium level was too high.
Posted 6/5/2012 9:18 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Railey! They stopped checking me at this dose. But I just read a couple good sources saying that rapid weight loss raises lithium levels. I was at a 0.8 before.

Now I'm remembering that the ocular migraines started before the dramatic weight loss.
Posted 6/6/2012 1:07 AM (GMT 0)
Relationship stress and emotional stress in general cause the body to react in a number of ways. Have you read the book...Heal Your Life, by Louise Hay? It is a classic and gives the emotional reason for every physical illness along with a relevant and positive affirmation to promote wellness.

I have been nauseated and throwing up, so I can relate to your headaches. Relationships are difficult but are one of the fast tracks to spiritual growth. I know marriage counselling helped my husband and I a lot. Even if you are not married; finding a counsellor who teaches you how to communicate effectively can be a boon to your present relationship. We did this and we're floored at how much we assumed the other person had said when they were actually meaning something entirely different. We also had to practice listening skills. An art that seems to be increasingly receding in this fast paced me-me world. I have heard it before, that most couples wait too long to go to relationship counselling...that if they had gone earlier their relationship may have been saved.

Lavender is good for headaches. I buy the oil, mix with lots of water and pour a few drops in a sprayer bottle and mist my sheets or eye compress. Also soy, lavender candles emit a clear and clean fragrance...great for the head and mind!

Post Edited (red lightening) : 6/5/2012 7:13:27 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/6/2012 12:09 PM (GMT 0)
I slept last night! Went to bed early and slept well! :D Feel so much better this morning and.... no ocular migraine, no aura this morning. Sweet. :D
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