Sleep Problems

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kt
joined 6 Feb 2006
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Posted by kt, 11:42 23 February 2006

Im looking for a little advice about sleep!

My sleep pattern is all over the place - last night i did not fall asleep until about 2am, then i was waking up every half hour or so. I seemed to be just dosing until about 7.30am. Since that time i have slept like a baby and only just woken up.

Throughout the winters i usually need more sleep (as most of us do) and have experienced early morning waking but not to this extent.

I have been getting up at reasonable times every morning (despite it being a huge effort) so i know that i have not reversed my routine.

Each night the problem seems to be getting worse. Any advice?

Katie :(

Seasonally Apathetic & Disillusioned
joined 24 Jul 2005
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Posted by Seasonally Apathetic & Disillusioned, 12:14 23 February 2006

Hi Katie

Are you taking any meds at the moment?

Sertraline affected my sleep pattern exactly as you describe.

Jx

Linda
joined 15 Dec 2004
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Posted by Linda, 12:37 23 February 2006

I'm sorry you've been suffering like this, Katie. Are you doing light therapy? If so, what is your shcedule?
Linda.

kt
joined 6 Feb 2006
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Posted by kt, 13:33 23 February 2006

Hi Joel,

I take citalopram 40mg - I take it every winter (although this year i only started it about a month ago as i thought i could cope without) and have never been affected this bad by sleep problems.
I am still off work sick and guess it could be worry about returning, but i thought i was looking forward to getting back to normality!

Hi Linda,

I do an hour light therapy each morning. My motivation is very up and down at the moment but i force myself to get up and do it, like everything else!

paulst
joined 5 Oct 2005
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Posted by paulst, 17:24 23 February 2006

I only take 20 mg citalopram and that affects my sleep pattern, its one of the reasons im thinking of trying st johns wort next winter :( paul

Seasonally Apathetic & Disillusioned
joined 24 Jul 2005
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Posted by Seasonally Apathetic & Disillusioned, 18:42 23 February 2006

Katie

In my SAD brained opinion the citalopram would be the prime suspect for the cause of your sleep problem, since it is a classic side effect of SSRIs, particularly at higher dosages.

Have you increased the dosage of citalopram recently? There are also many other possibilities to why it may be affecting you differently this time. Did the problem begin shortly after starting to take the citalopram this year?

If the sleep disruption is adversely affecting your wellbeing, and whether the citalopram is the cause or not, I would still advise you to consult your doctor about the sleep problem as soon as possible.

I hope that you get this sleep situation sorted out soon, becasue I know how it can worsen things on top of SAD.

Jx

kt
joined 6 Feb 2006
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Posted by kt, 12:24 24 February 2006

Joel,

The citalopram was increased by my GP just over a week ago as i was a complete mess! I think it is since then that my sleep has been affected.

Will it pass? I have already been signed off work for a month and really hope to get back to work at the end of next week, so i can have some normality again!

Katie

Seasonally Apathetic & Disillusioned
joined 24 Jul 2005
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Posted by Seasonally Apathetic & Disillusioned, 15:25 24 February 2006

Katie

You really should notify your GP about the problem, so that they can confirm that it is the medication that is causing it. Your GP can also advise you properly, since they are medically qualified, and probably aren't mentally impaired either. If they agree with our deduction, you can discuss the available options too, such as:

Carrying on as you are, to see if the side effect becomes tolerable.
Reducing the dosage.
Taking something in addition to the citalopram to help you sleep better.
Trying a different medication instead.

For me the sleep problem that I experienced whilst taking sertraline persisted for the whole 8 weeks that I took it for; It then took another few weeks to get back into a pre-sertraline sleep routine. I stopped taking it because I got no benifits from it, only the sleep problem.

Unfortunately, there is only one way to find out if the sleep disruption side effect will pass for you, and that is to just keep taking the 40mg of citalopram daily.

It is not going to be easy I'm affraid. I do hope that things will improve quickly for you Katie, so that you can get back to work and a sense of normality.

Jx

kt
joined 6 Feb 2006
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Posted by kt, 12:52 3 March 2006

Nytol kind of works, still takes a while to get to sleep but quicker than before and i sleep more soundly - however it is still hard to get up in the mornings! And i fell over twice today (in public and up the same flight of stairs) :oops: , very embaressing but i think i will put that down to being too tired and therefore too clumsy.

I went back to work yesterday (big achievement) but oh my god all the other staff whinged and moaned about how things have been in the last month, i tried to tell them that i had not been there so could not really help, but i think it was their way of saying thank god you are back! The patients also were pleased to see me and i have cream cakes and a welcome back banner from them - sweet! The management appeared relieved to have their charge nurse back but have not overloaded me with work, which is good.

Also managed to face my post graduate nurse course this morning so only have to wirk six hours this afternoon! And the biggest suprise i got was to discover one of the psychiatrists i work with has SAD and gave me tons of advice, he swears by EPA fish oils and gave me a web site to buy them from.

Well, im more positive and thats thanks to all you guys - i still have issues with my SAD to overcome but i think i am finally back on track!

Kt :lol:

Seasonally Apathetic & Disillusioned
joined 24 Jul 2005
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Posted by Seasonally Apathetic & Disillusioned, 13:15 3 March 2006

Katie

I felt dumped on, when I started back full-time at Waitrose last year. Waitrose run a skeleton crew with no cover in their lower ranks, so everyone else had to do my job on top of theirs. They all let me know how they felt about that. The whole situation just made me worse, and led to me being sacked. Furtunatley, your work colleagues, and patients sound like a much better buch.

Thanks for sharing your great news. Don't worry about embarrassing mishaps, because I could show you a thing or two in that department; and if only they had all been recorded, I'd be a 'You've Been Framed'millionnaire.

Jx

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