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CPAP nightmare
#61
RE: CPAP nightmare
So Saturday night went OK. I fell asleep at 7:30 on the couch, and took Ambien at 9 to sleep. Got a good 4 hours on the CPAP then woke up at 2, was up for just an hour, then back asleep without CPAP. 7 1/2 hours sleep total, 4 on the CPAP, so felt pretty good in the AM. Didn't want to take the Zoloft but did anyway, with an Ativan to take the edge from the zoloft off. Around 1 the anxiety came creeping back.

At 7:30 Sunday night after my kid was asleep I sat down on the couch and immediately started going cross-eyed. Walked around a bit but the anxiety was too much, so I put the CPAP on, which allowed me to rest but kept me up until 9. Took ambien and time-release melatonin and slept until 1 on the CPAP. I've been up since, anxiety mounting all the while. Finally got up at 4 to watch TV. My insomnia book recommended by my sleep therapist and my neurologist that I'm trying to read to calm myself down is instead making me madder and madder.

So... something has to give. Either I stop CPAP therapy until I am acclimated to the Zoloft, or I stop Zoloft until I am comfortable with the CPAP, or I get on even stronger sleep meds. But my neurologist is refusing to give me anything stronger, and I can't take benzos the same night as Ambien, and the benzos don't knock me out on the CPAP like Ambien does, and if I keep taking stronger meds I'm going to wind up addicted before the Zoloft can be therapeutic and dependent on them for CPAP sleep.

My sleep therapist recommended something called Vistaril but my Neurologist refuses to prescribe it. Maybe my psychiatrist will. Calling up my providers again today to talk strategy. I'll ask about the Ambien CR. It's schedule V so they should be able to fill 2 scripts in a week's time.

Gonna quarter my Zoloft this morning instead of halfing it. Could be a slower SSRI titration is what I need.
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#62
RE: CPAP nightmare
Hi bernerbits,

Can you clarify your Zoloft usage? How long were you on it for and at what does? How long did it take you to get off of it and how long have you not been taking it? When you reinstated recently, how much did you start taking?

I understand if you don't want to answer the questions but the reason I am asking is I strongly suspect a too quick taper and reinstatement may be causing your problems. I could be wrong of course.

The last thing you need is another med to add to the equation since it sounds like your system is already destabilized from all the med changes. As I said before, I definitely understand your desperation but I hope you understand where I am coming from.

49er
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#63
RE: CPAP nightmare
(09-19-2016, 08:49 AM)49er Wrote: Hi bernerbits,

Can you clarify your Zoloft usage? How long were you on it for and at what does? How long did it take you to get off of it and how long have you not been taking it? When you reinstated recently, how much did you start taking?

I understand if you don't want to answer the questions but the reason I am asking is I strongly suspect a too quick taper and reinstatement may be causing your problems. I could be wrong of course.

The last thing you need is another med to add to the equation since it sounds like your system is already destabilized from all the med changes. As I said before, I definitely understand your desperation but I hope you understand where I am coming from.

49er

I was on it from April to July this year at 50 mg, again to deal with anxiety and the related insomnia. I tapered on at 25 mg for a week without issue. I tapered off for the sleep study and stayed off because I felt my insomnia was better, I thought it was making my ADHD worse and it was giving me sexual dysfunction.

Due to the resurgence of insomnia, I went back on last week starting at 25 mg on Tuesday, and my anxiety has been through the roof. At the same time I received Lorazepam to control severe anxiety and Ambien for sleep. This is similar to what I received in April, though I was given Trazodone instead of Ambien. The Trazodone has since stopped working to put me to sleep.

I took a quarter pill of zoloft (12.5 mg) this morning and .5 mg of Lorazepam to cut the anxiety, hoping that I would do better but I am still feeling pretty anxious today. I also left messages with my psychiatrist and neurologist.
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#64
RE: CPAP nightmare
Thanks BB.

Even though you didn't have any problems tapering during the week, you can have delayed withdrawal issues like insomnia.

Unfortunately, you may have taken a too high of a startup dose at 25mg. However, taking 12.5 after taking 25mg is a very drastic change.

Personally I would consider making as small a cut as possible from the 25mg to see if perhaps that might help the situation. Ask your doctors what they think about doing this.

Did you feel the Zoloft previously helped other than the side effects?


49er
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#65
RE: CPAP nightmare
Yes, the Zoloft made me happier, more energetic, and also eventually stopped my insomnia.

So the LPN told me she would prescribe it for 25mg for 7 days, then taper up to 50mg, but that since I had had Zoloft recently, I might tolerate 50mg. So I ended up taking 50mg Tuesday, 25mg Wednesday, 50mg Thursday, 25mg Friday, 25mg Saturday, 25mg Sunday, and 12.5mg today.

My thinking Wednesday was "wow, that was too much, I should take less tomorrow." Then my thinking Thursday was "well, that wasn't any better, might as well get these symptoms over with." Then Friday I decided that was a mistake. So perhaps the erratic levels have played a role in the anxiety.

I don't understand what you mean when you say I didn't have problems tapering during the week, though. I have had anxiety from the zoloft for a week straight.
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#66
RE: CPAP nightmare
The neurologist prescribed me Ambien CR, so I'll see how that goes tonight. Still waiting for the call back from my psychiatrist.
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#67
RE: CPAP nightmare
(09-19-2016, 09:29 AM)bernerbits Wrote: Yes, the Zoloft made me happier, more energetic, and also eventually stopped my insomnia.

So the LPN told me she would prescribe it for 25mg for 7 days, then taper up to 50mg, but that since I had had Zoloft recently, I might tolerate 50mg. So I ended up taking 50mg Tuesday, 25mg Wednesday, 50mg Thursday, 25mg Friday, 25mg Saturday, 25mg Sunday, and 12.5mg today.

My thinking Wednesday was "wow, that was too much, I should take less tomorrow." Then my thinking Thursday was "well, that wasn't any better, might as well get these symptoms over with." Then Friday I decided that was a mistake. So perhaps the erratic levels have played a role in the anxiety.

I don't understand what you mean when you say I didn't have problems tapering during the week, though. I have had anxiety from the zoloft for a week straight.

Yup, the erratic levels definitely played a role, no question. Again, talk to your psychiatrist but personally, I would pick a level (preferable on the lower side) and stay with it.

Sorry, I misunderstood as I read your previous statement to say that you tapered at 25 without issue to not be a problem. I thought the anxiety was from the startup effects. But again, if I am misinterpreting, my apologies.

Best of luck.

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#68
RE: CPAP nightmare
(09-19-2016, 10:47 AM)49er Wrote:
(09-19-2016, 09:29 AM)bernerbits Wrote: Yes, the Zoloft made me happier, more energetic, and also eventually stopped my insomnia.

So the LPN told me she would prescribe it for 25mg for 7 days, then taper up to 50mg, but that since I had had Zoloft recently, I might tolerate 50mg. So I ended up taking 50mg Tuesday, 25mg Wednesday, 50mg Thursday, 25mg Friday, 25mg Saturday, 25mg Sunday, and 12.5mg today.

My thinking Wednesday was "wow, that was too much, I should take less tomorrow." Then my thinking Thursday was "well, that wasn't any better, might as well get these symptoms over with." Then Friday I decided that was a mistake. So perhaps the erratic levels have played a role in the anxiety.

I don't understand what you mean when you say I didn't have problems tapering during the week, though. I have had anxiety from the zoloft for a week straight.

Yup, the erratic levels definitely played a role, no question. Again, talk to your psychiatrist but personally, I would pick a level (preferable on the lower side) and stay with it.

Sorry, I misunderstood as I read your previous statement to say that you tapered at 25 without issue to not be a problem. I thought the anxiety was from the startup effects. But again, if I am misinterpreting, my apologies.

Best of luck.

I tapered at 25 back in April without issue, not this time.
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#69
RE: CPAP nightmare
(09-19-2016, 10:49 AM)bernerbits Wrote:
(09-19-2016, 10:47 AM)49er Wrote:
(09-19-2016, 09:29 AM)bernerbits Wrote: Yes, the Zoloft made me happier, more energetic, and also eventually stopped my insomnia.

So the LPN told me she would prescribe it for 25mg for 7 days, then taper up to 50mg, but that since I had had Zoloft recently, I might tolerate 50mg. So I ended up taking 50mg Tuesday, 25mg Wednesday, 50mg Thursday, 25mg Friday, 25mg Saturday, 25mg Sunday, and 12.5mg today.

My thinking Wednesday was "wow, that was too much, I should take less tomorrow." Then my thinking Thursday was "well, that wasn't any better, might as well get these symptoms over with." Then Friday I decided that was a mistake. So perhaps the erratic levels have played a role in the anxiety.

I don't understand what you mean when you say I didn't have problems tapering during the week, though. I have had anxiety from the zoloft for a week straight.

Yup, the erratic levels definitely played a role, no question. Again, talk to your psychiatrist but personally, I would pick a level (preferable on the lower side) and stay with it.

Sorry, I misunderstood as I read your previous statement to say that you tapered at 25 without issue to not be a problem. I thought the anxiety was from the startup effects. But again, if I am misinterpreting, my apologies.

Best of luck.

I tapered at 25 back in April without issue, not this time.

Thanks for clarifying.
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#70
RE: CPAP nightmare
(09-19-2016, 05:24 AM)bernerbits Wrote: Got a good 4 hours on the CPAP then woke up at 2, was up for just an hour, then back asleep without CPAP.

You'll never adapt as long as you keep sleeping without the machine.

Sleepster

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