Posted by satsumas on February 23, 2008, at 10:24:01
Hi everyone,
Sorry for long post. Short version: I'm literally at my last rope and need any suggestions for other things to take with Emsam for insomnia.
I've long struggled with TRD and my dr. started me on Emsam 2.5 mos ago. I'm now at 12mg. While I feel it has had some positive effect (at least until the last few days when I spiraled into a terrible depression as a result of a bad life event) on my energy and mood, it has done nothing for anxiety (maybe made it worse) and nothing for my social phobia, which has crippled my life.
I am willing to keep on the Emsam because I feel like there is no other choice left. It's the first MAOI i've tried and I've been on probably 10 other meds the last few years, SSRI, stimulants, lamictal, etc. Probably BP2 or dysphoric or atypical or who the hell cares or knows at this point...all I know is that the terribly negative behavior patterns in my life haven't changed after 4 years of pharmacoptherapy and i'm at my last rope.
My particular question today is what to do about this terrible INSOMNIA that comes with Emsam. Thankfully I can fall asleep just fine, but wake up consistently 2-3 hours earlier, and as I'm sure some of you well know, it's not that the early morning awakening itself is so bad, its the particular thoughts that FLY through your head at 4am which are so distressing...to say nothing about the tiredness etc.
Dr. gave me Ambien CR which if anything feels like an alarm clock giving me exactly 5 hours of sleep. I used to be on trazodone 50mg which helped for sleep when i was on other meds, Dr. said this is an absolute NO-NO with Emsam. True or not? Other people on this board seem to be taking it with Emsam and its not giving them serotonin syndrome so..???
What else is there...Dr said when we raised the issue briefly last time that Ambien was the only bet...the other option would be to stop the Emsam. I feel like its the only thing thats even KINDA worked for me thus far so I just don't know what to do.
I'm so sick of this....!!!! I'm sick that I have to obsess about my mood and can't live life, I'm sick that I have to be on a 'crazyperson' board at 8.20am on a saturday alone in my bed because nothing has changed in my life in the past 4 years...and i'm sick of the loneliness and fear and self-sabotage and all the rest that comes with a broken brain. In my late 20s now and can't imagine living this way a minute longer...but what to do when 4 years of therapy and medicine haven't helped...what then????
Sorry to vent..been difficult few days.
poster:satsumas
thread:814241
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080221/msgs/814241.html