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I received a wrong diagnosis of bi-polar II about 20 years ago (new DX is ADHD) I've successfully titrated off lamotrigine 200 mg, lexapro 40 mg, lorazepam 15 mg and finally seroquel. Still taking 5 mg of trintellix. The problem is insomnia - it started the 1st night after last dose of seroquel. I am trying a change in lifestyle (vegan and exercise) that seems to be helping with other withdrawal symptoms I was having - but insomnia is the worst and I really need to be able to work my part-time job. I can't go to sleep before 2 or 3 a.m. and then wake up around 6 a.m. I can sometimes go back to sleep until around 10 a.m. and function the rest of the day. How long will this last? I've been off the seroquel now for about 2 weeks.
Replies to "I received a wrong diagnosis of bi-polar II about 20 years ago (new DX is ADHD)..."
You are to be congratulated for making such positive lifestyle changes. Titrating off unnecessary meds, exercise and veganism are not easy choices! I managed the first two but never got beyond ovo-lacto-vegitarianism, cappuccinos being my drug of choice! As to "How long will this last.....?" the more you worry about it the longer it will probably last!
I found that mindfullness taught me to "accept" my problem with sleep deprivation and that mindfull meditation helped me to relax enough to sleep, for 5-6 hours a night, which is almost enough for me. I am not an MD but I would suggest that melatonin ... (which is natural yes....but is that relevant? Poison ivy is also natural!) ... can cause problems if used long term.
Best wishes!
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I would like to give you hope by way of telling you that it won't last long but this depends on the amount and how long you took Seroquel. In all matters like this, consultation with a competent psychiatrist is crucial. I had been taking Seroquel for 6 years when I accidentally forgot to take it with me on a trip. I lay pretty much sleepless for a month but was somehow able to function because of mania. I was taking 750 mg for a year before this, my final withdrawal from Seroquel. I experienced one night of no sleep before I had my psychiatrist put me back on the Geodon at night. Right now I am down to 40 mg of Geodon and last night was my first good night of sleep. Right now I am alternating between one night of late sleep and early wakening - about 11 to 4:30 am and one night of sufficient sleep. I also have a part-time job which I am more or less able to carry out but i need to have some breathing room during this transition. I read briefly about the trintellix (Vortioxetine) you are taking and it seems like it might cause slight agitation but not sleepiness. My advice is not to go on a sleeping med but to find some alternate medicine that would treat the depression but would also cause some somnolence. I am not licensed in any way but I think that might be the best way forward. I am not currently aware of any anti-depressants that cause sleepiness but there might be some. Good luck.