Experience With Cipralex

[steve1]

Going to doc again today. 30mg Mirtazapine at bedtime & 30mg of Cipralex in the morning has not been working. Sleep is constantly interupted by nightmares of the mass graves in Bosnia. Had a meltdown yesterday trying to assemble a chair. People with PTSD should not buy furniture at IKEA.
I've heard good things about Prazosin. I can't understand why Mirtazapine worked so well for 6 months and now it doesn't. I'm thinking that the CBT is making me think about the bad shit I saw and It's not that the drugs aren't working, it's that the treatment is causing the regression. Shrink warned about symptoms worsening before they got better. Anyways, today will prolly mean more meds.

 

[Jimmy1]

Steve, I found that it does not matter what medication I have, if I am working on something in my head, it will overrule the effects.

I am on Mirtazapine 15mg Solutab, put it on your tongue and 30 min later your out, it's funny but my shrink said that with Mirtazapine, less is more when it comes to sleep. Try it.

Anyway, I have been on Mirtazapine and Valdoxan and can be wide awake if something is bothering me. Maybe get your doctor to prescribe an add on rather than a total new medication. Maybe a sleeping tablet or one of the benzo's for those just in case moments.

 

[steve1]

It's prazosin before bed for a 2 week trial. But, I'm left wondering why I'm still taking 30 mg Mirtazapine & 30mg Cipralex? Forgot to ask that question.
I never have trouble falling asleep. It's the staying asleep for more than 60 min that's the hard part. Then if the dreams are bad, I'm up for hours. Thank god for the dogs.

 

[steve1]

1st night with Prazosin was unsuccessful. I got even less sleep than before. I was "wired" as though I did a couple of lines before bed. The dreams were vivid and involved dead people, not particularly gruesome, but pretty f*cked up. This is gonna be a very long day.

 

[steve1]

Things are leveling out a bit. I guess the miratzapine is increasing in my system. I've increased prazosen to 1 instead of a 1/2. I've slept from 10pm - 4am last 2 nights. Then the dreams start. But 6 hr solid sleep each night is better than I've had in a while. So now I'm getting up at zero dark thirty and putting nature-sound CD's on. The dogs are hilarious because they watch the sound system as the sounds of loons, crickets, wolves etc come out of the speakers. Shrink says this will help me relax. After last week that would be welcome.Thanks for listening.

 

[Sarg]

My Doxie would tear the speakers apart trying to "get at them buggers". Steve you might want to talk to your Doc about the nature of your dreams and if there is some sort of therapy to help "guide" dreams. The dream state and the REM state occur together and result in the most restful sleep.

That's my problem, I rarely achieve REM state and therefore don't often get a restful sleep. I either don't dream or don't remember them if I do have them.

Sarg

 

[steve1]

Only got 4 hr sleep last night. Dreams woke me at 01:30. The dreams are very convoluted. In the dreams, I'm dreaming that I'm dreaming. Do you follow me? So I'm waking up from terrible dreams within the dream and trying to figure them out while still dreaming. It gets so f*cked up that even when I'm awake, I'm left wondering exactly what state I'm in. The dogs aren't even bothering to get up with me now. I guess the novelty of the nature sounds has worn off for them. Another long day ahead.

 

[Sarg]

I used to do that! Dream within a dream. Wake up really confused and not too clear if you're still dreaming or not. Steve, have you tried a sleep study? Jar, recently posted about a sleep study he did that helped him sleep better.

Sarg

 

[steve1]

My dog is named Jar, short for Jarhead. Why? because as a puppy he was tenacious, loyal and dumb. I'm ex-Air Force but mean no offence by this. I think of it as a "term of endearment' for the many Marines I've known and worked with.

 

[steve1]

Life is getting better, meds are kickin in. I'm getting some decent sleep now. last couple of nights its been 10 -02, then 04 - 06. I still wake up for a while and the dreams are still there, but they're not as crazy. Mirtazapine side effects of joint pain, fatiuge, muscle aches are starting. But, on the whole this combo is working 30mg Cipralex in AM, 30 mg Remron in the PM & 1 prazosin at bedtime.
More good news, my insurance agent says I get a "freebie" accident on my policy because of 10 yr of no at fault accidents, so the guy I hit last week will get his car fixed and my rates won't go up.