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918275 tn?1254068752

Sleeping for four or five days at a time...

I am on 20mg of Abilify, but I really don't think that is the problem. I am sleeping four and five days at a time, then I will be up for a day or two or sometimes three, and then right back to sleeping.

To say this is excessive is putting it mildly I know. However, I keep complaining to my psych about it, who just seems to brush it off. I just had a full blood work up and was told that there was nothing too unusual in my results.

Then what the heck? I don't think that I am sleeping cause I am depressed, I think it is the other way around and I am getting depressed becuase I can't wake up. I feel totally exhausted. I sleep around the clock.

Why does my psych doc brush this off? Isn't something wrong? I know it's not normal. Are there any meds to help with this kind of thing? Like meds for energy or something like that?
17 Responses
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Avatar universal
My husband would sleep 5 days straight if I let him. I had a heart attack 3 weeks ago, called to him to help me, he never heard me, never missed me. The ambulance csme, I called 911, EMT'S in the house, my husband slept thru it.  I was gone for a week, my daughter took me home, he was asleep.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Wow, that is a serious sleep issue.  I wouldn't be comfortable with that.  Can you talk to his doctor about it?
Avatar universal
Are you still sleeping like this or did you find a drug that works? My friend is asleep 3-4 days every week or 10 days. He only awakens for short periods to use the bathroom or eat.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
This is an old post, but I do wanna put my 2 cents in. As 4 meds that may keep someone from sleeping so much  during depressive phase of bipolar, there is no such thing. I too suffer from hyposomnia during that time, however, I take Adderall and Vyvanse  (both are amphetamines) but I still can't stay awake.
Avatar universal
I have severe Fibromyalgia. After 6.5 years of trying various medications I'm on Neurontin and Diclofenac. It helps a little and doesn't have the disorienting affects of the other newer meds that I was on. No one will even consider giving me actual pain meds for my pain. I saw a post that said you are on a morphine patch. How did you find someone who would prescribe it? I'd be happy if they would consider any narcotic, just for the flare ups. I've hit a brick wall there. I'm in NJ. Perhaps it's different in other areas.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Ur post is old, but 2 sum it up, u or any other poor soul who is inflicted with chronic pain is pretty much screwed when it comes 2 meds (such as opiates) that actually helps! I hope things has gotten better 4 u.
5931219 tn?1376911778
Abilify is a bad choice of medicine if you may be battling with weight gain.. I gained 4 lb a week on 20 mg.  I have had a lot of my medicine switched and have lost  35 lb in 3 mths but now but now episodes of sleeping for 3 days and nights at a time are becoming quite a problem.  When I have a day off I sleep the whole day and night.. Hopefully we can be some support to each other.  Thanks
Helpful - 0
4379003 tn?1353866488
Hi,
I am having this problem for the last 5 years or so on and off. I am on qutiapine for bi polar. I also have morphine patches to help with the cronic pain of Fibromyalgia. Mornings i take fluoxetine. BUT I am asleep for 3/4 days at a time only waking for the toilet or a sip of water. I have no life and am feling depressed. I am 51 years old and should be enjoying the grandchildren but even on holiday in Spain with the kids i sleep over half of the time we were there. Any suggestions??
Lynn
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Do the dates really matter?  I found reading this really interesting, and I have some advice that may help some of the people who posted.

Ritalin is of course another option.  Productivity is very important to me and it works wonders..
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Aw, wow, someone needs to pay attention to the dates
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, my doc had  me on Seroquel 25mg then 50mg and it knocked me right down. I would sleep up to 12+ hours then spend even more time on the couch in and out of sleep while trying to care for my two kids. I went back in for a check-up and told the doc about this and have been switched to Depakote and am on 500mg/day right now and not having any sleep issues (okay, except for my insomnia...). I was told that was a low Seroquel dose and I must have been super sensitive to the med, which I totally agree with. I would have to take it around 7pm and in an hour and a half would be out. I even fell asleep sitting up on the hardwood floor one night and slept like that for 8 hours before I even woke up. It it completely possible for a med to do that to you. I was so scared to take it that on nights when I had to be up early the next AM to get one of my kiddos off to school, I would not take the med and just stay up all night so we wouldn't miss school or be late. Even now, I am afraid to go to sleep because Thursday is a school day for her and she has to be dropped off, if I go to sleep I may not even hear the two alarms for hours at a time and of course we would wake up late. On the other hand, I am tired and feeling crappy and just want to sleep it off.

Def see about switching. Tell your doc you won't take that med anymore (no one is forcing you, right?) and stop taking it if you feel it is really causing issued.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
This is the first time I've found anyone on the internet with the same problems that I have. I've had this problem for 11 years now. I would sleep for days, weeks and months at a time my kids and husband would have to wake me to eat. Some times I would be fine for about 2 weeks then start the sleeping again or stay up for days sometimes a week at a time. Now I sleep 1 to 3 days a week. The first couple of year my doctor tried me on provigil that didn't work so she tried me on addrell which didn't work at the time, both meds was giving me bad headaches at the time. About 5 years ago I got the doctor to put me back on Addrell and it works better now, but I still have my bad days, but it's better than sleeping all the time. I would love to talk to other that had or has this problem. Because all the doctors I have seen no one knows what it is. Email me at ***@****

                                                                             Tazzie
Helpful - 0
918275 tn?1254068752
I know my pdoc keeps telling me that it is activating, but it is the only meds that i am on so what possibly else could be causing all of the sleepiness.

It seems that my pdoc is so worried about me becoming manic and suicidal that she doesn't want to give me anything to help pull me up and out of this hell that I am in.
Helpful - 0
574118 tn?1305135284
Hi

I told you before that abilify is of the kind of an activating drug that's my knowledge about it. However i asked my pdoc  - for you - about it he said for some of his patients it makes them tired. I forgot to tell you this until i saw your post. I presume because it's an antipsychotic so it must be like all the other AP's, yet all the sites say activating.

I gather people react differently to meds. So whereas depakote say causes weight gain, for some it does not  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Jeez I can't imagine how disorienting it must be for you to wake up and it's four or five days later.  I got disoriented pretty bad just from sleeping 25 hours one time.  I thought I just slept one hour until I checked the calendar on my computer.  24 hours straight isn't near as disorienting for some reason.
Helpful - 0
918275 tn?1254068752
Well I had my psych appointment today, and when I asked about Provigil, she told me no because she was worried it would cause me to go into mania.

So I guess I just stay down where I'm at. She did decrease my Abilify from 20mg to 15mg.  She said she suspects that the sleepiness in a side effect from too much Abilify, even though that is not a common problem, I seem to be the exception to alot of rules when it comes to meds. I just react differently than most people.
Helpful - 0
952564 tn?1268368647
Working in health care I would say that "drug seeking behavior" would go along with you walking in and asking for specific narcotics. I don't know anything about the Provigil medicine myself, but if it is not a narcotic and you present a well educated reason for asking about this medicine, then I do not see why they would call you a drug seeker. Also, if you are not in there every time asking for specific medicines, refills before you are ready, or medicines that would not help you at all... well, then I don't think it should be a problem.

The key is having a good doctor that you are comfortable with and will listen to you and explain why or why not a medicine may or may not be helpful. Your reaction is key here also, you don't want to act like if you don't have it you will die. There could be many reasons a doctor won't suggest or prescribe many types of medicine such as your current toxicity levels. So, ask your doctor informed questions and a good doctor will give you the answers you deserve.

It is your right as a patient to know why or why not medications are chosen for you.  
Helpful - 0
918275 tn?1254068752
I would love to try Provigil, but it has been my experience that if you mention a drug by name that you might like to try, Docs are very hesitant to give it to you.

I was once told by a doctor that it worries them when patients start naming drugs they want, I guess they call it drug seeking behavior. So that is why I am very hesitant to ask for anything in particular or by name.

But really, I googled Provigil and I would love to try it. Hmmm I wonder what the chances are....?

After all the complaining I have done about this problem I wonder why my psych doctor has not offered or mentioned any such thing to me?
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I have the same problem and no one EVER cares. I have been from doctor to doctor. I try to stress that I am not exaggerating (as they all make me feel I am).  I have tried numerous combos of medicine. It's horrible to go to sleep and wake up 3 or 5 days later. For a long time, I was depressed and didn't really miss the time, but now I do. I started coming out of my depression about 6 months ago when my doctor put me on Adderall (off label, on the advice of my therapist, after I started tracking my sleep for her).
The Adderall has helped reduce my depression and my sleep, but even on 40mgs a day I am still sleeping 24 hours, through 1 or 2 days a week.
It is so sad that doctors do not take this seriously. It's not normal. I miss important family events. I never know if I will wake up in 8, 24, or 26 hours. I sympathize with you & hope you have found some relief by now. If not, may I suggest feigning ADD and getting an Adderall script. It definitely has helped me more than anything else ever did.
952564 tn?1268368647
I know a person with bipolar 1 who also can sleep for many days, often 3 days maybe more. This persona also has other health issues physically. I do not know what causes it, though. I know this person has sever episodes of both mania and depression both with major psychotic features.

I agree that your psychologist should not be brushing this off. You need a doctor that will listen and help you, not ignore your concerns.
Helpful - 0
585414 tn?1288941302
Provigil is used sometimes if a person is sedated from medication but that's just if a person sleeps late into the day. This is more of concern. Abilify is usually activating not sedating although it can be sedating. Before my current recovery I was on practically every known antipsychotic and although there were ones that made me sleep late into the day I never slept for a whole day, let alone 4 or 5 days. I would strongly suggest seeing a neurologist and getting a sleep test done. Also if your psychiatrist does not take this seriously I might think of changing to another one. Excessive sleeping can be caused by episodes of depression but regardless when its that long a time it should be taken seriously.
Helpful - 0
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