Posted by Lao Tzu on April 26, 2010, at 13:27:16
In reply to Re: Calcium/Magnesium and depression » Lao Tzu, posted by janejane on April 20, 2010, at 11:53:42
Thanks for the information. You might be right about the Prozac. I take Zoloft everyday, so that might also be contributing to the insomnia. Some antidepressants can do that. However, I take Risperdal which can help with sleep. I haven't found a cure-all for my sleep problems, but certain vitamins and minerals do help me sleep better. I take Vitamin E, selenium and melatonin at bedtime which helps relax me. Since I added the cal/mag supplement, you're right, it doesn't work all that well, but I have found that since I added it, I eventually drift off. It just takes awhile. I don't think it is the answer, really, but if you believe it works, that goes a long way to helping. I guess it is partially biochemical and partially psychological, just a symptom of being mentally ill. But I do think that if you take something that relaxes your body and mind, it is easier to fall asleep. The sedative hypnotics are very powerful. They actually induce sleep, whereas the vitamins only relax you a bit. I've just come to accept my sleep problems and realize that is the nature of being depressed, and I think any unwanted worry actually makes it worse. So doing my best to avoid stressful situations in my daily life also goes a long way to help me sleep better. However, I do have a serious mental disorder, and I know that it is largely biochemical, since being on medicine, the insomnia improved quite a bit, but I still have restless nights, not horrible, but still a problem. The serotonin drugs don't help me sleep at all. I tried Trazodone. It didn't work for me. It may have a lot to do with a lack of inhibitory pathways in the brain, perhaps involving glutamate and GABA pathways. There is research that this may be the case, and so there is a definite biochemical component to insomnia for some people like myself.
poster:Lao Tzu
thread:943972
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20100322/msgs/945155.html