Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
I tried to shift the problem to the new medication that my general practitioner has started me on.
This seemed logical as the getting-out-of-bed problem began shortly after I began taking generic Flomax. The reason I am taking that would require an entire blog post of its own. But here I am, and I am trying to understand why I cannot get started in the morning.
A few years ago, I switched from Prozac to Wellbutrin, which at that time eliminated my getting out of bed problem.
And until recently, this has not been an issue. I have been getting up without an internal battle. Suddenly, I am back to hitting the snooze alarm and negotiating with myself. I make compromises and search for a valid reason to stay put.
And recently I am once again awake at night many different times.
After going to bed around 10:00 PM, I wake around 11:30 PM. Then it is 12:30 AM, 2 AM, then 3:00 or 4:00 AM. Worse, I finally get into a deeper sleep just as my alarm goes off. So now I am thinking that not sleeping through the night is bringing on the slows in the morning. But I have had long stretches of wakefulness at night, without the waking up issues.
It’s like I am waking up with a hangover, yet I never had a drink.
It has probably been over a year since I had even a single beer. With the exception of a few years in college, I haven’t been much of a drinker. And in the past few years, I have not had many occasions to imbibe. Now that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have a beer, it’s just that I haven’t.
But all this talk about alcohol isn’t solving my getting out of bed problem.
Two days ago, I called my GP and spoke to his nurse. I outlined the issues I felt began when I started taking the Flomax (actually the generic version). The first side effect has been dizziness when I stand up. This hasn’t been an issue in years. But within three days of starting the new medication, I was having to hold onto the wall for a moment after getting up.
The second side effect I attributed to Flomax was the inability to get out of bed.
My GP’s nurse had me come in yesterday for an office visit to speak with my GP about these side effects. My doctor agreed that dizziness could be directly linked to Flomax. It was a known side effect. However, he saw no mention in any scientific publication of a link between Flomax and getting out of bed.
Finally, he asked about my psychiatrist and my visits with her.
He pointed out that this getting out of bed issue could be related to my depression. He asked if anything in my life had changed recently. I couldn’t think of anything right away. But it occurred to me and I said that ever since returning from Africa, I have been less and less excited and/or joyful/glad.
I must have left my happy place on top of Mount Kilimanjaro.
To further review my getting out of bed, I did request an appointment as soon as possible with my psychiatrist. My GP said that there are many medications that would complement the Wellbutrin I am already taking. He suggested that I speak with my psychiatrist about that as she is handling my medication for my depression. He also felt she could look at all of my medications and over-the-counter supplements to look for any possible conflicts. I am expecting a response this morning and a visit by the end of next week.
As I reviewed the notes in My Chart about my last psychiatrist visit, I noticed that we had discussed CPAP and sleep studies.
I had forgotten about the discussion, but now I am wondering about that part of my non-sleeping issue. So I dusted off the equipment, re-read all of the instructions, and gave it a try last night. I had forgotten how much pressure is exerted into my lungs when I am connected to the machine. Eventually, I remembered the gradual setting that starts at a lower pressure and over time becomes the full prescribed pressure.
Last night I lasted an hour on the CPAP machine and then I took it off.
But even that hour seemed to help my sleep pattern. After the hour, I slept until 5:00 AM. Then it was quickly 7:00 AM, then 7:25 AM. Yes, getting out of bed was not solved by more continuous sleep. But this was only one night, and I was only on the CPAP machine for one hour.
There are many moving parts right now and I am still working on possible causes and solutions.
Once I know more I am certain I will write more about this. Historically, I have been very much more productive in the morning. Figuring out why I am having trouble getting started is the first step to my getting back my mornings.
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