Stress Center Peer Support

Does anyone have side effects from their medications they just hate. I have bipolar disorder and take Clozaril for that and it does keep me stable. But it also makes me sleep 11 1/2 hours a day and I feel like it rules my life and keeps me from doing things I want to do. It just sucks. And the two times I tried to switch to something else I was hospitalized for 6 weeks and 8 weeks. Is anyone else in a similar boat where they absolutely have to be on something but they hate the side effects.

I've been on meds for anxiety and depression for about 16 years and my two main side effects have been (1) fatigue and (2) loss of libido.

I've forgotten what it feels like to wake up rested and have energy to take on the day. When I lived alone, I'd literally sleep until noon, get up to put a load of laundry in the washer and go back to sleep...get up at 2pm to put the clothes in the dryer and go back to sleep...get up at 4 or 5pm to put the clothes away...sit in front of the TV until 8pm and then go to bed for the night. I also have serious attention issues so my dr. prescribed Adderall and that has been my saving grace.

The loss of libido has always been a problem. Since I was 21, I've had sex because I felt like I was supposed to, not because I ever wanted to. I've been in a relationship for 5.5 years and we haven't had sex in over a year.

I understand how you feel about not feeling rested no matter how much sleep you get. That's how I feel on Clozaril. I think that I could sleep for 20 hours and still wake up and not feel like I got any sleep.