Darn it! I have joined the ranks of the folks who suffer from Insomnia. This is terrible.
I have been getting worse and worse since July 13th. Doc says its a herx. However the insomnia is making everything 100 times worse. I have not felt this bad in a very very long time.
Last night I couldn't sleep (again) so I took half of an ambien. Then the hallucinations began. Weird stuff. Shadows moving around the room. It was almost like I was dreaming while awake. The ambien took the brain right to dream mode while I was still concious (bearly). It was kinda scary.
Last week I needed some sleep to I reduced my dose of Malarone from 6 per day to 2 per day. It made a difference... I could sleep and the the depression / anxiety was greatly reduced.
Now I'm back up to my 6 per day... Insomnia and the regular ugly gang is back again. Depression / anxiety, blurred vision, brain fog, feeling out of reality etc.
I'm going to try so very hard not to take any sleep meds tonight.. but you never know how the night is going to go.
I don't know how you guys do it. The babs herx's are worse than lyme herx's (for me anyway). UGH!!!!!!
Posted by GenaD (Member # 11988) on :
I'm sorry you're going through that, I feel for you!
I started treatment in June for Lyme, Babesia, and Bartonella, and up until last week didn't really have any herxes that were clearly herxes. At least I hope I'm going through a herx now!
I am so depressed and anxious, and sometimes I don't even feel "connected" to things. Does this make sense? I hate it!
But also recently began the insomnia, which luckily I never really had before. I had some early morning awakening, but now the way it is along with the other herxing symptoms, it's making me REALLY sick! I can get by if I can sleep a lot of the crappy feelings off, but now I can't even sleep and I'm going crazy!
I hope we both get some relief soon!!
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I have insomnia, too ... among other things, I'm taking Mepron and Biaxin.
My PA is concerned about it ... she says I need sleep to heal. So we started Valerian and Melatonin. It didn't help.
She prescribed Rozerum ... it helps even less than the herbs.
I'm still looking ... days like today, after bad nights like last night, I feel bad, kind of like a herx. It always amazes me that I can be so tired and so ... awake.
Posted by GenaD (Member # 11988) on :
Exactly, Six! "So tired and yet so awake"...
I was just telling my husband it's torture, like the inside of you is wide awake while the outside is falling asleep.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Gena, I've had off and on insomnia for years ... probably from the Lyme.
The best year of insomnia was in college when I had a roommate who talked in her sleep ... all night long she would talk ... I've never heard anything like it! It kept me entertained till morning.
Interestingly, that insomnia coincided with my first Lyme flare ... up till then I had been asymptomatic.
I'd love to hear suggestions for sleep that have helped others. My room is totally dark and I wear earplugs.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I agree!! My babs herxes were WAY worse than my Lyme herxes. Landed me in the hospital twice!
Someone posted that Biaxin has insomnia as a side effect.
You might want to consider Trazodone for sleep and/or Source Naturals melatonin.
Trazodone is an anti-depressant, but is used as a sleep-aid also. Works great!!
The insomnia can be horrible. When I am in that mode I treasure every few seconds when I doze off. I awaken constantly. My dreams are horrible. I don't think it is just the Ambien, as I don't take that. My dreams are off the charts scary and sometimes violent on Babs meds.
I don't take sleep or pain meds. But, I will sometimes take 1/2 a Benadryl for allergies and it can knock me out. I awaken about 2 hours later but, at least I have gotten 2 solid hours of sleep.
I was so tired the other night I literally passed out sitting upright on the couch at 7:45 PM. This was a wonderful gift after many sleepless nights. When the exhaustion hits (and it will) take it as a huge gift and go to bed. Every second of sleep helps.
When you are awake take advantage of it. Do something or read. I know it is hard when you are so tired. When you get really tired you will sleep and the cycle will start all over again. I have learned to work with this and try not to fight it too much.
Take care, my friend. We are all doing the best we can with this. Try not to get too frustrated.
Bc
Posted by GenaD (Member # 11988) on :
I keep the bedroom really dark and we have this noise-maker thingy that sounds like white noise and I can't hear anything with it.
But when I can't sleep nothing works but just waiting until I get sleepy. I will also read and often that will get me tired.
Posted by Beverly (Member # 1271) on :
I feel for you, insomnia stinks!
For me Elavil helps along with Melatonin, zyflamend PM, sleepy time tea and when all else fails Ambien.
I use Source Naturals Melatonin, the timed release and sublingual.
Maybe detox would help some? When I get insomnia from herxing, I use Tincup's Tea Recipe, that usually helps me.
I also have to take enough pain meds during the day to help me sleep. Sometimes I am not aware of how much pain I am in, I think we lymies get used to pain sadly.
I hope you find something that helps you and get some sleep soon, hang in there.
Posted by merrygirl (Member # 12041) on :
Beverly I agree with you totally. I usually take pain meds just in the evening when I get to bed I am so sore that my mind can't escape the pain.
So I think it is important to keep your pain under control. I have had insomina this week and I am on week 2 of Biaxin/plaq.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
I found it about impossible to sleep on Biaxin twice so far.
I have insomnia without it and take meds to sleep which work, most, of the time. This last attempt at Biaxin they worked... not at all.
It is a miserable med for me; I'm never taking it again!
trueblue... Biaxin hater.
I don't know about 6 Malarone, as I take one, but think it makes me more tired than not.
Posted by Visual Afterimage Man (Member # 10435) on :
What confuses me is that if the Biaxin is to blame, then why didn't it cause insomnia right when I started this protocol? I was on Malarone and Biaxin for 4 weeks before the insomnia hit me.
Doc says its a herx because it is going along with all my other big time issues that have come along.
The detox idea is interesting. Last night I used the hot tub to try to kill ketes, but I actually probably did a good job of detoxing.. I didn't sleep very well last night, but today I felt marked improvement. I'm betting that the large qtys of sweating that I did in the hot tub helped with the way I felt today. I'm thinking about doing that again tonight.
Is there such thing as too much detox?
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
quote:Originally posted by Visual Afterimage Man: Is there such thing as too much detox?
No!!! I use my sauna daily. I also use coffee enemas daily (I was shocked at how much they helped, I really turned the corner when I started them, which is why I continue with something so unappealing).
Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
Before my Lyme dx I was on Biaxin for sinus infections several times before I made the connection that it caused insomnia in me. I even forgot about it a few other times, until I was on it and wide awake again.
My LLMD and I have decided I was probably herxing on the Biaxin way back when. I am on it again now and no insomnia.
However, when I was Levaquin I never did have a good night's sleep. I was on it for five months and it was the worst herxing I've had and I felt lousy the entire time I was on it. I feel like I lost five months out of my life.
Before I started on Biaxin I had been on Artemisinin for several months. I do feel that has helped with my Biaxin and now Mepron reactions.
I was hesitant to start on Mepron until I was finished with my summer trips. However the only thing I have really noticed is increased hot flashes.
I was worried about all the emotional reactions I have read so many have here. So far, so good and it's been six days!
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)