I'm treating bart right now, slowly trying to ramp back up to Levaquin again. Starting out with Biaxin and Bactrim.
Since starting this regimen, I have had radical changes in sleep patterns. Terrible insomnia and inability to fall asleep.
My family has found me stumbling around the house at night. I have no memory of this, and seem to be sleepwalking. I can have a conversation but not remember a word of it.
On nights with no sleepwalking type episodes, I find that I am awakening with an electric buzzing sensation around 4:30 am. Going back to sleep with the buzzing is impossible, so I get up for the day. The buzzing subsides around 7:00 am. Sometimes I grab an hour of sleep at that point.
Is this common with bart? Or with bart treatment?
It's starting to be a big concern. Maybe I should be thankful that I'm not sleeping 18 - 20 hours a day...
Thanks for any input, Cactus
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
Bactrim gives me insomnia, if I take it late in the day.
So I cut back, and only take one Bactrim DS in the morning. I am also taking biaxin, but found i can take that in the evening without sleep problems.
That seems to do the trick! Best wishes.
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
Thanks, VT. I take Bactrim both morning and night, but I will ask LLMD about changing it this week.
The sleepwalking thing is very strange...
Posted by tickbattler (Member # 14873) on :
My husband has terrible insomnia when he is treating bart. It happened on levaquin and is happening now even though he is on Mepron/zith orals and IV rocephin (IV flagyl one day per week). He didn't have it on the rocephin alone or on any drugs that don't hit the bart.
Last fall he had insomnia even without meds, so we know that the treatment is working because when he goes off them, he sleeps better. It must be a form of herxing.
His main problem is trouble falling asleep at night. He will get in bed at 9 pm and not fall asleep until midnight.
Hope this helps,
tickbattler
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
Thanks, tickbattler. It does help to know that it happens to him while treating bart.
You've just triggered a memory for me, too. I tried Levaquin last year and had terrible insomnia.
Hopefully it means we're hitting the bart.
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
I get that buzzing sensation at night too! crazy. Sometimes it is high pitched.
Posted by Alv (Member # 15192) on :
Yes LEVAQUIN can cause Insomnia....both times that I tried it...
try to get it around 5 pm the latest.
WOW...is not just me...my entire treatment ( for at least 1 year) I had horrible insomina...even before it..BUt killing bart...BOY is the worst...
Buzzing , electrical waves , pinching , jumping out of skin, crawling to another bed....downstars, upstars...ready to scream in the middle of night ....you name it....yes..6 months in a row.....and could not rememebr what hapened...so in common with bart treatment
After 1 year of TREATING AND TREATING AND TREATING....felt better and sleep 8 hrs non stop and wants to sleep up to 10.
WOW ....8 hrs...comparing to NO MEDICATION could make me sleep with higher load of bart in MY BRAIN.
YES -you can not even remmemebr---YES you are not ALONE.HANG in there.TAKE a MELATONIN before sleeping..Detoxifies the brain also at night and is natural.I take them 2 hrs before sleep.1 or 2 pills.
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
It's good to know I'm not the only one stumbling around bleary eyed with no sleep, or sleep that seems to involve walking around doing who knows what in the night.
The buzzing, yep, mine is high-pitched feeling too. And everything Alv listed... It makes sleep a battle.
Thanks, Alv, for the melatonin suggestion. It's been a while since I've tried it. Time to pull it out again.
Posted by The Future MD Lymee (Member # 15830) on :
Does anyone else get horrific night terrors??
I have had terrible nightmares for years and no one had could give me a reason. Then came the learning of Bartonella...
...Just wondering..
Also, 5-HTP is a natural precursor to serotonin, which is a precursor to melatonin.
It may help you sleep if you take it before bed.
It helps with some depression too
Anyway, hope this finds you well.
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
Hi Future, have you searched for "night terrors" here? I think something should come up. I've had them too. Not fun.
Thanks for the 5-HTP tip, I will check that out, too!
Posted by CD57 (Member # 11749) on :
My LLMD psychiatrist says that Levaquin causes insomnia, and it's cumulative...so the longer you take it the worse it can be. She prescribes Xyrem often for people on long term Levaquin. Levaquin competes for GABA (sleep inducter) in the brain, which is why it sucks this way.
Posted by Alv (Member # 15192) on :
yep it is true CD57 and that is why I take melatonin.
Night terrors...yes my son has them and he has neurolyme and all coinfetions...
I have also ....but b/c I am an adult I take it easy .....My son does not and stays up until the morning.
he keep saying " I can not go back to sleep as it is stuck in my head" --SO BART with it!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)