What other sleep aids are out there other than Meletonin or that won't require an Rx?
Thanks 💚
Posted by terv (Member # 29410) on :
I take 5-htp. I have no idea how well it works because I am on so many rx's to help me sleep.
Posted by S13 (Member # 42830) on :
How is your exercise program? Getting a good workout on a daily basis is important. Perhaps doing it in the evening could help you get to sleep faster.
Did you ever get a neurotransmitter test to check for serotonin / melatonin levels?
If you cant sleep because of racing thoughts, try calming the NMDA receptor. Things like Magenesium Threonate and Theanine (and to lesser extent Glycine and Zinc) can be of help here.
Make sure you get enough of the amino acids to make neurotransmitters. Tyrosine and tryptophan are important for the adrenalin and serotonin pathway.
Also did you ever get tested for heavy metals, like a metallothionein study? Heavy metals can interfere with many enzymes involved with brain function / detox / energy production etc.
Hope this helps a bit.
Posted by Mountainsky (Member # 51857) on :
No energy to exercise anymore.
No never tested for heavy metals. I think my anxiety is just really that bad.
I'm already upping my dose of Zoloft starting tomorrow. None of this is going away
Posted by S13 (Member # 42830) on :
Ok, im going to share with you some of my insight. Hope you dont mind.
I think at a certain point you need to realize that the road you are travelling does not get you where you want. The idea that pouring more medication in your body will hopefully fix you of all your ailments is often flawed. Medication can have its short term place but should be questioned for long term chronic use. Ask yourself how many of your chronic problems have truly been cured by taking medication? Probably none.
So if you are stating you have sleeping problems and anxiety, and you want to add more medication that messes with serotonin levels, how do you realistically see that working out in the future? I mean long term?
I and many others have walked that road a long time a go. Some continue on that path, and some come to the conclusion that perhaps that path is the wrong one to take. Is more medication always the answer? Or could it in fact be adding to your problems?
When it comes to this matter, ive learned a lot from Yasmina, the Low Histamine Chef. On the website healinghistamine.com you can look up her story. Not that I believe my or everyone elses problems all stem from histamine or mast cell issues, but her general approach to chronic illness and inflammation in general can help you get in to another mindset. One that could get you in a better place.
Yasmina, as no one else, opened my eyes to the fact that medication and other toxic substances truly harm the body and should be avoided as much as possible (im not saying they have no place, but many people take way too many drugs and become addicted to them). The way this girl transformed her life and her chronic illness is inspiring to say the least. In my case she was absolutely right about the toxicity of many treatments. Perhaps this worked for me because of my porphyria, but i do think this applies to many other conditions as well.
Dropping (or reducing) medication, getting a positive life attitude, eating a f**king healthy diet (and many probably dont know what that means), reducing inflammation, exercising, perhaps a few specific supplements, and you can get in a better place!
And would such an approach get you 100% well? Probably not. But it would improve your situation, no doubt, and build a foundation of health. And from that foundation of health (and knowledge!) you can start to tackle more specific problems like lyme or perhaps a genetic related problem.
Im sorry i cant give you a clear easy instant answer for your sleeping problem. But I do hope you understand the point im trying to make here. And i hope you will consider some of the things i said.
Posted by Mountainsky (Member # 51857) on :
I'm not taking the anxiety meds long term, it's just to calm me down. Nothing else is working.
Posted by Mountainsky (Member # 51857) on :
Sorry but all that sounds great and all, but I've done all that many times as you suggested S13 in the past, got me nowhere.
Posted by LSG Scott (Member # 21624) on :
sorry your not in a better way yet, your right though, The brain needs its sleep to heal, have you tried Z-Quil they sell it at walmart its pretty good with no zombie feeling the next day, good luck 10
Posted by Mountainsky (Member # 51857) on :
Yea tried it months ago. Nothing really helped. Too fu****** depressed and anxiety riddled to really care anymore.
Posted by LSG Scott (Member # 21624) on :
well that stinks, hang in there hope you can still work
Posted by Mountainsky (Member # 51857) on :
Yea I still work.
It is what it is that's why I don't get my hopes up anymore with meds, never did.
Posted by Mountainsky (Member # 51857) on :
S13 I have horrifying social anxiety now too. I cannot go into a store anymore, restaurant, I'm uneasy even at work. I have bad anxiety driving now too.
Posted by lisaloo (Member # 12909) on :
Lemon Balm Tea, lowers my anxiety and I can fall asleep.
Posted by Mountainsky (Member # 51857) on :
It's not so much trouble falling asleep, its waking up at the very same time every night, usually 2:30am and on.
I had the issue months ago. Hoping the Zoloft will help.
I wake up most mornings for work at 4:45am so yes it stinks looking at the time and tossing and turning for those last 2 hours. Weekends aren't so much an issue.
Posted by daisys (Member # 11802) on :
I've strived for enough sleep for decades. A sleep disorder runs in my family. I also have the sleep disorder that is caused by fibromyalgia.
So, I know sometimes practicing all the right sleep hygiene isn't enough.
What's helped me the most is getting better from Lyme disease.
There may be sleep problems that come with LD itself, or perhaps, taking the load of infections down has enabled my body to work better. I can exercise now, and also nap, which helps a lot.
What I've heard about melatonin is that there is a point of diminishing returns. Any more than 1 mg, and it loses effectiveness.
A supplement called MidNite contains 1.5mg of melatonin. I cut it in half. It also contains lemon balm, chamomile and lavender.
I'm under the care of an LLMD and also a sleep specialist. Between the two of them, there has been layers of treatment.
I have been able to drop some meds and supps. One supplement could not have had the same success for me. I still have work to do for a solid night's sleep.
It can be a real challenge to address this complicated issue, and I suggest you keep notes so you can spot patterns and results more easily.
I hope you are able to find your way into healthful, refreshing sleep.
Posted by LisaK (Member # 41384) on :
I do RX pot. it's the only way for me to fall asleep. I tried different strains until I found a combo that works for me.
Posted by S13 (Member # 42830) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mountainsky: S13 I have horrifying social anxiety now too. I cannot go into a store anymore, restaurant, I'm uneasy even at work. I have bad anxiety driving now too.
Im sorry to hear that. I know from experience the anxiety problems can be horrible.
Look, I wont pretend like i know all the answers for your chronic illness. Because i dont. I hardly know anything about your condition, symptoms, the treatments you tried, or your lifestyle and diet.
So i can only give suggestions from the couple of things ive read about you. For people like you, stuck treating lyme, who just continue to get worse on heavy treatment, i can only suggest to try less toxic approaches. And there are less toxic options available, you just have to look.
If no one would have ever suggested to me to take a less toxic approach i would have never resolved my psychiatric and neurological symptoms. I know that now for a fact. I would have never known i had underlying porphyria with mast cell related issues. So im thankful for those who did.
Hey and im not saying to drop all your medication all of a sudden. Hell, even i still use antibiotics once every 2 weeks to keep lyme things calm and under control. But for me there is a limit of how much medication (abx) i can take. And its not much. I require a less toxic approach for the most part.
Obviously its not as black and white as im painting it here... Not every medication is toxic by definition. for example cholestyramine is a drug, and it can actually help you reduce toxicity (provided you get the pure form, not the questran mess). Also some supplements can be toxic, while others can be of great benefit - i use many, but very carefully selected over the past 9 years (making tons of mistakes in the process...). What is toxic, and what is not, is not easy to define. And it can vary greatly from person to person. But i hope you get the general idea.
All i can deduce from you getting worse from your methylene blue treatment is that you might have a problem with oxidative stress. Methylene blue requires a lot of reducing power for which it uses a lot of NADPH (Source). This is also the reason why people with G6PDD should not take methylene blue, because the oxidative stress would destroy their red blood cells.
And so, all of this often ties in with toxicity because the antioxidant system and the detoxification system in the body are closely intertwined. The way to reverse this would be to reduce toxicity in the body, and support antioxidant status.
Im just saying, if you got into this bad situation where you are now because of a treatment, than it might be worth it to find ways to reverse what the treatment did wrong in the first place. It might give you new insights to what is actually going on.
We actually learn the most from the things we do wrong (as long as it doesnt kill you of course...). So never see a therapy that didnt work as a failure, but instead learn from it and see it as the next step towards your success. Ok, that sounds a bit philosophical. But i know if you keep trying, understanding and improving your knowledge, you will eventually find answers that get you to a better place.
Posted by daisys (Member # 11802) on :
I agree that if you keep learning and trying different things, you will find what works for you.
After improving for quite a while, I felt like my treatment was failing--specifically, I felt that resistant strains of infection were all that was left in my system.
My husband and I researched other treatments. I would say alternative, but aren't all treatments for Lyme and Co.s alternative? There's been no CDC or NIH controlled, double blind studies for our complicated illness.
We looked into rife machines, and felt the science is good. There are various machines that set up frequencies of electro-magnetic waves that create harmonic tremors in organisms, like viruses.
One example of this occurring is "Galloping Gerdie" a bridge in Washington State. The first time the wind hit the exact speed to set up a harmonic tremor, the bridge started to undulate until it fell into the water. People ran off, but the trucks and cars were all lost.
Another example is when someone sings a certain high note, crystal will break.
We decided to try it, and it has worked for me. I have no Lyme or babesia symptoms now, but am still battling bartonella. I have a few other chronic viruses that are pretty much under control, with maintenance.
I'm not saying this is a cure all. It's in conjunction with my treatment but has been very helpful.
There are many options out there, including some I don't trust. But, others swear by them. I'd say proceed cautiously, and do your research.
I hope you find what works for you.
Posted by keikko (Member # 34991) on :
I really like this herb called Sound Sleep by Gaia herbs. Works like a charm for me everyday.
Hope you get some relief!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Waking up between 2-3 could indeed be from high histamine levels in your body. Classic time to be waking up.
Posted by Mountainsky (Member # 51857) on :
About a month ago I saw an Endocrinologist, lovely doctor, she spent well over an hour with me ( wish she could be my PCP!).
She scratched my arm lightly and noticed my arm stayed red for very long time. My very first appt with my LLMD 2 years ago did the same " test"
Interesting, can this high indicate high histamine levels?
Posted by S13 (Member # 42830) on :
Yes, that could very well be a Mast cell related problem. Histamine is one of the mediators used by Mast cells.
I have that skin sensitivity too.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mountainsky: About a month ago I saw an Endocrinologist, lovely doctor, she spent well over an hour with me ( wish she could be my PCP!).
She scratched my arm lightly and noticed my arm stayed red for very long time. My very first appt with my LLMD 2 years ago did the same " test"
Interesting, can this high indicate high histamine levels?
or mast cell problems
Posted by hiker53 (Member # 6046) on :
Definitely get the histamine levels checked.
Meanwhile, have you tried white noise, such as a fan running.
Sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night, I read a bit and then am able to go back to bed and fall asleep.
I used a Brennan energy healer after antibiotics and rife failed me. She really helped my physically and emotionally.
Posted by MannaMe (Member # 33330) on :
I've found 5HTP to help with sleep. Especially the waking up at 3:00 AM thing.
Omega 3's are quite helpful for depression.
Are you doing anything to help detox? Epsom salt foot or bath soaks? Taking charcoal and pysillium husks at night to help bind toxins?
CBD oil helped my hubby with anxiety.
Posted by Energy2Heal (Member # 2010) on :