posted
I am currently going through babesia treatment (Mepron and Zythromax), and I am having MAJOR problems with insomnia. There are other symptoms, such as fatigue, but the most troublesome one is the insomnia. Has anyone had any luck in treating this symptom? I'm thinking that the babesia symptoms have gotten much, much worse over the past 2 months, since beginning treatment for it (after it was missed 2 years ago, when I started my treatment for chronic neurological lyme disease).
Posts: 116 | From North Carolina | Registered: Apr 2011
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jackie51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14233
posted
For me, there was a window that if I went to bed on time, I could easily get to sleep. If I stayed up too late, it was difficult to get to sleep.
I don't know if you exercise, but if not, you may want to take a walk after dinner--watch out for mosquitos.
Posts: 1374 | From Crazy Town | Registered: Dec 2007
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Are you having problems falling asleep, staying asleep, or both?
I had insomnia before I started LD treatment, but I never had problems going to sleep. My problem was severe, fractionated sleep. I would wake up 5-6 times each night.
manybites
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33750
posted
melatonin helps ,if bart is present be careful as it raises its ugly head while killing babs .
yes insomnia is nothing it could be worst seisures, tremors, sleep apnea etc due to the load .
Just do saunas if you can to detox and take melatonin for sleep .
Posts: 1379 | From disable | Registered: Aug 2011
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nefferdun
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 20157
posted
I know what you mean. I have the same problem. Before treatment over the counter supplements could get me by but Finally I gave in to prescription drugs.
I use seroquil and it knocks me out. I was given a 25 mg pill which I cut into fourths and it works for me. Last night I tried to not take it and I was awake for hours in the middle of the night plus I was up going to the bathroom several times. So tired!
If you ask your doctor for this, start it carefully as if you take too much it will really make you loopy.
-------------------- old joke: idiopathic means the patient is pathological and the the doctor is an idiot Posts: 4676 | From western Montana | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
Jason: Indeed, I am having trouble with both getting to sleep and staying asleep. I am finding that it is getting worse as I continue Babesia treatment.
Neffer: Unfortunately, I have tried Seroquel, but I need very high doses for it to work (like 50mg or more), and even if it does, it usually works TOO well, because I'll pretty much knocked out until 1 or 2 in the afternoon.
And here is something for everybody with babesia: are you falling prey, at times, to stupid afternoon naps, which you don't feel that you need (and you know that it is "babesia" that wants you to take a nap)? Though I am doing better with that lately, it does seem to follow any activity that I might do (shopping, volunteering, light housework, etc.).
Posts: 116 | From North Carolina | Registered: Apr 2011
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All I can tell you is my experience. The fractionated sleep got much better once I was on abxs for LD and bart. Tindamax and cipro worked the best for me, but it took about 6 months of those abxs to physically get back to close to 100%. Even then, I would wake up around 3-4 a.m. and not be able to go back to sleep.
I tried just about every natural sleep aid with no effect. I then tried most of the prescription sleep aids(Ambien, Ambien CR, Lunesta, Rozerem), but they either had no effect or had the opposite effect.
A sleep study showed that I did not have sleep apnea and that I was only actually sleeping about 4-5 hours per night, with less than a hour of deep sleep. The sleep specialist mainly treated sleep apnea and really did not help me. By that time, I had been taking Restoril (temazepam) as prescribed by my family doctor for over a year to get back to sleep.
I finally went to a neurologist I knew and explained my sleep problems. I had researched and identified 2 meds that promoted deep, restorative sleep, which were Gabitril and Remeron. The neuro prescribed Remeron (30mg). I have been taking it for several months and have been getting pretty good sleep.
I hope this helps. Unfortunately, with insomnia, there is a lot of trial and error before you hopefully find something that works for you.
posted
I take trazodone, Ambien, and melatonin to sleep. I take 2/3 pill of ambien at bedtime and when I wake up in the night I take the other 1/3. Works great!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
When I got good lyme treatment, my horrible insomnia went away. Lousy lyme treatment did not make it go away.
After treating lyme, then my doctor went after my coinfections--babs and bart.
I got rid of lyme and cos over 6 years ago. Praise the Lord!
I used to have difficulty falling asleep. And, once I fell asleep I woke up about every 10 minutes. After about 1 1/2 hours of that, I was awake the rest of the night.
And, I wasn't taking any naps during the day.
That's how bad it got for me.
My lyme doctor told me that lyme(not coinfections) affects the sleep center of the brain. Therefore, insomnia.
So, I suggest you add some lyme treatment to your current treatment protocol. There are a number of lyme meds that can be added to what you are taking.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
I had 8 months of IV therapy and 1 year of orals. I still can't sleep without Temazepam or Ambien CR. I like Temazepam better because it seems to have no side effects.
Posts: 15 | From Rockville, MD | Registered: Jun 2011
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