Has anyone had severe insomnia correct itself when they healed more?

Hi,

I have had severe insomnia since I got my first symptoms but didn't know they were from this until I got sicker with the "more telltale" signs and really sick July 2011.

Have any of you healed sleepwise after eventually finding the right healing protocol for yourself? I say this as I realize the process to finding the right combo of meds and or supplements is highly individual.

I get short, broken sleep. It's 100% neuro brain as I can feel my brain processing differently and there is always a "rush" along with screeching ears non stop. As well as lots of phyical head eye symptoms.

2-5 broken hours, multiple awakenings and sometimes no sleep.

My occipital bone tissue area seized then went down to chronic crackling stiff popping long with insomnia and broken sleep, all at the same time Oct 2010 which I now know was this. But of course didn't at the time.

So, did any of you have debilitating insomnia that corrected itself, without sleep aids correcting it though, I mean did it come back and you may still be sick and healing other parts of lyme, but at least you sleep?

I am NOT an anxiety person, in case anyone thinks this is a possibility, and it is NOT adrenal, soley specifically neuro. Just so you know.

As well, I am very well versed in natural sleep aid and I do not take pharmacuetical sleep meds as I am very well educated in this arena so no need for those types of recommendations.

I simply want to know, if any of you had your sleep came back over a period of time.

Thankyou very much ahead of time.

Hi Yazzer,

Can you describe your sleep to me before that?

My neuro is super super strong in physical symptoms with the no sleep. I mean over the top. I have brain and eye sensations, behind forehead, and it's all fast, as in a "rush". I have screeching ears with it. It's just awful.

Very very strong.

I have to get the right combo with treatment to be going in the right direction.

I looked up vit B12 and yes, it looks like a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, so that is very positive.

This goes way beyond that too so that is why I'm asking you.

Was your neuro strong like mine?

You might try magnesium too. I take 600 mg just before bed....along with milk thistle. The B12 might not be good too close to bedtime as it can cause wild dreaming! At least that's what I've read - I do the methylation stuff (incl. the B12) at about 5-6 in the evening....

I have had insomnia since a very early age, and I believe it to be methylation-related in my case. I have lots of variant SNP's that affect my body's ability to methylate (read: detox) and so anytime I'm around something that I can't detox well, I get insomnia, restlessness, etc.

Here's what works for me:

1. Getting rid of mold in the home. Check windows, caulking around sink, toilet, shower/tub, etc., kitchen, etc. We found moldy trim in our kitchen (something had spilled, and the particle board trim absorbed the moisture and grew mold, but because it was behind something, I only smelled the mold & couldn't find where the stink was coming from), and after 2 years of horrendous, impossible insomnia, I am sleeping much, much better now that the mold is gone.

2. B12 - methylcobolamin - taken in the evening really helps me get back on a normal sleep schedule. I have to get a shot (can't absorb B12 orally for some reason) about once every 7-10 days or so to stay regular on the sleep, but it really helps.

3. Molybdenum - helps methylation stuff.

4. Magnesium - a natural toxin binder, relaxes the muscles & nerves, and is needed by over 300 enzymes in the body...including methylation enzymes.

5. Portable HEPA or HyperHEPA Air Filter in the bedroom, to reduce dust, airborne pathogens and allergens. Both my DH and I love the white-noise in the background for sleeping, too. It helps to drown out random noises in the neighborhood.

6. Avoiding B-Complex after about 12 Noon... I know for me, I also have to avoid taking really high potency B vitamins or I wind up unable to sleep for days...I suspect this is a methylation issue for me.

7. Avoiding temperature extremes. I find if the room temp. is over about 68 degrees, I can't fall asleep. I also will wake up if I overheat, and have a really hard time falling back asleep after overheating.

And I also find it difficult to fall asleep if I'm too cold, so I find I do best if I use a warming blanket (electric) that automatically shuts itself off after a couple hours (so I don't overheat later).

8. GABA worked very well for me to improve sleep quality, and it also made it easier for me to fall asleep. But I had to stop taking this after a while because I was getting strange sensations in my head/brain. I wouldn't hesitate to use it again if I had another bad round of insomnia, just temporarily to get myself back on track sleepwise.

When I tried Melatonin, it only worked the first time I took it.

9. I also find I need to avoid eating or drinking too close to going to bed because of my stomach's poor emptying ability (gastroparesis). So I do best if I avoid eating within about 3-4 hours of going to bed, and avoid drinking any liquids within about 1-2 hours of going to bed.

Hi guys, you guys are all so sweet.

I can tell that it's a bit different for me with this strong "rush" neuro brain wise I have. It's like my brain is lit up constantly. Not nerves, neuro.

I think like Achieving Grace said, it's going to be when I have a combination in my treatment that starts to kill things off.

That's where my problem lies , it's not the remedies for sleep or hygiene rather, it's what will start to remedy killing off the bugs "infection" as this is what is causing the "overactivity" in my brain and

the particular neuro symptoms I have head brain wise I can PHYSICALLY feel. In my head lol. No where else.

I don't have RLS, and nerves and that type of thing.

Magnesium, GABA, melatonin do nothing. I know I don't have to high of serotonin.

I was just hoping some with super strong neuro symptoms and that kind of stuff as the other doesn't touch what I am experiencing.

This is so frustrating. :(

Razzle, I don't understand where you said, B12 helps you before bed but then you said, B vit rev up too much so don't take daily?

B Vit, I don't take right now for that reason. Could you clarify what is the difference then between B12 that you do take for sleep and the B vit you can't take daily as they rev?

Just so I'm clear.

Mercury explained a bit about B12 and I read that deficiency could hinder sleep.

That's the only thing new here, (and thankyou all for your caring and efforts) other than the right treatment plan for this that can get me on track as a plausible it seems.

I suppose the good thing is it sounds like most of you are indeed sleeping without meds.

But how long did some of you go without, I mean this is bad for me, over a year. Razzle? Achieving? Before it came back. My head is noisy, so much activity, it's draining...........................not meditation stuff resolved, it's all physical neuro...

I sound like a broken record, just trying to explain where I'm at and the severity. xoxoxo


Man, I sure would like to just have my life back. I mean, this buries us, not just in how we live, but for some of us it takes so much, how do you start over when you heal? In a way that is back to the quality of life you are used to.............chronic illness sucks........

hi borderlyme, it hasn't just "worsened" from anything, that's just it.

Nothing I've done has made it worse, make sense? It hasn't stopped being short broken cycling in twightlight 3 - 5 hours or NONE per night for a very long time.

The treatment on Abx I started Feb 2, 2012, didn't make it worse, it's stayed extreme bad.

It's been extreme and consistent "the same" since Oct 2010 when I got the first signals of this that I didn't know where this until not too long ago.

I didn't notice I slept any better going to the sauna detoxing. It's just relentless.

My eyes close from exhaustion, then bam, my eyes wake, I look and it's an hour, my brain literally, can't stay asleep.

But why wouldn't it be like this since I haven't found a treatment plan to noticeably take an edge off somewhere so I know I'm going in the right direction somewhere.

I mean............I have no, no daily life this head cognitive and physically symptomatic and sick with no sleep. I used to run 40 miles a week and swim 40 laps after two of the runs.

For me to be rendered "non functional", I'm a really high energy out the door let's go girl. I lay. That's my new life.

It's that serious in physicality. Everything looks foggy at night and sparkly, with constant neuro movement that's so fast in my head. It's awful. It reduces me to tears, I get no break from my brain overfiring or rapid processing.

I grind on the left side from the movement and coating on my tongue and stuffed cotton feeling in my eyes and head.

I watched some utubes of people I hear many many talking about body pain, but not about neuro stuff like me. I saw a girl in a wheelchair but perfectly "clear" cognitively. That's why I'm like, I feel like the odd man out. :(

I have to get an accurate treatment protocol and can't tweak things for another month.

I just, I'm beat up. Weathered. I just exhist like this altered............:(

Hi Razzle, thanks for explaining what you meant.

I hear you, this is totally turning my brain to much too. Wow. Hard to believe.

I sure wish you the best with everything. I think you and achieving grace are right in that.....

.....I think this is one of those things the proper treatment and detox with it will correct.

Gosh, it's totally from this and nothing else. I don't have adrenal issues or non of that jazz, thyroid nothing. It's all, nuero from pathogens.

I'm a no pharma med (other then now ABX for this) healthy ex-fitness (being sick is the reason for the ex) with a great diet forever, not to

sound full of it, but I know me and it's wholly 100% from this you know? Hopefully I can find something to get my brain healthy and the bugs out.

You not being a doctor is fine me lol. Safer in the long run. I understand people have to say that. I don't hold doctors in very high regard with all the fake disorders they and the pharma co's make up to drug people in this day and age.

They just take pen to pad to get paid you know?

A reg doc would turn pathogen infection nuero based insomnia into lord knows what lol......................

I stay wayyyyyyyyy away from them usually so this is a real.............challenge.

Well, thanks for coming by. I'll do my best. I appreciate the support. xo

Ammonia? Really? I don't feel amped central nervous system wise or solar plexis wise like when some get anxiety. My body just feels sick weak nausea back today along with these strong neuro.


Like lighting up brain constant overfiring. It was so strong today, and last night, I just cried all day.

When it gets that strong it makes my thought process go too fast. And I get angry thoughts that just torment me and actually start to talk to myself.

If I wasn't a perfectly sane person, I'd think I was nuts. I feel so so bad for people who can't speak for themselves, that could misdiagnosed with something. It makes me sad to think about .... :(

This is one awful disease. One of many I suppose..
Man I can't wait to get on the right treatment it's so hard.

Thanks Mercuryb. You have so much info. I am like, he found something that sounds plausible...........is this from toxins from the bugs?

What is this? Thanks you, I feel like you had your thinking cap on for this.

You guys are so helpful. Even if I go nope, yip, maybe. If it's not me there is so much on one thread to help so many.

I am a "I feel sick and crazy and I'm so so tired" tell all to everyone kind of person if you haven't noticed.

I just can't not say it feelin this crappy all the time for so long.....I mean I am going to lay down and the feeling of bugs in my blood is back today. It's like I went backwards from bad to worse. I downed 400 to 200 of doxy for the last 2 days now as I got filled with to strong head stuff and more yeast that was too strong. Gosh..........I'm beat. xo

Not to overwhelm you, but Bartonella sounds like another possibility - forgive me if I've already mentioned this. I forget - have you been tested? Doctors tend to look in that direction when CNS symptoms are way out of proportion with physical symptoms.

I know it's so confusing and overwhelming - but it will get better. It just takes patience, tons and tons of patience! I think the best thing you can do right now is try take as accurate of notes as possible of all that you're experiencing - that way not only might it be easier for you to understand, but it might help your doctor narrow things down as well.

I know they're just little things, but while we're on the topic of sleep I have heard a few little things that may help - keeping socks on when you sleep (it keeps your temperature regulated and makes you less likely to wake up), sleeping at least 5 feet away from electronic devices (such as a cell phone) - and also not using them before bed, and eating turkey (tryptophan) and/or drinking black cherry juice (supposed to help with melatonin, and a great antiinflammatory as well!) - just make sure you eat them at least 2 hours before bed! I don't mean to trivialize your sleeping problems - I know how frustrating it is, trust me, but I also know how desperate that can make you and I used to religiously drink tart cherry juice before bed and it did seem to help a little!

Hey Mercury, that ammonia sound the most plausible being such an obvious physical neuro brain symptoms feeling I am experiencing chronic.

I sincerely appreciate all of the time you spend to break things down and explain however. I am taking notes, so non of your info is being dismissed and the same goes with others. I say this as I do understand the importance of the gut supps deficiency and more etc. & effects on insommnia.

I am seeing my insomnia is MUCH more then that however which is why I can relate to the ammonia and Bartonella as said below. Thankyou.

Hi Borderlyme, Bartonella goes with this type of cns symptoms you say?
This is anther plausible then.

You're hearing me now with Merc above. Thankyou.

My experience brain wise that I feel, has to be from these types of things if not more specifically how a specific bug works where it lives in the brain. As I can "feel" it chronic. Definitely.

Question, when you say it outweighs my physical symptoms do you mean because I don't have the "physical pain" element? As I do have physical symptoms, although they are 90 percent above the neck, I feel it, head, eye, ears, mouth, and brain stem rigidity with the crackling in occiptal bone.

Make sense? I DID have severe acute nueropathy in eye balls, tissue, extra ocular muscles surrounding eye, strip of brain, head, forhead, brows thankfully came out of acute after months.

(So now milder brain ache jabs, eyeball mild pain and behind eyes and in eye tissue like a constant ache with as you say very strong neuro and cns.) Not deep acute show stopping chronic deep to the bone pain anymore.

I DID have bone pain, forearm, foot, breast, and hip joint, knees inflammed and this was strong with the head pain. Now it is barely on occasion noticeable although here but so so mild in comparison to what I read in body pain in others.

BUT, my knees are a mess. I can't kneel, they feel like they are ripping, this is chronic, I can't put body weight on them trying to sit on them bend. They will not go down.

So other than knees and a travelling bug vibration through my veins I'm all head. Is that what you are referring to??

Neuro lymes than I've been told. I can zone and type, but can't read, and don't watch tv unless the brain activity slows somewhat to be able to understand. Dialogue and pic is too fast and surroundings shimmer close up and outside things move far away.

So Bartonella hits the brain like this more?

*hygiene like you suggested so humbly, isn't an issue. These types of thing have NO bearing on why I can't sleep. I have and have always had sleep hygiene etc. That is very basic stuff to me. Thankyou for understanding that.

Hey Sleepless, I'm sorry you suffer from RLS. I've never experienced that type of thing and have heard many express how troublesome it is. I hate that for all of you with this. I do hope you find something as well, to make it easier for you there.

Antihistamines etc, may slow the "brain activity" down on occasion for me. Unfortunetly, they can wake the bugs up more and the movement caused can stir it up as well. Real Catch22.

I have to take 4 ONLY once a week if I want them to work and that may make my brain sleep for 4 hours. Then the "activity" I feel and rush along with head noise wake me, as my neuro is so so busy, my brain can't shut. It simply is under attack too much in a chronic state. .

So yes, I think Merc and Boderlyme have hit something.

Perhaps, Bart and the ammonia die off has an influencing factor.

Sorry for being long winded. I really appreciate the time you all spend and have spent, to get me in a direction of resolution until I can see the ND. At least in the meantime, I can buy a supp to start some kind of "action."

Patience is hard as yes Merc, your reminder that it's not overnight relief, is very disheartening. I am in extreme discomfort and have been for too long. :(

Hey Merc.

I know you're trying to help. You are missing me though, I can see it.

I do enemas and have for quite sometime. I was in fitness a very long long time. I had a very over the top healthy body coming in than most not to sound arrogant.

I can see when I read post, I can see if some are more memory and confusion and body pain and some are more "functional brain sec by sec" not just confusion and with memory. I am extreme "functional brain" compromised.

Most miss this. Traveller got it. She is more along what I am experiencing.

My confusion is not from a bad memory. It is from my brain functioning too fast right now sec by sec under attack. This is what many miss reading my posts. If one doesn't have it, I can see why it's confusing.

I do respectfully understand there is a combo of things. But in some very specific ways mine is different yours.

I am not stressed therefore stress is not stopping me in my tracks. "Functional brain" problems from this is and it's in my brain more then body.

As well, I am much too sick to be on my bike now. I did that sick trying as I was just getting hit more in July. Another thing happens with excersise to my brain..................

When I biked before I got weak, my rapid thoughts give me lyme rage, I couldn't for the longest time why the tears and fast angry thoughts but suspected it was implant related and they are now out. It makes bugs move too fast in my brain and it is very uncomfortable. Excersise makes it stronger. It sucks.

Different scenario. I am now, shakey, weak, nausea, sick. My diet is perfect.

I don't have anxiety, adrenal problems, blood pressure problems, arteriosclerosis, low potassium, non of that. We are in two different ball parks here.

I was a six pack tummy vain extreme fitness healty girl.

I went through a similar misunderstanding with a man at the sauna. He had depression as a sign of Lymes. Anxiety. Then he got a test. And he had memory problems. Bad body pain though. Huge. L-glutathione helped clear his thought. That's great for my gut, but does nothing to address functional brain changes from too many bugs. They need to start coming out.

See what I mean, same same, but different. Lymes can hit and affect certain parts of us, in VERY different ways.

My sign this was here wasextreme. And NEURO much stronger and it happened over a 48 hour period. My occipital bone seized, I felt like the inside of my brain was on fire, the left side of my face, contracted and released out of my control, my jaw wound slowly snap shut, I got rapid rapid thoughts and broken sleep, flu like and hot hot head immediately in ALL in this 48 hour period. I was walking around pacing at 2 am being woken up with this neuro CHANGE holding my head.

The whole brain stem area seized, with major pain as well. I couldn't lift my head off the pillow without the aid of my hand to pick it up. Pain pain in neck. My sleep has been bad since that 48 period.

Before that 48 hour period I was a completely sane girl, I slept like a baby, napped, like any person that has healthy sleep.

My sign was this fast and extreme. It took 9 months for the body pain and weakness chronic fatigue and nausea and aritihitis to set in.

Body pain other than knee joints is gone MOSTLY. That's is not rending me non functional. Functional brain changes in rapid thoughts so tears and angry fast thoughts so confusion from function changes to fast, chronic fatigue, weak, nausea, visual smoke, insomnia, my surroundings move, this is rendering non functional. The physicality of my head.

This, is kill bugs in brain for some physical head comfort first. Strong neuro lyme. It's that obvious. I just needed to know a beginning and you two have given me that with Bart and ammonia being the most plausible.

Looking back I now believe in that 48 hour period, the bugs broke through my brain barrier, brain stem and cns and hit me brainwise more than most.

This is why I think, some misunderstand.

As I said, biking or fast movement even getting out of bed, make my rapid thoughts worse. It's so strong as I say, I talk to myself and have lyme rage but just cry. I do live in somewhat of a different place in this than some......

Geeze, thankyou for the kind words spaztik.

I hope for you soon, the waxing and waning becomes less noticeable, with symptoms turning to extremely mild to non existent therefore almost completely resolved. Then "poof".... resolved. And your sleep comes back for you too.

It's a tough be kept awake for this crap......

It's strange you would say don't forget to treat yourself with compassion.

This feels like a cruel process for me.

With the affect it has on my mind, from bugs, mindfulness or meditation couldn't resolve this in that the bugs control my thought pattern and brain function from an extreme physical stance. Impossible to "meditate" to quiet with my brain's new bug induced natural state of over active or over firing signals

Make sense?

So though I love myself, my brain makes me feel confused, angry for no reason with my fast thoughts and very physically head uncomfortable.

When it gets super bad, I have to just let it go. Nothing I can do. So I cry. Loving myself from this standpoint, doesn't help. My brain makes me feel bad even though I know nothing is wrong. It's just too strong. I just have to ride it out until it settles back to "bad from worse." Bad being my "new" normal.

I'm working on getting it healed to a "better" from "bad" state for normal. With revs to just bad, and then back to better.

Crazy stuff. My practical mind drives, knowing what it is. It's exhausting.

I can't wait to get healing further along. I do think I'll sleep once the firing slows down.

I hope you are getting some good signs though waxing and waning, signs of progress that give you hope, it will end sooner than later. xo

Post Edited (waverunner) : 3/15/2012 11:59:30 PM (GMT-6)

Hi Borderlyme, thankyou for that list I appreciate your kind words. I really do. I have no shame anymore. Non.

It's very spot on. I copied what I have from your list. The only things I don't have are anxiety, the nodules and abdomen pain. Constipation and gurgling and bubbling non stop in my bowels but enema that twice a day and eat from a yeast base and clean.

You wrote "There seems to be an increased irritability to the CNS, with agitation, insomnia, and even seizures, in addition to other unusually strong symptoms of encephalitis, such as cognitive deficits and confusion. Other key symptoms may include gastritis, sore soles, especially in the AM, and red rashes.”

I tested positive for mycoplasmas fermantans and hominins. I had a breast implant leak. I've found since women with mcyos like me, with the leaks, with lymes and co infections of virals just like Dr. Garth Nicolson's site says as in you have more than just one thing.

With this I feel I do with my symptoms so I have an ND as there are no LLMD's here in Canada. She only has 3 years experience. The only once I have access to where I am and not available till April first week.

That's kind of where I am there. You know? So I am treating as though I have virals with supps, my doc is just..............I'm tired of asking for testing. And I am going to ND for the rest Apr first week to check out.

Oh, thankyou for the explanation of what you meant. I understand.

I sure hope you are seeing signs of healing too. I do. I haven't asked where you are in this..... xoxo

Oh yeah, with the onset symptoms of my face on left side, the jaw muscle relaxing and tightening me no controlling it, and my brain stem area rigid and painful and occipital bone area crackling and poppy like broken glass sound when you walk on it, it sounded like the lyme symptoms, fever feeling,

I read it looked like lymes onset I thought, & that's why I decided that's a plausible perhaps? With those things? Yesterday in health store, I had to bring my neck up with my hand from looking down, that occipital area so weak and hurting. I couldn't lift my head again from looking below me without my hand lifting it.

My neck area where my occipital bone meets the spine at skull, running across and brainstem area that seized with knotted fiasca tissue, that seemed lyme's like when I read of lyme neck stuff.

As well, 2 weeks before I started doxy so mid Jan I got cracks in the corners of my mouth and dry dry though they are still unusually peeling dry though not as bad as when I had cracks that were almost sores at the corners. I've NEVER had a cold sore or cracks like this. I felt like poor cat you see infected in the face. I read lymes does that and it went away a week from the ABX onset. Gone.

What do you think?

Post Edited (waverunner) : 3/16/2012 4:13:51 PM (GMT-6)