need help sleeping

Hey guys, I haven't posted on here for a while.. You guys weren't kidding when getting the diagnosis is just the beginning,, the actually treating is hell and brings you down.

Anyways, I've been treating babesia and lyme.. and I cannot hardly sleep at all.. Its been like 48 hours, and I have slept about 6 hours.. It feels like I'm tired, but I have caffeine in me or something.. and it's truly awful...

Does anyone else have this and know how to combat it? It's getting tiring now.

I'm so sorry to hear this! Sleep issues are some of the hardest things to deal with and to treat for many.

Some natural things that you can do:
Magnesium at bed time
Valerian & melatonin as Elleon mentioned
Do your detox soak at night, as this helps many relax.

Give yourself 1 hour away from all electronics before going to bed to allow your mind to unwind.

Otherwise, talking to your doctor would be best. I've had to use sleep meds for some years and am still on them now - but things are getting better.

I second what the others have said. All of that helps and like Margaret said - it is definitely an individual thing - what works for one won't work for another. I used a product similar to what Margaret uses - it is Calm PRT - really expensive though it has the phosphatidyl serine in it and rhodiola rosea. Her option might be more affordable. I don't know the dosage but I took...5/day at first for about 3 weeks, then 1/day for week, then one every now and then.

When I needed it at my worst I was getting 1-2 hours a night for two weeks. It sucked!

I really hope you find something that works for you-insomnia is miserable!

~beth

I had horrible insomnia from October to March. Prior to LD, I used to sleep like a baby.

I am originally from Colorado, have family and friends there, and visit frequently, so I was able to legally purchase cannabis (getting it back home... not as legal). I started taking 1 mg 1 hour before bed (which is next to nothing), and immediately started sleeping 6-8 restful hours every night. No side effects, no high, nothing. Just sleep.
I really don't understand why this isn't legal nationwide at least for medical use. I tried EVERYTHING prior to this... Magnesium, melatonin, and various other natural sleep support supplements - nothing helped me & I really didn't want a scrip so I tried thid AND... It saved my life quite honestly.

I've recently started doing PC/glutathione treatments and haven't needed the cannabis since.

PS - I just want to throw it out there, I've never been/never will be a recreational marijuana user, but I truly believe it is a powerful substance for medical use. Also, I would never smoke it... If you're going to use it, I would make sure you get high quality edibles.

Delmar said...
I had horrible insomnia from October to March. Prior to LD, I used to sleep like a baby.

I am originally from Colorado, have family and friends there, and visit frequently, so I was able to legally purchase cannabis (getting it back home... not as legal). I started taking 1 mg 1 hour before bed (which is next to nothing), and immediately started sleeping 6-8 restful hours every night. No side effects, no high, nothing. Just sleep.
I really don't understand why this isn't legal nationwide at least for medical use. I tried EVERYTHING prior to this... Magnesium, melatonin, and various other natural sleep support supplements - nothing helped me & I really didn't want a scrip so I tried thid AND... It saved my life quite honestly.

I've recently started doing PC/glutathione treatments and haven't needed the cannabis since.

PS - I just want to throw it out there, I've never been/never will be a recreational marijuana user, but I truly believe it is a powerful substance for medical use. Also, I would never smoke it... If you're going to use it, I would make sure you get high quality edibles.

I've got dozens of medications that would do the same but would you take them if they were harmful? THC is carcinogenic and addictive. Can it help? Yes it can. Does it have potential harmful effects? Absolutely!

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page4

Not sure where you read it's carcinogenic, but here's an article from cancer.gov examining the benefits of pure cannabis/THC and its ability to shink certain tumors, reduce pain, increase appetite, alleviate insomnia, etc etc etc

Last thing I want to point out, higher CBD lower THC is best, but both have there medical benefits.

There are some websites online that explain how to make the oil.

Margaret

PS: Show me evidence that marijuana is a carcinogen and addictive. I would bet money that it does not exist.

Everything is addictive. It's the person who becomes addicted. Pot does not have the chemical reactions in the brain that trigger the type of changes that bring about addictions that are very difficult to overcome like what opiates does.

I do not use pot medicinally or at all now but I did use is recreationally in the past. I've known people who went on to harder drugs. I've known people who never tried any drugs, I've known people who never did anything else but pot and I've known people who are psychologically addicted to pot. It's not the pot - its the person.

The medical community spends a lot of money and time trying to debunk natural medicine and treatments because they are working for the drug companies that want to make millions and billions off of the uneducated masses who blindly follow their trusted doctors and take whatever drug is pushed on them. People need to open their eyes and realize this is about profits not people!

Sorry for jumping in on this post and taking it in another direction but I just get very angry when these misconceptions and misinformations are continually pushed as fact when they are NOT.

To be fair, if you smoke it, which a lot of baby boomers did--it does put out some of the same substances as cigarettes, like tar, and it has some of the same negative effects on the lungs, but it depends on how many years you continued to smoke it. Also, if you smoked it for 30 or 40 years, my guess is, you would be addicted. Most things, including sugar, can become addictive when over indulged. I know a few guys who couldn't do without their pot, and they are now in their 50s. In my opinion, once you're over your mid twenties, it's time to give up over doing recreational substances, whether booze, or whatever.

As far as the oil is concerned, although it won't put tar into your lungs, it is made with some toxic substances, like ethanol (I believe)? I would imagine you could use something like high proof vodka instead. Or glycerine?

Margaret

As I said, to each there own.

I spoke of cannabis edibles and oils. I believe smoking pot is counterproductive, as I said in my original post... I also do not use it recreationally.

Medical grade THC edibles have many positive medicinal effects.

Pure Cannabis has shown only positive effects. "Cannabinoids are the
active substances of cannabis which is an organic chemical substance belonging to a group that comprises the active constituents of cannabis."
If you buy medical grade (edible) cannabis with higher CBD lower THC you are getting many of the same medicinal positive effects as you would with the oil, and no high.

I agree that buying on the street and smoking is not a good way to go. It has been a very long time since I used socially. As someone posted earlier I believe that most grow out of these types of counterproductive habits as they grow into full adulthood usually sometime in the 20's. On the other hand, I cannot agree with the logic that legalizes alcohol whose health dangers are well documented and makes marijuana illegal whose health dangers are not well documented (and it's not a "gateway" drug - if you really want to label the gateway drug my money would be on alcohol because I would be that most drug users started the path to an altered state of mind with a drink and not a joint).

I have read and seen many features presenting the medical benefits of cannabis oil and edibles and have to agree that it should be an alternative that people should have the freedom to choose.

The information that Georgia Hunter puts forth regarding the reason for the sleeping troubles makes sense. I only have one ovary and suffer from periods of menopausal symptoms which include trouble sleeping at times so I would think long term effects of this disease would only add to these troubles.

I've been using Food Grade Diactomaceous Earth to detox so I am hoping to keep the sleep troubles at a minimum. Even though, I did have trouble sleeping last night but the previous 2 nights were good sleep nights.

This is such an informative site and this thread has been as well!

One of the first things my LLND did to help me when we started treatment was to work on my energy/mitochodrial activity for the day time, and to overcome the adrenal stress/cortisol overload from all the daily pain and difficulties (and life-long busy-brain) that was making it hard to sleep. I'd tried for years with things like melatonin, valerian, etc. The only thing that ever worked was Ambien and/or Valium. And that's no long-term answer.

So, I was thrilled when, after I was finally dx'd and associated with an LLND that my sleep/energy balance was one of her main focuses as a foundation to treatment.

She started me on a formula called ATP Fuel for energy, and a formula called Seriphos which is an adaptogen for adrenal care. And...while daily energy is still sometimes an issue (this darn disease!), I've never slept better in my life. That comes from two angles. 1) Usually I toss and turn for HOURS, and now I fall asleep consistently within 1/2 hour of turning out the lights, and 2) while I never had a problem staying asleep, because it took me so long to GET to sleep in the past I could not wake up easily in the morning and my energy suffered all day. That, too, has dissipated.

I agree with the recommendations to have a night time routine that includes dimming lights, perhaps having magnesium/epsom salt baths, no TV or reading stimulating material, no late eating. These are just good all-around habits to form, but I've found they're not 'quite' enough to do the job when there's really some sort of internal issue that's causing a sleep problem.

And, as for the Cannabis oil talk...I live in Colorado. It is something I'm very interested in pursuing whether for pain or for sleep, WITH recommendation from my LLND. But, between the natural anti-inflammatories she has me on (Meriva, Curaphen, Arthroben, Cyflacalm II) and the ATP Fuel and Seriphos, I haven't really needed to look for other answers. The only exception being the rare episodes of nerve pain...but that is not the norm.

I'm not trying to prescribe anything, just sharing what is working for me. :)

Good luck to you, and all the best in healing!