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Can't sleep. Please help! (caused from anxiety/high cortisol?)

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Posted 2/25/2018 9:08 PM (GMT 0)
I had a rough few last weeks and a certain situation pushed me over the edge and I developed some really bad anxiety. This has really affected me everyday but especially my sleep.

I just can't fall asleep. I slept fine before this anxiety hit me. I've tried melatonin, valerian, lavender, xanax, ativan, valium, and muscle relaxers. I sometimes get really tired but I don't fall sleep.

I also do Bee venom therapy and stopped taking Vit C around the same time. The vitamin c is for adrenal support so I'm also wondering if my adrenals are suffering and causing cortisol spikes which are messing with my sleep.

Has anyone experienced this? It came on when my anxiety started but none of the meds are helping. Any suggestions? I really need to sleep. Thanks
Posted 2/25/2018 9:26 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, if a certain heightened situation cause extended stress after the event, that is adrenals not calming back down.

Is the "event" of cause over?

#1)Holy Basil capsules are by far the best easily available adrenal calmer there is. Any vit store has them in the stress area. Ashwagonda can make some people agitated.

Magnessium gylciate will also help.

Valereian and passion flower added in can help.

Dont do all this in the daytime unless you want to sleep.

Post Edited (astroman) : 2/25/2018 2:32:36 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/25/2018 9:59 PM (GMT 0)
Astro, I was actually coming here to ask you about how to use holy basil, I just bought some drops. I have been having extreme sleep problems and have been out of work with an uncertain future for 2 months now since I started treatment with houttunyia drops (I have been off the drops for about 4 days but the sleep is almost worse). I tried several RX sleep meds, ambient cr totally wired me. The best yet is lunesta 2mg, but I fall asleep fine at 10 but wake every night at 2-4am and am not tired all day

I think I am starting to lose it...I also tried taking "Gaia sleep thru" which has ashwaganda with my lunesta and it seemed to help while I was on the houttunyia but not anymore.

I spoke with my Lyme Dr about the 24 hour cortisol test but he said to talk at our next appointment.

My question is, when should I take the holy basil and how many drops? I am thinking it is high nighttime cortisol,but I'm also pretty sure I pissed off the Bart (and more?) With the houttunyia

Thank you guys!
Posted 2/25/2018 10:24 PM (GMT 0)
Well now i am wondering if its going to be ok for me to take the holy basil after reading about its mao properties because i have the mao-a mutation.I also bought Jarrow phosphatidylserine...

Doors12
Posted 2/25/2018 10:43 PM (GMT 0)
".....reading about its mao properties because i have the mao-a mutation"

- please share the link here.

I used HB capsules, one at night which had 450 mg of HB extract.
Posted 2/25/2018 10:57 PM (GMT 0)
You can do ctrl-f to find where it talks about holy basil:

http://www.martincwiner.com/psychiatry-a-medieval-pseudoscience-avoid-at-all-costs/
Posted 2/25/2018 11:00 PM (GMT 0)
Astro, maybe I was misinterpreting the Mao action of holy basil

Researchers found that holy basil prevented reduction in the levels of brain neurotransmitters – catecholamine and monoamine oxidase. In addition, Holy basil supplementation also increased the levels of dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine in rats exposed to swimming and gravitational stress.

https://www.naturalhealth365.com/0897_holy_basil_cancer/

Perhaps it would be beneficial with my Mao a mutation as well?
Posted 2/25/2018 11:21 PM (GMT 0)
This same thing is happening to me now. about a week of high anxiety and insomnia. I do believe its a cortisol issue, so I've ordered the saliva test kit. If high evening cortisol is confirmed, I'll have to discuss a protocol with my ND.

The last two nights managed to be decent. I made a point of turning off the TV by 8pm, and minimal use of cell or other screens. Maybe a bath, keeping warm with heat packs. Lavender oil diffusing in the bedroom, and applied on the soles of my feet. Took Ativan, 1 or 2 mg Melatonin (less is more), GABA, magnesium, and also looked up pressure point massages for anxiety, did lymph drainage massages and meridian tapping... really, anything I've ever heard of to relax my body.

It's worked 2 nights, so I'm going to keep this ritual until the cortisol test comes back.
Posted 2/25/2018 11:50 PM (GMT 0)
Are you guys also experiencing a tinnitus and lightning bolt headaches?
Posted 2/25/2018 11:51 PM (GMT 0)
Tinnitus yes for me, no headache
Posted 2/26/2018 12:21 AM (GMT 0)

insomniaaa said...
Are you guys also experiencing a tinnitus and lightning bolt headaches?

I had a week of pretty bad headaches, both all-over pressure, and weird sensations in random, changing areas of my head. That has subsided for the most part for now.
Posted 2/26/2018 12:56 AM (GMT 0)

doors12 said...
Astro, maybe I was misinterpreting the Mao action of holy basil

Researchers found that holy basil prevented reduction in the levels of brain neurotransmitters – catecholamine and monoamine oxidase. In addition, Holy basil supplementation also increased the levels of dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine in rats exposed to swimming and gravitational stress.

https://www.naturalhealth365.com/0897_holy_basil_cancer/

Perhaps it would be beneficial with my Mao a mutation as well?

I never got a "happy or sad" effect from it like nootropics, it just calmed me from a stress point. It doesn't last more than 6 hours or so, so its easy to try. To much 5-htp just makes one happy and somewhat tired. To high dopamine like L-Dopa, made me jittery. I tried a lot of these a few years ago. We never know till we try, all depend if anything in our methalation cycles are "plugged" up per the infection and our genes.

Holy Basil will lower blood glucose a little, for me that was good. High adrenals directly make for higher fasting blood glucose. I take it sometimes if I have a higher carb meal.

Post Edited (astroman) : 2/26/2018 8:19:36 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/26/2018 3:12 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much astro, I really appreciate it!

If the phosphatidyl serine, holy basil, lunesta 2mg don't work tonight I might have to think about adding the houttunyia in at a permanent low level...I am incredibly stressed out of work...I don't think the insomnia is a herx, I think it is the infection because detox hasn't really impacted how many hours I get...also I have been feeling faint/mild blackout when standing up which also made me consider adrenal (along with waking nightly between 2 and 4am)
Posted 2/26/2018 3:41 AM (GMT 0)
I didnt like the Rx sleep meds, but were all different.

One other trick that worked well for me was night time cough sryup (not cold syrup). There is a post on that today/yesterday - it has two ingredients.

I used Benadryl too, I'd sleep like a rock but it gives most people some brain fog the next morning. Then I needed coffee and choline to wake up.
Posted 2/26/2018 3:45 AM (GMT 0)
I know what you mean about the benadryl, I did that for years before my diagnosis, it did work but made my muscle twitches and brain fog bad the next day. I just took two Jarrow PS 100mg and I will see how I do tonight

God bless you for your responses astro! I will check in to follow up

Doors12
Posted 2/26/2018 10:17 PM (GMT 0)
I seem to have heart issues but the testing is always normal. I feel my heart pounding and getting tight and I get anxious. I'm not sure if it's just anxiety or cortisol related. Anxiety meds haven't worked. Does high cortisol cause heart issues?
Posted 2/26/2018 10:27 PM (GMT 0)
Edit:

Anxiety and high cortisol often go hand in hand and both can cause high blood pressure and heart palps.

Others have experienced this.

The BP med Propranerlo (spl?) works for both, and tremors. It can be weaned off slowly when no longer needed.

Other BP meds work in a different manner than that one.

Post Edited (astroman) : 2/26/2018 8:10:32 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/27/2018 1:43 AM (GMT 0)
So, I took 200mg PS with my lunesta, I still woke up at 3am (had gone to bed at 10:30)...I woke up in the middle of a dream, smiling which was odd...anyway I ended up doing like 5 drops of holy basil at like 5am, still couldn't sleep but felt more relaxed.

The only other thing I noticed was feeling kind of woozy this morning. So I'm wondering if it did lower my cortisol and maybe (fingers crossed) I will have a good night tonight?

I don't know how I would still wake up at 3 last night, I'm just hoping it goes away and wasn't the Bart, I stopped houttunyia 5 days ago

Doors12
Posted 2/27/2018 3:17 AM (GMT 0)
I never tried Phosphatidylserine (Jarrow PS). They combine it with choline and inositol a lot.

Maybe if I took a handful at once, I could attempt to pronounce it.
Posted 2/27/2018 11:36 AM (GMT 0)

Sean.scott256 said...
I seem to have heart issues but the testing is always normal. I feel my heart pounding and getting tight and I get anxious. I'm not sure if it's just anxiety or cortisol related. Anxiety meds haven't worked. Does high cortisol cause heart issues?

Have you tried hawthorn for the heart issues?
Posted 2/27/2018 11:53 AM (GMT 0)
PS made my insomnia worse. This can happen if insomnia is due to high adrenaline. I’m in the midst of trying out other things - rhodiola, olive leaf extract, higher dose melatonin (might try liposomal), kava kava. Not all together. Gaia sleep thru is not working as well as before. I am taking a break from modified citrus pectin too (which usually helps me sleep - taken at 3 pm).

If I try to nap during the day I will wake up when transitioning to sleep and my heart gets a bit racey with a warm rush all over my body. Guessing that’s adrenaline. I do not get it at night.
Posted 2/27/2018 2:47 PM (GMT 0)
1)I'd guess PS is best for day time brain clarity :
/nootropicsexpert.com/phosphatidylserine-ps/

Its a pre-curser to choline. Benadryl (for sleep) temporarily blocks choline receptors.

So PS does THE opposite as Benadryl. It keeps you on edge, not for sleep then.

2)Rhodilia is cheap to try, but made me edgy. Might be my gene map, as it un-stresses some people.

3)Kava-Kava should de-stress everyone, not good long term, its a liver stressor. Comes in tea too.

---------------------------------------------------

Passion flower is a little more potent than valerian and works well with holy basil.

Hops sounds good, I never tried it alone though.

Lithium orotate 5mg (not the RX) helps sleep too.

Post Edited (astroman) : 2/27/2018 8:13:29 AM (GMT-7)

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