Insomnia Is Kickin'!

[TALON II FE]

Over the last 3, almost 4 days, the longest continuous sleep I have had was barely 3 hours. Every time my body tries to go into REM sleep, as soon as I start to dream, I get hit in the chest with a panic attack and adrenaline and pop up feeling threatened. I can't shake it. I have Hydroxyzine Pam, which was all they would give me for sleep, but when I tried taking it (right before this stretch of sleeplessness) for a few days it seemed to be feeding my nightmares, so I stopped taking it for now, and I am scared to take it in case I can't wake up from my dreams. I am thinking about drinking a little alcohol and see if that will relax me enough to sleep, dreamlessly. Do any of you have issues with insomnia? Have you found anything that helps? I took melatonin yesterday which got me the 3 hours of sleep but that was it. I have slept an hour or two here and there other than that and that's it. I am dealing with a sinus infection and chest cold on top of everything else and my body needs the rest so I can start getting better. I am at my wit's end!

Edited June 22, 2015 by TALON II FE

[bionoce]

That's excellent....I found a place that has 3 sessions for $99..figured that's a pretty good deal...I also ordered a book from Ram Dass. Those spiritual teachers help.

[Gastone]

Did I miss how long this has been going on? Have you had a VA Sleep Stud done yet. Always a chance of Sleep Apnea. Especially true if you're male, carrying an extra 35+ lbs and have a 17+ neck. Worth getting it checked out, SA KILLS, if untreated. Do you find yourself nodding off during the day, always exhausted, no energy? Do you Snore or has anyone ever heard you gasp for breath while sleeping?

I went 3 yrs as a cast member of the Walking Dead. Private PC Dr tried B12 shots and told me I just needed to exercise more. A new DR, at my initial consult, recommended a sleep study. Been on Bipap since and it has literally changed my life. If you can get it SC'd it worth a 50% rating.

Semper Fi

Gastone

[TALON II FE]

Good advice Gastone. I have had 2 sleep studies before leaving AD in the last 3 years. I do have OSA, I was diagnosed in both the referred off base sleep study and confirmed a little over a year later on base as well. Actually, when they referred me back on base it was because I was trying to get a referral back to the original sleep lab because they "unofficially" diagnosed me with insomnia and narcolepsy (was falling asleep in traffic, etc) but, due to their medical contract with the military, they informed me they could not pursue they other issues without a referral for those specific items and could only treat me for OSA, if you can believe that. When I had my PCM request again, they put me back on base and it seemed like they were trying to disprove the OSA more than anything else. They never even saw me for a follow up and never addressed my other sleep issues.I do have a CPAP. I really need a new mask, it is over a year old now, but, since I am still awaiting my rating I cannot get one from the VA and TriCare requires you to pay 80% of the cost for all medical equipment (complete BS, this was not what I was promised when I entered service, much less the deductibles and having to pay for the coverage that I earned).

All that being said, what I am dealing with right now is a spike in my PTSD for the last week due to financial and marital strains related to this bloody claims process and the effects it is having on my entire family. Household conflict has taken away the sense of "security" I have been trying very hard to foster here at home and I could no longer sleep at all. I understand what is going on and why, but that doesn't change how my body is reacting. We are destitute now and were financial ruined within 6 months with my inability to work and the loss of most of our household income. Because I retied and get a whopping $1200 a month after taxes, we don't qualify for most financial assistance even though I have 4 kids and my retirement pay doesn't even cover my house note. Same broken record stories from many Vets to the point where it doesn't even carry any weight anymore, and no one but us seems to even care. If I had worked at the post office, they would have heightened security by know, lol. Just trying to ride things out, but it is harder and harder. I am mentally exhausted with this process and sleep deprivation doesn't help anything.

[TALON II FE]

That's excellent....I found a place that has 3 sessions for $99..figured that's a pretty good deal...I also ordered a book from Ram Dass. Those spiritual teachers help.

There was an old movie called "Altered States", I think it was William Hurt as the actor, that centered around an evolutionary biologist using these tanks to "devolve" back to primitive man which I saw years ago. I kept thinking of that in there I remember, but I never popped out as a hairy little humanoid, so I can vouch for their safety in that respect, lol.

[Buck52]

TALON II FE

I Sorry bud I can't be much help I have the same problem about not sleeping I mention to my PCP and I get these sleeping drugs that only gives me bad headaches so I stopped taking them...I eventually go to sleep but wake up a few hours later wide awake...can't go bck to sleep. eh!

so I been reading these post hopefully someone will come up with something that works and is safe.

..................Buck

[TALON II FE]

Buck,

The headaches sound like an SA indicator. That is one of the major markers. Have you had a sleep study? If not, or it hasn't been recently, I would recommend requesting one. That is how I used to be affected by sleep meds when they were prescribed to us as aviators in the desert. The meds prevented me from waking up as quickly when I would stop breathing, causing O2 shortage and headaches, almost exactly like high altitude sickness I used to get sometimes backpacking above about 8-10K ft but quicker to sort itself out after waking. Sleep meds are extremely dangerous with sleep apnea because of this. They have me using hydroxyzine, 50 mg caps (an antihistimine, basically "adult" benadryl) but it is an awful experience. I still become conscious enough on it that I experience nightmares but I cannot wake myself up to "reset".

They always point to weight as the cause of apnea but they never have explained why so many Vets have it when compared to the general population. I am 6 ft and 174 as of today, and my normal (not self starving to save money) I usually top out no more than 10 lbs heavier than that. Not exactly overweight and with the current trends in our society I look like I I just left Auschwitz. For military, I think weight may be a multiplier but I don't see it as causal.