sleepy33
06-07-2004, 12:36 PM
I am a 33-year old woman who could sleep morning, noon and night. When I was in high school, I would nap during class. My grades were average, and my teachers thought I was unmotivated. I was written off as being too involved with my boyfriend. Even then, when I went on dates, I would fall asleep if not stimulated. My doctors thought my fatigue was caused by mild anemia and a case of mono.
Then I went off to college. I figured out when to take classes and when not to –according to how long I could stay awake. My doctors thought I was tired then because I partied too much and I was still mildly anemic. Four years passed, and graduation came. I started working in Corporate America and found it difficult to stay awake. Must be depression….must be adjusting to “the real world”…. Must be that I partied too much – these were the thoughts of doctors and family/friends.
In 1998, I had my first baby and continued to work full time. My fatigue was blamed on parenthood – spreading myself too thin. In 1999, I had an acoustic neuroma. The fatigue got worse. I started taking diet pills to stay awake. The doctors said it was fine – it was “ALL NATURAL”.
Then last fall, the diet pills were taken off the market due to the dangerous side effects. I was devastated. How will I function? I will I stay awake? I got up for work at 6:30 – worked and came home and fell asleep at 6:30 at night. My kids (2 of them) never saw me. I felt so guilty for sleeping all of the time.
Finally a new neurologist realized there was a real problem. I could not stay awake long enough to drive a car, read a book or anything else. I would fall asleep in the front yard or on my driveway when I played with my kids. Falls asleep at my desk while working. I would drink obscene amounts of caffeine combined with cold pills to stay awake. The neurologist sent me for a sleep study. The night study was fine. During the MSLT, I had some issues. The first two naps, I achieved rem sleep inside of 5 minutes. However, I had just started taking Lexapro and my body began to get very anxious. I couldn’t sleep – and got very nervous. So the MSLT showed a mild problem.
The doctor put me on Ritalin to stay awake. I started on 10 mg a day – Now I take 70 mg and can still fall asleep - just 6 months later. I’ve had every blood test – and it only shows mild anemia. Same as always. He wants to send me for another sleep study because once I adjusted to the Lex – the anxiety passed.
It is very difficult to function, work and take care of my kids. My husband is very supportive. I have sacrificed any activities that once gave me pleasure because I cannot work and care for my family and have fun – something had to go. I long to have a normal life – but I’m not sure what normal is anymore. Seems like to keep getting worse – not better.
Does anyone else feel alone is this sleeping mess? I’d love to hear from you? Also, has anyone taken 70mg of R and had it not work?
Then I went off to college. I figured out when to take classes and when not to –according to how long I could stay awake. My doctors thought I was tired then because I partied too much and I was still mildly anemic. Four years passed, and graduation came. I started working in Corporate America and found it difficult to stay awake. Must be depression….must be adjusting to “the real world”…. Must be that I partied too much – these were the thoughts of doctors and family/friends.
In 1998, I had my first baby and continued to work full time. My fatigue was blamed on parenthood – spreading myself too thin. In 1999, I had an acoustic neuroma. The fatigue got worse. I started taking diet pills to stay awake. The doctors said it was fine – it was “ALL NATURAL”.
Then last fall, the diet pills were taken off the market due to the dangerous side effects. I was devastated. How will I function? I will I stay awake? I got up for work at 6:30 – worked and came home and fell asleep at 6:30 at night. My kids (2 of them) never saw me. I felt so guilty for sleeping all of the time.
Finally a new neurologist realized there was a real problem. I could not stay awake long enough to drive a car, read a book or anything else. I would fall asleep in the front yard or on my driveway when I played with my kids. Falls asleep at my desk while working. I would drink obscene amounts of caffeine combined with cold pills to stay awake. The neurologist sent me for a sleep study. The night study was fine. During the MSLT, I had some issues. The first two naps, I achieved rem sleep inside of 5 minutes. However, I had just started taking Lexapro and my body began to get very anxious. I couldn’t sleep – and got very nervous. So the MSLT showed a mild problem.
The doctor put me on Ritalin to stay awake. I started on 10 mg a day – Now I take 70 mg and can still fall asleep - just 6 months later. I’ve had every blood test – and it only shows mild anemia. Same as always. He wants to send me for another sleep study because once I adjusted to the Lex – the anxiety passed.
It is very difficult to function, work and take care of my kids. My husband is very supportive. I have sacrificed any activities that once gave me pleasure because I cannot work and care for my family and have fun – something had to go. I long to have a normal life – but I’m not sure what normal is anymore. Seems like to keep getting worse – not better.
Does anyone else feel alone is this sleeping mess? I’d love to hear from you? Also, has anyone taken 70mg of R and had it not work?
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jeh rpsgt
06-07-2004, 04:10 PM
Well I'm glad to see you went through with a sleep study and MSLT. So, you went into rem within 5 minutes of the first two naps, and the others you never fell asleep because of the meds?
Do you ever get a weakness in your upperbody (back, arms, neck, jaw) when laughing, sad, or emotional? How many times per day do you nap, and do you dream during your naps?
Do you ever get a weakness in your upperbody (back, arms, neck, jaw) when laughing, sad, or emotional? How many times per day do you nap, and do you dream during your naps?
Tired Toodles
06-07-2004, 04:24 PM
sleepy33, I also started taking Lexapro about 9 months ago. My endocrinologist (I am diabetic-type 2) told me that sometimes the Lexapro made RLS worse and that my neurologist might want me to stop taking them. I do feel like I have gotten worse in that time frame, but I don't want to quit taking the Lexapro without the doctor's advice. I wonder if the Lexapro is aggrevating your situation too.
sleepy33
06-08-2004, 10:13 AM
I have had the weakness for years. The Lexapro helps with that. I always thought it was just me -- never knew there was a reason for it. I also have bizarre dreams. I wake up in the middle of the night -- confused. And I would swear that someone is standing on the side of the bed staring at me. This too has been better since the Lexapro (which I take a night). But the dreams are not gone.
I work all day so I can't take naps. I just take my Ritalin and drink tea if I'm fighting the urge to sleep. Some times I will go to the ladies room and put my head on the wall and fall asleep. Which is a frightening thing in itself. But worse when I startle myself into waking up.
On the weekends, I nap 2 -3x. Even as I write, I am fighting my eyes. I have to stay stimulated all of the time -- or I'm out.
I work all day so I can't take naps. I just take my Ritalin and drink tea if I'm fighting the urge to sleep. Some times I will go to the ladies room and put my head on the wall and fall asleep. Which is a frightening thing in itself. But worse when I startle myself into waking up.
On the weekends, I nap 2 -3x. Even as I write, I am fighting my eyes. I have to stay stimulated all of the time -- or I'm out.
jeh rpsgt
06-08-2004, 03:41 PM
I have had the weakness for years. The Lexapro helps with that. I always thought it was just me -- never knew there was a reason for it. I also have bizarre dreams. I wake up in the middle of the night -- confused. And I would swear that someone is standing on the side of the bed staring at me. This too has been better since the Lexapro (which I take a night). But the dreams are not gone.
I work all day so I can't take naps. I just take my Ritalin and drink tea if I'm fighting the urge to sleep. Some times I will go to the ladies room and put my head on the wall and fall asleep. Which is a frightening thing in itself. But worse when I startle myself into waking up.
On the weekends, I nap 2 -3x. Even as I write, I am fighting my eyes. I have to stay stimulated all of the time -- or I'm out.
If you're saying "yes" to what I asked about the weakness in the upperbody, that means you have Cataplexy...and people with Cataplexy almost always have Narcelepsy.
I work all day so I can't take naps. I just take my Ritalin and drink tea if I'm fighting the urge to sleep. Some times I will go to the ladies room and put my head on the wall and fall asleep. Which is a frightening thing in itself. But worse when I startle myself into waking up.
On the weekends, I nap 2 -3x. Even as I write, I am fighting my eyes. I have to stay stimulated all of the time -- or I'm out.
If you're saying "yes" to what I asked about the weakness in the upperbody, that means you have Cataplexy...and people with Cataplexy almost always have Narcelepsy.