Help -- Nothing keeps my awake! - Sleep Disorders Message Board

sleepy33 · 06-07-2004, 09:36 AM

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?

jeh rpsgt · 06-07-2004, 01:10 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?

Tired Toodles · 06-07-2004, 01:24 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, 07:13 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.

jeh rpsgt · 06-08-2004, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepy33

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.