I’ve been recently introduced to your writings on lyme, which have opened my thoughts to other paths to healing other than antibiotics. So, thank you for your extensive research in dealing with such an intrusive organism, and giving patients other options to use for healing. My question is rather a follow-up to a similiar question posted awhile back, but with a different concern. The inability to sleep is a constant and dangerous symptom of this disease for many lyme patients. Many of us have tried various herbs, amino acid supplements, essential oils and even sleeping pills to shut down our brains and sleep. What can you suggest to those like myself where the problem lies in the brain function itself? For me, by the look of my SPECT scan, it seems like the hypothalmus area has been affected. My inability to sleep was quite sudden and out of the blue (a matter of about 3 weeks for total elimination of ability/function). Do you have any recommendations for patients like myself, who have tried everything and need to find a way to “re-set” our sleep function in the brain? Hard to heal when you can’t rest. Thank you so much for your help and advice.
Sleep is a difficult problem. People with lyme have reported the best results from the following:
1. Massage (best over time)
2. Melatonin LIQUID, 3-5 drops before bed
3. Benedryl
4. Marijuana an hour or two before bed. [Editor’s note: Please check with your state or your physician to confirm whether medical marijuana is legal in your state.]
5. Bed by 9pm, no dinner later than 5pm and a small one at that. A modified liver mix (available from Dry Creek Herbs in California) that I developed for Hep C, taken just before bed around 9 pm will also help immensely over time. Tell them you want it without the strong liver herbs and they can make it that way, see my book on Hep C for more.
6. Eleutherococcus will help over time. Do not, however, take it anywhere near bed time as it can cause insomnia. It will help reduce stress levels and raise immune function and will facilitate sleep once the body is working better.
I too had sudden loss of sleep function and lived on many benzodiazepam medications and then tried antidepressants
all with extremely adverse and I was told by my doctors, atypical results, including loss of memory on the benzodiazepams such as halcyon. This has long since been withdrawn by the FDA. One antidepressant prescribed for sleep, trazodone, led to a cardiac seizure, one of the most painful experiences of my life and consequent contraindication of all CNS medications as causing
atypical allergic reactions.
One suffers without sleep. And one’s immunity falls so there is additional suffering from constant rounds of infections, including the so called “flu” I experienced repeatedly along with “walking pneumonia” for a number of years prior to getting a lyme diagnosis.
It took a total of twenty years in fact to arrive there, and then another year to locate experienced neurologists and infectious disease doctors experienced with lyme disease.
I cannot emphasize the importance of the latter and the importance of combining allopathic with naturopathic approaches
depending on your symptoms. To my doctors’ surprise I was tested for sleep apnea and this came up positive even though I was premenopausal and of normal height and weight.
Perhaps it’s possible that the brain has an inflammation. Inflammation causes high amounts of cytokines to be active in that area. Cytokines can cause insomnia directly and indirectly (eats the ATP in the brain whereafter the brain will ask the adrenals for adrenaline).
I am having this problem as well. I noticed as well that I won’t sleep when I’ve exercies, even a tiny bit, over day. This can be explained because the body makes extra cytokines as a response to exercise to go anabolic. But this is exhausting if you already have a shitload of cytokines in your body.
Anyways, tonight i’ll be trying:
– Acetyl-L-carnitine (intracellular antiinflammatory)
– Mung beans (decreases HMGB1 activity)
– Curcumine (has alot of decreasing and modulating effects on cytokines)
– Ginger (more than 20 antiinflamatory compounds)
– Nettle (Th1-specific IL-2 and IFN-gamma)
– Echinacea purperea (TNF-α mRNA modulating)
– EPA+DHA (antiinflamatory)
– Inosin (chelates peroxinatrate)
– L-theanin (+GABA, sedates)
– Hop (opens the GABA receptors)
– CBD-oil (calming)
I’ll update it here if it works, which should if my theorie is correct. In any other case, I have no clue what to do the be honest. Insomnia is one of the worst things I’ve ever experiences.
Drinking 4 teaspoons of Kava Kava before bed seems to help a bit.
Currently being treated for adrenal exhaustion. Being treated by FNP with supplements. Also Cbd oil. I’m sleeping 3 hours a night. It’s been 4 weeks. I see her Wednesday if I haven’t slept. Cortisol , dhea, Testosterone progesterone all low. She will test me for Lyme (full work up) if still no sleep. Has this happened to anyone? My neck is always stiff too.
I do not understand FNP’s decision process…. Why not test for lyme regardless of sleep outcome? Low hormones.. FNP should replace the progesterone at the very least w/ oral micronized progesterone aka Prometrium or biodentical progesterone cream (you can order the cream w/o prescription – see Amazon for examples.) Maybe see a GYN for testosterone and progesterone replacement if FNP not agreeable. It is possible to have low cortisol during day and high at night. High cortisol at night will keep you awake. Phosphatydlserine can help w/ that – take in evening, not right before bed.
Glycine and ornithine on empty stomach before bed helps with sleep as well.
Hi, I am confused. You recommend an herbal blend without the strong liver herbs for insomnia made by a company in CA that is to be taken at bedtime, yet it has eleuthero in it which you say not to take near bedtime as it can cause insomnia.