Does anybody suffer with chronic insomnia and extreme hyperactivity since their TBI.

[Danger19]

i know all the poor individuals struggling with fatigue are going to hate me but this is becoming unbearable and I'm just wondering if anybody else is having the same problem.

I have always been an individual that doesn't need much sleep, which is why I have always worked nightshifts and people have always had trouble keeping up with. But since my brain injury I never sleep and I do a million things at once. I am now on my 87th night without so much as 10 minutes sleep. I know if your struggling with fatigue your probably thinking "stop moaning" but it's a living hell. I have been prescribed every sleeping tablet ever developed and nothing has even made me tired. I would love to know what it's like to get to nightime and look forward to going to bed but instead I dread the night coming.

As for energy and hyperactivity, nobody is able to keep up with me. My parents keep telling me to slow down because just watching me makes then tired and my poor mum is adamant that if I do not slow down I will have a brain haemorrhage. But I just can't stop and I know it's a problem because I even exhaust my children.

I am so sorry to all those struggling with fatigue. I know this will probably sound like a bonus situation but it is becoming a living hell, especially the insomnia.. Can anybody else relate to this or have any good ideas for tackling it. I would really appreciate just knowing that I'm not totally alone.

I wish you all peace, happiness, good health and a whole lot of luck,

Vikki

[Tracy331]

I don't know what to say I feel for you it must be horrendous I know how bad fatigue is but that must be so much worse have you tried self hypnosis ive been told that can help relax the brain xx

[Danger19 in reply to Tracy331]

Thank you so much form your thoughtful reply. It's awful, I would just like to feel tired or be able to just sit and watch a programme on TV. I must admit I have an amazing GP who put 6 different apps on my phone that should help with insomnia. They are apps that help you to relax, meditate or listen to sounds that should encourage sleep and she has given me every tablet available to aid sleep but they just do nothing. I will look up self hypnosis and give it a go, it can't hurt to try. To be really honest, I think this is how it's going to be, but it can't be normal or healthy. The thing is even though I have no sleep for weeks, even a month or so, I have no problems with my memory, co-ordination, concentration, it's really strange. Anyway I will stop boring you my love and just learn to live with it.

I wish you peace, happiness, good health and a whole lot of luck my friend,

Vikki

[Tracy331 in reply to Danger19]

You can never bore me you help me so much

[SAH-survivor]

Which tablets has you doctor given to you?

[Danger19 in reply to SAH-survivor]

Hello my lovely,

Thank you for your response. The GP and I have tried the following,

Zolpiderm

Zopiclone

Temazapam

Amitritilyne

Zimovane

Estazolam

So you can see it's not like I haven't tried. I do have to be careful as I take a lot of medications for my Bipolar. What We don't understand is that three of the medications that I take, Mitazapine, Quietiapine and Prcegablin have a main side effect of fatigue and tiredness but I feel nothing. I have no physical or mental effects from my brain injury and everyone I speak to with a TBI suffers with a degree of fatigue.

My brain injury caused a Subarahnoid haemorrhage, amoungest other injuries. When I saw my Neurologist last week he showed me my scan pictures. I had never seen such a large bleed in all my years of nursing, the bulge to that side of my head was huge.

If you know of a sleeping tablet I haven't listed, I'd be really grateful for the name. I think my GP would prescribe me anything that may help.

I wish you peace, happiness, good health and a whole lot of luck,

Vikki

[SAH-survivor in reply to Danger19]

Hi

It has taken me 9 months to finally get a balance to sleep well. I am on 75mg of Amitriptyline and 10mg of Diazepam.

I cannot see how the above would not knock you out for a good nights sleep!

[Danger19 in reply to SAH-survivor]

I should be absolutely doped on the medications I have to take and the sleeping tablets I've tried. I'm thinking of doing a Micael Jackson and getting someone to steal some Propofol from work! I can administer myself I know and am trained to Canulate so I would be onto winner.

Obviously I'm joking but I have thought about it!

Take care my friend,

Vikki

[Jamajo]

Hi Vikki

Hope you are ok. I was going to suggest meditation apps or mindfulness concentrating on your breathing to help. Also it may have got to a stage that your anxiety about not sleeping is causing you not to sleep as you are worrying about it so much beforehand if that makes sense? I do hope you manage to find a solution soon.

Take care

Lisa

[Danger19]

Hello my lovely,

Thank you so much for your reply. You could be right about the anxiety of not being able to sleep. I absolutely dread nightime coming and some nights I don't even bother to try and sleep. I record loads of programmes so I have something to do through the night. I do try to slow down through the day because I know I do everything at a million miles an hour. My family are worried that speeding around at the level I do will cause me a brain haemorrhage. There is no evidence that I can find to confirm their worries but I feel my family have been through enough but I just can't slow down.

Anyway I will stop moaning as things could be alot worse I suppose.

Take care of yourself my fried, I meant to say, when I took my children to Centre Parcs my phone got smashed so please don't think I'm ignoring you.

Vikki

[Jamajo in reply to Danger19]

Hope you had an enjoyable time away!

[neilhapgood]

Hi Vicki, I can really relate to that. For me it came down to ptsd, once your brain activates it's threat system you just can't shut down or calm down. When I finally figured this out the science behind it is really interesting and there are ways to help fix it. I put my learning into a website that may be useful to you, the page called 'all a bit traumatic' deals with trauma stuff. This is the address braininjuryftp.com, all the best, neil

[Danger19 in reply to neilhapgood]

Thank you so much for your message. I know from experience that the insomnia was probably hell for you but it is so nice for me to just know that I'm not completely alone with what is happening to me. I will give it some time as my Tbi only happend in January. I will definitely look at your page once it's back up and running. Thanks again.

I wish you peace, happiness, good health and a whole lot of luck my friend,

Vikki

[neilhapgood]

Sorry I just realised my site is down, I will get it back online on Monday!