For real... this not sleeping thing is taking a toll on me. I wake up at 4am with my stomach turning and my chest burning and I end up being wide awake. I am going to my doctors Thursday to see what he suggests. I don't need an increase... I have no major anxiety and haven't had a panic attack since. Anyone know anything I can do to stay asleep? To take away from my stomach pain and my racing mind. I know there is help for anything, but I can't get so much sleep between now and Thursday and face school.
Don't need an increase*
Hi kayleigh. I also have the churning stomach between 3am and 4 am. I get up and walk around and have found that nibbling on a ginger biscuit helps. Not good for the diet but if it helps so what. I take my pill at around 6pm. Thought about changing tge time but decided that i might have the churning tummy during the day and think i would rather have it in the night. I wonder why i agreed to go on it. Maybe the anxiety an panic would have gone on their own. Lesley
If you find the answer, please please let me know. I am having the same insomnia problem except the burning chest feeling and intense anxiety have stopped so that's something. There must be something we can take to help. I've already discussed with my GP about starting a small dose of amitriptyline ( this should help my bad back also). I've dithered about it but if it helps my sleep I'll at least give it a go !
My mom even said acid reflux can wake you from your sleep... hense the churning stomach. But there is nothing more nerve wrecking then no sleep.
Just out of interest you say you are not getting any major anxiety. Is the burning chest and racing mind an anxiety symptom for you ?
I get tension headaches and brain fog. Do you and have these improved on cit ?
I never considered an upset stomach anxiety, I know it is... but I never got them often and they are usually tolerable (just not when I want to sleep and I am prone to acid reflux). I have brain fog today, because I am having a lazy, not moving day (plus I am on my period), but I haven't had one headache since starting Cit.
when i started cita 10mg a bit over a month ago, i noticed the stomach growling and decline in appetite, to the point that i had to jot down when to eat because i knew my body needed nourishment - in addition, when i went to the doctor i had intense lower back pain and my sciattica was out of control (i sit all day for work) my blood pressure was high, too. i went online and wrote down all the foods that would lower my blood pressure - i bought them all and i ate them all, even though i didn't like them all - i took advantage of my lessened appetite to eat better, cut out ALL salt, sugar and caffeing (the withdrawals gave me the most intense headaches i've ever experienced) but as soon as i had the slightest hint, i started working out - at first, all i could do was 5 minutes on the elliptical. try walking, anything you can do that you can handle. other things that helped me: visualization (thinking of something that really brings you joy), essential oils - lavender to relax and peppermint to keep the headaches at bay - i swear by them - i place a couple of drops on a tissue and keep it near me. talk to your doctor, but, i have to say exercise has helped me tremendously - exercise brings on endorphins - and you want those! i've lost 10 lbs, my blood pressure is normal again and as far as my back, i realized i needed a better chair (duh). good luck! and don't give up! :-) i'm staying in cita 10mg for as long as i feel i need it to help me keep on the right track.
It does get better, I just started taking it almost 8 weeks ago so it didn't effect school (started college in September) and I had a severe panic attack. I don't get them often, but when I do it takes a week to get past it. Anyway, I have no anxiety to the point where I fear doing anything, just this stomach issue. Thank you for your tips! I can't wait for the snow to fall for snowshoeing season!! Exercise is definitely on my agenda!
snowshoeing - awesome! but, try to start moving as soon as you can - you can start walking briskly, running in place in your own house, music was key for me, but i listened to lively music i liked (i hate those "workout playlists" i listen to lively raggae, talking heads, even funny podcasts - and while you do, try visualizing yourself snowshoeing! smile! it was helpful to me stay in the NOW - rather than plan for some more complex exercise later on.
Any insomnia? That is my only real issue now. I sleep 4 hours tops and wake up at ungodly hours.
frankly, that's not one of my issues - however, in the rare occasions when i have experienced it, i use spotify with earbuds with soothing nature sounds - my favorite is rain (rainstorms, gentle rains, etc.) i really think you should try working out - during the day, NOT before you go to bed - i'm a morning person, so i get up at 6a - walk dogs, feed them, eat a small amount of oatmeal, then work out and cool or warm shower - not hot. it gives me energy to deal with the day and the ROUTINE helps my body - if you want to do something before going to bed, try meditation or just some yoga stretches - nothing that will rev your body up. try to keep a schedule as consistent as possible. and, try not to use electronics like a computer, phone (except for soft music) at least an hour before heading to bed. i know that reading in bed puts me to sleep like clockwork, so, if you're the same, try that- just don't make it a subject that will increase your anxiety (politics, gossip, etc) - try something inspirational or spiritual, if you're so inclined - i like to read writings from the dalai lama.
The racing mind is a big part of anxiety, i also was not sleeping very well and feeling bad overall I was however getting headaches and worse foggy feeling, I know you said you don't want to increase but I saw the dr and explained all my symptoms and was honest about were I felt I was over and how the meds were effecting me and he increased me to 30 this evening is ny first dose of 30mg so we'll see how it goes I was gonna start at 25mg for a week or two but decided I mid as well go for it and take the full 30 to start with and just get the side effects over right off the bat if I have any at all. Which I don't expect to honestly as I feel I only had bad ones in the beginning because my anxiety was so bad and I think half the original side effects were mostly my anxiety after I sat and really thought about it. I'm hoping with this increase I'll be able to get my full sleep back and get the rest of the way I need to get where I want to be. Good luck
I'm just over a week in and waking around 1am and not able to get back to sleep. However, I was struggling with the same issue before I started the tablets so it may be that it is as much to do with anxiety (catastrophising) as it is the medicine so guess I just need to be patient whilst they kick in proper.
The doctor did prescribe some sleeping tablets but after 3 nights with absolutely no improvement in my sleep I gave up on them.
I have to say though that going from a solid 8 hours to only 3 hours for the past 3 weeks is taking its toll and i also know this will not be helping me recover from the anxiety and panic nor resolve the underlying issues that caused the problems in the first place,
Kayleigh
I don't think I would have survived the last three months on CIT without my kindle , I've never read so many books , when I wake up in the middle of the night I try breathing exercises first to try & get back to sleep then if that doesn't work I try not to stress , turn my kindle on & read a chapter or till I'm feeling tired again. Hypnotherapy or relaxation CDs are a good way to see you of to sleep in the first place. Good luck with it.
Thanks tomhopeful. I know I am not supposed to keep laying there but I do. Can't face the thought of getting up as it is so cold and I try and convince myself sleep will come (which it doesn't). Perhaps the Kindle is the answer as it means I can stay in bed but have a distraction. I am doing a lot of breathing exercises as well and Mindfulness meditation which I think are/will help once I become a bit more accomplished.
I know you said it took 12 weeks to really settle with you. Did your insomnia resolve? Last night I fell asleep on my own. Slept from 9pm until 2:30am with no interuptions. Fell back to sleep until 4:30 and tossed and turned until now. I just laid straight out, relaxed and watching tv until my boyfriend woke up. He's like me, he has an eternal alarm clock. I suffer acid reflux, so it is usually the pain in my chest I get that ends up keeping me awake. It was never a problem really before I started taking the meds.
Just went for an hour walk with my boyfriend. Chest was still bothering me from my acid reflux, but I feel so content. I just really wanna get this sleep thing under control.
that's terrific! - that's a start - why don't you contact your doctor and get something specifically for the acid reflux? also, review your diet and avoid foods that would tend to make that worse - your body is adjusting and you have to adjust with it. keep walking! :-)
I just wanna know that it will get better. Some days when I wake up and feel like that I worry and get irritated, but som people say 8 weeks is still early. It is doing it's job to the point where I am mobile and not panicing and overall happy and content, but my body just feels horrible sometimes.