is this ptsd?
 

I have a strange sleep problem that has turned me into a zombie. I am so tired. It has been going on for months and can't find a med that really works. Problem is that as soon as I doze off, I get what feels like a jolt of adrenaline and I wake up. I doze of again, same thing. Pretty soon I am in a panic and have to get out of bed. Most nights I eventually fall asleep, but it is a hellish process and I get very little sleep. I can no longer work or drive a car or survive without help from my young adult kids. I have had various forms of trauma, including a severe event several years ago. It changed me and my view of the world completely. Then I got Restless Leg Syndrome and my sleep became rather poor. Then the startling started. If it is PTSD, what can I do about it?

Hello pepper999

I don't know if you are experiencing PTSD. The best thing you can do is to be evaluated by a Psychiatrist as there is a criteria for the diagnosis of PTSD.

Medications and Psychotherapy.

Best wishes.

You don't want a diagnosis via a forum ....lol
Go see a physician...or more than 1 if needed

I have to wonder.... pepper, if you take any magnesium supplements? They often work well for restless legs.

There is a lotion now, quite inexpensive that will help your muscles and nerves for the Restless Legs, and also help you sleep more naturally.

Morton Epsom Lotion:
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/mor...216500-product

This absorbs into the body when you rub it in and will relax muscles, and stop nerve pain, and help the body relax. I use it at night when I go to bed. Estimates are that up to 70% of people in the US are low in magnesium because they don't eat the foods commonly that provide it. Excessive use of caffeine, alcohol or diuretics also deplete this mineral, on top of the poor diet.

You can rub in a quarter's sized dollop in each calf... or if you want more systemic absorption, rub it into your wrists and inner arms (where the veins are close to the surface). I think this lotion is rather miraculous and can help many people avoid RX drugs for some ailments. I use it every night! Magnesium is very calming and settles down hyper nerve situations, nicely.
It also improves circulation to the legs and feet--so many of us on PN forum here use it for that.

(It is also available at WalMart (where I get mine) and online at Amazon.com )

Hey,

I have the same thing and answered someone on one of the other forums the other week as she was having the same symptoms.

Every single night without fail as I'm almost asleep I get what feels like a huge fear and shaking inside, the only thing that stops it is getting out of bed and walking around, it's awful.

Have you had any trauma? this started for me after a concussion/car accident last year.

I take Magnesium and epsom salt baths but it doesn't stop this.

My legs also feel "weird" sometimes, not always, hard to explain, I have to move them for some reason.

Hope you are okay.

clarification
 

I do have a therapist who thinks I have ptsd. What I want to know is whether or not ptsd can cause this sort of thing.

It sounds neurological.

Wondering if you've ever had a sleep study.

I have had RLS on and off most of my life since I was a young teen.
I've also had panic attacks that woke me from sleep and that was pretty terrifying.
Both have disappeared in more recent times thank goodness.

The 'starts' that you've described sound like myoclonic jerks.

I'm wondering if all these issues are occurring since starting a new medication or did they happen prior to taking any medications?

p.s. forgot to ask.
Do you have Diabetes?
How is your Thyroid function?

Sleep disorders can be a secondary symptom to PTSD. Sleep problems in PTSD are insomnia, nightmare and flashbacks due to trauma.

Information about sleep disorders and PTSD:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18424196

A Psychiatrist is the Dr. who can diagnose PTSD and offer medications if necessary.

magnesium
 

Thanks, MrsD. I do take magnesium. I tried the lotion and found it too irritating. Thinking about trying just soaking my feet. I see a sleep doctor who has started me on iron transfusions for the RLS. He was not very helpful about the startling except to say it was some form of hyper-arousal and then prescribe a med that made me worse. So I am stuck.

sleep study
 

No, no sleep study. The sleep doctor didn't think I needed one.

These are not jerks. They are feelings of startling. Just feelings, like a jolt of adrenaline you get when scared.

psych
 

I am on a waiting list to see a psychiatric nurse. It's just about impossible to see a psychiatrist around here unless you are inpatient.

pepper999,

I have PTSD.

I have an exaggerated startle reflex which is part of PTSD for me and a symptom that remains permanently. It's the same as when you are startled but the response is more exaggerated than most people experience.

This happens for me asleep or awake. When it happens when I am asleep it is usually due to a change in sound in the room or movement of another person.

article
 

Information about sleep disorders and PTSD:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18424196



That is a very interesting article. I have always felt that my general anxiety turned into ptsd (flashbacks and everything) when my RLS kept me from sleeping. And then the startling awake began. My therapists (psychotherapist and EMDR therapist) seem to see it the other way. That I have ptsd and it caused the sleep disturbance.

At any rate, now I am stuck in a cycle and I haven't found a med I can tolerate. I have Celiac. It was undiagnosed until a year ago in spite of my seeing dozens of doctors for years. It really messed up my neurology. I will finally get to see the psych nurse later this month. Perhaps she will be helpful.

Meanwhile, before I get so tired that it physically hurts and I can't even eat because chewing is too hard (been there, very bad place), I take an Ambien. It gives me 4 or 5 hours of sleep. I hate how I feel waiting for it to kick in. Seems to make the startling worse, like my brain is fighting it. It's awful. Sometimes I can't help but cry or scream because the anxiety is so bad. Not a nice way to fall asleep and only adds to my dread of bedtime. Plus, my PCP says I can only take one once or twice a week. I try for once.

Very sorry to hear about that. Mine happens as soon as I drift off. I think maybe it's because I fall directly into dreaming because the RLS has messed up my sleep cycle. And the dream startles me. Sometimes it builds and builds until I have a panic attack and have to get out of bed. Have you found anything that makes it worse or better?

From what you are describing I am wondering if you would do better on an anti-anxiety medication instead of sleeping pills. An anti-anxiety medication may allow you to relax and fall asleep.

Note: I'm not a Dr. and do not play one on TV ;)

Pepper:
In the case of PTSD --- Anxiety/panic attacks are a result of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

First PTSD then anxiety/panic attacks.

Hi again Pepper,

A little off-topic but I noticed you said you have Celiac Disease.

I wondered if you knew we have a Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease Forum here.
You probably have enough on your plate right at the moment but when you're feeling stronger, you may want to check out some of the older info posts there including The Gluten File that was compiled by one of our members over a period of many years. Her own daughter had really suffered terribly with neurological symptoms for a very long time.

In the meantime, I hope that the Nurse you get to see with be helpful for you.
Please keep in touch here and let us know how you're doing.

Thanks. Actually, I do take a very small dose of trazodone which dampens down the startle a bit. I tried a higher dose and it did not help but zoned me out all the next day.

Just the other night I tried Xanax for the first time. The xanax and the trazodone together worked very well. The fireworks in the neighboring village were loud well into the night last night, which is why, at the advice of my therapist (who knows I am paranoid about pills and will only take them if desperate), I took the xanax. She felt that my relaxation techniques were not good enough to deal with fireworks at bedtime and told me to take one before they started.

Problem is I only got a few pills from my pcp because she did not want me hooked on them. Also, I have read that xanax interferes with deep sleep. I have RLS on top of PTSD so between the two, my sleep is awful. Lack of deep sleep is my biggest problem. However, I felt better today than I have in ages. It is amazing. I forgot how it felt not to be exhausted.

I am going to discuss this with the psych nurse. I see her FINALLY this Wednesday. Only for half an hour so I have to choose carefully how to spend the time. Meanwhile, I am debating whether to take a xanax again tonight. Our village is having its own fireworks for the first time this year at 9:30 tonight, and only a few blocks from my house. Ugh.

Hello Pepper,

Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Klonopin, Valium) have many uses. They can help with anxiety, depression, muscle spasms, RLS, seizures and more. The down side is Benzodiazepines can be addictive and should be used with caution.

I have used Klonopin for 10 years with my dosage quite high, in my opinion, but I have never had a problem with addiction. It appears, at this point, I really don't need Klonopin any longer. I have learned, with the help of a great Psychotherapist, how to stop anxiety/panic attacks before I am no longer in control.

Some of my on going work and progress towards better mental health has been on my own and I continue to learn and apply those things that give me freedom and peace from PTSD and the anxiety/panic attacks.

You may as well try it since you have it. If you are uncomfortable with using Benzodiazepines then the other option would be an anti-depressant (AD). Some ADs will help with anxiety.

Take care.