Posted by bleauberry on March 5, 2009, at 18:24:04
In reply to Early morning wakenings - help, posted by linkadge on March 4, 2009, at 18:20:15
HI Link. I am very familiar with what you are experiencing. I've been dealing with it for several years.
When you say it feels like adrenaline, I believe you are correct. That is exactly what it is. More specifically, cortisol. I know you probably won't opt for the cost and time to do it, but if you were to take a 24 hour saliva cortisol test, I would strongly bet you would see a spike way above the normal curve at the exact time you are feeling the adrenaline.
It is basically the pituitary confused and out of sync. Offenders that can cause that are heavy metals and hidden bacterial infections putting undue stress on the system. Longterm stress from dealing with psych issues will do it too.
I have found only two things completely effective at ending that adrenaline rush. One is Milnacipran. The other is Hydrocortisone 2.5mg. Both I believe, my own theory, work so well because they support your adrenaline during the day so that no rush-job to make up for the day's weakness happens at night during rest. In other words, the norepinephrine/adrenaline/cortisol feeback loops kick in and squash down that adrenaline spike.
For me, it actually meant about 3 days of it being worse at first. It took about that time for the feedback loops to figure out what was happening and to respond by putting the brakes on night-time rushes. But until they did respond, the boost of NE/adrenaline/cortisol by Milancipran or Cortisol intensified the symptoms maybe about 25%, and then suddenly after 3 days they were 100% gone. Completely gone.
Years ago I tried Klonopin and it also worked. But it did not offer the antidepressant, antipain, ainti-inflammatory benefits of Milnacipran or Hydrocortisone. Klono made me a lot more depressed and cognitively dull.
For herbal stuff, I found Valerian root and/or Skullcap helpful for immediate use, and Licorice Root helpful in the feedback loop 3 day onset thing. But you know all about these herbs so I know I'm telling you anything you don't already know.
Other things that help somewhat...
Minimal caffeine intake during the day.
Minimal sugar intake during the day.
Eat mostly proteins and veggies, not much fruit or carbs.
An hour before bed, a baked potato with skin (important) and a half glass of milk (the potato triggers your circulating tryptophan to convert to serotonin, the skin makes it time released, and the milk adds to it synergistically).Avoid late day exercise or exertion. That will only prime your adrenaline more. Actually, until this thing is under control, exercise and exertion should be kept to a mimimum at all times. If you overdo it in the morning, you'll burn up all that excess adrenaline, and then the body will try to recover its high levels again...right about the time you feel it during sleep. The idea is to spend your adrenaline smoothly, gradually, and equally throughout a day.
This thing can get worse, actually a lot worse than it is, so that's why I mentioned the things to prevent that from happening as well as things to totally fix it.
As a sidenote, I found antipsychotics made this thing worse. They all have alpha-2 antagonism. That just stimulates more adrenaline and basically cuts the brakes off the feedback loops. The D2 and 5HT blockade do nothing to calm that down. Remeron was probably the worst at making these symptoms more powerful over time.
I have often wondered if this is what akathisia is...too much adrenaline stimulation with the feedback loops crippled by alpha-2 antagonism coupled with D2 and 5HT blockade. You know, adrenaline stimulation along with zombyness, all mixed together in a crazy concoction. Its description as inner restlessness fits perfectly.
Hope you get some ideas here and that something might be helpful to think about.
poster:bleauberry
thread:883794
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090304/msgs/883951.html