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Posted 7/27/2015 8:38 AM (GMT -5)
I've been having severe sleep issues the past month, which in turn has really set me back on the progress I was making. It's getting to the point where I'm about to lose my mind and my symptoms have gotten a lot worse. I am in pain constantly. Not only do I have trouble falling asleep but now I'm waking up constantly, not feeling rested at all and incapable of napping.

I tried to explain to my husband that my brain just feels like it's in overdrive. Even though I'm completely exhausted I don't get that drowsy feeling I used to get before going to sleep. I really thought it would sort itself out but is getting worse day by day.

I was sleeping pretty good until I made some changes in my treatment and I'm trying to pin point what has caused my insomnia. The first is I started using cat's claw, I've recently switched to samento and cowden. I stopped taking abx a week ago but my sleep issues started before that. I used the the rife machine for the first time last Wednesday and my sleep was even worse after that session. My sleep cycles seem to be messed up. My brain buzzes and I'm in this vicious cylcle of pure exhaustion but not being able to sleep. I don't think it's a herx, and I am detoxing well and eating clean.

I've tried melatonin, magnesium, niacin, essential oils, ashwaghanda, benedryl and they do nothing. The past few nights I busted out some ambien because I was desperate. I do not want to take sleep meds!!

I've found some info that rife can cause severe sleep issues with some people so I'm wondering if that could be the cause. I did have two good nights of sleep right before the rife and now it's been a nightmare.

Now I'm thinking of ditching all my treatment just to get my body back on track. Sleep is so crucial for me, and if I don't get it, I deteriorate quickly. Is it ok to take a break from treatment, or would that set me back even more?

Any advice would be appreciated. I really need to sleep.
Posted 7/27/2015 8:41 AM (GMT -5)
Sorry to hear you are going thru this. I get TERRIBLE insomnia that brings me to my knees when I herx too much. I'm assuming your insomnia is due to herxing.

Did you introduce any new meds prior to this run of insomnia? if so, you might want to taper back or take a bit of time off to let your body try and catch up. Sorry I did see you switched stuff up, I'd take a little break, let your body recover, catch a few zzz's, then reintroduce the med at low levels and then build up. I sometimes get a little over ambitious and go all in thinking I'll manage fine, and that's when I get in trouble.

Ah, just saw you mention the rife. Are you doing it everyday? maybe you could taper back on it? or take a little break.

So to reiterate, yes, I think you should take a break, get back on your feet, and you will be in a stronger position to keep move forward with your treatments.

Keep hanging in there, lord knows insomnia is one of the worst things. I've gone thru terrible pain unremitting pain for years, but the thing that almost broke me was insomnia. I can deal with pain if I'm getting my sleep.

Post Edited (sebreg) : 7/27/2015 7:46:15 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/27/2015 8:42 AM (GMT -5)
Rife itself does not cause sleep related issues, but I think what you are saying is you are stirring up the bacteria/herxing from the rife. That can certainly cause sleep issues, but it's from the infections, not the rife directly. I would say it's OK to take a break from the rife, or lower the length of your sessions. You should not be hitting it too hard that you cannot live with the herx response.
Posted 7/27/2015 8:49 AM (GMT -5)
Actually, funny you mention samento. I figured since I'd taken cat's claw before using samento would be no big thing, especially as I've come a long ways in treatment and don't experience monster runaway herxes anymore. Well, 3-4 weeks ago I test out samento, banderol, cumanda mix, I take it one day, and BOOOOOM! I herx to the moon, pain is bad, but my insomnia is killer, it lasted for 8-9 days from that one dose.

I was frantic and I was falling apart. But finally I recovered, it was so hard I thought I was never going to bounce back. But now I'm feeling stronger than ever and moving forward with treatments.

If you aren't already, detox like a fiend. That will hopefully help clear out the toxins that are circulating.
Posted 7/27/2015 9:01 AM (GMT -5)
So this could all be one crazy herx? So did you stop samento seberg? I'm going to email my LLMD and see if cowden or rife can cause sleep issues. I only had one rife session, but it was an hour long. I think it was way too much to start off with.

I found a blog from Ariane Resnick, a celebrity chef, who healed from late stage Lyme with use of Rife. She said Rife gave her horrible insomnia so she used An Shui Wan and Nutramedix Amantilla (valerian) and she got solid sleep throughout treatment. I've ordered both so I'll see how it goes.
Posted 7/27/2015 9:36 AM (GMT -5)
Yeah, I think valerian is a good idea! rifing can hit the crap out of these pathogens, I haven't used it but read about others' experiences. Insomnia is a big player for herxing for me, and I have read it affects a lot of other people as well when they herx hard. I get a wired tired feeling, I'm super tired but I'm just wound up and can't sleep, my body can't sink into it.

I have put samento, banderol, cumanda on the back burner. I'm adding in new treatments slowly with my LLND, and we will do samento, banderol, cumanda later down the line. I was an idiot though, I underestimated those herbs, and I hit myself with full doses of those meds, the next time I add them in I will be very very careful.

I truly believe you are herxing like crazy. I think you will find your answer if you taper back or take a break and you sleep again and feel better. Then you can ascribe the insomnia to herx, I don't think those herbs cause side effects like insomnia. Not to the degree you are experiencing, or the degree I experienced. I'm not a doctor, but I'm rather convinced of the herx angle.

My mistake sometimes was not wanting to take a break or taper back when herxing hard. I wanted to push forward so badly, and smash these pathogens. But sometimes the greatest thing you can do for treatment is take a break to let your body catch up, regain your sleep (so crucial!), and then you can get back on the warpath :)

Do anything you can for detox, that will help bring you back to baseline more rapidly, although it could take quite a few days. Keep detoxing every day, even when you feel well, it will help your body as you keep working building up meds.

Keep hanging in there!!! My thoughts are with you, you will make it thru this rough patch I guarantee you that. And you will get back on track!
Posted 7/27/2015 9:51 AM (GMT -5)
Yes, an hour is a very long rife session! I usually do about 30 minutes at a time.
Posted 7/27/2015 9:55 AM (GMT -5)
Maybe try doing a detox bath before bed, that way it might get rid of some of the herxy stuff keeping you up and relax your body and prepare it better for sleep?

I used hops to ween myself off of ambien - 2-3 droppersful of the tincture before bed. Works really well for me but if you take it for a prolonged period of time it might worsen any depression - that's why I had to stop unfortunately and now I'm back to using ativan but at least it's better than ambien, I think!

For me the insomnia part changed when I was finally able to force myself onto a stricter sleep schedule - it was torture to force myself to get just under enough sleep every night until finally I was tired enough at night...so now I can get sleepy but the second I fall asleep I start having panic attacks for an hour or so...kind of annoying to say the least!

I think my insomnia got better when my adrenals got better...just something to think about?
Sorry you're not sleeping, I know all too well how miserable that is!!!!!
Posted 7/27/2015 9:57 AM (GMT -5)
That's exactly what it is, wired tired and can't fall asleep. Thank you for the advice. I think I don't realize that I'm herxing and I've definitely been hitting treatment hard the past few weeks. It helps to hear others experience insomnia as a herx symptom. Thanks again for the support!
Posted 7/27/2015 10:10 AM (GMT -5)
How many times do you do Rife a week sarah? Yes, I definitely think I need to reduce my rife session times.

What's interesting is I get the opposite effect with epsom salt baths at night. My sleep is worse when I take them in the evening...I have to do them during the day. I know my adrenals are shot too...leading up to the insomnia, my dog was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and I was highly stressed for two weeks prior to her passing. So I'm in the process of healing my adrenals w/ vitamin C and the ashwaghanda has helped regulate my cortisol levels. I need to clean up my sleep hygiene I know and try to stay off technology two hours before bed.

Is ativan a benzo? I took clonazepam for insomnia when I first had Lyme symptoms. It helped me sleep then, but it was HELL getting off. That's why I don't want to touch a sleep med again. But the desperation to sleep will break a person. Thank you all for your input!
Posted 7/27/2015 10:15 AM (GMT -5)
I only do it once a week.
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