Can't sleep after I had Covid in January

Hi,

 

As I said in a previous post, I had Covid at the beginning of January. I was advised by a family friend that is family doctor to take Azythromycin and I took 4 pills of 500mg. Since then my digestion is shot and my sleep is a crap shot. I go to bed around 9:30 and if I'm lucky, I sleep until 3AM and then I wake up like I flip a light switch, there's no way to go back to sleep. Most nights I sleep less than that, until 1AM, 2AM and I have many sleepless nights. I didn't want to touch benzos and I tried some antihistamines, amitriptyline, valerian root and what not. They don't work. All the blood tests seem to be ok other than the PM cortisol which is a bit high.

I am a former benzo case from 2012 when I had severe insomnia after only few Ativan pills.

My doctor prescribed 5 pills of Imovane to "break the cycle" he says but I'm scared to death to touch those. I live in a parallel universe due to insomnia, if you know what I mean, I shake like a leaf and I feel like I loose control. I have to go on extended medical leave and that scares me, I'm probably loosing my job. Please help with an advise! Should I try some of those pills or I make it worse?

 

Thanks,

Mitis

I wish I could advise. Natural sleep is always better than any Rx or OTC pill sleep inducer. The problem is you are on nothing and still can't not sleep naturally. Have you tried light to moderate aerobic exercise a few hours before bed and meditation right before bed?

 

Any bad stressors in your life ATM?

 

Can you try going to bed a little later, like 11PM? Losing your job is probably going to cause you more stress and make the problem worse. What time do you have to be at work? How much sleep would you like to be getting if you had your wish?

I'm so sorry to hear you aren't sleeping, how were you doing before you got Covid?  Are you suspecting it was the Azythromycin that messed you up or do you think its Covid itself?  Do you have long Covid?

 

I don't blame you for being wary of the Imovane, I don't trust that phrase, "break the cycle".  I'm sure that would apply in any number of situations but breaking the cycle by pushing a drug that we know affects the same receptors in the brain as benzo's makes me nervous too.  And from what I've observed on the forum, Imovane is the worst z-drug, for some reasons members seem to suffer longer and harder on this one than the others.

 

What are you doing for the indigestion?

Do you have any other symptoms remaining from Covid? Could it be long Covid? I have long Covid and it messed up my sleep completely. Many people on long Covid support groups struggle with insomnia. Covid also messed up my sleep for a couple of months but I'm better now. I take melatonin and I think it helps.

I wish I could advise. Natural sleep is always better than any Rx or OTC pill sleep inducer. The problem is you are on nothing and still can't not sleep naturally. Have you tried light to moderate aerobic exercise a few hours before bed and meditation right before bed?

 

Any bad stressors in your life ATM?

 

Can you try going to bed a little later, like 11PM? Losing your job is probably going to cause you more stress and make the problem worse. What time do you have to be at work? How much sleep would you like to be getting if you had your wish?

 

Hi AntiBenzo7,

I have zero tolerance to exercising at the moment. Actually exercising before bed was always bad for me, it revs me up. I vibrate internally and I have heart palpitations.

Stressors, yes, my family does not believe me at all. They say it is everything in my head. To be honest I am not sure myself.

I'm scared to go to bed at 11. Sometimes I get sleepy around 8:30, 9:00 and if I miss that window I get something like a rush of cortisol and there's no way I can sleep anymore.

I go to work at 8:30. I would like to have at least 7 hours of uninterrupted and natural sleep but I realise that is a dream.

I'm so sorry to hear you aren't sleeping, how were you doing before you got Covid?  Are you suspecting it was the Azythromycin that messed you up or do you think its Covid itself?  Do you have long Covid?

 

I don't blame you for being wary of the Imovane, I don't trust that phrase, "break the cycle".  I'm sure that would apply in any number of situations but breaking the cycle by pushing a drug that we know affects the same receptors in the brain as benzo's makes me nervous too.  And from what I've observed on the forum, Imovane is the worst z-drug, for some reasons members seem to suffer longer and harder on this one than the others.

 

What are you doing for the indigestion?

 

Hi Pamster,

After benzos epopea in 2012 my sleep was never consistent. I had many sleepless nights but I tried to avoid triggers. One of the triggers is eating pasta at dinner. I'm not sure if is the gluten or the carbs in pasta but invariably I get heart palpitations that don't let me sleep. I suspect that azythromycin through the digestive track or by directly attacking the nervous system damaged me this time.

Doctors suspect I have long Covid, they laugh at me when I say that azythromycin trigerred loose stool and anxiety after the very first pill. I tested for cdiff twice and it came negative but my stool is still loose 6 months after I took it.

For indigestion I take Now Foods Super Enzimes with every meal and I eat a bit of rice to keep it together.

Do you have any other symptoms remaining from Covid? Could it be long Covid? I have long Covid and it messed up my sleep completely. Many people on long Covid support groups struggle with insomnia. Covid also messed up my sleep for a couple of months but I'm better now. I take melatonin and I think it helps.

 

Hi Jelly Baby,

Yes, I have many other symptoms. The worst (besides insomnia) is derealization and brain fog. I feel like I live in a dream and nothing is real around me.

Other symptoms are shakes, sore and numb gums and tongue, burning feet, fatigue, weakness, intermittent burning nose and throat, heart palpitations, intermittent blurry vision, and some others. However, considering that I suspect my digestion was damaged by the antibiotic, I'm not sure if this is long covid or nutrients deficiency caused by poor digestion and absorption. Or I may have candida overgrowth. See, this is what drives me crazy, not knowing what is behind all this.

I tried melatonin and it does nothing for me.

The most difficult thing about this is you might never know if this is long Covid, a setback from the antibiotic or a combination of both. Have you had bloods done for deficiencies? Those will at least give you peace of mind if you have any vitamin or other deficiencies. It may also turn out everything is fine and you'll feel like you're back to square one.

 

Either way, from what I've seen here and on the long Covid groups, it seems the only healer is time unfortunately. Although with the Covid groups there are quite a number of people who just woke up one morning and they were healed. I wish I had a magic answer for you, because this really sucks and I understand your frustration. 

I did a lot of blood tests but they test a limited number of nutrients in the normal tests that a physician would request. It’s only calcium, potassium, sodium, vitamin b12, iron. I also insisted on the hormones and other than an elevated cortisol pm, everything is within the range. I also went to a naturopath and I payed $700 for a nutrients test that showed I have a mild deficiency of vitamin e. Other than that they can’t find anything wrong.

I don’t know how long I can endure this. I’m back to severe withdrawals in 2012 plus digestive issues that I didn’t have then.

Hi Mitis, don't touch the imovane it will work but you'll crave for more and be on the road to ruin imo.

Hi Mitis, don't touch the imovane it will work but you'll crave for more and be on the road to ruin imo.

 

That’s what I thought but I’m so desperate that I want to cry. I don’t really see a way out of this. I don’t want to end up in the psychiatric ward. 

Have you tried CBD-N?  That is the version that helps the most with sleep?  Also, I would avoid Benzos the same way you would avoid RAT POISON.  Benzos are a dead end road and stop working and then leave you with horrible insomnia and WD as you already know.

 

Hydroxyzine is a first generation antihistamine that is used to help induce sedation prior to surgeries.  It doesn't work for everyone.  I am not advocating drugs, but many have success with Seroquel or Mirtazepine.

 

Nothing is going to knock you out like a Benzo would/could.  So I would not expect OTC, herbal or natural sleep aides to do that.

 

Good luck.

I am the same....I get tired by 9P and if I try to stay awake much past that time I can't sleep.  I have the same wake up issue too- if I sleep until 3 that's a good night, but it's usually closer to 1 or 2.  I'm just wide awake after that.  Sorry no advice, just know I know how you feel and I'm sorry....I hope it gets better soon.

 

 

 

Hi AntiBenzo7,

I have zero tolerance to exercising at the moment. Actually exercising before bed was always bad for me, it revs me up. I vibrate internally and I have heart palpitations.

Stressors, yes, my family does not believe me at all. They say it is everything in my head. To be honest I am not sure myself.

I'm scared to go to bed at 11. Sometimes I get sleepy around 8:30, 9:00 and if I miss that window I get something like a rush of cortisol and there's no way I can sleep anymore.

I go to work at 8:30. I would like to have at least 7 hours of uninterrupted and natural sleep but I realise that is a dream.

 

Edit: Fixed quote

I have a "window" that I normally fall asleep in too.  But if I miss it, I'll still get sleep, just not as much as I am wide awake by 4:00 am most mornings.  A few times it's 5:00 am and once in awhile I can "sleep in" until 6:00 am.  I am not complaining though as I usually get 7+ hours pretty much every night. 

 

@Mitis,

 

Insomnia sucks and the only way you'll end up in a Psych Ward is if you go in for "medical help."  All a psych ward will do is put you on a lot of Rx drugs, probably Benzos, and that will reset your healing clock.

Thanks for the replies and encouragements guys!

I know very well the dangers of benzos, I went through hell in 2012-2014. The worst part for me now is that I don't even know if what I feel is long covid or the antibiotic damaged my liver or pancreas. I don't remember being this spaced out before. Yes, I was tired, I was scared but spaced out, unreal, I don't remember that and I kept my job through that ordeal. Also, the digestion was relatively Ok.

It's true I was 10 years younger and there was no covid or antibiotic in the soup. I started a hobby at that time, I started making and flying RC planes and drones. Now, I cannot even touch them, even looking at them gives me anxiety. I did not have anxiety since about 2013 and it came back this time hours after the very first pill of antibiotic.

If you read the internet, there are scary stories about this group of antibiotics. From cdiff, colitis to bile ducts vanishing. I really hope I didn't get one of this damage.

I have a friend with serious mental issues. He’s on a hand full of psychiatric drugs for bipolar, psychosis, etc. He also takes 2 pills of 7.5mg Imovane every night, otherwise he can’t sleep. He said he didn’t need to increase over the years, he takes the pills when he goes to bed at 9:30 and he’s out in about 15 min. Next thing, he wakes up rested at 6am. And this goes on for 6-7 years. Why are there people that can do that and others are in such a pain after only a few pills? I’m really pushed by my family to do something. I feel like I’m going nuts and I don’t see an end to this. Isn’t it better to be on the pills for the rest of your life instead of suffering? Is it possible that zdrugs are not as bad as benzodiazepines?

That's the million dollar question...Why can some people stay on Benzos for years or decades and never reach tolerance at their current dose and others, like me, are only on them for months and experience a severe WD?  Some claim it's genetics? 

 

You might feel like you're going nuts, but you're not.  It's all Benzo WD. 

 

In our "fast food" "I want it fixed now" society, it's easy to say "do something about it," when in reality, TIME is the healer and no drug or herbal remedy or anything else can speed up the healing and recovery process.  At best, more Rx drugs will only "mask" the root cause and symptoms and at worst, they could prolong your healing and recovery?

 

I never thought I would heal and so did countless others, but you do heal, given enough time.

 

Z-drugs are "Benzos in disguise"  They claim they work differently but there were many on this forum that experienced identical insomnia and WD symptoms from Z-drugs.

 

Again, TIME (Tick Tock) is the healer. 

Mitis, I too took azithromycin 500mgs in December for a sinus infection. It wrecked my digestion and made insomnia worse. I’m now trying to repair my gut and am gluten and dairy free. Also seeing a functional doctor but not much improvement thus far 🥲. When will I ever learn to stay away from these drugs??!!

I suffered horribly with insomnia for 14 months and still have some periods where I can't fall asleep. I did alternate  Trazedone and Hydroxyzine and Unisom with doxylamine without causing too much of a problem. I hope it does get better with time. Antibiotics do mess up your digestive system and causes sleep problems .

I’m desperate. I can’t sleep and can’t digest food. Not sure how I’ll end up.

I did a lot of blood tests but they test a limited number of nutrients in the normal tests that a physician would request. It’s only calcium, potassium, sodium, vitamin b12, iron. I also insisted on the hormones and other than an elevated cortisol pm, everything is within the range. I also went to a naturopath and I payed $700 for a nutrients test that showed I have a mild deficiency of vitamin e. Other than that they can’t find anything wrong.

I don’t know how long I can endure this. I’m back to severe withdrawals in 2012 plus digestive issues that I didn’t have then.

 

Had basically the same symptoms. Diagnosed SIBO. It's a long road to recovery. Diet, activated charcoal, digestive enzyme, and probiotic are close pals.

 

Candida /sibo can cause many benzo-like symptoms.. Also could be a histamine and hormone issue. Clammy, swelling, itching, heart rate, over stimulation, insomnia, white blurry vision, etc. Unfortunately I've yet to find anything that really helps with the insomnia. Antihistamines helped for a few days then stopped working or made it worse.

 

I'm dealing with being sick too the past week and many night symptoms have returned. Only thing that abated some "benzo-like" symptoms for me is tongkat ali herb, a test/hormone regulator. I've also heard good things about ginseng. The insomnia is still tough though. Brings its own set of problems.