Mornings are a horror, Why?

[[Buddie]]

I am 19 months out and my mornings are still very bad...wake up with anxiety, and because of that diarrhea, 2-3 times..(it's a bit better now..but last month was like this every day) by noon, 1 pm it settles.. very bad, and this takes all my energy out and get tired very quickly..every day the same circle..so boring and frustrating..

[[Buddie]]

Mornings are hell. Then you spend hours all day trying to recover from the mental anguish.

[[Buddie]]

I can't move in the morning an dfmost of the day... tho when finally get up am better.  I tis not blood sugar in my case as I sleep very little and eat about right up to going to sleep... so it not that.
It is weird.
And yes, been freezing and it is not that cold.

[[Buddie]]

Mornings have been consistently the worst part of my day throughout this process. I think it has something to do with cortisol surges. I used to wake up mid panic attack every single morning. But the good news is that it does get better! I think the first morning I woke up naturally, I was so happy I made a post here on Bb about it. It happened gradually; the panic attacks lessened in frequency and severity. I still have difficult mornings, but I take comfort now knowing it's normal and will pass. Hot showers are a godsend. I also "wake and bake" on the weekends. [...] this helps.

[...]

[[Buddie]]

Mornings have been consistently the worst part of my day throughout this process.

Mornings have always been a chronic butt-hurt, way before I took a Benzo... The process has them coming sooner and LESS "amusing".

I didn't know about cortisol, and such - that helps it make SENSE.

If I can get my MIND back, it's okay if I still wake up with a chapped as*

[...]

[[Buddie]]

Just want to acknowledge how horrid this is, and encourage you for somehow getting through it.  Yes, I have this too (morning horrors) - and have done ever since the first time I was put on psychotropic meds.  So thank you for asking this question as I've found it really helpful to read some of the explanations, and to know I'm not alone.  Thank you

[[Buddie]]

To all who have this problem-----Please get your thyroid function checked! Cortisol is "kicked off" normally by T3, the active form of thyroid hormone, around 3AM. If your thyroid is too low, all these things described can happen. Prolonged physical stress greatly drops the thyroid hormones in the body.  You can experience body temp changes as the thyroid governs thermogenesis and is regulated by the thalamus. Low thyroid destabilizes your morning blood sugar. If that happens, the adrenals kick on to metabolize stored glucose from the liver.  Adrenalin will cause muscle shaking and sudden anxiety.  Eat a snack of protein with complex carb before bed to help correct potential AM hypoglycemia.

What to test?  TSH thyroid stimulating hormone, Free T3 and T4, Total T3 and T4.  The TSH should be under 1.5 and the other values should be at least 50% with the desirable level 75-90%.  Insist on all these tests as a TSH can be deceptively high while the other values are in the pits.  Doctors will incorrectly try to use only the TSH.

Cortisol has a natural rise and fall during the day. If you choose to test 24 hour cortisol, use the spit test with at least 4 data points.  A blood test is only one data point.

Ashwaganda can help the thyroid normalize whether too high or too low. I've used this both going to sleep and for the AM jitters.

[[Buddie]]

I just had "blood work" with my GP. He mentioned that my thyroid was good without that being mentioned. I've never thought about my thyroid. Would that test include the things mentioned?

This sounds like something I should follow up on. What do I say to the doctor to get this kind of testing?

Thanks so much. My sleep and my temperature seem to be a mess.

[[Buddie]]

To all who have this problem----
What to test?  TSH thyroid stimulating hormone, Free T3 and T4, Total T3 and T4.  The TSH should be under 1.5 and the other values should be at least 50% with the desirable level 75-90%.  Insist on all these tests as a TSH can be deceptively high while the other values are in the pits.  Doctors will incorrectly try to use only the TSH.

NEW INFO,  This is the NORMAL function, yes? 

Is "kicked off" Cortisol @ 3AM a spike? Or gradual?  Had this decades before ANY meds. Been to sleep study, learned the logs etc.  After the first REM cycle (around 4am, never later than 5) I hear every car pass on the road etc. then tedious waits for patches of sleep - rinse repeat. Now I know why CBT was useless (for me).

Cortisol & PTSD are old news, this is first I've heard of the Thyroids role. Will get new Pcp (np) to run 24 hr cortisol.

For years I been on 'em over Thyroid (85% textbook Sx of Hashimoto). All the Free & total T's, "low range" TSH a "bit elevated" - probably due to ineffective Thyroid UPTAKE (or excess dumping)... Dr. SAW the Hashimoto, drew fasting labs 4x times a year, to catch a "T" under the "treatable line".

Finally, I brought him xerox from the library, and asked "Okay, doc - we HAVE the thryroid juice, let's go after what it's not doing the JOB." He said if we VERIFY a defect in Thyroid activity, (despite present bio-markers) then he could treat it.

Don't recall names for Thyroid "transport & usage" bio-markers. Doc's wont draw lab for 'em unless we ask. (US, Medicare) private insurance might do better idk

One must demand (sadly) a full, detailed paper copy of labs; And interrogate provider rigorously on interpretation.

THANK YOU hothot

PS - So how does the thyroid regulate cortisol? Even a link will help.

[[Buddie]]

RE:"To all who have this problem-----Please get your thyroid function checked! Cortisol is "kicked off" normally by T3, the active form of thyroid hormone, around 3AM. If your thyroid is too low, all these things described can happen. Prolonged physical stress greatly drops the thyroid hormones in the body.  You can experience body temp changes as the thyroid governs thermogenesis and is regulated by the thalamus. Low thyroid destabilizes your morning blood sugar. If that happens, the adrenals kick on to metabolize stored glucose from the liver.  Adrenalin will cause muscle shaking and sudden anxiety.  Eat a snack of protein with complex carb before bed to help correct potential AM hypoglycemia.

What to test?  TSH thyroid stimulating hormone, Free T3 and T4, Total T3 and T4.  The TSH should be under 1.5 and the other values should be at least 50% with the desirable level 75-90%.  Insist on all these tests as a TSH can be deceptively high while the other values are in the pits.  Doctors will incorrectly try to use only the TSH.

Cortisol has a natural rise and fall during the day. If you choose to test 24 hour cortisol, use the spit test with at least 4 data points.  A blood test is only one data point.

Ashwaganda can help the thyroid normalize whether too high or too low. I've used this both going to sleep and for the AM jitters."








I would strongly advise against running to the doctor with every little thing. It is withdrawal and you will make yourself crazy thinking something is wrong. Its just withdrawal. Highly unlikely you have something wrong with you during a benzo withdrawal.