Insomnia and anxiety...ruining my days and nights

[PrincessAnnaOfArundale]

Hi all,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but not sure where else it belongs. Basically I've always been a worrier. Never been great at sleeping but always managed with around 5 hours sleep a night and felt no worse for it. However last summer I injured my back and was diagnosed with a badly herniated disc which was pressing on sciatic nerve and causing agony 24/7. However with acupuncture and medication the pain is now gone and after months of pain and hobbling on crutches my life is pretty much back to normal. During the worst times with my back my anxiety was terrible and I'd imagine being in that pain forever. Sleep was very hard to come by. Some nights I'd grab a few hours, some nights I'd manage an hour nap.

Anyway just giving you the back story since I'm not sure if it's related to what is going on with me now. I've just weaned off the gabapentin which was prescribed for the nerve pain so for a week now have been on no medication and pain wise feeling fine. However I simply can not sleep. It's like I've lost my off switch. I lie awake literally all night. I'm becoming more and more anxious and I can not explain why. I have this churning in my stomach and electricity like feeling in my hands. I'll lay in the dark and close my eyes and my body will jerk pr twitch and constantly keep me awake. I'm starting to think I will just die of exhaustion now.

I'm basically just so anxious all the time. Why is this happening now when the pain is better? I really hoped my sleeping would return to normal once my back was healed but this past 2 weeks it's been worse than ever and I can't explain it.

I bought some Rescue Remedy today to help with anxiety and have taken Kalms but feeling no different. Here we are it's gone 2 in the morning and no sleep! Not really sure what I'm after, maybe just reassurance that this won't kill me. Help please.

You could be suffering anxiety, as your body adjusts without the gabapentin.

Sorry to hear this. I’m also awake due to insomnia and need advice too! Hopefully someone knowledgeable will come along to give some tips ....

www.verywellmind.com/gabapentin-withdrawal-symptoms-timeline-and-treatment-4176217
Maybe you should see your doctor, for a few sleeping tablets. How many mgs were you taking towards the end? Maybe you needed to take longer to taper off?

I was only on 1200mg to start with for about 4 months then went down to 900 then a month later down to 600 then week later down to 300mg then stopped taking altogether last wednesday. I've been awake all night. Did an hour's meditation from YouTube to see if that would help. Whilst it dod relax me, sleep didn't come. :( Sorry there are others in same position but thank you for all the replies.

Maybe worth trying a magnesium supplement? I find them quite good for dealing with insomnia. There's also a really nice post about insomnia & sharing your worries with Mumsnet so you can sleep. I'll see if I can find it...

It is one o clock in the morning, I need the night shift to mind my worries whilst I sleep.... www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/3770751-It-is-one-o-clock-in-the-morning-I-need-the-night-shift-to-mind-my-worries-whilst-I-sleep

Sounds like your body is still adjusting to the withdrawal of the gabapentin. I’d see your gp and discuss.

What a lovely thread Maldive. Lovely idea. However I don't know why I'm anxious. It is bizarre. There isn't a set thing worrying me or any troubles in particular. I think the coronavirus has me a little on edge but not enough to be causing this much anxiety and zero sleep. It's almost like I'm anxious i won't sleep, so I'm dreading night time, then don't sleep because I'm worried i won't sleep! It's just a horrible cycle I can't seem to stop now. Thanks for anyone reading though. I think I will go to gp and discuss it. I can't carry on like this.

So the anxiety of the night time is well and truly setting in. Feeling sick and shaky.

It really sounds like withdrawal. I have been taking it since the late 90's. When I was going to go off of Gabapentin (I changed my mind and stayed on it) my doctor gave me a prescription for 300 mg ones. I take 400 mg 2X daily. I was to wean to subsituting 300 mgs for a few weeks, then begin taking the 300 mg ones every other day. Then every 3rd day. I think you should discuss a longer weaning period.

The article I linked to mentions taking 1 Gabapentin when having distressing withdrawal will stop the feeling within hours. But definitely speak with a medical professional.

I only take 400 a day now, except when my pain is bad, then I take an extra one. It is prescribed for me for seizures, but we discovered it does help my sciatic pain too. Good luck.

Well in my head I've now got sporadic fatal insomnia and I am obviously dying. Ffs. I am making a doctors appointment tomorrow because i can feel myself revving up and the anxiety is just getting worse. If it is withdrawal I will be so relieved when it's over.

Are you perimenopause or menopause age? Anxiety and insomnia can be hormonal.

I'm 35 so it's possible. I've always been an anxious person but this is just terror. Utter dread and panic and no sleep. I don't understand it but i need help.

Went to the doctors and broke down in tears after another night with no sleep. She has prescribed a 3 day course of sleeping pills to try and reset my sleep habits and I have another appointment on friday to see how i am doing. I've got a leaflet to arrange some therapy sessions to deal with my general anxiety. Hoping this helps.

It could be peri. Some people find it kicks with their hormones. I hope you feel better very soon.

Ah good, just what you need. Hope you are sleeping right now!

Hi Quiteforgetful, yes I slept thank goodness. The sleeping pills did make me sleep from 10pm til 5am so that's amazing. I feel so much better after just one night. I hope I can start to think more rationally and feel less panicked over all. I am still feeling a bit anxious about tonight and scared about having bloody fatal insomnia, wish to god I'd never googled that but I've never in my life gone for 3 entire nights with no sleep before, out of nowhere really. I am hoping that if it was withdrawal from gabapentin then it will be over soon. I never thought of tapering the pills in the way you suggested so taking one every other day for a while or every 3 days. I gradually just reduced the mg of gabapentin I was taking over the course of about a month but maybe that was too much too soon.

If you are able, try a little yoga before bedtime. (You don’t have to do an hour of jumping about, honest) Just create a nice calm environment, find something online/YouTube and just do a very gentle 15/20 minutes of stretching and breathing. 3 or 4 times a week. It helps calm the central nervous system and slow you racing thoughts.
Headphones and a ‘yoga Nidra’ or relaxing meditation app might help too. (Calm or Insight timer are good ones.)
Sleeping pills etc are not great long term as I’m sure you are aware. x

Oh I'm aware, only have a few more days worth but I'm hoping to get my anxiety under control over all. I tried all kids of sleep meditation aps but nothing seemed to be able to push my brain into sleep mode. I'd get sleepy and be desperately tired but sleep wouldn't come. I'm still feeling on edge but loads better after an actual sleep.

I'm sorry you have to go through this. I don't have anxiety, but I've been suffering from insomnia. Having tried meditation apps, I understood that they didin't work for me. One of my friends suggested me trying CBD oil. I found out about it on the Internet and tried. It is like a miracle. Of course, except for using the oil, I changed my daily routine, started going to bed at the same time. Also I go for a walk in the evening and take a warm bath. But I'm sure, CBD oil plays a great role in the changes. I'm happy with the result. Maybe you can also try it. Or have you already used CBD products?

I have tried CBD in the past when my back was bad. It was quite expensive stuff off the internet, 20% so not the regular stuff from health food shops. It didn't really do anything for me sleep wise. It did relax muscles and help with spasms I was experiencing but does nothing for me in terms of getting me to sleep :( I think I'm just broken. I have developed almost a fear of my bedroom now. Have to sleep downstairs on the sofa and even then it's incredibly fitful and broken sleep. Never more than 90 minutes in a row. Usually manage about 3-4 hours a night if I can resettle myself to sleep. I've been back to the doctors and been prescribed amytriptaline to help with anxiety but again little or no affect on sleeping pattern. It's very difficult to keep functioning when I just dread every night time. :(

Hi, I am going through the exact same thing!! I have had insomnia, and now it’s progressed into a health anxiety about having an illness which stops you sleeping. It’s awful because it’s a visions circle! I have been to doctors, and I’m on anti depressants now. Have you seen any improvement yet?