POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: dgls44 on November 15, 2006, 02:00:01 am
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Hi Douglas,
I don't deal with neuropathy, but I am Poz 18 years and can certainly relate the insomnia and anxiety.
Currently I take a low dose sedative twice a day as needed (25 mg), then a higher dose (100 mg) at bedtime.
On average I probably get six hours of sleep a night, waking two or three times during those six hours. One side effect of the sedative is vivid dreaming, and I often wake not feeling fully rested, entertaining as the dreams can be.
I have come to accept that my higher than average anxiety levels are something I just have to live with, like having HIV.
Daniel
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Hi Douglas. I, too, don't have neuropathy but do have insomnia. Last night, it was clearly a shell-shocked reaction to the course of the medication administration exams I had during the morning (because I found myself going over and over and over and over them). :) Someone else pulled research that shows that persons with hiv do not achieve the normal, deep, levels of sleep. Taking Sustiva, I do get the vivid dreams and do, from time to time, literally drop into them. But as this person noted, persons with hiv end up tired. And add in anxiety for whatever reason and you have the perfect reason for not being able to fall asleep. Win
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hi Douglas,
Neuropathy would cause insomnia if the symptoms (pain etc) were keeping you awake…otherwise, no..
(I am not clear from post if you are still taking meds for the neuropathy/still experiencing symptoms? And if you are still on effexor?)
if this were me, i'd be looking with my dr at things like:
1)anxiety - identifying the cause, & working through this with someone - being a carer is very stressful, you need support. Plus medication to help if necessary - I might want to discuss something like a lowish dose of mirtazapine, rather than venlafaxine, as it has some sedative properties - might mean one less pill.(plus, effexor itself can cause insomnia in some people)
2)hiv meds - both the viread & the sustiva could be causing/contributing to the sleep problems.
3) trying some of the suggestions here (http://www.i-base.org.uk/guides/side/insomnia.html/) to see if they might help.
good luck
kate