Talk About Insomnia

[Jimmy1]

Medication plays a big part. I was in Hospital late 07. The nurses would come into my room and blame me for spilling water on the sheets. I think poison was sodium valproate, or something like that

 

[willis williams]

I didn't think of it that way. I wonder if the lithium or lamotrigine has something to with it. Because it will not quit. Woke this mourning and the bed was soked. I live in a cool climate so I know it is not the heat.

 

[KK3966]

Hi, I'm new here. My bf was in the Marines for 8 yrs. He has combat ptsd. I'm wondering if there's anything (besides meds) that will help w/the insomnia? He has nightmares, but they seem to be spacing themselves out more... about every 1-1/2 to 2 months now. He has the sweats sometimes, w/o remembering the dream, also. He talked about maybe sleeping w/a weapon (because I do lol). He does not have flashbacks or ever forget where he is, so I'm thinking maybe he should try that ? Does anyone else do that? Does it help? I have tried to think of anything to help him, and he's already tried it with no relief. He gets so little sleep...and has to get up and work construction. I just feel for him so badly. He's had the sleep disorder studies done, and no apnea. He's being referred to an insomnia clinic, but still waiting to get in.

 

[Zipperhead]

Hi KK, There is a supporter area on the PTSD Forum which you may want to check out. As well the Wiki site on that forum does have loads of info, where questions like yours are discused. As for this Forum, it is mostly a chat room, where veterans can vent and support each other through rough times. Some times these ramblings are very personnal, and phrased in ways that other veterans can understand. Having non veterans on this Forum may cause some members to limit their contributions. No one wants to be judged, or misunderstood.

As this is one of the few places where veterans can feel safe and actually air their thoughts, perhaps your membership would be better over at the othere Forum. I appreciate your dedication to your Veteran, but please understand that we need this site. A place where we can say everything, and not be judged by others. The PTSD Forum also has members with Combat PTSD as well. I'm Zipperhead there to. I hope to see you there, and maybe we can help each other.

 

[KK3966]

Oopsy, sorry. I'm new to forums. I got lost... lol. I didn't realize. My bad guys!! Sorry! See you over there..

 

[KK3966]

Zipperhead.. me again... I was referred here by a member on the regular PTSD forum. So this whole site is service men/women only correct? So to clarify, I'm supposed to be on the regular ptsd forum, right? There is no supporter area on the combat ptsd forum? Last thing I want to do is intrude on you guys. So sorry! eeek

 

[KK3966]

& now that I've read the flippin main page (hello), I am out! So sorry, guys. Going back to regular forum. Apologies all around!

 

[vikingr12]

Just a word about night sweats. and for what it is worth.....

SEA was a hot humid environment and sweats were common, all day, all night. They had us take salt tablets to replenish our electrolytes but one thing they did not replenish was potassium, necessary also for water retention and balance. If you took minipress, they should have told you to eat a banana or drink a glass of OJ every day to help with that water loss. They finally got hip and told us to eat the banana or OJ but finding the later was tough. A banana was easy to find, just watch out for the spiders. The bananas also helped my dysentery by providing some fiber and a boost of energy from the sugar.

I remember the fatigues had rings of salt marks all around the pits and down the shirt when the sweat would finally dry or you took it off.

I recently read where men should be supplementing their diet with vitamin D and some potassium. D really helps with mood and water balance.

Minipress is a diuretic also. If you don't get that potassium replacement, you get irritable and moody. And your brain can melt down and cause hypothermia which can lead to the big house.

But if it worked, fine. I know the sweats in Vietnam drove me insane and we had to medevac several troopers who just plain passed out. I had crotch rot, toe rot, and every kind of rot. Took months to get rid of. Didn't matter how much powder you used. And you avoided anything with a smell anyway. I got to walking bare foot sometimes.

One of my Happy Places is a little cool clearing under the canopy and near a little rivulet by a karst of limestone in the Annamese Cordillera. It was cool and quiet and dark. I think half the NVA was there too doing the same thing I was -- cooling off. I took off my shirt and put it in the stream and put it back on. Stayed cool for at least 15 minutes.

 

[Sarg]

Damn, that brought back memories. How about fatigues soaked with sweat and then thirty minutes later open her up and it's 40 degrees outside! Felt like I walked into a freezer. They'd open the air deflector door but that didn't help much. So, I always carried a heavy jacket and gloves until I dried out.

Sarg

 

[vikingr12]

ANd I just loved cherries that walked in with brand new fatigues, chocked full of salt and sweating.

The smell of new fatigues is a giveaway in the jungle. The first thing we did was strip them down and wash them and the clothes with brush. What do they teach in jungle school these days? How to get killed that's what.