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6 replies

Night Terrors

muddmuddMember
Does anyone suffer from night terrors? I started to get them last December when I was told I had ptsd. I took Minipress (don't know the scientific name) for them & they started to die down. They were kind of violent & H couldn't wake me out of them. I'd get out of bed & try to go outside. I'd scream uncontrollably. I'd have my eyes open, but no one was home type deal.
Well the terrors have come back & I've only been given benzos. for sleeping to get rid of them. They knock me out, but in early morning (3-4am) they wear off & the terrors start. Yesterday I had a night terror when I was trying to nap! I feel like I'm not getting any sleep when I'm asleep...if that makes sense.
I'm also not @ home when I have these so I don't have that safety net. I'm in a hospital & one that really creeps me out...for some reason. A couple of days ago I woke up to find my shins covered in black & blue marks so I know I'm getting out of bed again & doing...I don't know. This morning I woke up w/some nasty scratches on my shoulders, around my neck & hips. I do remember being woken up last night w/ smelling salts, but I was in my room & pretty sure I didn't have any scratches.
When I asked P about it he said he'd look into this Minipress med, but increased my benzos @ night to "help". So now I'm only a zombie till noon or so.
I know the terrors have started from the ptsd triggers & I'm not getting much relief from them. Has anyone else dealt w/night terrors? What were they like for you? How did you handle them? Meds?
I've been trying to do some mindfulness relaxation techniques to fall asleep & their helping, it just doesn't keep me asleep.
Any help would be great!
Thanks Wink
Mudd
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muddmuddMember
This morning I woke & noticed 2 vein punctures I'n my arm. The scratches were worse today on my hips. I'm getting pretty freaked out bec I don't know what's happening @ nite & I feel extremely vulnerable which just hypes everything else up. When I ask @ the main desk all they can tell me is what meds they used & whether my H was informed. That's it. No one has yet to tell me what's going on @ nite. Don't see P till Friday or Saturday.
So now I take all these night meds & fight to stay awake for as long as possible bec I'm basically scared to go to sleep. Like a catch22
Thanks Smiler
Mudd
catalystcatalystMember
... I was having really, awful nightmares and my P today when I saw her... gave me a new medication that is actually prescribed for PTSD and child related nightmares (due to anxiety, trauma, ADD, etc) on small doses. I'm trying it out for the first time tonight... because I've been having night terrors for weeks. So I'll update with how that goes. It's in a class of alpha-blockers so not in the psychiatric realm of some specific classes/families of drugs that I refuse to take. I am blessed to have the P I do...
catalystcatalystMember
FYI it worked AMAZING. I slept for 7hrs! I'd definitely talk to a PDoc or something about an alpha-blocker (though, I'm not a dr and your milage may vary, I found it super helpful). The class is generally used to treat High BP (which, I actually have almost dangerously low BP 90% of the time, so I was terrified I'd die last night but I'm here!) but in low doses works for this. I haven't slept in weeks more than 4hrs and in months w/o nightmares or terrors.
I incognitoMember
cat, are you comfortable sharing the name of the drug? My doc prescribed me a low dose of Prazosin but I haven't tried it yet. I have difficulty sleeping but I don't have a lot of nightmares at this point in my life (maybe twice a week). I think I am afraid to sleep because of the extreme nightmares I had in my childhood. So I am not sure it would help me.

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