Working at a computer and adrenal fatigue

[Mary]

@nostalgic - the only way to "fail" at meditation is to not do it. This website has some good tips: https://zenhabits.net/meditation-guide/

One more suggestion re sleep: I've recently started taking this and it is helping me a lot: https://www.amazon.com/Suan-Tang-Ju...id=1501099579&sr=8-2&keywords=suanzaoren+tang

I had taken l mg of lorazepam for 10 years in the middle of the night for sleep and for various reasons (not least of which it's connection to Alzheimer's) tapered off of it and have been totally off of it for 5 months now. And have been through hell trying to get sleep ever since (and even before I was off all the way). All the things I mentioned above helped but none were enough. Then my sister bought me the Suanzaoren Tang and it started helping almost immediately. I still take all my other supplements, and with adding in the Suanzaoren Tang, I'm now getting around 7 hours a night.

The box says to take 2 tablets 3 times a day with meals but I'm really sensitive to meds so I started with 2 only after dinner, and after 2 days felt drugged and tired so went down to 1 tablet after dinner, and it's working. (along with everything else, as well as 5-htp, which I take before bed too and melatonin)

 

[nostalgic]

@nostalgic - the only way to "fail" at meditation is to not do it. This website has some good tips: https://zenhabits.net/meditation-guide/

One more suggestion re sleep: I've recently started taking this and it is helping me a lot: https://www.amazon.com/Suan-Tang-Jujube-Tablet-48tabs/dp/B07257Y6RJ/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1501099579&sr=8-2&keywords=suanzaoren tang

I had taken l mg of lorazepam for 10 years in the middle of the night for sleep and for various reasons (not least of which it's connection to Alzheimer's) tapered off of it and have been totally off of it for 5 months now. And have been through hell trying to get sleep ever since (and even before I was off all the way). All the things I mentioned above helped but none were enough. Then my sister bought me the Suanzaoren Tang and it started helping almost immediately. I still take all my other supplements, and with adding in the Suanzaoren Tang, I'm now getting around 7 hours a night.

The box says to take 2 tablets 3 times a day with meals but I'm really sensitive to meds so I started with 2 only after dinner, and after 2 days felt drugged and tired so went down to 1 tablet after dinner, and it's working. (along with everything else, as well as 5-htp, which I take before bed too and melatonin)

Very interesting that it's possible to meditate when walking, and that it's okay to count the breaths and try to feel how the body feels, that will make it a lot easier - having something to focus on.

How many mg of Lexapro were you on before?

I should try something for my sleep, I'm even considering taking a very addicting pill just to see if it helps with my severe fatigue. Been lying in bed all day basically and bored to tears. I miss programming so much.

I appreciate all the info you've provided, you're very kind.

Btw, when you sleep better with the tablets, do you wake up more energetic? I have the same amount of fatigue throughout the day with very minor improvements for just a min or two.

 

[Mary]

Very interesting that it's possible to meditate when walking, and that it's okay to count the breaths and try to feel how the body feels, that will make it a lot easier - having something to focus on.

How many mg of Lexapro were you on before?

I should try something for my sleep, I'm even considering taking a very addicting pill just to see if it helps with my severe fatigue. Been lying in bed all day basically and bored to tears. I miss programming so much.

I appreciate all the info you've provided, you're very kind.

Btw, when you sleep better with the tablets, do you wake up more energetic? I have the same amount of fatigue throughout the day with very minor improvements for just a min or two.

I never took Lexapro - it was my friend who did, who then switched to 5-htp and liked it much better. I can't tolerate SSRIs.

I took 1 mg. of lorazepam - a benzodiazepine - for 10 years and benzos are very addictive. I always thought I was on such a low dose and only took it in the middle of the night, that it would be no problem to stop. I was not prepared for the severe insomnia which hit.

Sleeping definitely is better than not sleeping. But it doesn't by itself increase my energy. I've had to do a ton of stuff to help my energy. Adrenals were the first thing I got help for, due to my chiropractor who did muscle testing.

Other things that have helped with energy are d-ribose, B12, folate, B6 in the form of P-5-P, B1, sufficient potassium, desiccated thyroid (prescription). There may be other things but these are the main ones. This all took a long time to figure out.

I'll recommend again you look into the supplements I mentioned for sleep. Niacin was surprisingly very helpful for sleep when I first started it 3 or 4 years ago. But when I went off the lorazepam it wasn't enough. But it might be enough to help you right now.

Also your bad sleep can be due to adrenal issues. I used to have high cortisol in the middle of the night that caused severe insomnia and I was given Seriphos to take (phosphorylated serine). It worked great but it is pricey. I think Relora may work just as well and is more reasonably priced.

So if I were you, I'd try to get some Relora and niacin and take it at night before bed and in the middle of the night too - that's what I do - and see if they help.

I was helped a lot by my chiropractor, when all doctors wanted to do was give me drugs which I do not tolerate. and don't solve any problems anyways. I often recommend that people try to find someone like my chiropractor - I would have been lost without him. He's also helped me numerous times over the years in figuring out what was going on. If you do a search for applied kinesiology (you're in Sweden, right?) in Sweden, you may be able to find someone who does muscle testing, if you're interested.

 

[Mary]

Hi @nostalgic - I know this is a lot of information and may be overwhelming. But just wanted to add that the chief ingredient in the Suanzaoren Tang product I linked above is jujube seed. And here's a link which tells more about the jujube seed - it says it's good for insomnia and is calming, among other things: https://draxe.com/jujube-fruit/

It's best to try only one new thing at a time, so that you will know what is doing what to you. Good luck!

 

[nostalgic]

I never took Lexapro - it was my friend who did, who then switched to 5-htp and liked it much better. I can't tolerate SSRIs.

I took 1 mg. of lorazepam - a benzodiazepine - for 10 years and benzos are very addictive. I always thought I was on such a low dose and only took it in the middle of the night, that it would be no problem to stop. I was not prepared for the severe insomnia which hit.

Sleeping definitely is better than not sleeping. But it doesn't by itself increase my energy. I've had to do a ton of stuff to help my energy. Adrenals were the first thing I got help for, due to my chiropractor who did muscle testing.

Other things that have helped with energy are d-ribose, B12, folate, B6 in the form of P-5-P, B1, sufficient potassium, desiccated thyroid (prescription). There may be other things but these are the main ones. This all took a long time to figure out.

I'll recommend again you look into the supplements I mentioned for sleep. Niacin was surprisingly very helpful for sleep when I first started it 3 or 4 years ago. But when I went off the lorazepam it wasn't enough. But it might be enough to help you right now.

Also your bad sleep can be due to adrenal issues. I used to have high cortisol in the middle of the night that caused severe insomnia and I was given Seriphos to take (phosphorylated serine). It worked great but it is pricey. I think Relora may work just as well and is more reasonably priced.

So if I were you, I'd try to get some Relora and niacin and take it at night before bed and in the middle of the night too - that's what I do - and see if they help.

I was helped a lot by my chiropractor, when all doctors wanted to do was give me drugs which I do not tolerate. and don't solve any problems anyways. I often recommend that people try to find someone like my chiropractor - I would have been lost without him. He's also helped me numerous times over the years in figuring out what was going on. If you do a search for applied kinesiology (you're in Sweden, right?) in Sweden, you may be able to find someone who does muscle testing, if you're interested.

Ah, I'm blind, I thought it said Lexapro.

All the into is a bit overwhelming atm but I appreciate it anyway. Glad to hear you didn't get any other withdrawals such as abstinence from the withdrawal of benzo, or maybe you got that too. Like I said, it's a lot to take in so I'll start slow.