Anxiety during sleep: It wakes me every AM from sleep.

I'm having similar problems and have Xanax on hand but hate to use it. Does anyone have suggestions relevant to nature based sleep aids like vitamins, herbs, etc? I'm not a "big pharma" fan and know that Xanax is a short term fix, but can develop into a long term huge problem.

@johneckenrode11 Have you tried Melatonin? I take either 1 mg or 3 mg but in larger dosages it causes horrific nightmares. Good luck.

I have found that my topomax used for migraines and my antidepressant really reduced my anxiety so that I didn’t need to use my lorazapam at all. I’ve been pulling back on the topomax with my doctor to test my migraines. It hasn’t been successful and migraines are coming back and the anxiety has been coming back at night as well. Lorazapam just wrecks me - I think it reacts worse when taking these other medications so I really try never to take it. I wanted to get off the topomax or at least reduce it but I’m not on a high dose. It’s interesting the side benefits of some of these medications. I wouldn’t take it if I didn’t have to for the migraines, but am grateful for less night anxiety.

I have night anxiety when I’m taking prednisone.
For some reason it messes with the brain…

Would like to know more about your reaction. I am in process of weaning off corticosteroids after over 12 years on them. Working with endocrinologist on this. Don't know how rheumatologist is going to react when I see her in October. I have been resisting methotrexate and humira and that doesn't leave many options but need to get off corticosteroids. Thank you for a reply. I have sleep anxiety and take ativan otherwise.

I find myself awake yelling quite loud about who knows what…typically I’m arguing with myself. My mood is different when I’m on prednisone. I tend to be quite irritable, and sometimes downright awful…
Currently, I am in the process of weaning down from 70mg. I have an autoimmune disease that is lethal if I don’t keep it under control with this stuff…😾

Thanks Marjou, I've found Melatonin helpful in the past and have been using it recently but it is not as effective with this bout of restless sleeping. Maybe I should try another brand.

Thank you for letting me know how you react. I just get awake and panicky thinking of the future and how I will take care of myself. I live in a full range CCRC so the services are here when I need them but I just don't want to have to need them.

When my husband was alive and I would get testy he would say "your stinger is out" to remind me to pull back on the irritability. Now I have to self-regulate my moods. I can't imagine being on your level of prednisone and the toll it takes. You are really challenged for sure and I wish you well. I have r/a and post polio syndrome and other issues. Basically I look ok from the outside but like to say about myself, "I have termite damage, it's all on the inside". Mary Ellen

Termite damage is a good way to describe me too! Thanks for that visual.

Last night I woke up yelling something about a box of butter dishes! I remember saying, I don’t want any butter dishes!!
What? I have no clue where that came from! Crazy…
Termite damage inspection time… 😵‍💫

Yesterday I had a knee ablation. Went well but I had to double my hydrocortisone to 40 mg for the day due to my adrenal insufficiency. My procedure was under light sedation which I in no way felt but the pain level with the needles and burning was minimal. However by the time the day ended I was ravenous with hunger and so hyper I was up an hour later than usual and eating ice cream at 9 PM. I am sure it was the result of the corticosteroid increase plus they injected prednisone into the knee area to assure pain relief over the next few days. If I had to be on any dose higher than my present, I would be certifiable. I never gained weight nor got a moon face from my dosage and in fact had trouble gaining and keeping on weight. But I finally got to sleep and no anxiety at least. I hope the butter dishes connection makes itself known to you. Hard to fathom where our brains search out these ideas from.

M.E.