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What Causes Constant Insomnia?
Question: I appreciated your thoughtful answer. Another medication, now that I've built such tolerance with several years of xyrem, isn't an option.
I'm looking for some kind of info as to why something in my brain switched and I have not slept without medication in 25 years.
I the insomnia predates the CDs, I'm sure it was a factor or maybe warning (had mono) and tested positive for Epstein Barr, and cox... Can't remember. I want to know what happened, or happens in the brain, where sleep simply doesn't come, regardless of days and exhaustion.....
Is there any sort of testing that could determine? I know CDs is largely neurological,mother symptoms r so extreme and different and just plain scary. No one seems to really understand it and some info on the neuro part, how does one find out?
I know there's that P and P center that is probably awesome. Can a neurologist do something like what is done at that center???
Thanks for reading all this.
I'm looking for some kind of info as to why something in my brain switched and I have not slept without medication in 25 years.
I the insomnia predates the CDs, I'm sure it was a factor or maybe warning (had mono) and tested positive for Epstein Barr, and cox... Can't remember. I want to know what happened, or happens in the brain, where sleep simply doesn't come, regardless of days and exhaustion.....
Is there any sort of testing that could determine? I know CDs is largely neurological,mother symptoms r so extreme and different and just plain scary. No one seems to really understand it and some info on the neuro part, how does one find out?
I know there's that P and P center that is probably awesome. Can a neurologist do something like what is done at that center???
Thanks for reading all this.
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing back and my apologies for writing a little late.
I must say that I am a little uncertain about a couple of acronyms that you use, might be in common usage in the US but not familiar to me….I am not sure what do you mean by the “CD” acronym, or what do you mean by “P and P center”. Perhaps you could clear that up in your free follow up questions.
As for what may have been the cause triggering the insomnia 25 years back….if one has to search for a mono related cause one hypothesis might be involvement of the brain by the infection with damage to brain structures involved in the sleep regulation such as the hypothalamus.
However insomnia can have many different causes and at times is a combination of several of them. A common cause is also a chronic anxiety disorder which may also lead to insomnia or at least contribute in perpetuating it. Hormone imbalance such as thyroid or cortisol may cause insomnia as well, but I guess you must already have had some blood test on that regard over the years.
Whether there is a test which can evidence it that type of brain damage….unfortunately not. Even if there is a hypothalamus damage it is at a local level, it is not a question of a substance measurable in the blood and given its deep brain location not a question of getting tissue to analyze either. At the time maybe an MRI might have shown signs of inflammation, but after 25 years I don’t think that will be much helpful.
Let me know if I can further assist you.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing back and my apologies for writing a little late.
I must say that I am a little uncertain about a couple of acronyms that you use, might be in common usage in the US but not familiar to me….I am not sure what do you mean by the “CD” acronym, or what do you mean by “P and P center”. Perhaps you could clear that up in your free follow up questions.
As for what may have been the cause triggering the insomnia 25 years back….if one has to search for a mono related cause one hypothesis might be involvement of the brain by the infection with damage to brain structures involved in the sleep regulation such as the hypothalamus.
However insomnia can have many different causes and at times is a combination of several of them. A common cause is also a chronic anxiety disorder which may also lead to insomnia or at least contribute in perpetuating it. Hormone imbalance such as thyroid or cortisol may cause insomnia as well, but I guess you must already have had some blood test on that regard over the years.
Whether there is a test which can evidence it that type of brain damage….unfortunately not. Even if there is a hypothalamus damage it is at a local level, it is not a question of a substance measurable in the blood and given its deep brain location not a question of getting tissue to analyze either. At the time maybe an MRI might have shown signs of inflammation, but after 25 years I don’t think that will be much helpful.
Let me know if I can further assist you.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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