Was hoping to get some advise and I’m not sure where to post the question; therefore, I’ll put it here since everyone seems friendly and I am in the “age group”.
I’ll try to make this short: About 18 months ago, I moved to the midnight shift and had an awful time sleeping during the day. Never had sleep problems before that. It was honestly a traumatic event. After six months of that I went back to a more normal shift. Low and behold the sleep problems continued, even though I was sleeping at night like I always had.
Long story short, I went to my doc. A massive series a tests, including a saliva test were completed. Doc advised all hormones and brain chemicals, including T, serotonin and etc., were normal. The two problems were cortisol and adrenaline.
Doc said both were off the charts in the morning, then declined throughout the day, but remained VERY high at bedtime. He was very concerned, as I took the same series of tests three years prior, and cortisol and adrenaline were not an issue. Something about my horrible experience on the graveyard shift sparked something in my brain, it appears.
Doc put me on a fairly low dose of librium twice per day, a sleeping pill at bedtime and something called a beta-blocker (I also have pre-hypertension now, which I never had before). I am sleeping better, however, I feel in a daze all the time, due to the meds I believe. Additionally, I take four Flameout caps, superfood and vit B supps. I feel my diet is pretty good, although I’m rarely hungry.
I am still lifting, but my gains have pretty much stopped. The girl who cuts my hair can’t believe how much gray hair I have now. She said I had none a year ago. My moods are very dynamic. I wake in the morning wondering how I’m going to feel. Again, new for me until a year ago.
Basically, I looking for any ideas of alternative advice on decreasing my brain’s perceived stress level.
Thanks and if this question is inappropriate for this forum, I apologize.