Let’s talk about manic energy

by Veronica on October 30, 2009

in Life

You remember how the doctor warned me I’d likely get manic on the steroids?

Well OH BOY was he right. I’ve been busy.

Busy busy busy. I can’t sit still, I’ve been running all over the house like a chook without a head and even though I know what’s causing it I still can’t quite stop myself from poking Nathan every time I walk past him. He’s been a little bit saintly and hasn’t started poking me back yet.

We built an arena for the horses. It’s not entirely finished yet, but I’m proud of it and it was hard work. It’s made out of second hand tyres (cost: free!) and elbow grease. I’ve got another load of tyres arriving next week that should enable us to finish it up entirely. At this point, it’s usable though.

In other news, Amy has stopped sleeping.

Completely. And. Utterly.

I wake up at 3am to feed Isaac and she’s curled up on the couch, just sitting there. Last night I put her back to bed half a dozen times between midnight and 7am. It’s been … less than fun. It wouldn’t be so bad (she doesn’t make much mess, she doesn’t always wake me up) except that by the afternoon, she is hideously tired and will NOT nap. She won’t even lay down and rest. She just likes to sit on me and cry and whine and ohMYgod.

Sleeping: We’re not doing much of it.

But anyway, I’m on the mend now. The antibiotics are working well and I’m able to breathe again. Even though the extra energy has been nice, I’m looking forward to stopping the steroids. I’m pretty sure my family is looking forward to it too.

Oh and for a final whine, because I can, I got my period back today. My last one was when Isaac was a newborn, which appears to be how my body works. Have a baby, bleed for a month, get a period 28 days later and then nothing for months. So I’m curled up with a heat pack and chocolate, wishing I could stab my uterus with something sharp because it might hurt less that way.

Sob.

Fiona October 30, 2009 at 4:11 pm

ugh. getting your period on top of that sucks, you poor thing 🙁

Brenda October 30, 2009 at 4:44 pm

A million hugs Veronica. The sleeping thing in our house is non-existent too. Sophie is on sleep strike again. Sigh.

frogpondsrock October 30, 2009 at 5:10 pm

hehehe I could feel your manic-ness jumping off the page at me.

river October 30, 2009 at 5:23 pm

You’re what? Twenty? So only another thirty or so years to go and you won’t get your period anymore. (*evil laugh*) Possibly it’s the steroids that brought it back ths time. I’m sorry to hear you’re in pain with it, that’s something I never had, didn’t understand why other girls carried on as if they were dying. Then I had daughters who each in turn suffered so badly we had the older one in the hospital a few times trying to find the cause. Even now they still suffer, the younger one eating the strongest pain killers she can find by the handful for two days.
Amy? GO TO SLEEP. Please. Maybe your manic energy is disturbing her to the point where she’s too worried to settle? If that’s the case then I’m glad you’ll be off them soon.
Yay on the horse arena.

Kari C October 30, 2009 at 6:34 pm

Maybe Amy is still detoxing from the wheat diet? I’ve been gluten free for 3 years and my “darling” husband made chili…..I ate 4 bowls of it over 4-5 days. I was sooo sick for a week, I was scared that I was really dying. Found out he put beer in it!!! I really wanted to kill him right there…….it has been 3 weeks and I’m just starting to feel normal again. It is ridiculous how much gluten affects the whole body/person.

Good luck……….it will get better. Glad you are feeling better though.

achelois October 30, 2009 at 8:20 pm

The peptides from gluten [gliadorphin] and casein [casomorphin] are important because they react with opiate receptors in the brain, thus mimicking the effects of opiate drugs like heroin and morphine.

Exerpt below taken from a book by book Dangerous Grains by Ron Hoggan on insomnia etc. after stopping gluten!

If you are a member of this group, the very fact that you are experiencing many of these symptoms should reinforce the need to exclude gluten from yourdiet. These are common symptoms of withdrawal of detoxification from gluten-derived opioid and brain neurochemical imbalances.

Poor Amy perhaps some Calpol or similar at bedtime could help; she may be really uncomfortable and/or in pain. We have a children’s medicine over here called Medised (not sure if it would have the same name in Tasmania but worth checking a Med site on the net for generic name possibly) which is similar to Calpol but has slight sleepy making stuff in it. Can’t remember what its called but worth asking a chemist. Check though that the sleepy side of it doesn’t make those with hyperactive tendencies to be more so!!

Please don’t exhaust yourself on the steroids – my father takes them from time to time for breathing related problems and boy does he get aggressive and stroppy!

Wishing a peaceful time asap.

Taz October 30, 2009 at 8:26 pm

i hope Amy sleeps better soon..

yay to the area for the horses..

grr to periods..

i got mine back 3 months later after having both the kids.

Ali October 30, 2009 at 9:10 pm

Poor you! I still haven’t had a period and Grub is 16 months! I am actually looking forward to it.
I sincerely hope that Amy sleeps soon for you. Do you think it’s related to the recent sudden removal of gluten?
We built a cupboard for the dryer and washing machine with all free salvaged timber – it’s so satisfying to build with recycled materials – not to mention cheap!

Barbara October 30, 2009 at 11:10 pm

Crikey – I hope you’re not overdoing it! Glad you’re managing to get stuff done though.

I do hope Amy starts sleeping again. Tonight would be a good time!

Marylin October 31, 2009 at 12:29 am

Sounds like you’re really busy at the mo, glad to hear you’re feeling better (other than The Bitch returning), and hope that Amy (and Isaac!) sleep through asap for you! xx

kys October 31, 2009 at 1:42 am

I your kiddo sleeps soon. Sounds like your are both miserable by the afternoon. (Probably coming down from the gluten-fest?) Glad you are on the mend.

Hyphen Mama October 31, 2009 at 1:45 am

I’m sorry this post made me chuckle. I can relate to you in so many ways, and nodded through most of the post. I was exactly the same way on thyroid meds this summer… for TWO MONTHS. OMG. In some ways it’s great because I had the UPs long enough to get a lot of things done that wouldn’t have normally gotten done.

Poor Amy. Poor YOU. What do you do when you’ve got a child who is an insomniac? I cannot even imagine. My patience would wear pretty thin. I hope it’s a passing phase….or that you can send her to your mum’s for a night to get some sleep, already.

And periods!!! I SO KNOW that craziness. TMI? Sorry.

nikki October 31, 2009 at 2:00 am

Okay. So I may get flamed for this, but have you thought about talking to Amy’s doctor about the possibly taking some melatonin? It might help.

I fucking hate periods.

lceel October 31, 2009 at 4:14 am

Oh goody. Horse tweets. (which must be awfully hard to do with hooves)

Xbox4NappyRash October 31, 2009 at 4:45 am

If it’s any consolation, I’ve haven’t had a period for as long as I can remember.

Pop and Ice October 31, 2009 at 7:49 am

I hope Amy decides to get back into a regular sleep rhythm by the time you come off the steroids. Otherwise the majority of people are going to be very, very cranky.

Can’t wait to see pics of the arena. On the other blog, I suppose?

Jayne October 31, 2009 at 10:21 am

Wheat (and grains) are one of the slowest foods to expel from our bodies.
Our allergy patients would still be experiencing the side effects of gluten for a week or more after stopping ingesting it. Amy is probably still ‘wired’ and coming down – don’t forget that stuff creates its very own addiction to ensure it’s a favourite and keeps on being wanted so she’s going cold turkey, too.

Tanya October 31, 2009 at 10:24 am

@Iceel; Horse Tweets! BahaHAHAHA!

Ummm…having a period means that you are healthy? 😀

The only possible upside I can think of.

Ugh. No sleep. Torture. 🙁

Kath October 31, 2009 at 12:04 pm

That’s a HUGE effort – a horse ring – thank god for manic energy.
Amy will sleep soon. I promise.

Joyce-Anne October 31, 2009 at 1:51 pm

My sister has terrible asthma and one winter she was on a constant regimen of steroids. I know the damage they can do. I’m glad you’re feeling better, and will be off them soon.

Sharon October 31, 2009 at 3:23 pm

Glad you are feeling so much better. Along with being wired, are you ravenously hungry all the time too? That’s how I am on steroids, I pile on the pounds and I reeee-ally don’t need them but it might be a good side effect for you . . .? Coming off them may find you crashing hard so be careful.

I’m sure Amy’s sleep routine will improve once the gluten is completely out of her system but may be worth a bit of medication at night to calm her down and settle any niggling pains she has.

Marita November 1, 2009 at 12:19 pm

I practically lived on steriods for many years and I so feel your pain. Hope the effects wear off soon. I’d start so many projects with my manic energy but never finished anything because I couldn’t focus for that long.

Hope Amy is sleeping again soon.

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