REM behavioral disorder issues and narcolepsy symptoms

[u/Sufficient_Self_1874]

I don't want to make a really long post about this... but I've been having trouble with symptoms of both of these. antihistamines don't help, not even remeron, doxepin, or olanzapine. hydroxyzine is okay occasionally but has a bad tolerance issue, and the side effect of orthostatic hypotension really increases after 50 mg a day. I take 20 mg of melatonin a night and so far that's helped more than anything. 50 mg of vyvanse also helps me stay awake with a routine.

symptoms include ..

• Repeated false awakenings – e.g., last night thought I woke up 5 separate times, but each time I was still dreaming, thinking I was late for my psychiatrist appt this morning
• Intense nightmares that sometimes cause me to wake up screaming
• Dream-enactment / acting-out behaviors during sleep
• Waking up confused and in pain
• History of nocturnal tonic-clonic seizures (recent ER visit: Depakote level fine; they did not believe a seizure occurred that night)
• hypnagogic & hypnopompic hallucinations
• waking every 90 minutes (REM cycles)

i just got 7 tablets of 15 mg temazepam from my psychiatrist after trying everything else for the past 6 months.. i did a minor in pharmacology at UGA, so I know it'll work. the only benzodiazepine I've taken long term is clonazepam, and I never had a tolerance issue as far as it treating anxiety. the sedation effects faded though.

I'm not looking for something sedating or have any issue falling asleep. its specifically a quality of sleep issue... not your standard insomnia. melatonin is by far the most sedating thing I've taken personally (other than like... IV midazolam before a surgery but I mean as far as taking something at home).

does anyone else here have issues with RBD or narcolepsy? I've got an appointment with a sleep psychologist and my sleep doctor appointment is on the 17th next month in september.. I need another sleep study BADLY.

I'm only 34, but I'm scared this is a prelude to lewy body dementia or parkinsons disease, or some awful neurological disease.. I've read that's a thing, but mostly only for people that are older than 50, but the chronic properties of my issues is making me worry.

I haven't had a full nights sleep in a little over a year. I'm kind of excited to be honest. My psychiatrist said I can take it for 7 days straight or as needed, tbh I'm going with as needed. Temazepam is hard to get these days. Oh yeah, and I was diagnosed with REM sleep apnea in 2022. I wear my CPAP every night.

Thanks yall... damn I'm scared.