Chronic Pain Support Group

I don't recall exact days or hours...
But...I have been plagued with insomnia all of my adult life.

With the addition of pain...well....that's double the torture.
I'm so sorry this is what's up with you right now.

I completely " get" you saying you may not be writing this....things do become surreal after enough lack of sleep.

Can you reduce any meds that might be Comtributing to it?

Hugs..jc

I have had insomnia for years. I think the longest I have stayed awake it 4 days in a row with maybe a 2 hour nap in between. I was working the grave yard shift and I couldn't sleep during the day. I know how slap stupid/happy I was so I cannot imagine what you are going through being up that long. I was delerious and couldn't function. So I understand they out of body feeling!

I hope you get some rest,
Jenna

The meds I have should be knocking me out but I think with the new discovery that my RA factor had turned in to a fast moving RA train after all these years is just messing everything up. My forearms llok as ropey as Madonna's and she's at least 10 or more years older than me and I KNOW I dont work out like she does. Then again if I had her money I would pay someone to do it for me. Put me under puppet my PT and leave me to sleep. Its awful. Constant charlie horses in my feet, new pain along both sides of my spine and my fricking jaw is so tight I might look like one of the Real Housewives of (fill in the blank). Steroids made me nuts after a few days, tossed that. I havent felt this wiped out since the begining of all this 13 years ago. Doc wont up the pain meds since we've been working our way down from it. I love him but he's just not being reasonable and I do not want to try anything new after the steroid mania. See I am babbling. Ok..end of transmission...

Hey...don't mean to interrupt your thread..
I've never heard any one else talk about the Charlie horses in their feet. I've started having these recently..god-awful. Thought I needed potassium...that hasn't helped. Do you know what causes yours?
The prednisone has gotten the infla,nation in my soles down so I don't have fall worries any more...then this started.

Are you still having to take that one Med...I can't think of the name ( aderol?".... that kind of makes you speed.? If so...is skipping a dose or two possible to try to get rest?

How is your iron level?
Vit D
Potassium
Calcium

All these are critical to sleep.

Plus, meds to force sleep can have the opposite effect. Just like anti depressants can cause suicide.

TheBig,

I guess my longest insomnia streak would be around 3 days straight (no naps). I am not sure how you are surviving going for 7/8 days like that. Have you tried getting in bed to see if your body will allow itself to wind down?

I am up every night, all night long while my family is sleeping. I finally go to bed around 5:00am. I have tried to get my sleeping on track, however, with my pain and my meds it seems impossible to do. My sleeping pattern has been messsed up for 9 yrs now.

Hugs,

Carrie

And people wonder why we need pain relief

I had a friend who went through bouts of insomnia for 3 weeks at a time. About every year or two. Even anesthesia wouldn't put him out. It resolved on its own thank goodness. They never found out what was causing it.

My longest was four days, but my brother went 11 days.

I am sorry you are having to deal with this on top of discomfort. I would suggest writing your experiences down, if for no other reason than for your entertainment later. I completely understand what you mean when you say you aren't even sure you are writing this.

Just had blood panels done so that's all good. When this supersonic onset of the chronic RA pain started to happen in the last 5-6 months I cannot get comfortable. No matter how exhausted I was or am, I can still take adderall and be exhausted. You guys would admonish me if I told you how many OTC pills I've taken in one night in an effort to sleep. Cant take any prescribed sleep meds because I get chest pains really bad. I've always had bouts of insomnia but after a while sepending on what was going on in my life it wasnt that bad. Since the RA reared up there isnt once millimeter of my body that doesnt ache. And in places that never hurt before like my jaw and forearms. I looked up meds and treatment and frankly I'm not thrilled with any of the options.

jan I think I've always considered Fibro and all that kindda like having a charlie horse in every muscle in your next back and shoulders 24 hours a day. The RA is causing foot swellling so i dont wear shoes in the house that way I can stop lean towards the wall and stretch em. I get the horses after I've been walking a lot in swollen feet with shoes and when you take them off IMO the cramp has been compressed I guess and hits me soon after. All I can do is dig my thumb in a whimper for mercy cause CH suck. This morning I have bruises on my forearms from the elbow nook down to my hands from trying to massage what I can only descibe as gym ropes in my arms. Also new pain all the way down both sides right next to my spine which is really uncomfortable. I was used to things before the RA kicked in...now having this long drawn out flare up...I just want some thorazine or whatever heavy muscle relaxor there is because its too much and flexerial doesnt work -

I really hope I'm making sense because I'm glassy eyed and loopy...you know like those kids on Jersey Shore except with manners and w/out the falling down drunk in skirts shorter than my finger tips...whhhewwww my forearms are killing me - break time