Fibromyalgia Support Group

I can relate! My current "cocktail" is Ambien 10mg (the extended release is way too expensive w/o insurance), Robaxin, Ultram, and Zoloft. I'm starting Benadryl tonight too for all the itching. For me it works alright so far. I have relaxation music I listen to and keep my room cool and dark. I also hhave an oscillatiing fan (which I turn off sometimes because the breeze irritates me). Sleep is VITAL with fibro. I hope you can find something that helps.

I can't get past @sleepless. You have a Dr. That prescribes medical marijuna, but can't get one to prescribe a sleep aid? That's nuts! If I had to depend on that, I'd weigh 400 lbs.! lol well, least you have something working for you.

For me, benadryl makes me feel so crappy in the morning. Just can't shake it.

Everybody seems to have their own night time med cocktail. I do too. But the speeding mind thing I have two extra simple things:
1. to get to sleep: read a dull book by a dim light- it takes my mind off my own thoughts and lets the meds and fatigue take over
2. if I wake up mid-night in speedy mode, for me it works better to eat something (especially cookies :-) ), and then read the dull book at bit more. Putting a little food in makes body/nervous system shift gears, can over ride or slowly turn down racing mind.

Additionally I plan ahead for nightly (non-speedy, just achy) wake-ups. So I keep a sports water bottle (no more spills on me) half a tab of my anxiety med (which is also anti-spasmodic) and 2 aspirin and 1200 mg of calcium w/ D3. So if after a couple hours I find myself waking frequently, can't get comf, take the meds without turning on light or even sitting up. Because am already still medicated from before, I often fall back to sleep and when new stuff kicks in I stay asleep.

Brief comment about restorative sleep, i.e. stage 4, obviously it's tied to how much we can lower our metabolism. There is a meditation technique called Transcendental Meditation that research has documented truly lowers metabolism further than stage 4 sleep. I learned this technique decades ago, and so when all else fails I sit up and meditate as an alternative to sleep. (also do daily meditation)

Hope this adds additional stuff to your mix of suggestions.

and sweet dreams

Medicinal marijuana works better than even the stronger prescription meds. Mother Nature beats Western medicine in that department for sure!

Different for everyone I guess.. I know for me, the "mellow" that some people get is not there for me. But I do believe that those that do get relief from it should be able to, and in every state, without fear or guilt.

I take anti-dep meds (Tryptizol) about one hour before I go to bed...but I spend that hour winding down. I have a bad habit - but hey it works so?? I lay on the sofa and watch TV as I wind down. I usually fall asleep then can take myself to bed and fall asleep again (I do my bedtime routine, teeth-brushing etc at the same time I take my meds..)
However, if I get woken up while I am on the sofa, like my partner laughs out loud at something on the TV, I can jump 3 feet in the air (startled) and then forget falling asleep again....that's it. It may take me 3 hours or so before I fall asleep again.
Silly me, I only have TV in lounge, I should have one in bedroom eh? But wanted to avoid that, thinking that a bedroom should be an oasis, a sanctuary of quietness etc. It's a paradox eh? As I have read that years of poor sleep can be one of the reasons for the onset of fibro! Not sure this is true though......