Chronic Pain Support Group
Physicians and professionalsdefine pain as chronic if it lasts longer than three to six months and is persistent. It's distinct from acute pain that is a direct result of injury or trauma. This support group is dedicated to those suffering from chronic pain. Discuss treatments that have worked for you, find advice for your specific experience, and find support. You're not...
Hi guys- I was away for awhile taking my son to my family (the road trip fro Hell!) and then taking off a few days later for Vegas for work. But I'm home now and glad to be back. And I actually have a question for you!
I'm going to my pain doc on Tuesday and think it is time I brought up my terrible sleep problems. I mean he knows I have them, but I've never really made a big deal over it or asked for any meds. He's been my doc for a year now and while I sometimes see the PA, I think it's time to address this issue.
With my last doc I took Ambien. It worked well for me for awhile, then it stopped. I didn't even refill it every time b/c I knew the scrip was always there and I'd wait a few months for it to be effective again. Then I saw my doctor and he died 2 days later. Meanwhile I had NOT refilled ANY of the refillable meds that I take for sleep, nausea, etc.
Having a 2, almost 3 year old makes it even harder. I need something that will work, that I can take and work throughout the night but not make me feel too groggy if I have to get up earlier than expected. I've tried benadryl and melatonin? I think that's the spelling. I even tried phenergan b/c it used to make me sleepy, but doesn't really affect me any more. I had one too many kidney stones last year and also take it for sinus migraines, and now I guess I'm used to it.
I'm wondering, because there ARE so many sleep aids out there, what do you recommend? What works for you guys? My meds cover most of the pain but at least once a week I need help falling and staying asleep. Ambien works for me but as mentioned, I do get used to its effects and it stops working. I also would like something that helps me sleep through the night- Ambien didn't always do that. I've read that you can now get it where it is long-acting or something to that effect? has anyone tried that version?
I've seen all the commercials and read a bit about the different drugs out there, and I do take valium for muscle spasms so THAT no longer makes me sleepy at ALL. Which is good b/c I need to take it during the day. I'm just wondering if I should ask for Ambien (he knows I took it- it's all in my chart) or if there's a better med?
I've had insomnia since the age of 8 and it's not going anywhere. But I need my sleep more than ever, and it is starting to affect my work. As a writer, I need all my faculties about me when I sit down to work. But when I don't sleep, it's all I can think of. And being tired doesn't help, either.
If anyone has suggestions, I'm SO open. I've done everything they tell you to do in sleep studies but honestly, I know when I need to take something, and it is happening a lot lately. My sleep schedule is so off that I was up all night Friday night, slept yesterday from 6am to 3pm and now have been up all night again. I made myself stay awake till now (noon) but I'm about ready to fall asleep. I have to starve myself of sleep in order to get any, and that isn't right. And I'll likely STILL have trouble falling asleep and I KNOW I won't STAY asleep.
Thanks for any help!
I'm going to my pain doc on Tuesday and think it is time I brought up my terrible sleep problems. I mean he knows I have them, but I've never really made a big deal over it or asked for any meds. He's been my doc for a year now and while I sometimes see the PA, I think it's time to address this issue.
With my last doc I took Ambien. It worked well for me for awhile, then it stopped. I didn't even refill it every time b/c I knew the scrip was always there and I'd wait a few months for it to be effective again. Then I saw my doctor and he died 2 days later. Meanwhile I had NOT refilled ANY of the refillable meds that I take for sleep, nausea, etc.
Having a 2, almost 3 year old makes it even harder. I need something that will work, that I can take and work throughout the night but not make me feel too groggy if I have to get up earlier than expected. I've tried benadryl and melatonin? I think that's the spelling. I even tried phenergan b/c it used to make me sleepy, but doesn't really affect me any more. I had one too many kidney stones last year and also take it for sinus migraines, and now I guess I'm used to it.
I'm wondering, because there ARE so many sleep aids out there, what do you recommend? What works for you guys? My meds cover most of the pain but at least once a week I need help falling and staying asleep. Ambien works for me but as mentioned, I do get used to its effects and it stops working. I also would like something that helps me sleep through the night- Ambien didn't always do that. I've read that you can now get it where it is long-acting or something to that effect? has anyone tried that version?
I've seen all the commercials and read a bit about the different drugs out there, and I do take valium for muscle spasms so THAT no longer makes me sleepy at ALL. Which is good b/c I need to take it during the day. I'm just wondering if I should ask for Ambien (he knows I took it- it's all in my chart) or if there's a better med?
I've had insomnia since the age of 8 and it's not going anywhere. But I need my sleep more than ever, and it is starting to affect my work. As a writer, I need all my faculties about me when I sit down to work. But when I don't sleep, it's all I can think of. And being tired doesn't help, either.
If anyone has suggestions, I'm SO open. I've done everything they tell you to do in sleep studies but honestly, I know when I need to take something, and it is happening a lot lately. My sleep schedule is so off that I was up all night Friday night, slept yesterday from 6am to 3pm and now have been up all night again. I made myself stay awake till now (noon) but I'm about ready to fall asleep. I have to starve myself of sleep in order to get any, and that isn't right. And I'll likely STILL have trouble falling asleep and I KNOW I won't STAY asleep.
Thanks for any help!
i take ativan for anxiety, so my evening dose helps me fall asleep. and valerian/chamomile tea and sometimes melatonin 2mg. i think i must have taken 2 the other night half asleep which knocked me out through the next day.
you have a child to worry about waking up for. most sleep drs say a regular schedule, but with your job that's impossible. they say a routine of a warm shower, the same pillow, cool room make good conditions, also meditation with or without music.
Rissa Lynn
My rheumatologist told me that sleep disturbance was a main contributor to chronic pain.
I take Trazodone. It works wonderfully. After intitial grogginess, now works with no drowsy after effects. I find that when I don't sleep well, my pain is magnified so I don't miss doses. Best of luck finding one that will help you!
i also take ambien and have for about 4 years.. i take it on an empty stomach at 9 pm, and make sure i am ready for bed because if i dont shut the lites off and in bed i dont get to sleep b/c they dont work after 1 hour, so i make sure i do both those things, and i also take my muscle relaxer, and other meds that make me drowsy at the same time to get a double whammy...
hope that helps, and message me with any more questions, would be happy to chat more about it..~stinke~
The best med that I have ever tried is also Tramodol and it works GREAT.
I take 150 milligrams at night and it gives my hours of good sound sleep.
I would ask your doc about this med because it has been a God send to me!! Best wishes, Cindi
I have taken trazadone, melatonin, benadryl, ambian and many of my other meds have drowsiness side effects.
The only way sleep aids seem to work is if you rotate them. I think the ideal way would be if you took each one for aa day or two and then switched..but the doctors won't prescribe this way because someone could decide to take them all, which might have serious side effects. So what we need is a package like they have for birth control, with every day marked and you turn for the next dose. The pills could all look the same, so you wouldn't know what you were on, but the constant rotation would keep your body from becominng adjusted, or worse, dependent on taking one med.
The things he told me to try are as follows:
No computer start at least 3 hours before bed.
The lighting of the screen has been shown to actually stimulate the
brain!
Be sure to not be hungry and not stuffed to discomfort.
No arguments areound betime.
A relazxing or BORING TV show.
Bed is for sleep only! (Personally, I still read a book.)
After 15 minutes of wakefullness, get up and do something mindless. Or if worry is the issue, make a list of things to deal with it.
Then try to sleep again.
Repeat until you miss that 15 minute mark becuase of sleep.
I know being in CP makes this seem like a nightmare but it really does work.
Don't TRY to sleep. Just lay down and close the eyes.
Sometimes I will meditate.
Good luck
She asked if there was a certain med I'd had in mind, and I told her I'd taken Ambien but that while it worked, it would only work for a short while. I also told her I don't want to take something every night, only those nights when I can't even get an hour of sleep. I don't want to take anything when I might have to get up with my son, and as DH leaves for work at 4am, I'd have to go to bed at 4PM to feel comfortable.
So, she recommended Lunesta, which I knew from the commercial, and another one, and I can't think of the name right now- driving me nuts! But she said she had samples of Lunesta so I could TRY it and if it didn't work, I wouldn't have to fill the scrip, which I liked.
So I took the samples of the Lunesta and the scrip, and will try the Lunesta Thursday night or Friday night. DH and Jaden are leaving for the weekend so I should have a quiet home and lots of time to rest. Best of all, I don't have to go visit the in-laws! Oops, did I say that? ;)
Anyway, I appreciate all the info. I had known about some of it like keeping my room dark, cold and quiet, and not watching tv in bed, etc. When I got RSD my 1st doc, a Phys Med doc, made me go see a doctor who gave me lots of tips. It's my body that won't allow me to sleep, and it's because of SO many problems. From allergies to RSD- my body always has something flaring up.
But I still learned a lot and if the Lunesta doesn't work, I'll go from there. I did learn that my doctor doesn't like Ambien, so I wonder what that's all about. But he's a smart man so I'm sure he has a good reason.
I found a message board on my Blackberry while I waited at the pharmacy for my meds that compared Ambien to Lunesta. Some of the side-effects scare me, but they're pretty much the same as Ambien's side effects. Still, the idea of possibly hallucinating scares me. I am not the type who should read side effects.
I'll let you know how it works, and I sure hope it'll be good news. I just have to remember, like the Ambien, to take my muscle relaxant at least 4 hours before I take the Lunesta. But that's easy enough.
Thanks again- it was nice to go in with some knowledge of differing sleep aids and processes. :)
My insomnia is related to dealing with depression and anxiety issues and the meds that have helped me more are the tricyclic antidepressants. It might depend how serious your insomnia is to go that route but there are some that are very effective. A lot of doctors prescribe Amitriptyline but it might actually be the worst one as it can be too sedating. Doxepin, Pamelor, Trimipramine all do the trick. Trimipramine I actually think is one of the best sleep meds there is but most doctors have never even heard of it. Doxepin is pretty strong but they now make a low dose form that they are selling as a sleeping pill.
As far as sleeping pills go there's something called Prosom that's very good. It's a very mild benzo with very few side effects and so mind it's hardly addictive. I took it for almost a year without any problems. Doctors see that's it's a benzo though and sometimes won't prescribe it. The doctor I was seeing at the time was using it himself and recommended it.
There's also Trazadone that someone mentioned that does make you sleep well but it can leave you hungover and feeling tired and flat during the day.
I took Lunesta for several years.....like you I have had insomnia as far back as I can remember. It is a good drug...It did lose its effectivenss.
At about the same time, ambien cr came out and it has been a life saver for me. I also take 75 mg of trazadone with it, which my psych would prob rather I took more of, but I would like to get off of it all together. I usually only sleep about 5.5 to six hours before pain will wake me up...however on mornings when I can return to bed after my husband is up, I will get another 1.5 to three hours on the days I can sleep in. It is not opitmal but it beats the ykw out of nothing. Also, I use a cpap for sleep apnea which helps....I have recently lost a significant amt of weight which should help.
I really hope that this helps, hon. Before I go to bed I empty my bladder and once I have taken the ambien I do not get out of bed no matter how long it is that I can't go to sleep.
I really admire you and always appreciate your posts.
Melinda
I know there are other sleep meds out there- I tried Restoril, which worked for a while. But that made me groggy in the morning which wouldn't be good with a 2 year old.
Good luck in your venture to find sleep!
Sandy
I remember once I took an Ambien and waited 3 hours for it to work. When it didn't, I went out during a Tropical Storm (it was an underground tunnel to the next hotel) and played Blackjack. (I was in Nassau.) That's pretty weird but the tv was out, no internet and I'd finished my book. I was SOOOO bored. And I won so it wasn't harmful, LOL.
I haven't tried the Lunesta yet b/c I didn't know how much time I should give myself. Since my DH leaves between 4-5am, I didn't want to risk any problems waking up. Tonight I MIGHT try it, but I don't know if 2 hours is enough time. I can take it around 5pm and see what happens, but I'll probably wait till DH and son are gone this weekend and try it Friday night.
My other problem is waiting for my muscle relaxer to wear off. I take a diazepam when I wake up most days b/c that's when the spasms are at their worst lately. But after 15 years I don't feel any side effects so it doesn't make me tired. Then I normally take one in early evening or bedtime, but if I take the Lunesta, I will have to take the 2nd muscle relaxer at around 3pm. I actually hate adding any medication to the mix, but it's not everyday, and if it doesn't work, I'll just probably give up and pray for sleep.
I've tried all the natural remedies and melatonin, etc. My problem has always been falling asleep, the "staying" asleep is recent. I guess we'll see!
I have tried Trazadone in the past and found it to work much better than Ambien. Guess i have to call doc again. Ugh!
I really don't like this. I went years without docs but had no life. Now that I want a life I guess I have to put up with them.