Try 6 mg melatonin (in the vitamin section). It's all natural and helps me. Sometimes I also take 50 mg benadryl if that doesn't help. Good luck and sweet dreams (I hope):)

I use the 10 mg time release melatonin. That usually helps, but sometimes not. My Dr. prescribed lunesta and I have to take that occasionally. When those both fail, like you, I am up all night. Good luck to you.

before i even got lupus it often took a mack truck and a group of thugs to slug me into unconsciouness. prednisone made it impossible to sleep without a lot of prescription sleep and anxiety meds. i am allergic to melatonin. i also tried benedryl but it didn't help.

what has helped some has been switching from regular prednisone to medrol...don't know if that's an option for you but so far it has had far fewer side effects...
i truly feel for you cause not sleeping really screws you up and it's not like you can just use that "extra" time doing anything fun or productive...it's very frustrating...so sorry and i hope you find some help with that!

Lupus patients should avoid melatonin because it can cause flares. Johns Hopkins has a page on its site that lists things lupus patients should avoid. It's at http://www.hopkinslupus.org/lupus-info/lifestyle-additional-information/avoid/ My rheumatologist confirmed this and told me to stay from it. I'm now on Ambien, and I don't sleep much. Hope you feel better.

Okay, so there is a whole group of us staying up night after night. Maybe we should start a mid-night chess game. ;)

I miss sleep. I like sleep.

Thanks for your input. Also, I have melatonin - just haven't used it lately. I'll have to check into the Hopkins Lupus site to see what's up before I try it. I don't need a bigger flare than what I'm fighting now.

-MGrace

Doc just gave me Klonipin yesterday for sleep was on xanax would wake up if I fell asleep at all at 1-2am he said it is because xanax only last 2-3 hours. He told me prednisone doesn't cause insomnia.. It is listed as a side effect right? Ugh another med really? Also addded methotrexate because I flare each time we taper pred. Oh great my hair can fall out even worse with that. Great.
I give up...

I can not believe your doc said that prednisone doesn't cause insomnia! So ignorant! The last time I was on it, I went without sleep so long that I had a psychotic episode (thought everyone could read my mind).Luckily I told my doctor. She stopped the prednisone, gave me ambien and ativan for a month, and I was okay. Keep a sleep log and take it to your next appt to show the doctor how serious the problem is. I hope this helps.

Prednisone. Ugh.

I'm not on it currently, but I was having sleep problems and my rheum said it was making everything else worse. He put me on Tramadol and it has worked BEAUTIFULLY. You're supposed to take it 2 - 3 hours before bedtime, but it knocks me out so fast I take it 30 minutes ahead, at most.

Also, are you able to exercise? When I do yoga regularly I get much higher-quality sleep.

I am starting yoga again. I lost the use of my right hand (apparently not related to lupus - just another pain in the butt issue of a pinched nerve- probably brought on by extreme stress of lupus). So, I'll try to get into my asanas and see if I can avoid falling on my head :)