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Synergy Posts: 18
New Member
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Hi all, I am new to the group, but would love to hear any secrets about getting a good nights sleep - feel like I cannot get well until I can get deep sleep. My pain is poorly managed. Struggling to keep working as a engineer. I take 20mg Hydrocortisone spaced thru the day, tylenol#3, and klonipin. I have tried lyrica, zoloft, trazadone - side effects. Traditional Sleep meds do not work for me (ambien,etc.) Any help greatly appreciated. Thank you. I guess this is necessary now. Caution: I am NOT a doctor, this is my personal experience and research in my journey to wellness. You must discuss all of your personal health decisions with your health care provider.
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Clarita Posts: 10951
VIP Member
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Synergy, Very warm welcome to You  firstly!All fibromites struggle with getting a good night sleep,for sure! Have you a comfy bed+ pillow as these sure help too?! try to avoid cafeine drinks in the evening yet have a herbal or milky drink instead! Have a herbal drink at night called Sleep Easy which find helps a little! also try to tire out brain with brain puzzles on my nintendo ds sony, lateral thinking puzzles or cryptic crosswords are especially good! sometimes having a hot soak in the bath or having a foot spa really helps too! Have you tried meditating before bedtime or any relaxation techniques? Have you seen an holistic therapist to help you? Know you will get many replies here so hope you will soon be able to have a better night sleep-keep us in the loop! Sending super gentle hugs Love from the Uk Clarita xx xx |
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Clarita Posts: 10951
VIP Member
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Hope your pain gets better managed soon, too, most definitely! Take excellent care of You! Warmest wishes, fibromite love Clarita x |
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Adewyn Posts: 5027
Group Leader
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try melatonin.....and no caffine after 2 pm.... and i know you are gonna roll your eyes but go for a walk before or after dinner.... even if it is on a block or 2...changes the body reset button.. into doing something different and it make it tired.. go to bed at he same time every night even on weekends and get up a the same time every day uncluding weekends.. hugs and love |
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MoiraWolf Posts: 3410
Senior Member
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Hello and welcome! My suggestions would be to NEVER watch TV in the bedroom. The bedroom should be a sanctuary used for nothing but sleep and sex. Anything else get it out of there. TV is an awake activity... you need things that help you sleep, not wake you up. Lower the lights about an hour before bedtime. You need to let your natural circadian rthym know it's time for sleep. Since we have artificial light, the sunset is no longer a que to sleep, so dim the lights! Melatonin is an over the counter suppliment that helps us sleep. When the retinas in the eyes no longer see so much light, it signals your brain to trigger the release of melatonin, your body's own sleep aid. Get a routine before you go to bed. For example, my husband can't go to sleep at all unless he's had a shower. Having a shower every evening before bed has taught his brain, shower = sleep time soon. I used to read just before bed. If I didn't read, I couldn't go to sleep no matter what I did. Try to go to sleep at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning. Again, you're training your body to have certain responses. Other than these suggestions, the absolute BEST thing you could do is to find a sleep clinic and hve a sleep study done. We Fibromites tend to have sleep disorders such as Restless Leg Syndrome and Sleep Apnea (I have both). We don't get into the deeper stages of sleep. A person should spendabout 40% of their sleep time in the deepest stages of sleep, to let the body, brain and muscles have time to rest and repair themselves. Without that stage 4 sleep, our muscles don't repair and it causes muscle pain. Hope those help! Welcome to the group! I am not a medical doctor and any medical opinion I give is based on personal experience and/or research. It is not intended to suppliment or replace your doctor. Follow at your own risk.
Gabapentin 600mg, tid
Tramadol 50mg, bid
Enalapril 10mg
Metoprolol ER 50mg
Citalopram 40mg
Levothyroid 125mcg
Cyclobenzaprine 10mg
Hydroxyzine 25mg
Carbidopa/Levadopa 25/100mg
Fish Oil Omega 3 - 1400mg
multi-vitamin pack
Vitamin C 500mg
Vitamin D3 50,000units, once a week
Dx: Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, degnerative joint disease, hypertension, diabetes type II, irritable bowel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, reactive airway disease, chronic allergies, hashimoto's disease, TMJ, morbid obesity, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, seasonal affective disorder
www.etsy.com/shop/moirawolf |
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ushie Posts: 1928
Senior Member
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Super smooth sheets, featherbed on top of mattress, relaxing shower or bath, reading (and if you need something boring to read, "India: A History," by John Keay, is SOOOOOO boring I went out like a light trying to read the thing), gabapentin, have a set routine before bed EVERY night, so your body and mind start winding down into sleep mode together... if you absolutely cannot sleep, get up and do some chore or hobby. Don't lie in bed cursing your sleepless night--you'll "train" yourself to become more and more frustrated... |
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mabri Posts: 4710
Group Leader
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I believe in the Melatonin, but I have also used Benedryl at times when the sleep just was not coming. If you try that, though, you will want to go to bed at a decent hour, cuz you may feel a bit groggy in the morning. You have received a lot of good responses here, and I suggest trying those before doing the Benedryl. Welcome to the group, we hope to get to know you better. HUGS Please do not take anything I say as medical advice. I am not a doctor.
**Becky** |
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Synergy Posts: 18
New Member
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Hi all, Thank you for the great ideas. I can definetly use some work on my sleep environment, better bed, softer sheets, etc - as a man, I have to put conscious effort into creating a more comfortable environment. I think I was looking for a quick fix (Med) that will just put me into deep healing sleep for 8 hrs - I have not been able to find that yet - I suspect many of us are looking for the same thing. But many of your ideas I have not tried and are sure to improve my well being - so Thanks! Jeff in LA I guess this is necessary now. Caution: I am NOT a doctor, this is my personal experience and research in my journey to wellness. You must discuss all of your personal health decisions with your health care provider. |
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Julzy Posts: 503
Member
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Synergy~ I am in exact same boat as you~ ionce again it is 1:30 in the morning and I'm struggling to sleep. Ii have tried just about every suggestion above......comfy bed and bedding, No caffeen bf bed, warm bath, no Tv, meditation...Melatonin.....etc. etc ....and a walk to the beach every day before bed... My accupunturust....whom I go to once a week, said my cortisol levels are high....she swears that if I take a supplement Cortisol Manager every night I will sleep....how many? Start with two then increase it until you find the right amount for you......one woman takes 9 a night and sleeps!! Well here I am on night two of this supposedly Cortisol Manager, and on pill number 4...so back to Lunesta......tomorrow night I'll try 5 next night 6.... I might add that I was lying on my massage table with headphones with a medical hypnosis tape for deep sleep....guess what?? I'm still awake!!! My point being....I have Fibro...I've had it for 8 months now, supposedly......nothing helps sleep so far, nothing has helped the pain.....I am exploring everything under the sun, starting with a very traditional route of pharmaceuticals, as strong as morphine, and trying to to go on a much more holistic path...hoping for minimal medication, along with some specific direction on diet, exercise whatever it takes I will do.... Doctor number 23 ( lost count) is a PYsiatrist who supposedly specializes in fibro....I'm holding out hope.... I know this post sounds a bit blunt, but fibro sucks plain and clear and there is no way to sugar coat it, no matter how we try... I truly hope you find the secret to sleep....bc I have not, and I have been open to trying anything, at this point...please share if you do.. Hope I dont scare you away,,, just being real here.....and at the moment very sleep deprived and hurting terribly...Aand I didn't even mentioned th constant twitching. Throughout my body, body... I'm so tire of being tired... Post edited by: Julzy, at: 06/13/2012 11:00 PM Be well in mind and spirit even though your body fights you daily with pain....love and light. Julz. |
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Synergy Posts: 18
New Member
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Julzy- You made me laugh (with you) about your post because I share the exhaustion and frustration in the lack of answers. I too have first tried the holistic approach, but pain was too great, so went to meds, but I am conservative and try to keep the meds to a small number and am concerned w/SA. So I am back to a combination of both - meds to make life bearable, and alternative hopefully to heal, then stop meds - my grand plan. Funny you talk about too much cortisol - I take hydrocortisone (cortisol) (20mg) for adrenal insufficiency - they say you need good adrenal fnct to get a good nights sleep - but chronically high Cort is a problem - difficult to clearly diagnose w/o a ACTH challenge test from a endo, I have not had one yet - Don't ask me why - just too exhausted and tired of dealing with all the DR's and I would rather be doing almost anything than going round in circles with this mess........... I guess this is necessary now. Caution: I am NOT a doctor, this is my personal experience and research in my journey to wellness. You must discuss all of your personal health decisions with your health care provider. |
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