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Sleep and Pain: Part 1
How many times have you heard someone say, "I am so tired. I could use a nap right now." Or "I feel like I haven't slept a wink." How many times have you slept all night yet felt exhausted in the morning?
People who suffer chronic pain or suffer from a chronic disease need sleep. It takes a lot of energy to cope with chronic pain and disease. When a person sleeps, their body uses their energy for rejuvenation. Rest allows the body time to refuel and prepare to meet the demands of another day.
Quite often pain and stiffness cause people to sleep poorly. They may fall asleep only to wake each time they try to change their position.
Folks who are depressed sleep poorly. Others wake frequently to use a bathroom and then find they can't get back to sleep.
Do you dream? Have you ever awakened from an eventful dream only to feel like you actually lived it? Well believe it or not, there are times when your body responds to dreams as if they were actually living them. This can lead to an exhausted feeling in the morning as well.
So what can you do to help you sleep? Here are a few suggestions. Perhaps you can add to the list!
These are just a few ideas to add to your pain management tool box.. Now let's see if you can add any more!
Related Topics: WebMD Video: Understanding Aromatherapy, Fix Your Sleep; Improve Your Health
Technorati Tags: pain, insomnia, sleep
People who suffer chronic pain or suffer from a chronic disease need sleep. It takes a lot of energy to cope with chronic pain and disease. When a person sleeps, their body uses their energy for rejuvenation. Rest allows the body time to refuel and prepare to meet the demands of another day.
Quite often pain and stiffness cause people to sleep poorly. They may fall asleep only to wake each time they try to change their position.
Folks who are depressed sleep poorly. Others wake frequently to use a bathroom and then find they can't get back to sleep.
Do you dream? Have you ever awakened from an eventful dream only to feel like you actually lived it? Well believe it or not, there are times when your body responds to dreams as if they were actually living them. This can lead to an exhausted feeling in the morning as well.
So what can you do to help you sleep? Here are a few suggestions. Perhaps you can add to the list!
- Take time to relax before going to bed. Give your body a chance to start unwinding before heading into bed for the night.
- Take a nice warm bath or shower to help you unwind.
- Burn some aromatherapy candles to promote relaxation.
- Avoid eating or drinking too late into the evening. When you eat late, your body spends all night digesting food rather than resting.
- Be careful what you do eat when you eat and/or drink in the evening. Avoid caffeine drinks and foods. Consider snacking on peanut butter toast, or drink herbal teas to help you relax.
- Play soothing music
- Read or watch a little TV if this helps you relax.
- If you have a lot of things on your mind, try writing them down rather than tossing the ideas around and around in your head.
These are just a few ideas to add to your pain management tool box.. Now let's see if you can add any more!
Related Topics: WebMD Video: Understanding Aromatherapy, Fix Your Sleep; Improve Your Health
Technorati Tags: pain, insomnia, sleep
228 Comments:
Amitriptiline...........1 pill
before bed time works very good for me.
I also take an Amitriplyine before bed but it doesn't always help due to pain during sleep. No matter what I tend to wake up at 2 am like clock-work and can't get back to sleep. I work puzzlws and read until I literally fall asleep. But this is really getting old and in the mornings I am completely exhausted.
Oh WOW!! I also keep waking up at 2-2:30 (a.m.) and yes It IS getting REAL OLD!!
I rarely sleep more than 2 or 3 hours a night inspite of being on Cymbalta for pain and depression, Neurontin for spasms, back spasm medication, restoril and time released morphine. I have CFS/FM, Chronic Back Pain, Arthritis and many other Chronic Pain problems. I usually catch up in about 5 to 7 days sleeping most of the day which my dog hates.
I find that I have a sleep rhythm. If I get to sleep when I am first sleepy or right after I have fallen asleep in hot water I usually sleep all night. After twelve or so years of waking up at night (2 am is very familiar) I was told I had restless leg and that a combo of small dose of antidepressant, antispasm, and pain pill has made it so unless I am very upset I sleep all night. What a difference!!!
I take Ambien to sleep but I've found I am forgetting thins and if I don't go right to bed I'll forget what I did that night before finally sleeping.
The most I can sleep is an hour at a time due to pain. The pain meds wear off. I cannot have anything touching my skin (linens, clothing, a breeze, etc.) so it get's cold in the winter! I've been told to read a boring book to put you to sleep. That might work for some of you. With the RSD I can no longer read a book or a long article. I've tried amitriptyline and nortriptyline, but they didn't get me groggy enough to get past the pain. RSD is the most painful chronic pain disease that exists and nothing will take the pain away even for a few minutes if you've had it a long time. I've had it over 8 years. I do meditation and deep breathing to relax my way through the daily pain. Morphine does not touch the pain. Fentanyl will being it from a daily 7 to a 6 on good days...
I don't have much to tell you for sleeping. I've not slept through a night in over 8 years. I rest every hour for an hour and then am back up again. I'm on 27 different medications (every one is sedating...lol) I'm always tired, but the pain is too severe to consider sleep. I've been told by sleep specialists to get out of bed and move around if you can't sleep...who knows?
The suggestions are good but unrealistic for so many people who have major job stress, stress of keeping medical insurance and paying bills, stress in dealing with children and grandkids, ill mothers and fathers, or spouses, too much work they have to bring home from the office, etc. In short, Americans are eaten up with stress in their lives and get in situations where they cannot do much to change it.
I worked 70-80 hours a week and raised 4 children for 16 years straight. I've been working for over 40 years and I agree the stress is often too much. Before I got sick and had to quit work (would rather work with the stress) my father in law started the signs of Alzheimer's. My husband and I are his caretakers for the past 10 years. My husband had a major stroke 2 years ago. There are ways to relax prior to bed...deep breathing, guided imagery, a notebook at your bedside so when you thnk of something you can jot it down, trusting it will not be forgotten the next day. Warm baths, tea or even a glass of wine, if that's an option.
My husband never sleeps more than maybe 3 hrs a night, sometimes takes a short nap during the day while I'm at work. He was operated on 2 or 3 yrs ago due to a work related injury & the doctors clipped some nerves in his shoulder, he does not complain that much & most pain relievers do not work with him. I feel so bad with him, he is on workers comp now but most of the dr's he goes to are not very interested in actually helping him, but mostly just doing what the insurance co. says. They try to do muscle therapy for him but what can they do about these clipped nerves. One doctor told him the nerves were just waving around in there & there was nothing they could do for him, is this true, will he always be in pain?
Well this can be a pain. I wake up a few times in the night, because of pain. This may sound gross, but it helps me sometimes. A hot bath with 2 cups of apple cider vinegar. Passion flower extract helps me sleep too. So I'll take two of those(capsules) at night. Trazadone 100mgs used to be what took. Since I've got a two year old kid...I try to avoid being knocked out that hard.
It is good to see that I am not alone with loss of sleep. I have a very hard time getting to sleep and am up and down until 4 am, and then can sleep out of exhaustion till 7 or so.
Glad to see I am not alone here with sleep. I am up and down this 4 am, and then get some sleep towards the morning because I am just dead, and I then can sleep with the pain. As of yet, I have not found anything that really works.
Just got diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, but have had chronic pain/dep./sleep disturbance for years.
The TCA's (Amitrip, Nortrip, etc.) work well, but I can't take them... they make me soo hungry!
I just started Cymbalta (pain & dep.) about a wk ago and at night, I've found that in addition to my usual stuff (Topamax & Valium)... 25-50mg of Trazodone seems to help tremendously.
I find exercise improves the quality of my sleep. Massage is effective reducing tension and relieving pain. Meditation and breathing exercises help to calm my mind. When all else fails, cannabis does the trick.
I have chronic pain with fibromyalgia. Also pain from car accident. Docs are trying everything. I'm on Cymbalta. Doc is trying small dose of Amitryptaline for sleep. Last night I was up until 3 or 4 am. Could not sleep. Have 10 mg of Ami. It took 2 Ami plus 15 mg. Temazepam to finally crash. I suffer from severe depression so docs are pulling any narcotics. Trying to use antidepressant mixtures and or NSAIDS. If something works for you let me know will ya? I also have sleep apnea but it's not due to the apnea. I use my CPAP every night.
I can't sleep either. I thought I was the only one. I've been to ever doctor and nothing helps. I had back surgury 4 years ago. The doctor said that this was the best I could get. I also have epilepsy and depression. I've tried medication but I'm afraid of getting hooked. I'm just waiting to die.
Has anyone found a mattress that helps? We are thinking about trying the Select Comfort.
I don't sleep great either and i have been diagnoised with fibromyalgia and am in the works to go to shands hospital in gainesville florida for help but first have to qualify and i got a question that i hope someone can answer here i have alredy had bllod work to rule out rhumatiod or lupus and i would like to know if this fibromyalgia is worse than these two diseases or what category does it fall under and what relief (if any) can i find until i get to a place that can help me as i have no insurance or job or cash for that matter and am lookin to see if there are studies for this here in lforida &shands hospital is one of the places but i need to know (cuz it takes awhile for them to accept you as a patient and i have had this for 3 months now and each day i wake up it is horrible the stiffness i feel and i actually use a walker to get up ouot of bed and no i am not a heavy person 123lbs. adn i get sorer everyday so can this disease (that there is no cure for )kill me so,eday cuz it actually on some days feels like im dying inside and i no longer do the things i love to do like ride my horse cuz if i do i suffer tremendously the whole next 5 or more days so if u can give some input as to how bad this fibromyalgia gets in a person and could it paralyze you or even worse kll you??? i need to know this if some can please tell me i would appreciate it!! thanx!!Denise
To anyone who has trouble getting sleeping pills from their doctor try gravol it works for me.
To Debbie- I feel for you. I have had chronic low back pain and fibromyalgia fdor 27 years. I have tried everything and nothing has solved the problem, though mostly I manage. I do have sleep disruptions despite 50 mg of trazadone (can't take more or I have fainting spells because of low blood pressure) and 500 to 1000 mg of Extra Strength Tyelnol PM, plus 900 mg of Neurontin. I may try the ambien route. We bought a Select Comfort mattress and I do think I get to sleep better on it, but still wake with pain during the night. Fibromyalgia won't kill you. It is nowhere near as dangerous as lupus. Doctors really don't know what causes it or much about how to treat it except to try to treat the sleep disruptions and the resulting depression. You have to find a doctor that treats people with fibromyalgia. I have found that if you force yourself to regularly exercise, including moderate weight training, and try to deal with the sleep problems, you can live with this.
Oops - I meant Denise. Sorry for that. Blame it on lack of sleep!
Having Diabetes 2 - with peripheral neuropathy in my feet making them feel like ice picks jabbing restless feet at night is always uncomfortable waking to the point where I have major foot/leg cramps at least once a night. I take neurontin -- not working well. When I'm tired/sleepy - that's the time to get into bed and sleep waking 2x a night, walk on the floor tiles until leg/foot cramp subsides, and back to bed - total sleep perhaps on a good night 5 hours.
Anon. says,I wake up three times a night to pee and can't go to sleep unless I take melatonin and a pain pill but after reading other peoples coments I have no complaints
I can relate, having lived with constant chronic pain for 32 years, haven't had a good nights sleep in all that time. Time in the hot spa and a good massage from my most understanding wife helps. I was in a motorcycle accident 32 years ago,I suffered a brachial plexus injury that causes me pain at a 5-6 level while on oxycodone. It sometimes goes to a 8-9 level, for any number of reasons. I've had two surgeries on my spinal cord to try and stop the pain, they didn't work. I suffered a cut in the left side of my neck that cut through many nerves also. When you add to that, a broken colar bone that wasn't set and healed off center, a smashed knee cap that weasn't replaced, and being in a coma for 8 and a half days, you may be able to understand my having pain issues to deal with. I have tried many medications over the past 32 years, and nothing gets rid of the pain, the oxycodone helps keep it at a 5-6 level most of the time. If it weren't for my understanding wife and sons, I would have elected to checvk out of this misserable life long ago, but so glad that I didn't, but they arte ther only reason for my sticking around. I keep hoping and praying that something new will come along that will allow me to enjoy the few years that I hope to have left without being in pain every second.It does seem that the medical people are doing more to find ways to help those of us in chronic pain, not a whole lot was done t try a nd find help for us for many years, that does seem to be changing now. My prayers go out for all those who live a s I do, that we will know what it is like to live without PAIN one day soon. Roy
I have severe disc degeration, arthritis, and foraminal stenosis of the thorco-lumbar spines, and sacrospinalis spasms of the left lumbar in addition to perpheral neuropathy and radiculopathy of both feet and left thigh, plus depression 2/2 the chronic pain...nothing worked until I was prescribed fentanyl 72-hour transdermal patch and a 2mg hydromorphone at bedtime...sometimes I augment with an NSAID, but only when joints are throbbing...this combo helps greatly with getting consistently refreshing sleep, which makes a world of difference for everyone near me...best of luck, this is a hard road to travel--just make sure there is a destination or goal of YOUR choosing--surgery to allow for some exercise and weight loss for example--that allows you to regain control of your sleep and by extension life.
For Denise,and anyone with sleep/pain.
PROSOM is the only pill that keeps me asleep,and in the am.there is no hangover effect like with many other sleep pills i have tried.I feel rested in the am.and the mentel is much better which inturns allow me to contiue to fight the pain.
I have had fibromyalgia diag.for 10yrs.Probably had it for at lest 20.I too am now 125.Weight helps but not that much as the world thinks.I have ben heavier before.
I used to ride horses and show about 20 yrs ago.I tried last winter,rented a horse,wanted to know if I could still ride.I lasted 1/2hr.was sore for about two week.
Riding even just a little each day is very good exercise.Swimming is the ultimate,cause gravity is taken off the body.I have found that it is a must for me to have Chiropractic care.If a good dr.can feel like you have a new body.
The causes very,the biggest thing is do what you can when you can,and adapt to your situation.Some times there are long periods that are good,then there is a flare up of symptoms.
Denise Definately apply for ss,it isn't hard to do without a lawyer.
Take care all.squirrel
Try massage therapy and/or a chiropractor. I have a friend who has chronic pain and this gives her some relief.
I can understand pain and sleeplessness. I have open stress ulcers on my leg and they are currently in the healing process. As the wound is healing I get sharp pains in that area and the area is very tender. Sometimes when I get up, I hobble around for most of the day because the leg doesn't want to support total weight. I'm a night person. I sleep during other people's day - lol. I usually go to bed about 5am and get up about 3pm. I have the problem of daylight keeping me awake, but we solved most of that by blacking out the windows of the bedroom. I used to take Melatonin, but I found something else that helps even more! Valerian Root supplements! 2 capsules about 1/2 hr before bedtime helps me make it through the night(day) until I want to get up. It sometimes gives me a slight headache in the morning, but usually only when I was exhausted before going to bed. I'm also on Paxil CR for depression and the Valerian works well with it with no side-effects. I also (when I can't get to sleep) play a hand-held video game - solitaire! My spouse gets annoyed sometimes because the light from the videogame keeps him up! lol But I usually play it until I start to fall asleep. The game shuts itself off, but the light stays on - Oh well - at least it helps. I hope this helps others out there!
I am mostly naturaly handeling Pain associated with fibromyalgia, and another auto immune Sjoren's Syndrome. I do take 60 mg of Cymbalta, 150 mgs of trazadone, and 30 of Sam-E. I see an MD who is a naturapath, and more sucess that the Botox,or migraine meds.A splint for my teeth helps, and that is where most od my pain comes from. Contact me at jledlw,at the one with the a. and I'll tell you how a gal I know cured fibo, naturaly, as I intend to do.,
Hello all and thank you for your posts. My prayers go out to everyone. I have a number of chronic pain illnesses, but the sleep studies show that I do not pass into deeper phases of sleep -- I stay only at the highest, Alpha, level, so I get no restorative sleep. I also get severe migraines, severe memory loss, CFS, and probably have MS undiagnosed. (All the symptoms but no MRI milein (sp) showing up ... there is a T1 research test that shows that some 10-20% of people don't show the usual MRIs but have a different brain pattern seen in this research. So, my "sleep" varies, mostly the pain keeps me up at night and I meditate and doze ... I've been bedridden three years most of the time. (Was a professional dancer, yoga instructor, very active with USAID in developing countries, AIDS prevention on a National level, etc.) with 5 kids, now I have a "bed yoga" thing I do, and some days I'm a bit better and while I will watch tv or something with my VERY wonderful husband, I barely remember things from day to day. Not terrible depression except to be expected with this situation. Does anyone else have sleep studies that show no deeper level sleep? I was told that it was most unusual, in fact my sleep dr, the top one supposedly in DC, had NEVER seen sleep studies series like mine EVER. No one knows what to do. Vicodin is useless, sleeping pills useless, it doesn't matter if I stay awake all day (which is what they told me to do, ha!) with provigil or something, I still don't have real sleep and am often just awake. I do suffer from PTSD from abuse in child and adulthood. Have Classical Arts PhD and was really smart when I was well, but now I am sort of dull and truly don't recognize people. Anyway, I'm rambling, another thnng I have done for the past 6 years now... Does anyone else have this strange sleep study pattern? Oh, I am using a program called Holosync from www.centerpointe.com to help with daytime pain. Very useful. Thanks for reading and prayers out to everyone.
I too Live with Constant Chronic Pain and have trouble sleeping! I am constantly waking up in the very early morning hours. I don't get much sleep on week nights ; since I have to get up at 6 a.m and see my three kids off to school.
But,I make up for sleep loss by going back to bed for a few hours after my kids are gone to school.If that fails I sleep in as much as I can on weekends. By Monday I feel a little more rested. I suffer with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis which causes my chronic pain at levels between 8 and 10 everyday of my life.(I'm only in my 30's too)and my leg reflexes are
weakening due to a fall I had last spring and I have a crushed vertabre in my low back and can't sit up for very long without a severe back spasm. Espacially during diner time!
But,if I didn't try to get even one hour more sleep it would put me in the hospital. I have been to doctors,physical Therapy,Pain clinics and they couldn't help me. All I can do is take Vicoden 750mg and get as much sleep as my body allows me to....Sleep is very Important and it helps when you have chronic pain everyday...
After reading some comments about problems with sleep, i am a member of this group. And I agree with the anonymous person who said that cannibus is the only thing that really helps me sleep. I am on an anti depressant that has a sleep agent in it, klonopine, and dalmane, I am a small woman, you'd think that I would be knocked out. Wish they would legalize medical marijuana as it is the only thing that takes away my neck pain and gives me good sleep.
I have chronic pain, Fibromyalgia and some other nerve problems causing constant pain. Pain pills will not help most of my chronic pain, but epidurals have helped a little, along with some exercise. Still, trying to sleep is a problem because I cannot get into a comfortable position. I have tried a couple prescription medications, but wake up after 4 hours. I finally tried Tylenol PM and found out that by taking 2 or 3, I can get a good nights sleep. The Tylenol seems to help just enough with my other pains and the other ingredients put me to sleep for the night. I now swear by it. Sometimes I don't even feel my dogs changing places in my bed.
I had problems sleeping due to UNREAL pain. I take morphine, demeral, vicodin, yada, yada, yada, along with ambien. One of my friends gave me an air mattress as she didn't use it anymore. It's one of those air mattresses that are made by Coleman with the electric air pump attached. I put it on top of my pillow top mattress and inflated it. I have NEVER slept as good as I did that night!!! As far as I'm concerned -- air mattresses are the bomb!!! I did find that I had to put a piece of foam over it during the cold months of the year because the air in the mattress was too cold to sleep on. I still take alot of drugs to help with my pain throughout the day, but the nights are heavenly now!!!
I've had 2 sleep studies 10 years apart. BOTH were the same! I "slept" 7 hours with only 1 (one)minute of deep rem, and 20 minutes of stage 4. SO... I'm always tired, depressed, in pain, bad mood and so on, and so on. Doctors say "never seen anything like this before". They can send man to outter space, but can't devise a proper sleeping pill??????
ive had sleeping problems for years....having Crohn's disease...diabetes...fibromyalgia..depression...has been difficult..to say the least. What i do to help me sleep is i burn a vanilla candle, it relieves stress. I also meditate.I use visualization alot., and i believe in Prayer (big time). As for the meds that im on is Neurontin 300mg...Trazodone 150mg. Lortab for the pain...if im lucky i can sleep for 4 hours without waking.If your tired during the day nap...hey its sleep.GL to ev1 Jan
Hi Denise, I want you to know that I have Fibromiligia. However did you start with weakness of the muscles? My started with the left thigh and then my skin was very senstive and burning sensation like on fire. Then extreme pain in the muscles. The last thing it goes pins and needles. Itis very pain indeed. Four things:
Muscles skin bones and nerves. My Dr at Reverside was right in Colunbus. I suggest to pray about it and it has help me. And to talk about it. It is not in your mind like some Drs. says. Okay. I will send you the old medical term for this. I hope this will help Fibrositis( Muscular Rheumatism ) This is true. I came down with it in 1987 since them its getting worse. Please beware of Oxycontin. It can cause sweating, and not getting enough sleep. It has happen to me. You can E-Mail me at Littlefawn4189@aol.com if you like. I wanted to share with somone because I know what you are going through you are not alone.
Huh after reading and learning from what other people have written I know I ain't nuts for waking up at all hours due to the pain. And that it isn't psycosymatic (I think thats the word (sp) )
I do know I am sick and VERY TIRED of it.
I have the same problem with PAIN and the same problem with ambien at night,so I just quit taking it.(Yes my Dr. knows it)
Heck basically ALL the stuff thats been written thus far I can relate too.
My prayers goes out to all.Prayer does help,or some form of ultimate power.
The AIR matress is a definate plus.
I LOVE MINE.The water bed would be simular.
I have read most post.Guess I don't need to waste money on sleep studies.
I know that I can sleep for 12hrs get up for a smoke or go tinkle,then right back to sleep.
It is the Quality of the sleep that counts.
and I just don't get that.Thank God I have a great Dr. he is in Who's Who of America.
Someone touched on the pot and that is a good thing if it helps some states have legalized for RX.
Now with the new medicare plan D
that was suppose to be wonderful.
Thankful for all they do pay.
The Government ackowledges that sleep is important to GOOD HEALTH-
Then why is it they won't pay for SLEEP MEDS.?What is up with that.
I use the lidoerm patch of 5% those work well if you put them on before the pain gets to a 10.
I have fibromyalgia, insomnia and other chronic pain problems, i am on several antidepressants, i was on trazadone, but i started to hallucinate, so i had to stop, i am also on topamax, ultram, zanaflex, valium. I've tried guided imagary, meditation, yoga, just about everything, i just can not seem to go to sleep, stay asleep or not help but waking up early, even though i feel like i am always tired, i almost always feel like i have the flu or like someone has thrown me up against a wall or in a big dryer with rocks in it, b/c of the fibromyalgia, sometimes i sit in class and i can't sit still b/c i am in so much pain. I don't know what to do. I have my whole life ahead of me and i do not know how to deal b/c i'm always exhausted and in pain.
I have fibro, just diagnosed in May. I am managing it fairly well with Nortriptyline 10mg in the morning. Taking it at night made me wake up around 2 or 3am, so I take it in the morning. I take Zanax 0.25mg at night and I sleep like a baby. I use a neck support pillow and a pillow between my knees to keep my spine straight. Proper allingment is a must to help with pain. Going to bed at the same time everyday and waking up at the same time is key. Do not nap. Relaxation techniques before bed are very helpful. Most of my constant pain disappeared after about 6weeks of taking Nortriptyline. I only have pain with activity, especially after work. I deal with it using heat and stretches twice a day.
Hi all,
Need t introduce myself. My name is LeAnn, aka, Le or DeafEskie. I suffer from a lot of components....I was born Deaf-Blind due to Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS),and dx'ed with the following late manifestations: Fibromyalgia (FMS)/Chronic Myofascial Pain (CMP), Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA), Osteoarthritis (OA), Major Depression, Schuermanns Kyphosis, Glaucoma, GERD, Endometrosis, IBS, PVC--Premature Ventricular Contractions and Narcolepsy. I am on about ten diff meds now. Used to bed 13. Can no longer take NSAIDS--caues extreme fluid retention and weight gain. I too, can't sleep. Been two years now. Had my hyterectomy in july of 2003. Ever since, off/on, been problems sleeping. Probably had Narcolepsy since I was a teen, as the sleep attacks have come and gone, depending on situations in my life--aka, if alot of stress or good/happy times, etc.... My husband lives in another state (Colorado) due to job, school and inablitlty to sell the condo (we tried--lot of legal financial crap involved)...and I can't move up there obviously due to my health--not gonna risk living in a colder environment. So I am down here, in Okie-land. M nights I can't sleep until 3, 4 or 5 am. Sleep doc does not seem to understand--keeps preaching to take the Remeron ad just go to bed at a specific time. Well hwo can I do that if I am in pain, mind is wide awake, body seems to be wide awake??? I feel that the stimulants I take for the narcolepsy is part of my problems. I just provd the other part of my problems correct this weekend--hubby is here, and I have slept like a baby. I dread his leaving and my nights awake again. I too have wondered if a better bed would help.
Now, I need to answer the lady that asked about FMS. Hon, FIBRO dies not make you that stiff. FIBRO is in the muscles, NOT the JOINTS. Sounds like you have a type of arthritis, sweetie. You MUST insist on going to a Rheumatolgist. INSIST on tests for ALL and I mean ALL autoimmune disorders. Insurance co can go to hell fo those that have insurance. Focus on YOU, what YOU feel is right. And for those on medicaid/county...this goes for you too--fight the system. I have. I am on total disability, and yet I am trying to work part time from home. It CAN be done. I have fought for ad gotten a lot of help for all my needs. For those that have not applied for disability, I strongly urge you to DO IT. We need to show those people at social security that FMS etc is a genuine disorder and CAN be somewhat disagbling if not have proper medications and medical care. And no, FMS is NOT, I repeat, NOT fatal. It is just a autoimmune disorder involving the muscles and CNS--central nervous system. PLEASE do your research. Google Fibromyalgia. Go to Fibromyalgia Network and the National Fibromyalgia Assn. GET YOURSELF EDUCATED or the doctors WILL screw you over.
Last but not least. For the one on 27 different medications. Sweetie, sounds to me like you are not on the right regimen. NO ONE should have to poison our bodies with so many medications. Sunds to me as if you have almost no life. If I was you, I would evaluate all of your meds. Wean off of them all, one by one. If one is for a heart condition, thn well gotta leave that alone, lol. Sometimes we have to step back, NOT listen to our doctors. Do research onyour meds--sounds like you have meds couteractng each other. I did not know it, but I did--until a pharmacist (sub not my usual pharm) noticed and TOLD me that Provigil and Dexedrine counteract each other. If you are taking so many7 meds and not feelig better, then something is very, very wrong. Don't let the doctors fool you into thinking it can't be better. That is a load of crap. It CAN be better. We CAN have a lot less medicated life, and get our lives back. I am choosing to wean off Dexedrine gbecause I have a heart condition and Iam concerned for my heart. To me that is a higher priority than my narcoepsy issues. I am now on 400mg Provigil a day so I think in time that should hoefully be eough. If not, I am on the lowest possible dose of dexedrine possible, so should not affect my heart too much.
Good luck to everbody. I have now joined this board and will be following up. Remember, do your homework. Get educated. Go beyond webmd. The more research you can do on your conditions the better. Doctors are so busy, see so many paitnts that they often forget very important details. AND we know our own bodies better than ANYONE. We do have a CHOICE whether to be medicated or not. If feel the meds are not helping, then for Gods sake, demand something bettr or simply just wean off of them and go for natural remedies if you can afford to. For me, I am going the combination route--for now and probagbly forever because I have to keep my arthritis in "check" etc.
Feel free to ask me anything. For I too share your pain and agony of not being able to sleep, and of well meaning family members that do not understand.
For those of you dealing with Fibromyalgia, we invite you to talk with others for support and insight on our Fibromyalgia: Support Group board.
And if CFIDS is an issue for you, try our Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Support Group board. :-)
Well, it's1:00AM--so obviously, I can't sleep. I have pain from some recent rotator cuff surgery--I take 0.50 Xanax before bed--if that does't work in an hour I take 10 mg of ambien. I told like the taking the ambien because I feel like I get forgetful and that really bothers me. Kathy: you said you're just waiting to die--don't do that--be as proactive as you can!!!
well it 4:14 am right now and again I wake up because of the back pain. I've looked and looked for a diff. mattress but WHOA! the prices would keep me up even if they did help with the pain LOL I know it aint funny but in an odd sort of way it is. I just wish there were a way I could afford a decent mattress, but at least I have one,even the floor when it gets real bad. But it is getting old REAL OLD
Oh yea, I dont do the things I used to do either,but I also have heart problems. I do some woodworking a lil at a time esp when its hot out
I got to watch how I angle myself when I sand/cut/assemble the wood also.Otherwise an hour or so later its !@#$%^& and I end up sitting for a week or so starin at the saws.
This worked great for me:
I found that I was falling asleep on my side but always waking up on my back to turn over. I have low-back soreness. So instead, I use a body pillow against my back and another one between my knees to help keep me on my side all night. Sometimes I never wake once (it used to be 4 - 5 times a night)!!
I have those pressure point pains talked about in the NASA bed commercial when I'm asleep and I wake up every time I have to pee or have to eat or have to turn over (which I'm sure most people should sleep through). I take soma but all that does is make my husband annoyed with my lack of attention span and I can't remember what I did when I took them. All I know is I wasn't sleeping!
Every time I wake up that's when my severe back and joint pain hits me and it is so damn annoying being in so much pain I have to wake someone up and have them get me a pill and drink. Almost every night I have to take another painkiller. I wake up on average about every 2 hours and have no problem staying up at all. I end up being very tired in the afternoons and get yelled at for being lazy :(
I was just put on Remeron which is a antidepressant also known as mirtazapene. It is generic which is great ,when so many of the new drugs are so expensive.I have chronic pain,epdural fibrosis(scar tissue around the spinal cord),degenerative disc disease, lumbar radiculapathy(nerve root pain],major depression, failed back surgeries,and bursitis of the left hip(greater trocanter}. I have a spinal cord stimualator which helps with all the pain on my left side.I also take wellbutrin,cymbalta and percocet for breakthrough pain.Like the lady said do your research.take from your Dr.'s what works,and leave the crap.I took me over 20 years to get this far.Peace...
I've had Fibromyalgia for a very long time so I can say I've tried many of the drugs that alot of you have tried. What is working for me now is this..and it's not drugs ...its a called ETPS accupuncture /accupressure. Every night I get my husband to give me accupuncture since I've bought this machine in March and now I am walking almost normal again and the pain is more bearable and I am sleeping way better!! All thanks to the accupuncture! Something to think about. The drugs didn't help at all and I've tried many different ones. I am now able to exercise some too. I can't over do anything yet and I still suffer greatly from migraines but I am alot better than I was in March.
I have systemic lupus, and frequently deal with chronic pain as a result. For years I have had trouble sleeping, and I just thought it was lupus related. I got diagnosed with Restless Leg Syndrome last fall and was put on Requip. Since then, I have felt like a totally different person. I sleep through the night, my pain level has decreased dramatically, and I have energy throughout the day. I would recommend that anyone who's having trouble sleeping see a sleep wellness center and get tested for sleep disorders. Especially if you also suffer from chronic pain like I do, because being able to sleep helps so much with pain level.
I just got told I have lupus, Ive been tested for 6 yr now. I also have bursitis of the right shoulder and impingment, with tears in the rotator cuff and may need surgery, I was given amitriptyline 25 to help me sleep. isnt this for depression? does anyone else take it and how is it working for you? what about withdrawls if I stop taking it?
dawn
I used to only get 2-3 hours of sleep every night due to bipolar disorder. This went on for years, starting in elementary school. Finally I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and I was put on an antipsychotic called Seroquel, because it would help me sleep. The medication often makes me very sleepy, but usually I still lay awake for hours before I can fall asleep. The problem is that about an hour after I take my medication for the night, the Seroquel kicks in. It makes me lose control of my muscles, so I can't even swallow water. It also makes my heart beat extremely fast, which is really frightening at times. If I try to get up and go to the bathroom, I pass out because of low blood pressure caused by the Seroquel. This is such a problem because all I can really do is lay in bed and stare at the ceiling. Insomnia has been a lifelong struggle for me and I'm just lucky that it isn't caused by pain.
Denise, You need to exercise a great deal - even if it hurts - cause you will hurt more if you don't exercise. And no one dies from FMS. You will just feel like dieing..but please don't worry about this FMS if you can have positive thoughts. The positive thoughts will help you tremendously.. and of course all the exercise you should be doing. I have had FMS for around 20years. I have such a positive attitude that I have had only a handful of attacks. Thanks, hope this helps you and anyone that has FMS. Good Luck, I love you and so does God.
WOW, I am so happy that there are people out there just like me. I have problems with pain in my hips and legs, especially at night. Dr's always want to put me in physical therapy. I have done so much physical therapy that I can teach it. Or they want to over medicate you. My husband and I get transfered alot and when we move I have to find a new DR. I have a hard time sleeping because of the pain too. I have tried a few different sleep aids but like most of you, I wake at 2:45 or 3:30 evey morning to toss around for a few hours and then fall asleep for another 2 or 3 then feel like crap all day. I have no energy, I am feeling very anxious and I am loosing patients with people easily. I went to a new Dr today. HE basically told me to go to a psychiatrist because of my night terrors.{JERK} Than he gave me some exercises to do for my hip and leg pain. I don't have pychological problems. I am a person who can not sleep well because of my chronic pain and night mares. Why do these DR's think we are all psycho because we have sleep problems and pain. I have a great G.P who listens to me but she is limited in her practice. SO, she has to refer me out to another specialist.I have a hard time getting other Dr's to listen to me. I have hip problems and leg pain. Physical therapy helps increase my range of motion, but it is not helping my hip pain. I have a hard time walking and I can't carry anything heavy. Why won't these Dr's do any further test to find a problem WHY? They will do a MRI and if the disc spacing looks good they send me back to physical therapy again. I am sick of physical therapy. Any advice besides physical therapy? hahahaha
HELLO, I THINK ALL OF YOU WITH FIBROMYALGIA SHOULD TRY PLACQUNIL 200 MG A DAY I TAKE IT FOR LUPUS BUT IT HAS HELP ME WITH CHRONIC PAIN AND FATIGUE, THIS HAS BEEN THE BEST THING FOR ME. I ALSO HAVE FM AND CHRONIC FATIGUE SO IT COULD HELP YOU WITH YOUR PAIN. HOPEFULLY. GOOD LUCK
Wow. I just read through everyone's posts and there are a lot of troopers out there! I too suffer from insomnia and chronic pain. I've had insomnia for as long as I can remember - even back in elementary. I have the bags to prove it! It's almost 10:30 AM and I still have not gone to sleep. I wish I had a solution, but I've tried it all. From foods to exercise to meds. I've gotten used to little or no sleep and for that reason I'm able to function during the day. However, I haven't been so lucky with my back pain. I've been in 13 car accidents (only 2 as the driver) and my bones in my back didn't grow the way they were supposed to. I have one leg that is shorter than the other which really throws me out of alignment along with my curving spine. A lot of stress is put on my left leg (the shorter one) to compensate and I have difficulty walking once my knee swells up. X-rays show that my pelvis has rotated and the vertebrae along my spine never closed as my bones were growing (the vertebrae hold your nerves in place). So along with my actual bones causing me pain, I have loose nerves that are so easily triggered that massages are too painful. Acupuncture does wonders, but only lasts a few hours and is very costly. I've seen Chiropractors and Physical Therapists for the last 5 years with no improvement. Every doctor says the same thing: "Yea we can fix you." I've spent THOUSANDS of dollars and at only 21 it hasn't been easy. Also, I've had problems with my stomach since I was 16. I was finally diagnosed last year with gastritis, but I'm not even sure if that's an accurate diagnosis. I've been prescribed over 20 medications - yes, it's ridiculous. At one point or another I have tried each one, but I refuse to be so dependent on medication. I currently take Aciphex, Zelnorm, and 25mg of Amitriptyline. They are all supposed to be for my stomach but the Amitriptyline is also supposed to work as a sleep aid. I can't seem to take it without feeling drowsy the next day so I often just skip it. I try to cope with the back/knee pain with natural remedies - swimming, stretches, ice packs, and good ol' "toughing it". Some days it works and some days I resort to Vicodin and Soma. My sister has taken both of these daily for her Fibromyalgia for the past 12 years and just recently stopped. She weened herself off them slowly and feels A LOT better now without them. She also moved to a higher elevation (8,000ft) which she feels has done wonders for her. I know everyone here suffers from their own unique combinations of pains, but my advice to you is to reach deep down inside of yourself to find your strength to stay positive. Being dependent on medications will give you a false sense of security and can make you feel even more depressed and hopeless. TRY to limit your medications as they can really alter your mental well-being. Sorry this was so long. All I really wanted to say is IF YOU HAVE CONTROL OF YOUR ATTITUDE, YOU TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR PAIN. I wish everyone a pain free tomorrow!
does anyone here get any ssi or goverment funding ? I get disablity for the lympadema I have from a level 4 melanoma but am having trouble getting any help from ssi.
is lupus and other autoimune disorders considered a disability?
Hello all, Just reading threw all the posts. I did not realize there are so many people with chronic pain and Fibromyalgia. I have had chronic pain now for 3 yrs due to an accident at work. Which i had to have a cervical fusion in the neck, and will be facing back surgery soon. I fear that as so many people that I have talked to the surgeries did not work. I take oxycodone for the pain but I have not slept threw the night now for 3 yrs. How do you cope? and how do I get over the anger of being in pain all the time? It really bums me out. I am a 47 yr old gal who enjoyed life but now I feel yucky and depressed. Thank god for a wonderful fiance who makes me laugh on a daily basis.
Hi all. Writing this note on behalf of my wife. She suffers from chronic low back pain due to a herniated L5/S1 disc that she has had for the past 7 years. In addition, suffers from fibromyalgia. She routinely cannot sleep at night. To the point that we sleep in separate rooms because of my work hours and needing to get up at 4:30 AM, which is about when she finally gets to sleep if at all. She is on a pain management regimen like most of you with everything from Oxycontin EQ, Effexor and Flexeril for the fibro (had been on Neurontin) and Ambien to help with the sleep. She recently lost her mother, and is feeling guilty about that. Slipping into depression and suffering from a constant headache for the past 5 weeks that mushrooms into a migraine more often than not. Recently though, she has been suffering from flushing and breaking out in sweats every hour. She is postmenopausal and on hormone replacement therapy. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Extremely frustrating as well as her fear factor is kicking up a notch, not knowing what is causing the flushing and routine breaking out of sweats. So much to ask and not enough time. If I could get her to have a good night sleep, I think she would get better. All sleep meds other than Ambien cause her nightmares. Has been on Ambien CR for about 6 months, but that really does not help. Reverting back to 10mg regular Ambien, which she has taken for the past four years. Problem with regular Ambien is that she only sleeps for about four hours max. Any thoughts please?
WOW! Stop the madness people. I just read almost all of these posts, has the world lost its mind? You are all killing yourselves with the chemical medication you take. Do you really think the FDA has you best interests in mind? Or that your body enjoys the countless amounts of unnatural chemicals you put in it? There are at least fifteen herbal remedies that I know of, that can help a person sleep at night. And another hundred to help with pain. And if its chronic pain you have cannabis is extremely effective and natural. Don't believe the TV lies you hear about it! It is medically legal in thirteen states. It has NEVER been proven to cause lung cancer (because it does not!) And there are multiple ways to ingest it, including foods. Get out there, get educated, fight for truth and start living a pain free healthy life.
P.S. It's 18 states and here they are
1 Alaska
2 California
3 Colorado
4 Maine
5 Massachusetts
6 Montana
7 Michigan
8 Minnesota
9 Missouri
10 Mississippi
11 Nebraska
12 Nevada
13 New York
14 North Carolina
15 Ohio
16 Oregon
17 Washington
18 Wisconsin
Not only will cannabis relieve pain, it will also (for people like me with hypertension) rapidly lower you’re blood pressure when it goes high. I’ve tested this with my BP monitor many times.
I also have fibromyalgia. For anyone suffering from this condition, I suggest that you check prohealth.com, there is a forum for fibromyalgia with lost of good info. I don't want to take pills, but found that the following helps: SAM-e (for mild depression and joint pain, it also increases glutathione levels), fish oil, Calcium/Magnesium at night (very important for FM patients), meditation/relaxation techniques (especially before falling asleep, makes a huge difference). Also look into antioxidant OPC 3, I have just started it and it seems to do wonders for FM>
I have low back injury, just had a mri with and with contrast no change since my last. I have really bad leg cramps and cant sleep it is in my butt muscles and the inside of my thighs. Know the dr wants a emg done and blood work for auto immune test not sure what is going on can any one suggest what i should look up to do my own home work
Grabo...have your wife bio identical hormones. Have her sleep in a cooler room, that helps alot. Also, have her try Zanaflex instead of ambien. I have horrific nightmares with it too. i ahve had the best nights sleep in a long time. I can get at least 5to 6 hours of good sleep then fall back to sleep again. Try it it is excellent. Tramadol is wonderful for restless leg syndrom and it helps with pain. 100mg evey 4-6 hours. It will make you sleepy at first but you will not feel druged at all. GOOD LUCK
Amitriptiline is a drug wit lingering effects.Zanaflex is excellent. Try reading a book called pain free 1-2-3. It is an excellent book. The author is a doctor who practices both western and alternative medicine. He talks alot about meds and the side effects and what is good and what it is good for.
i get about 7-9 hours of sleep every night and i don't wake up, but in the morning i feel like i didn't sleep at all. I always have calm dreams and i eat several hours before sleeping, but i can barely even get up. This morning i was having trouble focussing and the next thing i knew, i was on the floor an hour later. I just slept pretty well for 6 much needed hours, but when i got up, my legs were so sore that i had to hold onto the wall to keep from colapsing...
To Anonymous with the leg cramps at night. I too suffered with such. If your doctor has not checked your potassium level, HAVE HIM/HER DO SO!!! If your levels are low you will have excruciating leg cramps nightly. I have endured this until we got my dose where it needed to be. I hope this helps.
I also have trouble sleeping at night and can no longer sleep in a bed. I found me a comfy recliner to sleep in and because of the way my body is in the recliner my joints don't hurt when I get up and can sleep quite solidly when I knock myself out.
Good luck to others having problems.
When my husband lays down at night his blood pressure goes up. The blood pressure does not go up as much since he changed medicine but now he feels very hot flushing and a numbness and fuzzy feeling in all of his body. Especially his arms. If he get up and walks it gets better. He is trying different blood pressure medicines and that may be the problem. He has tried laying down during the day and this does not happen. He is flushing and hot today and his blood pressure is low. All the blood test are ok. He is taking a ct scan this week. Has anyone experienced any of these systoms?
For anyone who requires sleep on those cold winter nights I found Elavil to be the best. It helps you relax your mind so you can begin the process of trying to get yourself mentally ready to shut off! 1:30PM
when i read,"do your homework," or,"keep a good at- titude," or "look down inside yourself" or, any of these "just keep tryin (ie.; exercizing, thinking happy, looking 4 the right med, med combo,dr., herb, etc.), i realize you haven't been as down as you think. it"s gratifying to you to get to have that, "i've been help- ful" feeling, but imagine the compounded burden you would put on someone if they TRULY had done or couldn't do (4 whatever valid, but SOMEHOW unbeknownst-to-you reason) their homework. what if the answer wasn't found in any amn't of hmwk. what if it was 2005 & pluto WAS a planet? what if someone else's chemical. makeup, synapse connections,physical or emotional or mental constitution was different than yours, or your willingness to imagine? what if you found out you were like the wife who scolded and belittled her husband's forgetfullness. and he had alzheimer's.what if your words were the only thing left to make a suffering person hurt more? what if i've done that? and now i've had it done to me & i get it? all i'm sayin is, sometimes we want to think we can control things that we can't, & our help just hurts.(see: friends, book of JOB). and i'm not leavin this at "so, 'give up', all you suffering!". i'm just saying, after 27yrs. of multi-sufferings, i hear God's voice calling me to trust in 'The MAKER' when there is no earthly answer. it is what keeps me from going off the 24th floor with my friend. may His help come to me AND TO YOU. love, Talitha
I agree with The person who starts out with WOW. They are right. Are you people really this crazy and stupid? I find these posts hard to believe. Do you really think your body is benefitting from the absurd amount of chemicals (chemicakills) you are dousing yourselfs with night and day. I'm not a physician, but get rid of all that crap, get a job, eat right and exercise and maybe if you finally get tired enough you'll SLEEP. Jesus, Joseph and Mary people. I am not trying to be cruel and insensitive, but I have never read anything like this in my life. You are all killing yourselves slowly if you continue this. Just go ahead and blow your brains out. mm
Does anyone out there know if provigil has a period after its effects are felt, that it drops you like a rock? I'm one year post L radical mastectectomy for 3rd stage breast CA, and am taking way too many medications, but afraid to stop any of them because the MD's put me on them for high blood pressure, arrythimias, depression, ect. I go to sleep when I should stay awake, thus the provigil. It has really helped, but I notice that about noon, I feel so sleepy and tired that its hard to work. I do sleep at night, though sometimes it takes a while to get to sleep. I have chronic pain, which is not new, and have mostly learned to ignore it. Before the provigil I would fall asleep behind the wheel of my car. Just for a few seconds. Really scary and dangerous, not just to me. I'm on an estrogen blocker, arimidex, because the CA is estrogen positive. I wonder if maybe the provigil could be reacting with the effexor or the arimidex, or any of the other meds. I've researched this with no results. My prayers go with all you folks who are having such problems.
Well, I am in the eigth grade, and I am doing a science fair project with the question: What are the effects of lack of sleep on the human body. I will admit it is maybe elementary, but I am planning to skip sleep fully every couple of days to see what the side effects are. I am keeping a journal for accuracy and to list some of the things that I use to keep me awake.
I have had problems sleeping for about 2 years now, have tried many otc sleep aids and prescription sleep aids. I have recently purchased an herbal called melatonin, I really hope this will work. Have taken ambien and it works very well but my husband hates me taking it. I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep if I don't take anything at all
i have hepatitus c and genetic hemochromotosis...i have a terrible time sleeping due to severe foot cramps, and sometimes calf and hand cramps...i have no idea what is causing this...anybody got any ideas...i am taking cymbalta, vistoril, xanax, vicodin and neurontin...u can write me at odiemarie1@aol.com
I have degnerative arthritis in my neck and upper back. I also travel for a living.
I started taking ambien about 5 years ago and it made a huge difference!
I started with the 10mg dose but lowered it to the 5 mg because i was having some side affects...mostly really bad nightmares.
My quality of life is so much better now that I can sleep. I have recieved several promotions from work and I am more active.
I do not take this when I am at home, I have a very nice and expensive bed that halps me there. Buy while on the road i take it every night.
I want to try the Ambien CR and see if that helps
I'm taking Ambien, and oxycodone 45mg every six hours, Methodone 100mg, Lyrica 100 mg, Budeprion 150mg,along with a host of other meds. I have had fibromyalgia for over 15 yrs. and was told yesterday that my right foot is full of rheumatoid arthritis. I have all the symptoms to a degree. My pressure points have been pressed till I was on the floor crying. Ambien keeps me from waking up in the middle of the night. I am one of the few men that dare to talk about this thing called a woman's disease. Listen, for those of you that say "this is getting old?" try it for 15 yrs. I know there are many out there that can say try 25, or 40 years. My mother suffered with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia for 63 years. She was a true saint.
I am 19 and I have. I have no insurance or family. What over the counter medication sleep aide would you recomend that is cheap yet still effective.
i am 27 yrs. old and have some of the same problems and have been since i was a little girl. depression has been the biggest problem. the pain (of coarse) has worsened over the years. earlier posts mentioned cannibus, and i could not agree more. when i was 20 i took myself off of all medication and it helps with pain, depression, and sleeping. people with the pins and needles feeling can find great results from it. almost 10 yrs now it has been my medication, and i am not your average pothead. i work a full time job making over $20k a year. now i have a hard time at the end of my shift, but i am responsible enough to not go to work stoned. i will take a hit or two if needed before work and leave the rest for when i need it again. it is not a bad thing, and for the spiritual people that read this remember this; all of those pills are chemicals and man made, cannibus is natural and made by "The Big Man Upstairs". and for the post that says we need to shot ourselves, i guess you have never felt real pain and what someone will do to try to get rid of it.
To the person who is only going into the alpha levels of sleep. You are NOT the only one.
I had a sleep study done, recently, and never reached REM sleep, even after being given TWO low dose Ambian, 45 minutes apart.
My doctor said I was having very small seizures in all parts of my body, even my face. (So minor they were visably only a "twitch".) But these twitches were frequent enough to prevent me from entering the deeper levels of sleep, even though I THOUGHT I was asleep. The doctor said it is very similar to Restless Leg Syndrome, only affecting my whole body. He prescribed Klonopin, in a very low dose, which I take each night at approx. 8 pm. I am sleeping sounder than I have in a very long time. The medication does not really make me sleepy, right away, but when I do fall to sleep, I sleep very deeply.
I really feel sympathy for those of you with chronic pain.
I do not know what caused my onset of these mini-seizures, but am very glad I had the sleep study done.
I have pain that goes from my right knee down to my foot. I take oxycodone and the pain still wakes me up. I have been examined as recently as yesterday and all they say is "here is something for the pain". I had my right kneecap blown off during ww11 and have not had a real problem until now. Any suggestions
First of all, I would like to say that I too, have had chronic severe lower sacroilliac back pain for 4 and 1/2 years now. I tied everything, including pain programs, acupuncture, etc....nothing worked. I do take Oxycodone for the pain, whereas it is SO bad 2...3 times a day. It does, at least, take the "edge" off..it is the only one. Surgery, I was told, is not an option and I have had 3 epidurals done...but NO relief. I did, however, find that the chair that is sold, in particular, on HSN TV by Tony Little which takes the pressure off the back helps quite a bit and also comes w/massage and heat. In pymts. sometimes too. I am a lousy sleeper also. My life is exciting too. Going nowhere during the day and taking "naps" in the afternoon. To the people on AMBIEN...plz be careful..it does cause a MEMORY PROBLEM...but so does "Lipitor" for cholesterol! I am so sorry for all of you with Lupus and Fibromyalgia, etc. Klonopin(actually, an anti-anxiety drug), does help TREMENDOUSLY not only with sleep, but with nerves, also. 10 or 20 mg before bed and 1 or 2 during the day and it helps relax you and helps w/sleep and is NOT like AMBIEN!! To"mm"...I just want to say....what a downright, nasty human being(?) you are! Obviously, you have NO idea what pain is(except for the fact that YOU are a PAIN!)...you must be one of those "Yuppies" that think they are going to stay young and healthy forever! Hey, guess what....just wait until your day comes! Then we'll see how you're able(NOT) to take any pain!!!! How Heartless and Brainless you are!! Just one more suggestion(by the way, the chair is called an "inversion chair")...those mattresss pads they have now..with "VISCO-ELASTIC MEMORY FOAM" developed by NASA...they help some people, including myself and also a featherbed(that does not flatten(QVC) out is very comforting to people especially with joint pain. God Bless All of you...even YOU "mm"...you need it the most! By the way...my aunt always said, (as far as a nap or two during the day)...you would'nt do it if you did'nt need it..so sleep! Get the sleep when you can. That is what helps heal the body. Also, buy a spray called "STOP PAIN"...sold in CVS and Walgreen's..it has an odor, but at least it sometimes helps you get to sleep! The Arimicade to the woman that takes it for breast cancer...my mother took that...it ruined her knees...the joints. Check with the Mayo Clinic...itis a fact. Take care everyone and may we all be out of pain one of these days! Think of a Beautiful Open Field with the wind blowing or a Beautiful Ocean Scene and pretend you are there...we wish we were. Hope some of what I said helped someone. I love you all.
April 4, 2007 First of all...to Paul w/the blown off knee cap...I'm so sorry that happened to you, Paul....thankyou for serving our country and sacrificing for us. As far as "help" for your knee right now, besides pain medication, try buying a "Bed Buddy" at Walgreen's. Put it in the microwave for 2 minutes and the heat is wonderful for your knee or for someone with neck/back problems. To the 19 year old girl who is looking for something to sleep...you are starting off awfully young to be looking for a "sleep aid." If you HAVE to have something, try "Benydryl" antihistimine tablets..take one or two at night....NOT every night, but when you reallly need it. It does NOT effect you in a negative way and it does help you get some sleep. I suffer also from a chronic severe lower back injury...almost 5 years now. Tried everything. Only Oxycodone works. For some reason, not even OxyCONTIN worked..but the codone does...to a degree. There is nothing that can be done for my back problem...but I TRY so hard to offer it up because I know SO many people who have such horrendous things like brain tumors, and limbs torn off in the war, etc. and I TRY to put things into perspective...it's hard..but I try. To the people that are on SO many medications...of course they many times do not belong together! The doctor's most of the time do NOT know the side effects from these medications!!! The person to speak with, usually, is the PHARMACIST...drugs are what they naturally were trained to know about...ask THEM the questions! There are a number of people I know who use what is called a "Lidoderm Patch"...it is a prescription...for pain and for NERVE pain. It has helped them very much. You just keep it on for 12 hours and then 12 hours off and put another one on again. It is good for sciatica sometimes also. You know, the doctor's, as some of you know, have a "thing" about prescribing narcotics because they think that EVERYONE in the world is a drug addict or going to become one. Let me tell you something...After taking Oxycodone for almost 5 years now, I am monitored by my doctor once every single month..to make sure that everything is going as it should. That is what a Pain Clinic is for and that is where a lot of people should be going, who are not...is a Pain Clinic, that specializes in Pain. Also, it's a good idea to find a psychologist/psychiatrist who deals primarily in Pain who can understand what you are going through and you can talk with them. An interesting thing I learned at the Pain Clinic I have been going to is that it IS true that when the BAROMETER falls and the arrow is down...that is when people with usual pain become even worse! It IS a fact. I will pray for all of you and hope that you will be careful ofthe mixtures of medications you take...some can MAKE you even more ill! Take care. Sue
GOOD GRIEF!!! So many people with so much pain and suffering - awful, isn't it? Well, I'm just another one, I guess. This is not to complain (maybe to get some of it off my chest), but hopefully to help someone with problems similar to mine. I've been diagnosed over the past fifteen years with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Severe Depression (abused as a child), Arthritis and Degenerative Disk Disease in my neck and back, Sleep Apnea, Carpal Tunnel and Chronic Bronchitis (I don't think I left any out!)
First, for "mm" and others like that, a couple of our friends on this site have HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD! At one time, I felt the same as you, sort of a "purist/naturalist" - but until you have felt the pain, fatigue, sleeplessness and incurable depression (partly because you feel guilty for having to give in and partly for putting your family and friends through all this), YOU JUST DON'T KNOW...and obviously you haven't felt it enough to know what we mean. Sure, I'd rather not have to take all these chemicals - but when it comes down to having to choose between the lesser of two evils, you will do what you HAVE to do!
It has taken me several years and the cooperation of my Internist, Rheumatologist, Pain Mangement Doc, Psychiatrist and Phscyologist to try several different combos of meds, until we came up with one that seems to work to a tolerable degree. Right now I'm on LYRICA for nerve/body pain with ULTRACET to boost when that's not enough; ZANAFLEX to relax; a combo of WELLBUTRIN, LEXAPRO and LAMICTAL for depression and the nerve twiches (tiny seizures) that keep me awake; SEROQUEL to help me sleep (here in Alabama, only a Psychiatrist can legally prescribe a combo of antidepressants and sleeping meds like these); then there's the LIPITOR and TRICOR for cholesterol/tryglicerides.
I still don't sleep well, but I'm fortunate to be in a position now to be able to nap or stay in bed whenever I need to - thanks to a WONDERFUL HUSBAND and my SS Disability ( I fought for two years, but finally got it!)
Now, after reading all your posts, I'd like to share some of the things that have helped me:
(1) For all of you who wondered about a good mattress... I, too, tried EVERYTHING to get comfortable and this is what I discovered. The air mattress was a big improvement, but until I added a 2" memory foam topper to it - I never knew!! For those considering a Select Comfort or Tempur-pedic memory foam, PLEASE TRY THIS FIRST! Those are very expensive, and I got my $20.00 foam mattress at Wal-Mart, and picked up the 2" mem foam topper for $99.00 at Sam's Club. I've been sleeping on them for about three years now - along with a memory foam curved pillow and one of those knee pillows to help keep my back in line. It's the best I've tried.
(2) Social Security Disability: APPLY NOW, APPLY NOW, APPLY NOW!! Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue ARE now recognized. Also, the fact that I have suffered from depression and had the medical backup to prove it didn't hurt me any. I think we all suffer from it to a degree, at least, huh?
(3) If you in any way can, go to a pain management clinic. These docs really do have the most up-to-date ways to treat those of us who have such a hard time with it.
ALONG WITH MY PRAYERS, MY HEART GOES OUT TO ALL OF YOU... but please, DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE! For those of you who long for something better, it's coming very, very soon - God's Kingdom. Many people blame God for conditions like we have, but IT'S NOT HIS FAULT. Please read in your Bible: 1 Cor. 4:4, 1 John 5:19, John 12:31 - THIS IS THE ONE WHO IS AT FAULT FOR OUR SUFFERING (along with the fact that we're all imperfect.) But that's going to change when Jesus Christ comes in Kingdom power - very soon! If you SINCERELY want to know more about this, please contact me (WITH SUBJECT LINE "KINGDOM")
Please, if you can, try to make this day a good one...
Alabama Lynn
I forgot to leave my e-mail! JW-Lynn@hotmail.com
I had pain for 13 years from degenerative arthritis and chronic back pain and suffered severe depression because of both. Cannabis is a gift! I tried the pills and treatments they just prolonged my pain. Cannabis on the other hand has given me a new lease on life. I have been nearly pain free for five and a half years now, have a very good job and I don't have to worrie about pill and treatment regiments. I couldn't disagree with alabama lynn more. No power is going to heal you but your own. You CAN go out and get yourself healthy with natural/herbal suppliments, eating healthy, regular exercise and a positive do-it-yourself outlook. get off Social Security Disability get a part time job. Start building from the bottom up. It's hard, I KNOW, but it is worth it! No god Christian, Buddhist, Hindi, whatever is going to start healing you tomorrow. But YOU can start tomorrow, go to www.norml.org to learn more about medical cannabis. Fight for truth and get educated!
I have been told I am taking to much Amitriptyline from one doc and another says your taking to little. My Neuro doc, states I am fine at 30 MG a day and no way am I o take more. Could some one tell me the degree of your need and how many mg's you are taking.
I would so appreciate it.
Bless You
I am Echo. I have take amtriplene, nor triplyine, Serezone, and one something like it.Prozac, zoloft, paxil, and effexor to list a few. The amitriplyine took me from 102 pounds up to 180 plus a little. That was in 1997 and I still am 30 pounds too heavy thanks to the others, BUT Trazadone and 5mg Diazipam at night for sleep and one prozac in the morning. It has been THE ONLY anitdressent that has not made me hungry hungry Hippo. Having a few other illnesses makes it hard for me as far as meds as I usually have a really bad side effect before one week goes by. I suffer with Migranes, and CAN'T TAKE TYLENOL. PERIOD!! Thank God for Green BC Powders. Oh imiatrex dont work either--no effect. I pray for you all for WE ARE HIS OTHER SPECIAL CHILDREN, He gave us a great gift.
For when Anasis asked God if He knew who Saul of Tarsus was and how he persecuted the newly formed Church, God answered, Yes I know who he is, he is my Instrument. I WILL SHOW HIM HOW HE MUST SUFFER TO SERVE ME!! Paul KNEW Depression, pain and hunger. The Books in the New Testement that he wrote have been a great comfort to me and yes has eased my pain, calmed my fear, and gave me new strenght. Just BELIEVE!!!
I Have diabetic neuropathy in my feet. This pain is impossible to describe. Every step is torture, sleeping is impossible, having a "normal" life is out of the question. Over the years I have tried many medications without relief. I was just put on the prescription medication Lyrcia. It WORKS ! The pain in my feet is about 90% better. The tingling cold/hot lacinating pain is almost gone, I can feel something other than pain in my feet for the first time in years. I still have some problems and am on my first 30 day of meds, so far I havent noticed any side effects, but it is early in the dosing. If you have diabetic neuropathy like me and I might add I have fibromalagia then talk with your doctor about Lycria.
Im 26 and had back surgry in oct pain is still on the 5-7 level on good days and 8-10 on bad days tired of vicodin but it helps is there any other way to live pain free day to day
TracyPACKFAN.
I wasn't able to read all. I think I may be a bit depressed but have been having trouble sleeping off and on over the last year. Pain is definitely managable - from whiplash and overuse syndrome in arms/wrists - braces and I use biofeedback for my migraines w/a touch of percocet now and then. But I can't get past the sleep issue. Considering an OTC - any recommendations? Of course i have started praying again, which should help some. I am all about the supplements; would rather something natural vs chemical. Ambien is only for short term results - for the indiv on Zelnorm - they have stopped manufacturing it - check out the FDA website - too many complications. Thinking if it comes to chemical, I may try lunesta but would rather stick to natural means. Also considering getting a Tempurapedica mattress (no dust mites and supposed to increase REM but costly)...Any suggestions on the OTC or supplements welcome...have large deductible so am avoiding dr if possible...
BEDS.
Treated myself to the Serta 'tempurpedic' style.
Fabulous fabulous sleep.
Take lotsw and lotsw of meds for all the same ails you all have. Now I sleep longer and find myself waking in exactly the same position I fell asleep in!
I LIVE WITH PAIN AND NO SLEEP FOR 12 YEARS NOW AND HAVE BEEN ON 36 DIFFERENT MEDS.NOTHING HAS WORKED BUT MARIJUANA.I KNOW AS A MOM AND GRANDMOTHER THAT THIS IS WHAT OUR GOVERMENT HAS SAID IS NOT GOOD FOR ME BUT WHAT KIND OF POISON ARE THEY PUSHING.I SLEEP MOST OF THE TIME,I AM HAPPY MOST OF THE TIME,AND I CAN LIVE WITH THE PAIN.I ONLY WISH THAT WE COULD BE LIKE OTHER COUNTRIES WHO STUDY THE MEDICAL USES OF THIS HERB. FEELING BETTER IN THE SUNSHINE STATE. DON'T GIVE UP I ALMOST DID!!!!
Ijust had shoulder surgey a month ago. Its hard to find a comfortable postion to sleep in. Im alsoin the Marines so my days start very early. When I get out of workaround 5 I pass out thenwaking upat like 11pm and not being able to goto bed at all until the next night/day. Im not on anymore pain medication, and Ive tried not going to sleep after work but as you can see Im still awakeat 4am and have to goto work at 0700.
Any Advice?
between chronic UNDIAGNOSED pain in all my joints, muscles, neck and restless leg syndrome I am miserable. I am on numerous meds-mirapex/nuerontin/klonapin/soma/hydrocodine/lunesta/celexa to mention a few. I have sleep apnea. The say I have an autoimmune disease but they don't know what because all my tests are now normal. I had a ccp for RA that was very elevated and put on methotrexate and then I moved to a new state and all these tests were repeated and were normal.I have pain-I am not crazy!!!
I was searching for information on RLS and stumbled upon this blog.
After reading most of the postings I just have one thing to share....The ingredient in ALL over the counter sleep aids have the same binding agent and that binding agent causes constriction in the legs at night. It doesn't matter what the amount of the dosage. And just a foot note.....that same binding agent is also the active ingredient in Benadryl its called Diphenhydramine, Diphenhydramine HCI and Diphenhydramine citrate.
If you are experiencing leg constriction at night and taking any of the above try not taking the sleep aids and see if it helps.
Now, can anyone tell me of a natural sleep aid? I cannot turn my mind off at night.
To Kathy,
I to have had back surgery. 4 times! I recently had a neurostimulator put in my spine, and I take a low dose of Nortriptyline and Gabapentin only at night, and I now can sleep through the night and I feel like I have my life back again after 25 years. If your doctor told you there is nothing else he can do, get a new doctor and another opinion. I'm glad I did. Live well. Neen
to all smoking pot and taking valerian root with hot lemon tea puts me to sleep.i have benn down the rx road,no more,i sleep all nite wake up feeling great,
ok so i am tired at 9 o'clock at night but whenever i lay down to go to sleep at like 11 i cant fall asleep.. i just lay there. and i wake up a lot in the night. in the morning i have a headache..i dont know what to do
I have a neck injury from which I am often in pain, and I also suffer from depression. Sleeping is how I unwind from this nearly constant pain (Along with hydrcodon when I can't bear it). I take anti-depressants but also take melatonin (herbal) and a very low dose of seraquel. However, despite this I still wake up repeatedly at night most of the ti me. I have one other problem that has been going on sporadically for two years, but has now plagued me three days in a row: I wake from a 'spinning' dizzy dream in the early morning feeling like the room is spinning. If I try to go back to sleep the moment I hit REM sleep I begin to spin again and have to figh to wake up. I am left feeling like I have motion sickness, exhausted and wanting to sleep and not being able to do so. I have told doctors about this but no one has any idea what this is. I am wondering if I have some rare form of epilepsy... and since this has now happened three days in a row I am VERY concerned... and tired. Has anyone had this happen to them in any kind of montly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or regularly?
:(
WATCH OUT CYMBALTA CAN RAISE YOUR CHOLESTEROL.IT DID MINE AND THE DR WONTED TO PUT ME ON A CHOLESTEROL PILL,BUT I QUITED THE CYMBALTA(DO NOT QUIT COLD TURKEY LIKE I DID.BIG MISTAKE)AND MY BAD CHOLESTEROL WENT DOWN AND THE GOOD ONE CAME BACK UP.
I won't dramatize here I only want to tell you all to please try accupuncture and alot of it. (2-3x weekly for 1 mo at first) I have done many things to stop the pain and this by far has been the best thing I could have ever done. 3 years and still counting the needles. No need to fear a little ole needle when we suffer the tremendous amounts of pain that is truly unthinkable people!! Be brave it is really not bad at all. Occasionally I take meds but it is not often anymore at all only a couple times a week now when it was several times daily for the better part of 3 years. To Whomever asked about the select comfort mattress I do have one because it was more than a year I could not sleep in my bed. If I got in I could not get out it was awful, so my husband bought one online. I think it would make a pretty big difference for almost anyone with pain but like all else it is not a miracle but I do sleep in bed now. Husband also reports sleeping better than he ever has with it. God Bless you all and I hope there is a way to relief for you all.
I have had chronic pain for years and have been on heavy hitting drugs that take the edge off. I had serve nerve pain damage from a surgery and had the nero stimulator implant put in. It sure helps alot, but there are draw backs too. Now I have rhuematoid arthritis, but can't get to a specalist until Aug, so it's live with the pain and stiffness till I can start a treatment. My shoulders ache so bad I start waking up about 4 and start tossing and turning cuz I can't get comfortable. I'm going back on the cymbatla cuz it does help with the pain, but I still have to double up on my perscription sleeping meds just to sleep.
I, too, have Fibromyalgia and have been treated for depression (Wellbutrin) for many years. Sleep has always been an issue for me, so I take Trazodone and that really does help. Additionally, I take tramodal (Ultram) for pain, which helps a little.
my daughter is 27 yrs old and has suffered for over 5 years now with fibro and chronic depression. she has two little boys and all they have seen is a mother who lives in chronic pain. she is our only child and it pains me so to see her suffer daily . she has prayed so many times that GOD would take her home to be with HIM because of the unbearable pain. my HEART and my PRAYERS are with all of you who suffer with your pain. PAIN makes you want to DIE sometimes when it is day in and day out 24-7. WE PRAY A LOT and we see lots of doctors. GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU AND I LIFT ALL OF YOU UP TO OUR LORD JESUS AND I KNOW HEALING IS COMING. PLEASE DONT LOOSE FAITH AND STAY IN PRAYER. JESUS IS COMING SOON AND ALL THE SUFFERING WILL BE NO MORE. UNTIL THEN STAY STRONG IN HIS WORD AND STAY POSITIVE AND NO THAT THIS TOO WILL PASS. LOVE TO ALL. A LOVING MOTHER,WIFE,DAUGHTER, AND GRANDMOTHER..
Same thing. I have had fibro for 25 years, the last 6 have been the worst.
I also have sleep disturbances due to pain. I always fall asleep OK, but wake after 4 hours or so.
I have tried almost all of the medications amitriptiline, nortrip, cymbalta, vicodin, fentanyl, trazodone, flexeril, valium, etc.
The two things that help me sleep are 1) mediatation, and 2) Lunesta.
I just started Lyrica last week. That seemed to help quite a bit, but I had to stop due to side effects. It might be worth trying if you can tolerate it.
Good luck!
Best,
Michael
I am a 41 year old male who was diagnoseed with fibro over 20 years ago. I am posting just to help any who are suffering.
1. you need sleep. flexeril worked for 10 years then stopped. I now use 10 mg ambien, and cannabis. If I happen to wake up after 3 or 4 hours I dont lay there, I get up and take .5mg of xanax if my mind is wandering, or soma if I am in pain, or both if needed. This puts me back to sleep and will make sure I don't break my sleep pattern. If you break your sleep pattern you will continue to not sleep.
2. chiropractic care is needed 1x a week or more to keep your body moving freely.
3. Massage is needed regularly to break down muscle knots which will turn into spasms if not relieved. You need a good masssage therapist and you have to go through alot of pain to get rid of the pain.
4. You need to stay active, work, play, walk, exercise. Do anything but sit or lay around, this makes me worse!
5. Get phsychiatric care!
6. I believe in Jesus, Gods kingdom, and cannabis.
P.S. I have tried at least 100 or more medications. I can no longer do physical work but i live an active lifestyle.
I have been suffering from chronic depression and chronic lower back pain for about 5 years now. I recently got told that I have fibro. I have visited man y doctors and only one told me that what I may have. I got put on lycria and gotton off pill medication and trying the fentanyl patch. I have not gotten much relief yet but I have been through so much at my young age that I don't know what to do!!!
Btw as far as Pot goes,i use to smoke it, It did help with the pain, but not with sleep. When I smoke I start getting hyper cleaning everything. And Yes LISTEN UP ALL GOVERMENTS MARRY JANE IS NATURAL MADE BY MOTHER EARTH AND HAS LOTS OF HEALING PROPITIES,ALCAHOL WHICH WE MAKE MAN MADE KILLS THOUSANDS EVERY YEAR,BRING BACK PROBATION AND LEGALIZE POT i SAY. ALSO COULD WE SEE A POT VS ALCAHOL DEATH CHAT PLZ?
I am totally humbled to read the comments here. One thing that pain can do to a person is to isolate her/him, or lead to a feeling of isolation. I see so many people have the same or similar pains I have, and all are coping as well as they can. I have terrible pain in my shoulders, and lately all my joints began hurting when I go to bed. The pain wakes me up, and my incessant moving around looking for a good position wakes my poor husband too. I've started getting up, having a camomile tea, and doing cross-words. But the day is too long when one has slept barely 4 hours... I think I will start taking some sleeping pills when I return to work, even though I fear the side effects that some of you have mentioned. Anyway, thanks to all of you, and receive my best wishes for a long, restful night sleep.
it is now 2:30Am and I am also tired of waking up almost every night in pain or to the restroom and just can not go back to sleep for at least two hours. Next day ofcourse I am very tired but still do my job. My husband wakes up and asks me to just close my eyes and relax. ( easy for him to say) and goes back to sleep. I feel like many of you, tired, mad, cranky because I feel that nobody understands and I even think I am going crazy. Please help me. I have post-polio syndrome
it's about 2:54 am and not able to sleep. been diagnosed with post polio syndrome, progressive nueromuscualar disease, fibromyalgia, lower & middle back problems and upper neck problems due to herniated discs. Anyway not able to sleep weel due to chronic pain ALL OVER THE BODY. I do pray alot and it helps me tremondously. I do not take much medicine just Xanax that helps withe the anxiety of the PAIN and sometimes allows for me to get to sleep. also have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine. I am a very active person and have trouble slowing down as I am lead vocalist in a live band, I dj also. help discover new talent and work for the state agency. i am currently contemplating retiring disabled. Talk about being depressed(not suicidal depressed) but I had been in the past. I got over wanted to end my life several years back when I started trusting in Hashem our G-d. I always ask why me. I love life too much and I am not able to do much. My wife and children are very dependent on me for everything as the say I am "Their Rock" but I feel like a big piece of crap that is of course that crap can feel anything right. I having been dealing with these conditions for the last 15 years. Currently they are trying to fire me from my state job due to having an episode due to my stress levels having been exceeded and Oh well they are not buying it. But what can i say. They do not want to accept my apologies nor accept my reasons for what transpired and of course this adds a great deal more stress to cope with. I have been out of the job place for almost 3 mos and have not been told if i still have my job. this is driving me nuts. anyway all I can do I guess is share with all of you and thanks for listening to me. I love you all and pray to G-d that he places you all in His bossom and conforts all of you as he does me in the my times of unbearable pain and more pain that is unstoppable. Peace to you all!!
katina said....
I never get any sleep at all! I get up at 7 AM I get home at 11 AM when I get home I want to sleep but I try and I have things running through my mind and when I finally get to sleep I get waken up, phone calls, text messages, or I keep tossing and turning and just cant get confortable!!! I would turn my phone off but I cant ever miss any of the calls or text I get cause they are important. I used to be on zoloft and trazadone. The trazadone was AWESOME...anyway back to the point, I'm bipolar and I am going through a difficult time right now and I dont know what I should do!!!!???????
I am so tired of being in pain, I am a recovering alcoholic. So therefore, I try to deal with my pain. I am obese and depressed. I feel like I am in a catch 22 situation. Some of the medicines that I am told I must take for the rest of my life cause me to gain weight. Therefore, I started exercising and walking. Then some years ago I took a fall on some ice and broke my leg in two places. Now years later I have insomnia because of being in constant pain, I am depressed because I cannot sleep, I am depressed because I am obese and I am constantly in pain. I think I need a hip replacement. I am constantly thinking of death, but ironically, I try to stay positive, it is just that I feel like I am dying all the time. I cannot help but think that it is not normal to be in this much pain all the time. Reading these posts is a good thing. I pray that we may all find relief from our pain someday soon, so that we can enjoy our lives to the fullest. I have that intent every day, but I do not. However, I will not give up doing. Seeking positive ness.I have so many plans and dreams, however, I feel that there is just not enough time left to fulfill them. Somedays I have my pity parties, not too often though.
Kathy...
I have fibromyalgia and myofacial pain. I have an off brand of the select comfort, and it does far better than the spring mattress. It allows me to change my setting for firmness and softness depending on what is hurting. I would recommend that you go to a bedding store and take about two hours to try out the "inflatable" and water beds. Depending on your symptoms and location of the pain.
Some of these are funny. There are days that I go to sleep at 11 PM, sleep through to 10AM, get up, eat breakfast, then go back to sleep from 11AM to 4PM, and then feel decent, but am tired around 11 again.
Days that I work, I just fight through being tired after getting 8 hours sleep.
I can sleep 12 hours and think nothing of it.
I too have chronic pain from several different sources and I have Alpha 1. I am depressed, have anxiety, can't sleep. You name it, I've got it. As far as the fibromalgia, have any of you tried Lyria? It has helped me very much with that.
I have experienced a flushing or burning inside usually about 3 hours after I have gone to sleep. It is so scary. My blood pressure is fine and I am cool to the touch outside of my skin. It will last anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours. I am 59 and had a hysterectomy 8 1/2 years ago and was on hormone replacement for 4 1/2 years. I never know when this will happen and don't know what triggers it. I am bi-polar and on several meds for that and different things. Starting almost 20 years ago. I put a fan on me although I am still under the covers. Hot inside/Cold outside. I put a cold wash cloth on my forehead. I do deep breathing and visualization. I sing a song over and over under my breath. This is just to keep from freaking. Anyone else with the same reaction? Mary
l feel for you all. i would like to get or do something to help me. i really don,t sleep. i,am up all night and it does get old . hope there is someday something that will be easy to do to get rid of the the pain wihtout taken medicine . surely there will be . good luck to all .have a nice pain . ha ha . hope you feel better
Hello, i will remain anonamious just call me "K" im glad i found some people i can relat to i was in two very bad car accidents that left me having 4 jaw surgeries,digenitive disc disease, mortons naroma(nerve damage) on the top of my foot where it broke i have vertigo also left side of body by pelvic is completly numb i see a pain management dr and i do take pain med and i take fiorocet for my migranes which by the way Really works but last month they wanted me to try topamax but im having some terrible side effects from it i already have short term memory loss from the accident and im only 39 i take a sleeping pill called flrazapam but thats not even working so i stopped taking that and because i have so many tremors from muscle spasems i take valume which that does help me sleep but i really need some advice about this topamax can someone please help me i live far away from my mo,m and its just me my husband and my two boys but its hard to explain this to my husband please respond i would really appreciate it thank you so very much in advance,K
I'm amazed to find so many people who have sleep disorders caused by mitigating factors such as acute, chronic fibromyalgia and severely advanced degenerative disc disease with sciatia and permanent nerve damage in my left leg. I also suffer from cluster migraines going back 22 yers. I've had fibromyalgia since 1993, but was able to keep it at bay because I was SOOOO physically active. When I became disabled at 54 from severly advanced degenerative disc disease with left leg sciatica and now have permanent nerve damage, my fibromyalgia became uncontrollable and, of course, accompanied by CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome). Of course, I also became clinically depressed due to the state of my health, which is ALL accompanied by chronic pain. I've been on all the anti-dipression medicines including those combined with "pain" meds such as Cymbalta. Nothing has worked so, I just work on my mind every day. The sleep, or lack thereof, is critical. My doctor understands this and fortunately I twke 200mg of Amitriptyline at night and 100mg during the day. Even with all that, I average only 4-5 hours sleep per day which just doesn't cut it. I with I could sleep for 15 hours per day and be awake for only 9. That would be nirvana, but's that's not going to happen. Most recently I tried the Lyrica, and came away with blurred vision and increased appetite, neither of which was welcome, especially the blurred vision. Of course, having lost 55 lbs and suffering hair loss because of all this medicine, the increased appetite was not welcome either because I've suffered gastrointestinal problems (colitis, gastritis, IBS and esophageal spasms) since I was a teenager. I don't have a clue how to deal with this, and neither does my poor doctor. So, at some point every day, I cry for a while, I pray to GOD - and then I yell at hin, then pray some more. It's all BS. I havenpt had one day since Aug of 2003 without pain. On the fun side, I bought a cheap set (3 of them now) of glass dishes with coffee mugs, and when I get soooo mad because of the pain, I pitch a couple of glass pieces against the garage and curse. The I go lay down again. I've slept in a recliner for 6 years now because I can't sleep in a bed even with wedge pillows and a leg lift. I refuse to give up, but sometimes I wonder why. My only passions now are reading and TV, and all I can think about is "so many movies, so little time".
Good luck to all you out there. Ask your doctor if he'll increase your dosage of Amitriptyline. At least it does help with the sleep.
I was diagnosed with fibromylgia 18 months ago and was given amitriptyline, which I hated as it gave me nightmares. After several months, I found myself pregnant for the first time and diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. Since the birth of my daughter 3 months ago, the heart is on the mend but I find the fibro symptoms coming back with a vengence. I need to be able to get up with my daughter in the night sometimes even though my husband helps. Even on the days he lets my sleep 12 hours, I'm still not rested and he feels he's wasted his time. What can I do?
Nothin works for me. Not even prescribed sleeping pills. I wake up every hour every single night. I am in so much pain. Its a miracle that I manage to make it thru each day. I am getting tired though. Do not know how much longer this can go on.
I have read these articles ad nauseum and they all say the same things. I keep clicking on new ones and hoping there will be some new tidbit that will let me sleep more than a few hours at a time, but it's always the same thing. It's almost insulting to see these suggestions, when most of them are common sense, the problem is that some people can't do all the suggestions because of various problems. I would love to see some new suggestions that work.
I ave had sleep studies in 2 years and I do not record REM sleep. No one knows why. Does anyone know why I have this problem?
oops must be bedtime. I ment to say I have had 3 sleep studies in two years and no REM sleep. Does anyone know why? The doctors don't have answers.
I have been told that I have a sciatic nerve. I don't know how true that is.. According to one doctor the pain from a sciatic nerve usually appears when you are up walking around.. My pain is contant, and no medication has worked for me up to this point.. My sleep patterns at night are so out of line, I am contantly tired.. Lately I have noticed that the pain is getting worse in the hip area all the way down through my leg.. Unfortantly at this time I am uninsured and unable to be seen by a specialist.. The pain is so bad I cry. My husband has tried to help with messages, and they dont do anything but make the pain worse.. Vicadin and other pain medication are worthless with this pain.. I am so tired of not getting any sleep. Not to mention I have 2 small children that suffer from all of this.. I am unable to play with them like I want to..
To start off I would like to respond to mm.I have no respect for a person like you who has no compassion or understanding for people no matter what there going thru. Your comments are ignorant and thoughtless.I hope you never have to experience a job loss due to injury,chronic pain or suffering of any kind.To all I would just like to say I to suffer with problems sleeping due to injury and chronic pain.I'm just trying to figure out the best way to go on a daily basis.Thanks for your thoughts and ideas.Just keep on trying and try an stay as positive as you can.I believe prayer is a powerful tool and just sharing with other people who understand where you are coming from is helpful.I pray some day we will all be able to live without pain....SH
BIOFEEDBACK EVERYONE!! BIOFEEDBACK IT ACTUALLY HELPS ALL OF THE ABOVE...biofeedback.
Although I don't have any diseases, I am only 21 years old and can not figure out why I can't sleep. I told my family doctor when it started, at 15 or 16, but he didn't believe me. I always ache from pain in my knees and lower back. It has gotten so bad to where I will be awake for 2 or 3 days on end. I have cut out caffiene except during the afternoon, I don't smoke before bed, I eat right and nothing helps. I've tried over the counter drugs, but I feel like I will collapse at work from being so tired even though I have alloted myself enough time to sleep and then more. Does anyone have any suggestions?
For all of you, I have had FMS since @ least 93' after a battle w/Shingles. I started pain flares @ least 2 times a mo. during Full & New Moon phases. I journaled all of ths for yrs. In 97' I went to bed @ 10, woke @ 2 a.m. w/severe pain in my left groin which sent me to the ER. "An airborne virus" was the diagnosis. I spent yrs. going to every "ologist" there was in the Bradenton, FL area. Finally was told Fibro along w/Chronic Fatigue. Long story short. Magnesium & Potassium in the morning & at night reduced the leg cramps. A new temperpedic mattress makes sleeping so much better unless I am in a flare. I did wake tonight w/cramping in my ankles. My wake up time is 1 a.m. Weight has always been a problem, but I have been diagnosed w/Wilson's Temperature Syndrome & with proper diet & eating habits, that should reverse. Hope this helps some of you. Make sure you your fish oils including 1 or 2 cod liver oil capsules daily. Joints are moving easier. Juniemoon
I feel for all of you! I can't sleep. The dr's haven't diagnosed me yet. But they are thinking fibro. I can't sleep due to massive headaches When i lay down to go to sleep my head get's worse and feels like it's going to explde from swelling. I had a c-scan but it was normal. I got prescibed tramadol today so I hope it will work for me.; There is one thing i have tried that helps me get to sleep for a couple of hours it may sound gross, But right before I go lay down I drink a glass of warm milk, it relaxes me.God bless everyone!
I feel for ya'll! I was dign. with lupus (sle) chf, bone spurs in my neck, and I know about pain and no sleep! For Migraines I used to take topamax to prevent them and it helped. I have no insurance, my husband left me when I got sick and took my son, I've been in shelters, trying for ssi, yhank God I have county help with doctors, but you are limited to what they give you. The old saying God won't give you more than you can hanndle (I once thought please don't love me so much) but I know now that God thinks alot of me for me to go through this. This might not help any one, but healthy people are sick, and my peace with God can help me through any day (sometimes I'm praying all day)
I have 'POST-HERPETIC NEURALGIA', which is an awful, horrible, condition, with severe chronic pain. I've had this chronic pain 24/7 for 61/2 years. The pain is on the right side of my forehead, and head. This is a result of Shingles, which caused facial nerve damage. I could write a book about all the issues involved, but just wanted to post this for now. If anyone out there has this condition, with chronic pain share your info. with me. I'll write more soon. KEEP THE FAITH...
I have degenerative disk disease, or in other words, arthritis in my lower back.
I only get relief with vicodin, and I have tried alot of different drugs.
I was put on Amitriptiline for almost a year and gained 100 pounds before a doctor told me that that is the number one side effect of the drug.
Just thought all of you Amatriptiline users might want to know.
Jennell
I've read through many of these stories with great concern. Chronic pain is no joke. As a long-time sufferer of Crohn's Disease, I am familiar with constant abdominal pain, joint/back pain, insomnia, and depression, and blah blah blah anxiety, insomnia...I am posting to implore those of you that can't seem to get any answers from their doctors to read Dr. John Sarno's book "Healing Back Pain: The Mind Body Connection". I am not affiliated with this doctor in any way, but his work saved me from a lifetime of back pain. He discusses Fibromyalgia specifically...many of the causes of chronic pain are rooted in psychological causes stemming from repressed rage. They start off from normal traumas and eventually turn into long-term psychosomatic pain. It is a difficult diagnosis to accept, but give it a chance...it's probable even free at your library.
All of these comments seem so familiar....different causes, different pain, but in the end, it seems as though this is a universal human condition....and as far as I'm concerned, there are no doctors who know what to do....actually, almost every doc I've gone to is suffering some of the same symtoms we all deal with......this , I think, is a physical response to the environmental situations we find ourselves in....I don't mean the physical environment.....I'm talking about the environment of stress, worry, and intensity we all deal with every day of our lives. Kids, wives, husbands, career, money,........our society is insane......not like 50 years ago......or100 years ago....when we were outside more, working physical jobs ( agricultural revolution), strong family units for support...etc, etc., ad nauseum.....
I've found only one thing that helps....intense and consistent exercise. For me, it releases the endorphins that are natural PAIN KILLERS IN YOUR OWN BODY.......and after words, I seriously stretch to keep my muscles, joints, and nerves as loose as possible. I do take Cymbalta and serzone for depression, and they do seem to help me sleep somewhat.
You know more about your body than any Doctor will ever know.... use your imagination....and make them LISTEN to you......and try your own ideas....physical activity really works.....it's not easy to do, I know.....but if you push through the initial instinct not to do it, as well as the initial pain in building muscle and healthy tendons, ligaments and tissue.....you'll start to become addicted to the endorphins, and it becomes easier.......and your sense of well being will increase .......good luck to everyone..
To anonymous @ 4:37 pm, you seem really young to have knee and lower back pain at the age of 21 and sleeplessness since 15-16 years of age. My heart goes out to you. If possible pick your families brains about any family members who have had similar problems, they may be hereditary. A sleep study may be necessary to discover the reasons. My husband has restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea, both of which causes frequent waking at night and therefore sleepy all day.
He now takes Mirapex for the RLS, and we both sleep better. He takes a hot bath in the evenings as well, which helps decrease the aches and pains and helps him get to sleep. The sleep apnea and snoring have not been treated, but seem to have decreased also with the Mirapex.
Hopefully, you will find a doctor who is as open-minded and willing to hear you, as we have.
i started having shoulder pain before christmas of 2007 since then the pain has moved to my other shoulder and down into my arms hands and back i have been in and out of the docters many times and i am my wits end. im only 28 yrs old and this has changed me from a happy person to a very de pressed person.i dont sleep more then three hours a night and i feel that the docters dont take my pain seriously im on a muscle relaxer anti inflamatory and alow dose of vicatin nothing has improved and im scared that this is how im going to spend the rest of my life.if anyone has any suggestions on what i should do please let me know!
Masturbation at bedtime makes a big difference in falling asleep, I have found.
If masturbation works...how about the real deal??.......
my son has been having awful pain in his legs from his knees down. We had even taken him to er because he had'nt slept in 48 hours and the pain was so bad. They ran test on him and can't find anything wrong but he is still in pain. he is on pain pills right now and it helps some but when those are gone then what? This just started 7 days ago. could this be fibromyalgia? he is 20.
i have passed out five times, one time getting a concussion and four of those times there was no real explanation for it, also i have bi polar, which can be helped with fish oil caplets in addition to meds, fibromyalgia and gerd, i also have trouble falling asleep at night sometimes, am usually tired, i just found out that i am probably hyperthyroid which has caused heart palpitations, dizziness, and posibbly contributes to my tremors, intolerance to heat and fatigue, someone introduced me to taking dr. gilhams natural vitality magnesium powder it usually helps me fall asleep within 45 minutes rather than many hours as long as I heat it long enough and take it right before I go to sleep, also for pain since taking additional magnesium caplets i usually feel much better, and if you have gerd there are many options to be medicine free including papaya enzyme capsules and coral calcium caplets which you can get from a health food store, other people have told me their research has shown gerd comes from not enough acid in your stomach, try two capsules of apple cider vinegar a day to restore a healthy level and also aloe vera juice might help, when i saw a specialist for fibromyalgia he told me to swim, try to do light exercises, hot water also helps me when i am sore, and i do not remember what they were but there were certain foods to avoid, try reading the books by kevin trudeau you can get them from the infomercials on tv or probably through large bookstores like barnes and noble and borders, they are called: natural cures revealed, more natural cures revealed and the weight loss cure they do not want you to know about, not for everything but for many problems there are natural cures, just make sure that if you have to keep taking some meds that they do not interact, my mom told me that chiropractors are often into alternative medicine and i have a friend who is doing his internship in California, most importantly having a relationship with the Lord and asking him to forgive you of your sins while it will not solve all your problems, you will have heaven to look forward to and a reason to live joyfully becauase Jesus is with us through the hard times, and as a christian we have to share that joy with others, and Jesus understands our pain because he was willing to be tortured, die and be seperated from his father so that we could have abundant life and have life everlasting when we die, my church's website is visitcbc.org and you can probably contact either the pastor or elders to ask them about how you can have a saving elationship with Jesus, and perhaps God will choose to heal you or he will give you grace and strengh while you face life's struggles, God bless you all, also sometimes pain and stress comes from unforgiveness according to a readers digest article from several years ago and the Bible says we will not be forgiven if we do not forgive others hope any thing I have written will help
I have insomnia and lupus and I take 150 mg of trazadone. I started at 50 and that would knock me out for a few hours and then Id wake up every hour, but it did help me sleep...then it was like I got used to it and I couldnt fall asleep, then I switched to 100mg. Same thing, so now I am on 150mg but half the time I am scared to take that much because...hell...thats a lot of mg. but even when i do take it...it doesnt help that much anymore. I dont think i have had a good nights sleep is 10 years...and im 22!
I became an insomniac at the age of 15. Severe hormonal inbalance was the culprit back then, unfortunatly it went undiagnoised until I was 19, and the olny reason that it was diagnoised was because I went through a huge personal tragedy/trauma. After the incident I was now diagnoise with post traumatic stress syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, and still had to fix the hormone inbalance. Over the next few years I was on and off anti-depressents until I turned 23. At 23 I was diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder. Not only was my mind effected, but it took a toll on my body. I have aches and pains sporaticly and some times my armes and legs feel like they way a ton and it's hard to make them move. I have back spasms brought on by stress, and all of these physical problems effect my sleep just as much as the mental symptoms. I often wonder if I had been treated for my many sleep disorders when I was in my teens with medication if some of my other problems could have been avoided or maybe the severety of them wouldn't have been so bad. I'm 31 now, and sleep is still an issue for me. I either don't sleep for weeks or months, or I sleep constatly for weeks or months, night and day. It's been a huge crap shoot for me with sleep medications. Seroquel worked the best for me giving me 6 hours of sleep at night, but with frequent trips to the bathroom so my sleep was never consecetive hours. If the dosage was to high I would sleep for 12 hours and my day never officially began until noon. Serouquel has an unfortunate side effect, it raised my cholesteral from a very good level to a very high dangerous level. I quit taking it, and have since tried Lunesta, it worked ok but I gained 30 pounds because of a side effect. I slept walked and slept ate, alot. I tried ambien it worked pretty well, but again side effects were to severe, slept walked, ate, and when my husband was taking it at the same time we had sleep sex. Sounds funny but it's kind of creepy and unsafe when your not planning on getting pregnant. I quit taking it, and have since tried Amitriptyline, it made be hyper, one of the lesser known side effects. Tremadone is another Rx for sleep, it made me sleep, but I always woke up feeling like I had a bad hangover. Temazepan is what I take right now, occasionally I will sleep eat, but not so much that I would consider switching this medication for something new. The sleep is not consecutive but so far this medication is working the best for me with the least amount of side effects. With all of these different meds I have maintained a sensible diet, I excercise, and touch base with a therapist every other week to help maintain a healthy mental state. I urge any one out there who suffers from any kind of labled problem where your sleep is being effected, and you have really tried, not half assed it, all of the other recomended therapies, ie. excersise, diet, routines, herbal remedies etc... don't just ask your doctor for an Rx, demand it. Research the meds available, check to see if they have an interaction warning on them, print out several prescriptions you think would be a good fit for you and take this info to your doctor. Remember you need to be the one to take charge of your sleep no one else is going to do it for you, and don't let the problem get out of hand. Don't push the problem away or try to rationalize and pass it off as a symptom or side effect of some other problem. Take your sleep problem as it is. You can't sleep, treat it seperatly from any of your other health problems. It is it's own "disease" so to speak.
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO SUBMITTED COMMENTS THAT WERE LESS THAN EMPATHETIC---- Good for you that you have never known the hell of not getting enough or any sleep at all. Good for you that you have not had to deal with sleep deprivation for months, years, even decades. Good for you that naturual remedies worked for you and that you have never been so desprate to seek medical help and chemical remedies. You say we're killing ourselvs with all of the chemicals we put into our bodies, but death comes just as fast when you never sleep and your body and mind never get enough rest to regenerate and heal itself. People who are sleep deprived never have full mental clarity, they are often lathargic and there reflexes are slower. Someone who has extreme sleep deprivation has the same mental capacity and reflex ability as some one who is intoxicated. Do you see how this could effect the way a person lives their life, their job performance, their ability to opperate a motor vehicle or heavy machinery? It sucks. You feel stupid and inadaquite just because your sleep deprived, and would do anything, try anything, that might help you get back to feeling and performing tasks the way you should, the way you use to before the sleep problems effected your life. SO TAKE YOUR SUPERIORITY COMPLEX AND SUCK IT!!!
My heart goes out to all these people w/so much pain they must deal with and learn to live with it 24/7. I've had Psoriasis for 35 years now. My sister 2 yr's. older than me had it & also my brother, 3 years younger than me. No one else in our family had it, that we could trace back in family roots. My sister passed away last Sept. & was covered with it, but a massive heart attack took her life, not Psoriasis. She was only 66 years old. Usually when I have a lot of stress,( my sister's death for instance ), I break out terribly, w/ red sploches all over my body. For some reason, ( my faith in God & prayer ), I didn't break out then. Now, 8 months later, it started on the back of my neck & is slowly working it's way down my back. I take a wonderful drug, called, SORITIANE, once a day, plus use VersaFoam, an emulsion formulation, which moisturizes my skin, all over my body. It keeps the burning away and large piece's of plaque skin from developing. I was diagnosed with ADD 11 years ago & take med. for it, plus a nerve pill, when needed-- chlorestrol med. 2 different kinds, once a day, high blood pressure med. iron capsules, 800mg of vitamin D, plus 6 other medications, just to motivate. I can not drink milk from a cow, but drink it from a goat. I hate telling people about all my aches & pains, but believe me, there are many worse off than me. I missed school functions that both my kids had, because I was so swollen & had lots of terrible pain, I just couldn't function without all the drugs & I didn't want my kid's friend's to see me, swollen & in pain. Everything I take, I need, to keep me somewhat sane. Just since my sister passed away, the migraine headaches have appeared. I can take 2 ALEVE and lay down in my dark bedroom, sleep about 30 min. or so & the pain is gone. I have IBS, & the Aleve constipates me something terrible. I use the old remedie Milk of Mag. when it gets very bad, but other times use milk of mag. stool softners, just to have a normal(if you can say normal) bowel movements. I'm due in to see my MD this friday, & wonder if I'll be put in the hospital another time? I have more than 1 Dr. & I sure get tired to seeing & having to go for this & that & something else, all the time. I don't drink alcohol, but I do smoke cigarettes. Not one, of my Doctor's have told me to quit. They know I won't, until I'm darn ready and I'm 64 years old now, almost old enough for SS, so when I'm ready to quit, it will be cold turkey. I can not afford to buy anything else in the form of med.
13 pills a day is plenty. Now, I've developed low back pain and kidney pain from my bladder dropping, so when I have that surgery, it will be my 17th. which covers almost every part of my body, being removed or replaced. I sleep about 4 & 1/2 hours a night & sometimes more & sometimes less.
I'm so tired of being sick & tired, I'm always a bundle of nerves. Smoking calms me down a lot, & I can just hear the people that read my problems, say, "WELL, if she would quit that habit, she might not be so sick all the time. I'm addicted to them, there's no doubt about it, but I'll deal with it in my own way.Telling me what MIGHT be better for me is like telling a rooster not to crow of a morning.( a little humor thrown in there). So, if there's anyone out there that hasn't had pain in their life-time, they better thank the Lord above, because he will help me and all the other's in our pain one day. Sign me, JJP, from Oklahoma.
yesit does get ol` when u cant sleep at nites,I to suffer from an ol`whiplash injury.I had at least 2 to 3 whiplash injuries,also not to speack about and old car wreck when i was 7yrs.old,I was ran overed by a car and the person,she didnt know she hit me,it was at shcool crossing and she drug me for about 2 blocks under her car before she realize there was an extra passerger with her not in the car.My mom had to stop her.Anyway between that and other related injuries.Just wanted to post this because I have problems now with my ol`injuries and cant seem to sleep at nite take alot of pain pills and so tired of taking pills,just to sleep.I cant work anymore because of my right arm is mostly the trouble spot and in my lower neak park.Doctors said it was tencsion in the neck but feels more like a pitch nerve.I cant get anyone to work on it and refuse any kind of surgery.I am a retired CNA,work in nursing homes and hosp.so I see what surg does to people.Sometims makes it worse.Well thougt I`d put my input on this.If anyone as any ideals on what to do without surgery let me know on here,also I am 57 this fall.Thank you;MK.VanKirk
Anonymous at 11:27 PM. Have U seen a neurologist 4referral 2 appointm at Pain clinic.I have FM,& sevR arthritis in all Lumbar disk, & in all other joints.Joint replacement in toes.Not RA but Osteo. Pain Center 4cortizone shot in lower spine.With a good MD, you won't feel a thing. "might" work. Had cortizone in my big toes for 3yrs before surgery. Get cortizone, if you're not allergic.Works for me. Sleep?..well, I'm BP manic, pain from OA & FM causes depressn. 2trazadone, 2benedryl caps 4sleep, dolobid & tramadol 4pain.Cymbalta script is new. Hope this helps.
I always have really bad migrains and I can't sleep at night time and all the medication the doctor has givien to me doesn't work sometimes it hurts so bad that I can't get out of bed and I can't even open my eyes I tell my doctor and he tells me to stay in bed but I am a single mom with two kids and I can't do that I like going out and playing with my kids.
It bothers me to read comments from folks who have no idea of what it feels like to go MONTHS straight with only 2-3 hours/night of sleep and what it does to your head and health.. My story was I had a blow to the head and that triggered severe insomnia. I have chronic pain problems but did OK til the head injury, which made me into a panic stricken sleepless wreck unable to function, work or sleep. I'm a strain on myself and my family now. We've lost my income and I expected to work another 15 years as a nurse. Many of you here relate I'm sure. Its strange relating to docs now.. .as I was a nurse 'in my former life' before the head injury, but its kind of a daze and they are not sure how to relate to me. One piece of advice: if we don't get back to them they think we are FINE and they have 'cured' us which is what their egos crave...so make that follow up phone call and tell them "this med is NOT working". Make them earn their big bucks!
My 'trio' of docs is still trying to find something to put my post TBI brain to sleep without awful side effects (bad headaches, agitation etc) Good luck to all here with chronic health conditions and insomnia..I sure do empathize.
I am so tired... :( I just read all these messages but only found a few that were similar to my situation. I have mild aches and pains throughout the day and night but I don't think they bother me enough to be the reason that I can't sleep. It seems no matter how hard I try, I can't fall asleep until late in the morning, around 10:30am or later, then I sleep like a rock for 8 hours and wake up feeling dizzy and like I'm hallucinating. Doesn't happen everytime but I almost always have trouble waking up after long sleep. The flipside to that is if I manage to fall asleep at a semi-decent time (11pm-3am) I will only sleep for about 1 or 2 hours then wake up for seemingly no reason. No pain, no need to use the bathroom, not hungry.....
One doctor suggested that it was congestion from allergies. After tonight, I'm inclined to agree because (my some miracle) I fell asleep at 2am and woke up at 2:45am coughing and gasping with a mouthful of mucus (sorry if that's gross) that I imagine drained while I was laying down. Problem is.... I can't back to sleep now, eventhough I'm dreadfully tired. The doctor put me on Flonase and that worked very well. At first I thought the medicine was making me sleepy until I realized it was just helping me not have such bad post-nasal drip. But my last bottle ran out and I can't afford more (uninsured) so maybe that's why I can't sleep.
I don't know if I have depression or not since I think most people show signs of it. I'm in a pretty stressful and depressing situation so maybe it's just anxiety that's keeping me up. Maybe anxiety is preventing me from feeling sleepy enough to to close the laptop and crawl under the sheets, and then maybe anxiety makes me wake up shortly afterwards. When I have something important to wake up for, I have trouble sleeping through the night fearing that I will not wake up in time because I'm so used to sleeping later than most people. I worry about waking up in time for 2pm appointments. :-\
Anyway, maybe I'm just distracted, stressed, anxious, and irresponsible. But I can say that I'm awake right now (and came to this article) because I'm having leg pains tonight. I used to have them a lot more as a child and now they seem to only happen when I lay in bed for a long time. I was just looking for answers on that, a painful bunion that makes half my foot numb, and sleep troubles in general.
Whatever it may be, the simplest thing I can say is: "I can't get to sleep because I just can't get comfortable. I can sleep 4 hours or 14 hours, depending on the time of day, and I'm constantly worried."
Any help? :-(
-TZ
forgot to mention that I'm only 27, I have diagnosed GERD (it's controlled through diet not medicine but the doc said the post-nasal drip form the allergies can trigger some nasty GERD-related reactions), and I'm borderline ADD. Oh what else...? I take zero medicine at the moment and I have a strong aversion to relying on sleep aid medicines (that whole, "won't wake up in time" anxiety thing), and natural melotonin made me feel like a zombie the next day. I've tried some anti-depressants but they turn my brain into mush and I feel like I can't do anything or focus.
Anyway, maybe I feel better just typing this all out. I don't have any serious conditions like everyone else here, so I should probably just shut my mouth, count my blessings, and go try to sleep again.
I have fibromyalgia and neuropathy for years. I tried supplements, amitriplyline, neurontin and had no relief. This year I went to a immune diease specialist (an MD). He prescribed Lyrica. We also bought a new mattress - quite expensive. It is latex foam - no innersprings. It is the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. I have been pain-free and have had only a few bouts of neuropathy since Oct. 2007.
I was on 75 mg of Amitriptiline for awhile for Migraines but I didnt see where it helped me sleep. I'm now off that and I take Ambien but I have just recently started waking up utterly exhausted like I never slept at all or did a full days work in my sleep. I suffer from depression which causes me to have very vivid dreams. I have no trouble actually sleeping...I usually sleep all through the night but it's getting up that's my problem.
I have had many repeated injuries to my upper spine, shoulders, neck, and arms, which have caused me to suffer from chronic carpel tunnel. I have always found physical and occupational therapy to be effective in rehabilitating injuries until recently. The problem is that the injuries keep happening over and over by accident, and then when you go to the same therapists over and over, they get fed up with you.
Nearly a month ago, after I was nearly recovered from an accident, my Physiotherapy Associates PT got angry with me over some misunderstanding, put me on his table and caused severe nerve root inflammation and the worst upper spine/shoulder pinched nerve I have ever had in my life. He injured every part that he knew I had had problems with. Then his supervisor told me they would never help me again or reimburse me the cost of the new injuries caused by their company. Obviously they don't care. Even Ibprophen will not heal this, and it appears to be permanent severe damage.
As a violinist, I wonder if I will ever be able to play again...The biggest problem is that the doctors don't believe me. But it is true. Some physical therapists are abusive and will take it out on you.
My brother gave me the best advice I have ever heard...Just do your own healing and don't go to anyone ever again! That's the only way you don't have to be someone's victim. The truth is, doctors drug companies and therapists laugh at us for our helplessly painful states and depressions, and profit handsomely off of our vulnerabilities. We are nothing but jokes to them to profit off of. I agree with those who say that we have to do the research and do the effort and heal ourselves. There is no other way to survive with any dignity.
I have had six back surgeries in six years and am fused from L1 to S1. I have been in pain24/7 for all these years plus. Pain pills don't help so i don't take them anymore, my choice. My last surgery they went through my left side and left me with an surgical hyernia. That is so painful. I am now having sweating around my face nd head and am quite hot. I just drip. The doctors don't know why. I am so uncomfortable being so hot an drippy. I can't breath well when it starts. Heart has been checked etc. Does anyone else get these flushing spells where they have to calm down to stop them. Nerve pain is the pits and does all this tie in together with pains for life. (not memopause been checked) Seems like another symptom. The pain consumes my life. I have had everything from surgery, pills, shots, my heart stopped during one surgery, so I have a pacemaker. I know reading all of yours I feel so much for all of you and me. But right now if I could find a cause and cure for the hot sweats I could cope with the other more. Maybe then I could sleep more restful sleep and wake up exhausted. WHY, what happened to us?
Scott RSD, I also have RSDS, and have had for four years now. It has recently spread to my back, and for a few months I could only sleep in my chair. I am on morphine and dilaudid, which helps me fall asleep for about an hour or so at a time. My Doctor suggested a new bed, but who has money for that when you cant work. SO I feel your pain, I hope you find some rest. And if you do please share how you did it.
To the person with the hot feeling, and sweats. I get that way too, part of my RSD is I feel like my lower body is on fire, and it never gose away. If I do lie down in bed and cover up, I start to sweat from every pore in my body. I use a cold cloath on the back of my neck to cool off, and never, ever cover up. I'd say to ask your Doctor for help, but I have found the medicine is often worse than the problem, or only adds something new to your already bad condition. Sine I was injured, I have completly changed my diet, and that helped alot, low sugar, low caffene. You might try that. The new thing for me is muscle spasms, and hick-ups that wake me up. If anyone has any ideas on how to keep from getting the hick-ups, Iam all ears.
i have just been told i have rsd im 38 years old and dont much about this thank for your comments i can undersstand im not a long
Dear Webzies. I am currently running a sleep study with various types of sleep patterns (basically, many different types of patients) and it comes to my attention that television may be a factor in how well americans (especially) sleep. PLEASE TURN YOUR TELEVISION OFF!! During this study I have noticed that "Sleeping with a television on at regular [to almost zero decibel] volume will cause a person to NOT engage in critical R.E.M. sleep. If repeated consistently, the subject shows signs of sleep deprivation and waking confusion. The television will also cause the subject's sleep cycle to be disrupted, causing oversleeping with the accompaniment of feeling as if one "hasn't been sleeping enough". Days recorded with no television on report mostly 'normal sleep and circadian rhythms." basically, whenever a person sleeps with a television on or within 25 feet, (often) they WILL show signs of sleep deprivation.
*When the brain has an external, constant stimuli, it will choose to take the path of least resistance (externally). The brain will continue to process outside stimuli before actually processing it's days' absorption of daily information and interaction. This leads to waking confusion and short to long term memory loss and lapse.
*Fluctuation of volume and tempo; While watching television in an unconscious state, the brain will continue to recognize the televisions change in volume and when the commercials air, they become louder and take on a much different tempo, further disrupting the sleeping brain's one goal, peace, quiet and REPAIR BY R.E.M. SLEEP.
*WITH AGE when the certain frequencies of the average television set are no longer recognized by the ear as sounds (due to hearing loss) this study is shown to be inept and non-applying.
* For those who can hear ALL ranges of frequencies, a television set can and most likely will cause sleep disruption.
**For further discussion please contact me, savetoni@aol.com.
***Please note, this is not a response for those who suffer from chronic debilitating pain or from confirmed and diagnosed MEDICAL illnesses or accidents,
***This is not intended for cited use and may be noted as inconclusive.
***This article responds to those who suffer from unexplained insomnia or depression-induced insomnia accompanied by waking pain.
***Those who are severely overweight and suffer from back problems* and/or sleep apnea are not applied in this study.
(*spine alignment is altered when mass is added to the human body)
I've been having tenderness n pain in both my breasts at night I cannot sleep what so ever.I've went too my doctor and he acts like he has no idea whats causing It he gave me naproxen too take but It's not helping at all If anyone can help me with any suggestions please let me know.
Jenny is my name. Hurt my shoulders and neck and upper midback 10months ago at work. It's mainly my left side of my neck and shoulder that hurt along with alot of headaches. Now this has caused depression from lack of sleep due to so much pain. Can't ever get completely comportable when trying to sleep, sit or doing anything anymore. Beleive me, I had everything going for me. Never say never i've learned that the hard way. Now that i can't finish school and i'm only 44, can't seem to get any doctor to really listen. It's like they are num to hearing they have heard so much. Just want my life back again. If surgery is the option i'll do it. I've went through PT and this was before they knew what was even wrong with my left shoulder, and left side of my neck. Where do doctors get off telling you what you're feeling. Medication is a cover up to me. Solve the problem and get to the root of the issue. I'm now on antidepressants and pain medication, which i hate. They put me in a sling and now they say it was the wrong thing for the other doctors to have done. I've weaned off alittle bit but it hurts so bad. Does anyone Care thats in the Medical Profession anymore? Now i'm waiting on court and to get my rating but that still want fix the problem. It would be like having a million dollars and lost your site.
Jenny, I hope you got a good lawyer and filled for Workers Comp since this happened at work. I have a simillar problem. Have yourself check for Fibromyalgia by a Specialist. I have degenerative disc desease. my intire spine ishurtes and now my whole body. I am on Long term disability. Apply for SSDI and any and all disability places you can. What you have will last for ever saddly to say. I take medications, Flexril, diazapam and klonipi. They help but I am in chronic pain now for over 2 years...there is no real relif for me...I did try all the rest and they either don't work or I a have reactions to medications.
GOOD LUCK
You need to find a doctor that will listen to you, Pain is something only you feel. No one can tell you how bad it is. ONLY you can.
I went to many diffrenet doctors and after I went to the ER and stayed in the hospital for 6 days I found the right doctors. PT is the reason I went to the ER. They made my spine worse then before.
Reumatoligis are usualy a good place to start.
I am in chronic pain and do sleep some at night and afternoon.
Also it would be a good idea to see a phycologis for your depresion and anxiety. This was a big help for me in coping with my condition.
I have chronic back pain, and do not sleep well at night, I am up till 4 or 5 am,then when I finally get to sleep, I wake up in 3or 4 hours.
Gabapentin seems to be working very well for me. I can't begin to tell you how much the Gabapentin has helped. Most days I can get away with no NSAIDS where I was taking 8 Alieve per day. I have taken Desipramine 75mg for 20 years for the chronic pain. I don't know what is wrong of what I have or why but to sleep at night I take 2 Benadryl, a Melatonin tablet, 1 300 mg Gabapentin and one 75mg Desipramine tablet. Then I have 4 inches of Memory foam on my mattress, a memory foam pillow, and a body pillow. With this concoction I sleep thru the night.
Several years ago my daughter and I went on the Atkins diet. About 6 weeks into the diet all my pain stopped. The other "side affects" I had was no more acid reflux, better sleep, weight loss, more energy, blood pressure was down, all things good. I stayed on this diet for 6 months then my daughter moved out, the house burned down to the ground, etc...life happened and junk food started grabbing me as I would walk by it in the store.
I have found it incredibly hard to get back with the program and follow it to the letter again like I was before when I had a partner to help me stay on it. I have gained back the 70 pounds I had lost along with all of the problems that I had before and I am wondering if anyone has some answers as to why a diet is so hard to stick to. I KNOW that wheat is not at all good for me but bread, chips, potato’s and other junk food are like an addiction! I guess I just have to want to feel good again to go back on that eating plan that was so good for me..
And whoever said that riding horses helps with her pain is so right on. I ride Missouri Fox Trotters and I can be so stiff and sore before the ride but even with only a few minutes of them doing their gaiting everything is loose and free again! And what a rush their gaiting is!
I really think that a great deal of the ills that plague us is related to diet. I know that wheat (whole wheat even, not processed) is what I was feeding my pigs for part of their diets. When they started having arthritis and lameness problems because of the wheat diet then I thought…hmmmm….well I guess wheat can’t be all that great for me either…..and it sure makes them gain weight like crazy! So since I have switched them to a higher protein diet of alfalfa hay & milk the ones that were lame have gotten better and the ones that didn’t need to be so “piggy” fat have lost weight which makes for better reproduction.
So what I really need to do is to take the observations I have had on the farm and apply them to myself and stop eating junk food again! But it taste so good…..
Take care everyone I guess all I can say is research, research, and more research is what is needed.
I suffer from from sleep paralysis, depression, anxiety and more recently Bi-Polar. I also get terrible migraines. What works for me to get to sleep is some melatonin- 1 pill for encouragement and 2 pills to get knocked out for sure. I have tooken Trazadone before- But I find if I take it and do not fall asleep- I feel like zombie. Also- cannabis really does help both issues- migraines and sleep. I find that cannabis improves alot of the symptoms being described here......just sayin
Can cymbalta and neurontin be taken at the same time? I have been told that cymbalta increases RLS symptoms.
anonymous age 59 who had a hysterectomy spoke of a burning feeling. I am a little older and still have these kind of what I call hot flashes. I think they are caused by lack of estrogen in our mature bodies. They come on especially strong when thestress level goes up even just a bit like lying bed worrying about older age zipping down the road toward us all and having to work until I'm 80,Yipes! I am a non sleeper who is starting totry prescriptions also not real happy with ambien makes me a little "strung out" melatonin has bee a little helpful. I think winning the lottery would help a great deal with the stress related part of insomnia! So I hang in there. It is helpful to know that so many others have the same issue as I. I have had insomia since a very young 8or 9.slept really well during a great deal of a bad marriage because some of the pressure for being in charge of everything was off and I felt safer. but don't want to go to that extreme. I'm writing down varous drugs people are sharing to talk to my physician. My life would be perfect (well?) WIthout this problem and I feel most of you feel the same. Can't complain otherwise I'm over 60 and physically very fit and hardly any gray so guess things could be worse. I would just love to go to bed and dream about all my blessingsinstead of stewing about "Issues andold problems and guilts" Hey! This has been helpful Doctor, I hope all posters find some level of comfort through
their interactions here. My son is
becoming an anesthesiologist and
plans to go into pain-
managment so guess he has his work cut out for him. Going to bed early. I start a new job tomorrow. TO all those who aren't able to do that - I send healing thoughts your way. THanks for sharing and good evening
i have been having pain for the last 10 years. doctors have tried and i have tried everything to get back to a normal life. i had a bypass 10 years ago. i have never been the same. i took all thier advice quit smoking quit drinking and exersise. for 2 years i did this . walking 5 miles a day 3 to 5 days a week. swam and anything else i could do. i then developed diabetes. first type 2 then within a year type1. i now am on the needle 3 times a day. i also developed perial neuropathy. both feet legs and hands. the pain is ridiculouse. so what i did after 2 and half years i started drinking and smokeing again. yhis helps during the day but not at night. ido not belive that this is a solution but its the best i can do. sorry about the spelling but my hands dont work that good.now i have some type of siezure disorder but of course the doctors say stop drinking and smokeing. that is thier best solution for everything. tjanks for listening at 1 oclock in the morning. have to go back and try to sleep in my recliner now.
I HAVE CRONIC PAIN AS WELL..I SWEAR BY THE TEMPURPEDIC MATRESS!! THEY MAKE ONE NEW THAT IS EVEN BETTER WITH A PILLOW TOP. THEY ARE EXPENSIVE BUT WELL WORTH IT WHEN YOU CONSIDER YOU SPEND 1/3 OF YOUR LIFE IN BED (IF NOT MORE!) YOU MAY AS WELL LOVE IT!!!!
I havent been able to get some good sleep for over 5 years now, I wake up with a Severe Migraine Everday and its been like that ever since I was a kid, Alot of people dont want to believe me they think I just want to take Med's But its not even that I can take Valuim or Ambien and it will not affect me even a little bit, What can I do to convince my family that the pain I have is true and its not just a figment of my Imagination.
I have been a suffer of lower back pain for many years and I had come to the conclusion that getting a full night sleep was not in the cards for me anymore. I would wake up and take something then have to go sit in my chair for about an hour until the medication started to relieve the pain. This was a vicious cycle. I am now taking Ultram ER after dinner and I am sleeping like a baby! Thank god for my doctor trying this!!!!
Hello all. I too suffer from FM,CFS, and Bipolar. I was diagnosed with the fibro the summer after high school graduation. I was a nursing assistant, and it was initially diagnosed as a strained muscle. I couldn't even turn my neck to check my blind spot merging onto the highway. For many years, it has been 10, my pain was primarily from the base of my skull down my back to about the lumbar area. Throughout college it was very difficult because of my long periods at a desk studying and/or typing papers. I also found that with increased emotional stress came with increased pain. For the first few years I managed the pain with NSAIDs, muscle relaxers, and vicodin. My doctor once explained to me that the muscles in my back were in constant spasm. Also, I wasn't reaching a full deep sleep which lead to the chronic fatigue and the lack of my muscles rejuvinating. I had tried trazodone, and amitriptyline (which worked for awhile, and I only took half the dose which made me feel less groggy). I have found Ibuprofen, deep tissue massage and heat to be the best treatment for me. I couldn't really walk for nearly 5 days after childbirth, and I have never told my husband that the day after we are intimate I am in so much pain, mainly in my hips and shoulders. During all of this time I was also battling depression, with the FM and CFS who knows which came first, the chicken or the egg. It seems to be that these disorders, more often than not, accompany one another. Nearly 3 years ago I was diagnosed with bipolar and am now on 7 different medications. 1 atypical antipsychotic, 1 antiseizure med as a mood stabilizer, 2 SSRIs (antidepressants), 2 different doses of synthroid (hypothyroidism), cholesterol med, and birthcontrol. I use ibuprofen to manage my pain, which at 800mg before I go to bed in pain lets me rest just a little deeper and helps my body be able to repair some of the injury that has happened throughout the day. Before you try the ibuprofen, if you haven't already, check with your dr. or pharmacist to make sure none of your other meds will put you at an increased bleeding risk or if you have history of bleeding ulcers. I have a 4 year old, didn't marry her father, and my husband and I are fulltime nurses. I walk so much at work that if I sit down my whole body tries to shut down out of exaustion, at age 28 feeling like I have the body of a 68 year old. I want to have another child, but will have to go off at least 2 of my psych meds, and not take Ibuprofen. I am going to attempt to wean off some meds mid March or April to see if I can maintain mental stability without being a walking pharmacy, which is what I feel like; over $200 a month for meds absolutely rediculous. I am waiting until after the new year through March to try to stop some meds because the winter is the worst time of year for me. Last year I was admitted to a psych ward and had to have ECT, which with the induced seizures I hurt like hell for over 3 weeks. It was worth it though. Pulled me straight out of the hole I was in, had short term memory loss that I will never get back, including last Christmas. I had Christmas 3 times, every time I looked under the tree I didn't know whose gifts belonged to who--even if I bought them.....lol. Anyway, after all that babbling this is what has helped me at different times in the past 10 years: If you are on Amitriptyline, try half your prescribed dose. If you can take Ibuprofen, try 800mg before bed and 600mg throughout the day. (Get scripts for these doses, cheaper that way :) ) Massage and heat. Heating pad at night actually works wonders. And the most important thing that I have not mentioned; psychotherapy (meaning seeing a psychologist) regularly. BECAUSE it seems as though all of us are battling some type of mental illness, which in turn causes emotional stress, which in turn causes increased pain. Those of you who get confused; psychiatrists prescribe the meds, psychologists are the therapists. I am still in pain everyday, however on most days I would describe it as being sore. Always sore to touch, but touch therapy actually works. Human touch is surprisingly healing. I hope my babbling will help at least one of you. I will be following, please let me know what you think.
I still don't sleep due to severe back pain that no one in 3 years has been able to diagnose. i read where several people are taking amitriptiline and cymbalta and my advice is to get off it now! the amitriptiline is not so hard but the cymbalta has the most horrendous side effects when you try to stop taking it. it was actually causing me to sleep worse. it helped with the pain for about 1-1/2 and after that i was hooked, only i didn't know it. i ended up in the emergency room with severe chest pains due to cymbalta. ask your doctor to find you something else to take and also how to take yourself off the cymbalta.
Hope this helps: I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 2001 . I won't bore with all the gorrrryyy, painful details or list the umpteen medications I've tried. Here goes: LYRICA LYRICA LYRICA, the drug advertised on t.v. for Fibromyalgia, etc. Two doctors told me "no", there were too many side effects. Or, it's not been on the market long enough. Guess What ? ONE doctor laughed at them and said "How do you know "you" will have side effects unless you try it" > I tried it. Almost immediate relief. Almost total relief. I can function again. My restless legs and noodle legs are gone. My shoulder / neck / back pain very tolerable. My fatigue, much better. I take 100mg of Trazadone for sleep at night. That's it gang. That simple. Side effects ?? NONE. I was simply dizzy for 3 days in the early a.m., that's it. I take 75mg once a day at supper time. Good Luck and please, MAKE your doctor prescribe it for you. On the road to a happier, fun lifestyle. Take Care to you all who suffer with pain. sk
I am so bad..I have depression,anxiety,ADHD,Fibromyalgia,Tendinitis,Bersitis,Arthritis and I have trouble sleeping. I Take Seroquel 300mg 2 a bed, Welbrin 300 mg at bed plus 1 Oxycodone 7/500 at bed and I use a Tens machine and I still have pain at night I wake up in so much pain and when I get up to walk I can hardly walk because my feet hurt so bad sometimes I have to use a crutch to start walking with.. So I know how pain is and I cannot get anything that actually works for me
at least some of u slept descent nights
i used to go to bed @ 1 or 2 am and wake up @ 6 or 6:30 for school
and now i'm up and down w/ knee pain
To the cold hearted people that wrote those unspiring comments, I just want to say, I would like to see you walk a mile in any of these peoples shoes. I don't sleep either because of the diabetes, Ra, chronic back pain and headaches. I'm 41 and feel like I'm falling apart. Up to the age of 35, I was able to work a 14hr day, get off, work out 1 to 1 1/2 hrs and feel like a million bucks. I could keep up with any 20 yr old anyday of the week. In the past, 5 or 6 years, I had at least 6 operations, been put on oxycontin, morphine, vioden, xanax, lyrica, you name it I've had it. It used to be I would even take a tylenol for a headache. It took me along time to except my health problems but I finally had to. I am depressed over it, especially having to apply for disability. Just to let those of you know, you have to play the hand God deals you, young or old, just know that you are not alone and do the best you can everyday or you are cheating yourself out of happiness. Oh, An don't listen to those people who don't have a clue what pain really feels like. I hope the never do.
i have had 3 surgeries on my shoulder for a torn rotator cuff and deltoid muscle due to an injury at work.my boss made me stay on the machine for an extra 11 months with the injury which has caused more pain. i did get a claim with workers comp but i'm having problems with them and the doctors not wanting to add the other problems to the claim it took me 5yrs to get my social security being disabled and now that i have medicare the doctors are billing them which still leaves me covering some of the bill i say it's not fair i have done theapy on land and in water i'm now being put thru having to take nerve blockers in the lower part of my head and upper back the pain is so bad i'm having a good night if i sleep 3hrs solid.
my lawyer has asked for documents to get the problems addressed in the claim but doctors sends back. already treating under private insurance is their anything that can be done i feel the doctors don't care that their patient is in pain as long as someone pays the bill and they get their office call.dealing with pain is enough for someone to have to deal with so why do the doctors even take a yoth
to help people when all they care about is who will pay them first and faster.any feed back as to what to do.
I have tried everything, no relief! When will I be able to sleep or function without my meds? Does anyone know how to talk to a Dr. and not have them look at u like no one can have pain all the time? I have looked at alot of postings, and we all should find a way to come together and fight for RELIEF!I will keep trying on my end!!
I've had pain for over 6 years. It's getting worse every day. Can't sleep, can't do much of anything. Suffer from depression, but most of all neck pain. Treatments led to mix of pills that made me manic, which led to bankruptcy. Pot is the only thing that relieves some pain. It lets me get things done. Nurse and PA who treated me thought I was only after drugs. With all the medication, totally manic, the cops raided my house, thought I was a meth addict and took away my kids for over a year because they found a 1/4 TEASPOON of pot and a one hitter. Now after 6 years of pain, bankruptcy and the raid I've finally been diaganosed with a cervical herniated disk, kyphosis and cervical dis degeneration. All these years of abuse by medical personnel, finally found a doctor who knows what is wrong.
HAVING THE NUMEROUS BACK ISSUES MANY OF YOU HAVE WITH DRAWS FULL OF DRUGS WITH LITTLE RELIEF i FINALLY HAVE COME UP WITH THE BEST MED IN MY ARSENAL. a FENTANYL PATCH HAS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY IN TEN YEARS I HAVE NOT FOCUSED 24/7 ON MY PAIN. ASK YOUR DOC ABOUT THIS.
I have had too many sleepless nights due to my dad dying suddenly, economic times(worry), a workers comp injury adding to $ concerns as they dont pay full salary when you cant work, my husband having cancer surgery, handling my parents estate, husband is now going to have heart surgery, I have tried Lunesta, Ambien and now Tamazepam without success. ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED!
As far as those of you with physical problems keeping you awake and most likely causing much discomfort during the day...My suggestion is to find a Chiropractor. If one doesnt work Try Another as they use different adjusting techniques. In the Concord, CA area I can suggest a Chiropractor that is the Best, Dr Gerald Thompson, you wont be sorry!
If you have complications with your feet, ankles, legs, knees or back I also Highly Recommend "Z-Coil" shoes. You can view the shoes and find locations at zcoil.com. Dont stop there, do yourself the favor of atleast trying a pair on at the store. You can not experience the True comfort by viewing a picture of the shoe!
For the person asking about a bed. We have a Select Comfort bed...The Best. I find myself sleeping on my back, Never did this before in my entire life! The only suggestion I have is if you and your partner sleep on numbers with extreme differences (ex 25 and 45) you may consider purchasing two seperate beds, otherwise one sleeps in a hole while the bother is on a hill trying not to slide down.
I hope that my experience and suggestions will help atleast one of you!
I tried taking tylenol pm to help me sleep through the night and I have gotten up at 4am just to get a snack or a drink...I bought a new bed in a bag and for the past few nights been sleeping through the night. seems weird to me but got me thinking..maybe a new matteress might help also..but last sunday I went to a wedding, woke up monday being sick, along with my husband..it's not monday the 4th of nov and I am still sick and I think I have gotten worse. I got up this morning to put my son on the bus and I usually go back to bed for a few hours but I decided not to but about 130 in the afternoon I took a nap and didn't get up till alittle before 5pm..and I still feel like I need to go back to bed. I can't stop coughing, my eyes are tired, and my body is sore. maybe I need to go to the doctor and see if I may have cronic fatigue syndrom...I am 32 yr old female..worried but maybe it's just nothing and I need to start going to bed about 9pm
I take restoril 30mg for sleeping stay awake.it only works for a little while. Then i wake up and have to take another or just stay awake i dont know much about this med. is it dangerous??? I know Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith hjad it in their system when they passed away. Im also in a great deal of pain back and forth from specialist to neurologist to pcp. All they can some up with is periphial??? (not sure how to spell it) neuropathy and fibro myalgia. My jaw muscles and whole mouth hurt so bad but i've had x-rays and they say i dont have tmj. I feel like im on mystery diagnoses im only 22 and im on: Vicodin 750mg, neurontin 300mg, soma 350mg, prozac 20mg, and restoril 30mg... Anyone with advise????? Im in PAIN!!!!
Oh yeah I forgot im on firocet too for my horrible MIGRANES!!! they have gotten only worse after my two c-sections! This all started when i smoked marajuana one day and it wasnt my first time. When i smoked it my mouth started bubbling and my throat started sizziling then my jaw would move out of place and try to lock on me and my head felt like someone poured acid on it. This was the worst pain i've ever experienced!!! by far! I rthought it might have just must have been laced with something so i tried it a couple times after that and it happened to me everytime i felt like i was going to did my heart was beating out of my chest i think i almost died. My husbabnd smokes weed and he has to smoke out side and wash up everytime he enters the house. If i even smell it my jaw will start locking! I've told the doctors but they have no clue what to think about it. Since all this happened now im getting bad migranes my jaw and mouth are hurting and my neck and back! Also my left hand and leg get tingley heavy and numb! I 've been diagnosed with fibro but i dont think thats right because alot of u that have that said they smoke pot so WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH ME I FEEL LIKE IM GOING TO DIE FROM THIS:(
HAD TO WRITE AGAIN.. DUE TO MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS IF ANYONE CAN RELATE TO ME OR KNOWS WHATS WRONG CONTACT ME I'LL TAKE ALL THE FEEDBACK I CAN GET!!!!
sonyamason022@yahoo.com
I accidently came across this site, it's somehow comforting to realize you are not the only person who cannot sleep and the pain is real (I was in a car accident 17 years ago and the old body is reminding me up it!) the not sleeping is almost the worst, I've tried everything over the counter, ambien and lunesta,nothing like being up and down all night and do accounting work by day. I also take zoloft and tramadol (tramadol seems to help with the discomfort and I can think at work. My dr is willing to work with me until we find a solution....anyone know much about Cymbaltra...what about a pain iill for night that will help you sleep as well....will i feel like getting out of bed for work??? Thanks...Also Kathi, keep communicating, you are not by yourself and there are many other options!!
I see Amitriplyine, Cymbaltra and Seroquel and Lyricia.......can someone who has used these tell me what they think...which are considered for sleep, pain/depression..Iim familiar with Ambien, Zoloft and Tramadol and xanax .25 Thanks
Sometimes when I can't seem to fall asleep I just smoke a doobie and I'm out like a light.
I just had surgery five weeks for my gallbladder. I think I might have restless leg syndrome. I also have fibromyalga. I degenative disc decease in my back my L5 S1 along with arthritis.
I have read these comments. I am so humbled by you folks and will keep you in my prayers. I am taking very much for granted, I can see that now.
I live in Michigan and I voted against legalizing medical marijuana. The proposal passed anyway and it will be legal to obtain. I am sorry I voted against it after reading your comments. I used to smoke pot and remember how it relaxed me, helped me to eat, and helped me to sleep. It is so much less harmless than so many of these prescriptions you have to take. I will keep you all in my prayers.
i am 14 and i have fibermialgi and i cant sleep im always up i talke 2 sleeping pills a night but it doesnt help becaues i wake up at 2:00am too and in so much pain that i just start crying i dont no wat to do i have been haveing this for 1-1/2 year and with a unknown diseses the dr will not give me pills for the pain if any of you have an idea e-mail me at randiirr@hotmail.com and please tell me any thing you now about Something that could help meeee please i need help and soon my mom doesnt help me at all she says to talk a advil but that doesnt helpp me
thank you
randi
I am 23 and suffer from terrible debilitating head aches. The pain has morphed from just a dull, ache 10 years ago to a constant HORRIFIC pain that would bring a grown man to his knees. Honestly, I used crack-cocaine for 2 years and never had to go to the doctor once. Of course there are deadly side effects associated with illicit drug use which I'm debating whether or worth going through again. I've since been off the illicit drugs (except occassional marijuana use to stimulate my hunger) but have been to the ER 5 times in the last 30 days and to an internal medicine doctor. I have been taking amitriptyline religiously for 4 years- I'm wondering if there is anypossibility of that medication actually causing this continued pain.
The pain has progressed to my neck and other joints. I also find that I bruise very easily and take weeks for the bruises to heal. What does this sound like? Please email me at lynn_combs@hotmail.com
Because I hvae been completely honest with my doctors about the illicit drug use (which may have damned me) they are not so opted to give out pain medications.
I take 300 mg of Trazadone and I still only get 3-4 hours of sleep. Help!!!
I have lived with chronic pain for more years than I care to recall. I have degenerative disc disease, sleep apnea, diabetes with some nerve damage from the diabetes and sciatic nerve damage. I have difficulty sleeping. I wake up EVERY time I need to move and sometimes can't get back to sleep but things have gotten better - I sleep with a CPAP machine to get into REM sleep and I take oxycodone and several muscle relaxants to sleep through the night. It makes the days better. I teach school and I wouldn't be happy at all if I couldn't spend time with the children every day. I love my job and my husband who is very understanding and supportive. Several years ago I had an implant put in that tricks your brain into thinking it's not in pain. It has made a world of difference in my life! It's made by Medtronics and during most days my pain level is a 3 or 4 if I have the stimulator on. Check it out. It has been a miracle for me.
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