Pain and sleep aids?

I had a back operation in 2005 and ever since that I have been having problems sleeping all night I sleep for 3 hours wake up then 45 minutes later I try to go back to sleep. Then I maybe fall a sleep for a few more hours. I think it is from the aches I get while sleeping Is there a 12 hr time released pain pill for body aches? or a time released sleep aid?

I have had sleep study, I do not snore.. I just would like to be able to sleep with out waking up in the middle of the night. Any suggestions?

Merrida,
Thx
I have tried that as well, The VA gave me some stuff for anxiety.. which does not work... VA also gave me something something for blood pressure that seems to lower my blood pressure 130/80 - I am in an achy type of pain , messages help sometimes.

The Pain Medicine I take,Nucynta ER,is supposed to be taken every 12 hours.One of my main complaints about it is that It made me sleep too much,especially the 1st month I took it.

I rely on Celexa,an anti-depressant,to help me sleep.My brain doesn't make Seratonin anymore.Without it I'll sleep 2 hours and then be up all night.

I tried a lot of things to make me sleep.Then a Doctor said that if you have trouble going to sleep it's anxiety.If you sleep a little while and then wake up and can't go back to sleep it's depression.He was right in my case.

Elavil works for me as well.

Good luck,
Rick

If it's an "achy" pain feeling - you would probably do well w/ a muscle relaxer... and the good thing (for those of us that have sleep issues) is that many of them do have drowsiness as a side effect. You might want to look at flexeril or soma.

I don't know if you are on an extended release (ER) med... but those fight pain for 8 to 12 hours at a time.... So I take my oxycontin around 10 and it gets me through until my morning dose. There's oxy, morphine, etc.

Beyond that - there are the "typical" sleeping meds - anything from ambien to lunesta to sonata and more. Don't know what you've tried. Many of these are "hypnotics".... so I can't use it any of them - as I was doing very weird (and dangerous) things like eating or grabbing my keys to go for a drive. But they do work for some.

You can try some over the counter stuff - from Excedrin or Tylenol PM to even Benedryl. I'm completely tolerant to Benadryl now... but it used to knock me out.

Obviously I fight insomnia - haha - so that's why I know all of this stuff. I understand how frustrating it is..... The last week - I've not been able to sleep until 4am and I have to be up at 7am w/ my kids. Makes for a longggggg week.

Good luck to you.... if you have other questions, please ask! I've pretty much tried it all!! :)

--Tina

I have been on Ambien 10 since year 2000. In the early years, it would knock me out in 5 minutes and I could get 6 hours or more of unbroken sleep.

Thirteen years later, it will still knock me out, in 5-15 minutes, but doesn't keep me asleep more than 2 hours at the time. I will wake up often, but usually back to sleep within 5 minutes. Total sleep for me ranging between 4-5 hours per night, plus average close to 1 hour nap late each afternoon (thought not always during the nap time).

I also have taken Tranxene for over 8 years (?) 7.5 mg. Just one per night. I take it about 1-2 hours before I want to go to sleep. I was put on that, to help keep my brain from "racing away" at night, sure many of you know what that means. I am so OCD about needless details, without the meds, I would be awake most all nights thinking stupid, meaningless thoughts, that only serve to keep me awake and no other purpose.

So in my case, I need both meds, to even maintain the little bit of sleep I get on a regular basis. Unfortunately, neither the Fentanyl or the Lortabs have any sedating effect on me. I wish they did, so that I could get more sleep.

David

I take Tizanidine(Zanaflex) and Trazadone(you may not be able to take this in addition to your other Anti-Depression medication).

But yeah...a Muscle Relaxer may help.