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Posted 8/22/2008 4:38 AM (GMT 0)
so as some of you may noticed, i'm always posting during hours after midnight and before 5 am, and that is because i can never sleep! i'm not sure if it's all because of being on meds like prednisone, but i get really tired during the day, often nap, but today i decided not to nap because it's been 3 nights in a row that i havent slept more than 2 hours. so today i figured if i deprived myself of the nap i'd be more tired and sleep better, NOT. here i am, restless.

any advice? i get exhausted during the day, and the ONLY hours i ever see sleep are after waking up around 5/6 am, going to the bathroom, and then sleeping until around 10/11 am. but this will not be able to continue for long due to school and normal life schedules. ideas?
Posted 8/22/2008 4:55 AM (GMT 0)
I wish I had some advice for you but I'm in the same boat as you. I'm thinking the prednisone is the culprit. I can't let it continue either cause I need to get back to my job pretty soon. Sorry I couldn't help maybe someone else can give us both some advice.
Posted 8/22/2008 4:56 AM (GMT 0)
exercise, but complete it 3 hours before you plan to go to bed.

natural remedies are chamomile tea and Valerian root.

learn to meditate.

take a hot/warm bath (or hit the spa/sauna) before going to bed.

i can loan you a copy of my master's thesis.

although i generally dont recommend this, vicodin and opiates, like jeagermiester, is a good combo.

dont worry too much about napping during the day. listen to your body if you need a nap. napping is good for you, but you dont want a long nap.

stop drinking coffee and eating a lot of sugar and consuming other stimulants.
Posted 8/22/2008 5:38 AM (GMT 0)
Are you both taking your pred as early in the morning as possible? If not then more than likely that's your culprit...take all your pred very first thing in the am and you'll probably see a huge difference once bedtime comes.

:)
Posted 8/22/2008 5:45 AM (GMT 0)
okay thanks, all great advice, yeah i usually just take it when i get up which lately can be as late as noon, maybe i should just wake up early and take it and then try and go back to bed
Posted 8/22/2008 5:58 AM (GMT 0)
I take mine at am and Pm but I try to take the PM right before bed. I go to bed but usually get back up cause I can't sleep.
Posted 8/22/2008 5:59 AM (GMT 0)
Yup, get up early to take it then go back to bed, taking it at noon is more than likely why you're not able to sleep at night.

It might take a couple of days before you notice a difference from taking it early in the am, so be prepared for that (be patient).

:)
Posted 8/22/2008 1:59 PM (GMT 0)
If you still cannot sleep after taking your pred early, then call your doc. There are lots of meds that he/she can prescribe that can help you sleep. You do not need to suffer. Let's face it, lack of sleep leads to a tremendous amount of stress, which is really bad for people like us.

Good luck and keep us posted :-)
Posted 8/22/2008 2:21 PM (GMT 0)
I was never the best sleeper in the first place but while on Prednisone I would find myself awake most of the night. I started taking it a 6AM but then since I was usually awake at 4AM, I took it then with a bowl of cereal and then went back to bed. Had my best sleep from then on, but since I work out of our home I could sleep unti 8 or 9AM. Plus if I needed to rest in the day time I could. Took advantage of the time I was awake by doing my paperwork and doing things for my daughter's wedding.
Posted 8/22/2008 6:08 PM (GMT 0)
Valerian is great for sleep. So is Sleepy Time Extra Tea by Celestian Seasonings. Melatonin helps. Bendryl or Unisom.
Posted 8/22/2008 6:22 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Hope you"ll soon be tapering it can be very frustrating not being able to sleep .If your going to continue on that dose for awhile I'd call or visit your Dr.I managed to get threw my months on the pred. without meds but it was tuff at times. Best Wishes. lol gail
Posted 8/22/2008 6:37 PM (GMT 0)
I'm a big fan of benadryl or dramamine when i can't sleep. Do you think you might be anxious about school starting up too? It always frustrates me when I can't sleep and then come morning I could sleep just fine.
Posted 8/22/2008 8:01 PM (GMT 0)
yeah i could be stressed or subconsiously anxious, who knows, but same thing last night, i was up til 3 in the morning, then i was starving because of the pred so i ate food then had more energy and again only ended up with about 3 hours of sleep. it's definitely frusterating. but im going to try those tips thanks a lot. im sure they will help. and this is a little off topic but for anyone who is/was on pred and started tapering, im just wondering:

ive been on 30mg/day for a week and im feeling slightly better, the doc wants to start the taper already, only tapering 5mg/week so now im doing 25mg/day, then by next friday i'll start 20mg/day then so on. if i have not yet experienced the moon face and am already tapering, is there i chance i might not get it that bad? i know it's only been a week but i mean i'm only going to have less and less mg/day from here. here's to hoping haha
Posted 8/22/2008 11:59 PM (GMT 0)
The other thing worth considering if you're consistently waking up early, is depression. How are you feeling emotionally?

Do you ache? If you have the constant fatigue, the difficulty sleeping, and pain, then you may have fibromyalgia. Again, if diagnosed, fibro can be helped with a low dose of an antidepressant. At low doses they can help you get some quality sleep.

Sending you calming and restful vibes,

Ivy.
Posted 8/23/2008 12:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hi When you taper you should sleep a little better to the lower you go. I think moon face has alot to do with how long your on the pred. I used to get up at about 3 am for a few hours till I tapered down. lol gail
Posted 8/23/2008 1:01 AM (GMT 0)
thanks guys, and ivy, that seems very possible because im always tired, sometimes during the day im so tired and achey i feel like i can't even do anything but sink into the couch and not move a muscle. all of my muscles, especially in my back have been so sore and i havent been doing anything physical to cause that. and i have been emotionally down lately especially with the whole never ending flare going to college now thing. what is fibromyalgia?
Posted 8/23/2008 1:36 AM (GMT 0)
Well it's common to be tired when you're body is inflammed as well.

The primary symptoms of fibromyalgia include widespread musculoskeletal pain, severe fatigue, and disturbed sleep. Fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons – the soft fibrous tissues in the body.

Most patients with fibromyalgia say that they ache all over. Their muscles may feel like they were pulled or overworked. Sometimes fibromyalgia symptoms include muscle twitches and burning sensations. More women than men are afflicted with fibromyalgia, and it shows up in people of all ages. A conservative estimate of its prevalence is 2% of the general population, but it may be as high as 3-5%.

:)

Posted 8/23/2008 3:03 AM (GMT 0)
Well you're not alone. I've been taking Prednisone now for 8 weeks. I can't sleep either.

If I take it in the morning it seems to make me more anxious ( and I've been anxious and depressed, because of constant pain, so I don't need that). So, I've been taking it at night and now can't sleep more than 3 hrs a day. Doctor just gave me a new med to try called Nortriptyline. I can let you know if it helps me. It's supposed to help with Anxiety, Depression and Pain, he says...but this is a Doctor I don't like.

Here's to hoping we find something that helps.
Posted 8/23/2008 3:15 AM (GMT 0)
I'm glad I'm off the prednisone... I had some bad insomnia myself... *A lot of it was due to pain, too, I think* Now, I'm on so much medicine... I feel tired all the time.... take five or six naps a day at least....
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