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Posted 9/23/2012 5:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,

I am new to the group so I wanted to introduce myself and possibly get some advice. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia this past year even though I know I have had it since I was a child. I finally got fed up with doctors telling me that everything was in my head that I just needed to try harder at things that I found difficult. They said my chronic pain was a symptom of my depression and anxiety. So, I went to a new PCP and was adamant that this was the problem and she ran a full battery of tests and when everything came back negative she sent me to a rheumatologist. Luckily, she agreed that I do have fibromyalgia. But, I feel like this has not brought much comfort because my medication seems to be all over the place. Before a formal diagnosis, my gynecologist put me on amitriptyline for pelvic pain, another problem all my doctors told me was a psychological problem. It did help with the pain, so my rheumatologist just kept me on that. I also see a psychiatrist for depression, anxiety, and mood which I take medication for. She has also prescribed my ambien to help me sleep.

I am really struggling in regard to sleep. The amitriptyline makes me a little sleepy but does not help me stay asleep. I feel like I wake up every half an hour all night long if I don't take the ambien but if I take both the ambien and the amitriptyline together it knocks me out and I can't get out of bed in the morning. I feel like I am wearing a lead suit (nothing terribly new even without meds) and I feel hung over. I am frequently late for work, which no one really notices because I have a mobile job so I don't have to report to an office first thing. I've tried melatonin and that doesn't help and even valarian root which smells so bad that I can barely swallow it.

Another major problem (aside from pain, of course) is fatigue. It is exacerbated by the fibro meds and ambien I take at night. I have to drive an hour each day to work, which makes me feel completely overwhelmed and then I have to drive an hour home. I work 11am-7pm to make sure that even if I am late by a few hours it isn't as bad as if I started at 9am. The other problem is that I am also in graduate school part time and work full time. I barely have the energy to get through the day then I have to come home and study/do homework for hours. I get to bed late which means I wake up late. I'm under a lot of stress which gives me migraine headaches. I did not sleep well last night because I wanted to be able to get up somewhat early this morning to catch up on homework so I didn't take my fibro med just my ambien in hopes that it wouldn't knock me out as much. By the time I went to bed last night I had a searing headache and I felt like my eye sockets were going to rocket out of my head. I still have the headache, but it isn't as bad. So, my intentions were good but I still work up at 12:30pm feeling groggy, eyes hurt, back and legs hurt, and I am exhausted. I have a paper to write but I don't have the energy and all of the papers I have written in the past few months take forever because I can't seem to form a coherent thought most of the time. I end up staying up late to finish it, and the cycle starts all over again. This stupid fibromyalgia is impacting my whole life. I'm only 29 and I feel like my life is passing me by. My husband tries to be supportive but he really has no clue what I go through and I don't find him to be overly sympathetic. He tries to get me to exercise when I get home from work, and after everything I just described I just don't have it in me. I read the fibro 101 thread and I keep thinking about the spoon theory. By the time I get home at night I feel like I have one spoon left but I still have to eat dinner, do homework, maybe laundry, and since we are young my husband often wants to go out. I just don't have enough spoons! Thanks for listening everyone.
Posted 9/23/2012 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there....welcome to the boards...Sorry you are having such a rough time..

I wanted to ask what milligram are you on for the Ambien? And is it the regular one or the CR (controlled release)?

If it's the regular one...you can split it in half or in quarters and try taking that to see if you are less groggy in the am.

It certainly sounds like you are extremely busy with school, work, family life and unfortunately you have put exercise to the wayside to do other things.

This is where you have to make some hard choices and realize that your health comes first. Exercise and stretching are two of the more important ways to help our Fibro symptoms of pain, stress, and fatigue levels. I would strongly recommend that you find a way to get this back into your life.

Even if you break it out into 15 minute walks a few times a day.

The other thing is taking a hard look at whether it's feasible to carry such a large load of school courses right now. It's one thing if you weren't having any issues and could do it all...but it may be where you decide that it takes a bit longer for your degree but you don't sacrifice your health and you make it less stressful on yourself as well as more time to care for yourself.

As well as this would make more time for you as a spouse and to spend doing things that bring you joy which always helps our mood and well being.

There is a sticky at the top of this board titled Fibro 101. This has all sorts of good information and tips/tricks for ways to help those of us with Fibro.

Another medication that can be helpful to many on Fibro is an actual muscle relaxer. These are either Flexeril, Robaxin, Skelaxin, or Zanaflex. They should only be taken though when you don't have to drive as well as not taking them at the same time as your Ambien but all this can be worked out with your Dr. and Pharmacist if you get a prescription for this.

Just some thoughts/suggestions.....Again...welcome to the boards here as it really is a wonderful place to share and know that people truly empathize what you are going through.

It's a bit more quiet on the weekends so please don't get discouraged if it takes some time for others to respond..
Posted 9/23/2012 6:50 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jen,

Sorry to hear about what you're going through at such a young age. What you're going through sounds very familiar to many of us.

I was tried on sleep meds too. They didn't work well for me. Melatonin and l-theanine work the best for me. Though there are some nights I still struggle. It depends what I ate that day, if I didn't get a chance to do my stretches, how stressed I was, or if I overdid.

Good luck to you.
Posted 9/23/2012 6:50 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much for replying! I agree with everything you said and I just find it frustrating that because of all of my health issues I have to put my goals on hold. I am currently taking 10mg of ambien, and I actually have been splitting them in half and over the past week have been thinking about splitting them in four. I think it's just the regular release. I was reading in another forum that some people have oversensitivity to medication, which I think is the case for me too. I was on Neurontin for several months and that completely knocked me out. Even with the amitriptyline I am taking 20 or 25 mg (i forget exactly) but I know that it is a low dose and it really does a number on me. I am having a sleep study soon so I hope this could help answer some questions about my sleep. As far as school, I get discouraged because in my line of work, rehabilitation counseling, you need a master's degree to really get anywhere in the field. If I could get a better job I wouldn't have a crappy job where I am running all around all the time. I am only taking two classes and they are both online so it saves me the trouble of having to sit through a class which is excruciating both because of anxiety and getting achy from sitting so long. I know I am overloading myself but I also get really depressed when I am surrounded by all these young girls in their early twenties going back for their masters or having their masters when they are like 24. My husband and I also want to have kids soon, and I have always wanted to wait until I was through with school because I know that throwing kids into all the other stuff I have going on would make it impossible for me to go back to school. I try to prioritize work and school, and maybe doing something fun on the weekend just to get through it all. I live in the city so I have about a five minute walk to a parking garage and then go up about two flights of stairs each morning, which I know doesn't sound like a lot but I think it has helped with exercise but maybe I should take a walk around the block at lunchtime to get in some extra activity. Wow, I feel like I just wrote another novel here. Thanks again for replying. -Jen
Posted 9/23/2012 6:54 PM (GMT 0)
Have you ever tried taking a half of an ambien?

Just thinking that might help.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 9/23/2012 6:57 PM (GMT 0)
almost medfree, thank you. Melatonin does help me fall asleep but doesn't help me "stay" asleep. That is the major problem for me. And I am such a light sleeper and I never used to be. My husband snores like a lumberjack, which keeps me up if I don't take some kind of sleep-aid like ambien. I feel like these meds that are supposed to help are actually making things worse. I know there is no magic pill, and I can cope with the pain but the one thing I can't cope with is poor sleep. I wake up feeling so unrefreshed I wonder why I bothered to try and sleep at all! That is one reason why I stay up late and study. I figure if I get 8 hours of sleep but feel like I only got 6 I might as well just get 6 hours of sleep.
Posted 9/23/2012 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
Have you thought part of the not staying awake is from your husband's snores?
He could have sleep apnea and need a Cpap. Then it will be quieter at night and maybe you can sleep through the night.
Posted 9/24/2012 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
Unfortunately I don't think my sleep disturbance is caused entirely by my husband's snoring because I have had poor sleep for a long time. We have been together for ten years and his snoring has gotten progressively worse. When I take ambien his snoring doesn't bother me at all because I just zonk out. Deepwell, thank you so much for all of the info! I was taking zoloft for anxiety, which was effective but when I went on amitriptyline I could not take both at once so I stopped the zoloft. I think that the amitriptyline has actually been very effective in treating my anxiety. I do also take a mood stabilizer at night for my depression and irritability. I also take short release adderall twice a day one around 10am and the other around 4pm. My sleep doctor told me that given the intervals that I am taking them it should not be effecting my sleep. I was diagnosed with A.D.D which I am not entirely sure about but I definitely have memory and concentration problems because of the fibro. Without the adderall I can't focus and get nothing done at work or for school. There are times though that my fatigue is so bad that even adderall doesn't perk me up. I don't drink caffeine due to the adderall so I don't think that is a factor with sleep either. I also have been on birth control since I was 16 so about 13 years because my periods were so painful I could barely move. The pill improved it so much that I barely have any cramps now. I dealt with fibro pain for at least 20 years (I'm estimating it started around 10 years of age) without medication and I am willing to do it again if need be I just need to be able to sleep! I am going to try taking 1/4 of an ambien tonight at see if that is any better. I try to take the amitriptyline around 9pm then wait a few hours before taking the ambien so I am spacing them apart. I am seeing my psychiatrist this week so maybe she has some ideas otherwise maybe I will just go see my primary doctor. Thanks again for all the advice!
Posted 9/24/2012 3:38 AM (GMT 0)
This might seem extreme to you...I have been married for 32 years and slept in the same bed with my husband for 30 of those years until I finally came to the conclusion that I needed to sleep in another room, away from my husband. He was the cause of my poor sleep. I LOVE falling asleep to music, he doesn't like any music, TV, etc. He also snores LOUD. Like you, I was taking Ambien and if I took it and fell asleep before him, I was fine, but if not, I could not sleep. I began to see a psychotherapist who convinced me to sleep in another room, where I can listen to music, run a fan, open my window as much as I want (I LOVE a cold room). In no time, I weaned off the Ambien and I am SLEEPING!! I do take melatonin, 5 mg and calcium. As long as you are seeing a psychiatrist, I would not change any medications or add any supplements or herbs without first discussing it with your doctor. I wish you well,
Miriam
Posted 9/24/2012 3:44 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, Jen.

You sure do have a lot going on! Wow. It sounds like you're doing the best you can under some very difficult circumstances.

I was (once upon a time) going to be a rehab counselor, too. Got my BA in behavioral disabilities, then had a couple of kids, and by the time I got around to starting my masters, fibro had really gotten its tentacles into me. I never did go back. So I can see why you want to get that done before having kids.

My husband snores, too - in fact, we don't share a bed or bedroom anymore for that reason. Strangely, I never realized how bad it was until I cut down on Clonopin, which I take for sleep along with Nortriptyline. I'm not willing to take double what I need just so we can sleep together (but then, we're old!) turn and he won't get tested for sleep apnea...guess I can't blame him, because he sleeps wonderfully and wakes up refreshed...go figure. In the meantime, he sounds like a buzz saw.

I hope you'll continue posting. We give eachother great support, and ideas too! Sleep well....

Debbie
Posted 9/24/2012 3:46 AM (GMT 0)
Ah, Miriam - I see we crossed "in the mail." Same idea!

Debbie
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