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Sleep is unbearable

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Posted 4/11/2016 6:20 AM (GMT 0)
I'm having so much trouble lately with getting any good sleep, sometimes almost no sleep at all. The first hour is generally pretty good. After that, I wake up w/ terrible leg pain, severe hand pain, and moderate pain in the rest of my body. The pain is just unbearable at night.

I take 200mg of Lyrica 2x a day as well as MS-contin for chronic low back pain I've had for 18 yrs & does NOT radiate (fibro has "only" been for past 2 yrs.)). I do switch positions frequently during the night, have tried the pillow between the knees, put 4" egg crate foam topper on my mattress (that was working best for me before), and have tried the memory foam topper also (didn't help at all).

I get out of bed when the pain gets too bad to even lay there. Moving around (although stiff) helps, but I can't go back to bed for an hour or so, and can't fall asleep in a chair or anything else.

I am miserable. I'm tired all day because of not sleeping. I'm grumpy, not myself. I don't know what else to do.

Please help!! I'm in the midst of another painful night and thought I would ask for suggestions. (By the way, I can't get in to my new doc for another 6 weeks and my old doc stopped practicing.)


Thank you.

Sunny13
Posted 4/11/2016 11:26 AM (GMT 0)
It's awful not being able to sleep and you sound just like I was for many years. But, about four years ago I was given a muscle relaxer called Robaxin (methocarbamol) and it has made a significant difference in my muscle pain. Hence, I now sleep quite good. I used Robaxin in the 1980's for low back pain and it worked great.

My prescription reads to take two tablets four times a day but I started out with one tablet four times a day and it worked plus I wasn't drowsy, etc. I now only take one tablet twice a day.

I have had low back pain for years and then it progressed to my shoulders. I thought this was all fibro but, after having a full examination by a rheumatologist, it was discovered I also have ankylosing spondylitis. This is an inflammatory disease of the spine so ibuprofen helps me a lot also.

Lastly, I have a pillow top mattress with the foam egg crate on top of that and a fiber bed on top of that! The fiber bed is like a feather bed except it can be washed. This combination makes my bed so comfy.

I hope this helps you. I generally now get up once or twice during the night to use the bathroom and fall right back to sleep.

Sherrine
Posted 4/11/2016 3:29 PM (GMT 0)
I've also been dealing with lots of leg pain at night, what I think is restless legs, and just odd neuro 'stuff' going on with my legs and feet (I also have a separate neuro condition).

What is helping me (usually) is to take a large folded quilt and put it at the foot end of the bed, and on top of that, a bed pillow. I put my feet on that, and put a small (decorative type) pillow between my knees. It helps even more to put another small pillow on the bed to rest my calves on.

It's a little tricky to get used to (still working on that, somewhat), but my legs felt so much better, both overnight and in the morning.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck! yeah
Posted 4/11/2016 7:37 PM (GMT 0)
Can you take a pain killer just before bed to get ahead of the pain?

My bed had a 4 in. memory foam mattress on top of a pillow top mattress with a 2 in. topper on the very top. I also have a body pillow that I lay partly on.
Posted 4/11/2016 8:49 PM (GMT 0)
With everything we are piling into our beds for comfort, maybe our legs are bumping into the ceiling! devil

Sherrine
Posted 4/11/2016 9:04 PM (GMT 0)
Lol sherrine..ceiling indeed : )

I do pretty well with a . Sleep number bed..

But during a flare can still have issues..

I started liking the firmness of 60 as my sleep number but over time have gone to a 45.

Sunny, we know how bad sleep issues and pain can be..we do need help with both ..when you are in pain, its so hard to have to wait so long to see the dr.. I have run into that when i needed therapy..

My doctor knows that i tend not to come in , so if i call they see me that day.. He figures if i am calling its an emergency..i am a very hard to get patient : (
Posted 4/11/2016 10:06 PM (GMT 0)
LOL, Sherrine! It sometimes feels that way.

I told my husband pretty soon I'll be standing on my head! turn tongue turn
Posted 4/12/2016 1:39 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all of the responses. I definitely know I am not alone! (Unfortunately).

I am so tired but can't sleep. I'm going to try some more pillows and ask my doc about the Robaxin. I already take MS-Contin every 8 hours and I can't take it any sooner to knock out the pain. I also can't take any NSAIDS, problem w/ a reaction w/ another med.

I really do appreciate all of your caring responses. It means a lot to know I am not alone and that there are things I can do to (hopefully) feel some relief.

And...LOL Sherrine!
Posted 4/12/2016 3:14 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry for your sleep problems Sunny. At least I know I am not alone.
I have a small ball (miracle ball method I think it's called)that I put under my neck to sleep. Then sometimes I have to put it under my shoulder if it hurts. I have 4 of these balls. I place them everywhere. I also use 3 pillows which I keep rearranging. Also 2 fans and a sound machine. And a humidifier.

I hope I never have to go to a nursing home. They probably won't let me use all this stuff.
tongue
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