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Posted 1/14/2008 12:40 AM (GMT 0)
omg... i have been having the worst case of insomnia the last week and a bit.

i am in  remission still and am finally off all my medication which includes prednisone and oxycontins and the fentynil patch for a bit. not to mention some tomazapam for the prednisone induced insomnia a month or so ago.

i lay in bed and toss and turn like a fish out of water.  my left arm is restless like that restless leg syndrome thingo.

i almost feel like im having withdrawals.  i am fine during the day (except for sleepiness from not sleeping all night)  and when i go to bed, the twitching and moving about starts.

im the opposite of one of those kids dolls that close their eyes when they lay down.  mine open up and i cant sleep.

im starting to go mad.

i dont really want to get back on sleeping pills, cuz then i'll never get off them and if i do stop i wont be able to sleep again.

how long will this last?

what can i do to get to sleep?

is it just my body adjusting to not having heavy drugs in its system?

what the hell is going on?

Posted 1/14/2008 2:54 AM (GMT 0)
I have been having this trouble since taking and tapering the Prednisone. I took Tylenol PM a few nights, one is usually enough for me. The bad thing is even if I take it pretty early, I feel groggy the next day. But at least I could finally rest. Supposedly it is not habit-forming. I am getting closer to back to normal now and don't take the tylenol pm anymore. Oh, ps- using the computer/watching tv before bed doesn't help, the bright screens make you more awake.
Posted 1/14/2008 4:04 AM (GMT 0)
FYI

check out the ingredients on Tylenol PM

I believe it is tylenol plus benadryl (i think the drug name for benadryl is diphenhydramine something or other)

You can buy generic benadryl cheaper than brand name benadryl.  Also, you would be avoiding taking tylenol unless you need that.

I take benardyl and melatonin (occasionally) to help me sleep.  As far as habit forming, I feel like I need to take it to have any reasonable certainty that I will fall asleep before 1AM or so.

As always, check with your doctor, but that's my 2 cents

Posted 1/14/2008 5:12 AM (GMT 0)
It sounds like withdrawal to me. Have you tested bloods lately to make sure you're not deficient in something essential like iron, calcium, vit D, potassium? Drink plenty of water daily to flush out the bad stuff! You could also try doing progessive relaxation exercises when you go to bed. Start with toes, tense up & hold for a few minutes, relax, then proceed upward to each joint, do the same. By the time you work your way up to the neck, you will either feel bored or sleepy, but hopefully, sleepy. Good luck, Kazy-- you can pull out of it! / Old Hat (nearly 30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])
Posted 1/14/2008 5:20 AM (GMT 0)
Chamomile tea before bed is suppose to be a natural sleep aid, it's also a natural anti-inflammatory so you could kill 2 birds with one stone.

:)
Posted 1/14/2008 6:32 AM (GMT 0)
yeah, i think i agree with old hat and its withdrawals.

all jittery and twitchy like a fish outta water.   being on so many meds and pain killers for so long (over 9 months straight) ... i guess my body needs to get used to not having all those things.

i spoke to my cousin with same issues and she also recommended chamomile tea as well as lots of water and cranberry juice.

one interesting thing is she mentioned a flax seed pillow heated up and it supposed helps with whatever limb happens to be twitching.

i had a blood test about a month or so ago and i didnt hear back from doc which means its all good.

i did read that iron deficiency can cause insomnia as well.  i think i will call him and make sure the blood tests were where they should be.

i was taking sleeping pills, but they dont work til about 5am and then i have to get up and feel all drowsy all day. i figure i dont really want to get hooked on another type of "pill" that i will eventually have to stop and might possibly go thru all this crap again.  might as well just get it over with now and tough it out.

i will try that relaxation technique. i tried a few others but i just cant stop fidgeting and tossing about in bed so it never really goes anywhere and i just get frustrated.

ive had melatonin before and was gonna try it again, but again, dont want to start with the pill thing after being on sooooooooooo many for soooooooooooooo long.  if ya know what i mean (jelly bean)  :-)

thanx for the advice and any more advice would be greatly appreciated cuz i just wanna go to sleep!!!!

Posted 1/14/2008 12:11 PM (GMT 0)
Insomnia is the worstest! :) I am a chronic insomniac and rely now on Tylonel Simply Sleep - this has the ingredient of Benedryl without the acetamophin. For some odd reason, Benedryl makes me feel groggy the next day but not Tylonel Simply Sleep...go figure! Until your body becomes accustomed to being off the meds, I can give you a few tips. Avoid anything stimulating at least 1 hour before bed. That means no tv (action/adventure shows), no radio (unless it's mellow music), reading action/adventure books, excersizing - basically anything that stimulates the mind and body. Have a set schedule - go to sleep the exact same time every night and wake up the exact same time every morning. Sleep in a dark room, but not pitch black and if you have a digital clock - see if you can dim the numbers. Because if you're like me, I was watching the numbers which kept me awake. :) Also, have a fan running in the background for white noise. This can help lull you to sleep.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you that these withdrawals end for you soon and you can finally get those zzzzzz's!
Posted 1/14/2008 1:46 PM (GMT 0)

i use to sleep bad but i read a sleep guide in the paper once and it helped me it sed things like

make sure the room is colish

dont eat or drink after an hour before bed.

make sure u are tired

make sure the bed is comfy

read something in bed

make sure ur not stressed

while in bed write a to do things for the next day

i would really try making the room cold it really worked for me i had the windowns open and i got really comfy trying to keep warm xxx

Posted 1/14/2008 6:04 PM (GMT 0)
I have suffered from insomnia all my life, and its gotten worse the last few years. I currently use zopiclone as a prescription med to get to sleep when i really am just too run down. its a cheap script and works great. has some side effects (loss of memory and such), but lets me drift off for a nice long recuperating sleep. just dont use it too many days in a row as its addicting.
Posted 1/14/2008 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
Another thing that could help is doing yoga or some other light exercise, but not too late in the day. Good luck.
Posted 1/14/2008 10:23 PM (GMT 0)
If you are able exercise aids sleep. I go for a walk everynight.I walk for about an hour. I find it helps ease stress, anxiety and makes me sleep well.Walking has really helped me so much.
Marty
Posted 1/14/2008 11:28 PM (GMT 0)
I also think exersice helps but the last few nights I am having the same problem. I am guessing it is from the prednisone. I hope this isn't going to last until I am off of it. So is benadryl okay to take while on the prednisone? I took on last night and then I worried all night if it was one of the "bad" to take with drugs but I was too tired to get out of bed to check....too awake to go asleep. I couldn't find anything saying it was bad this morning so Im hoping its safe. I hate taking so many pills.....
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