Re: Not being able to sleep questions & (Long .....)

[Guest guest]

Hi & :

There are ways to get good sleep - my remedy for it

was to get a sleep medication. I know, another pill!!!

However, I was on muscle relaxants and pain pills

three times a day, Lyrica twice a day, Enbrel two

times a week, Methotrexate weekly, Mobic daily, and I

still could not sleep through the night because of the

pain in my hips and legs. By about 3-4 hours

into my sleep the leg/hip pain would hit, and from

there I would toss and turn the rest of the night

without any real sleep, sometimes finally just getting

up and sitting in a recliner to get off my hips. My

legs would burn with the nerve pain.

I tried Trazodone and Amitriptyline for sleep - no

help. Then my doctor prescribed Ambien CR and it was

the ticket for me to get 6 to 8 good hours of sleep.

However, I was still having break through leg pain

which I could not sleep through a few times a week.

Then my RA kicked up another notch with my wrists and

hands, ankles and feel being soooo painful, and

becoming worse each day. I was having trouble walking

for any length of time, I had trouble using my hands

-you know what I mean. The pain was unrelenting for

several weeks.

My doctor increased my Mtx from 10 mg. up to 12.5 mg.,

and also gave me a new pain med. I was switched from

Ultracet (which I had been taking 2 tabs 3 times a

day) to Ultram (I take only one pill daily and it

really does work well for the entire day until I go to

sleep). Now I will be asleep within 15-20 minutes of

taking the Ambien CR and Zanaflex, and sleep through

the night. Yes, there are those rare occasions when

my hip pain will even pierce through that sleep, but

now I can change position, and I'm right back to

sleep.

The combo of the sleep and pain meds is working for me

and I feel more rested than I have in a long, long

time. You know, for the last 7 or so years, I never

sleep well, and was never really rested, no

restorative sleep. That lack of sleep, fatigue anyway

from RA and FM, and all of the pain, were keeping me

from sleep, and that was also contributing to my not

being able to fight the pain. Now, I am not saying

the pain is gone like it never happened - I still ache

and am stiff and sore, but that severe pain that made

me not want to get up off the couch, that pain is

controlled now.

Rest is soooo important, followed by good pain

control, and I finally have that, after 7 years of

battling this stuff! Ambien CR (sleep) & Zanaflex

(muscle relaxant) at night, and Ultram for pain, and I

am sleeping, really sleeping, and my pain is finally

coming under control. Keep your fingers crossed that

these meds continue to help me!!!

So, see if you doctor will try you on a sleep med. I

am not saying that Ambien CR is for you, there are

many sleep meds out there, but it worked for me. I'll

keep you in my prayers -

Kathe in CA

Kathe

" To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. "

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Kathe. I'll talk to her and see if she has any suggestions

for helping me get more sleep at night.

But... If you _ARE_ sleeping through the night without getting up to

move your hips, how do you even walk in the morning? As it is, even

with gettin up from time to time to move around during the night, My

hips don't loosen up until mid-day.

--- In , Kathe Sabetzadeh <lv2ryd@...>

wrote:

>

>

> Hi & :

>

> There are ways to get good sleep - my remedy for it

> was to get a sleep medication. I know, another pill!!!

> However, I was on muscle relaxants and pain pills

> three times a day, Lyrica twice a day, Enbrel two

> times a week, Methotrexate weekly, Mobic daily, and I

> still could not sleep through the night because of the

> pain in my hips and legs. By about 3-4 hours

> into my sleep the leg/hip pain would hit, and from

> there I would toss and turn the rest of the night

> without any real sleep, sometimes finally just getting

> up and sitting in a recliner to get off my hips. My

> legs would burn with the nerve pain.

>

> I tried Trazodone and Amitriptyline for sleep - no

> help. Then my doctor prescribed Ambien CR and it was

> the ticket for me to get 6 to 8 good hours of sleep.

> However, I was still having break through leg pain

> which I could not sleep through a few times a week.

> Then my RA kicked up another notch with my wrists and

> hands, ankles and feel being soooo painful, and

> becoming worse each day. I was having trouble walking

> for any length of time, I had trouble using my hands

> -you know what I mean. The pain was unrelenting for

> several weeks.

>

> My doctor increased my Mtx from 10 mg. up to 12.5 mg.,

> and also gave me a new pain med. I was switched from

> Ultracet (which I had been taking 2 tabs 3 times a

> day) to Ultram (I take only one pill daily and it

> really does work well for the entire day until I go to

> sleep). Now I will be asleep within 15-20 minutes of

> taking the Ambien CR and Zanaflex, and sleep through

> the night. Yes, there are those rare occasions when

> my hip pain will even pierce through that sleep, but

> now I can change position, and I'm right back to

> sleep.

>

> The combo of the sleep and pain meds is working for me

> and I feel more rested than I have in a long, long

> time. You know, for the last 7 or so years, I never

> sleep well, and was never really rested, no

> restorative sleep. That lack of sleep, fatigue anyway

> from RA and FM, and all of the pain, were keeping me

> from sleep, and that was also contributing to my not

> being able to fight the pain. Now, I am not saying

> the pain is gone like it never happened - I still ache

> and am stiff and sore, but that severe pain that made

> me not want to get up off the couch, that pain is

> controlled now.

>

> Rest is soooo important, followed by good pain

> control, and I finally have that, after 7 years of

> battling this stuff! Ambien CR (sleep) & Zanaflex

> (muscle relaxant) at night, and Ultram for pain, and I

> am sleeping, really sleeping, and my pain is finally

> coming under control. Keep your fingers crossed that

> these meds continue to help me!!!

>

> So, see if you doctor will try you on a sleep med. I

> am not saying that Ambien CR is for you, there are

> many sleep meds out there, but it worked for me. I'll

> keep you in my prayers -

>

> Kathe in CA

>

>

> Kathe

>

> " To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. "

>

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>