thoughts on fibro and sleeplessness

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

Thought if this helps even one person, it is worth the time typing.

For those who cannot get restful sleep, here's what's helped me.

I have numerous health issues, which include the fibro, arthritis,

obstructive sleep apnea, GERD, ad nauseum. I take meds for all of

them. What I have found is that taking any one of my meds or

treatments out of the mix and I don't get restful sleep.

If I try to go without the amitriptylin for the fibro (due to feeling

foggy and having cognitivee memory problems), I waken with

muscle/tendon discomfort. If I ty to get off the tramadol, I have

joint and muscle pain from my arthritis, and my right hip (congenital

bilateral hip displaysia), wakens me with discomfort (sometimes it

wakens me with pain anyhow, as the joint is going south, just like my

now-artificial left hip). If I try to not take the stomach meds for

the GERD, or to cut out the nighttime dosage (due to my very high

prescription copays, and only the H2 blockers do my stomach any

good), my esophagus gets bathed in acid and is irritated and keeps me

up at night. If I don't use my bipap for my obstructive sleep apnea

(I am on bipap rather than just straight cpap, as I have interstitial

lung disease and need lower pressure on exhale), I am wakened every

time I have an event and stop breathing, which is causing low oxygen

and affects my heart and lungs. Also, if I don't take my stomach

medicine for my hiatal hernia/GERD, a bipap/cpap cannot push aside

inflamed tissue to prevent breathing problems. If my levothyroxin

dosage is too low, my body doesn't get the proper signals to breathe

when I sleep, leading to lower oxygen levels. If my levothyroxin

dosage is too high, it can affect my heart and other organs.

What I am saying is that if a certain treatment regimen isn't working

for you, keep pursuing it with your doctor(s) or find a doctor who

will check you, and treat you, for other medical conditions. I've

learned if I'm being undertreated/not treated for any or all my

medical conditions, none of them is effectively treated.

Just my 2 cents worth. And I need to credit this observation to

members of an online support group for people with obstructive sleep

apnea. They helped me, and subsequently my doctors, put together the

pieces of the puzzle.

Wishing all restful sleep,

girlsaylor