sleep

[Polar Bear]

Just want to say I am totally fed up................

Awake just about all of last night, no rls symptoms, just no sleep.
I am scunnered!! (might be spelled 'scundered')

In the middle of the night couldn't get the tv in the guest bedroom to work, it was dead, then this morning hubby pointed out I had switched on the wrong socket on the wall. drat!!!!!

I read my book, I read some more, worked at the tv unsuccessfully, read some more.....slept for a half hour and dreamed about water bringing down the ceilings, then read some more.

Insomniacs should sleep on the problem.
Sorry.... poor joke....

[ViewsAskew]

That is miserable...Especially when you have no RLS! It's just not fair.



Just wondering, do you think the tramadol contributes to it, PB?

[Polar Bear]

Yes, breakthrough symptoms had come about 9pm for a couple of hours which I spent walking up and down the lounge while watching a movie. ..... I wonder would all that walking up and down irritate me if it was someone else doing it?

[Polar Bear]

Sorry Ann, just seen the second part of your post.

Yes, I reckon the tramadol disrupts sleep. D in Law is a prescribing nurse and says tramadol is energising. Also I'm still taking prednisone tho that has come down from 50mg to 8.5mg.

So with prednisone and tramadol galloping around my system...... who needs sleep. me... me... me....

Thing is, it's 9pm and I'm still going strong. Tired but not sleepy.

Just about every rls-er has been there at some time.

Reading the book and drift off only to be awakened as the book hits the floor with a thump. Hmmm... talking books.. I wonder would the volume disturb a bed partner.

Oh but the night is long.

[ViewsAskew]

I have the same problem with most opioids. They energize me, while most people they make sleepy. It's horrible to be running around wide awake (but tired in a weird way at the same time) when it's 2 or 3 AM.

When will you be off the prednisone?

[Polar Bear]

Taking prednisone for Temporal Arteritis/Giant Cell Arteritis, and the reduction of the pred is slow, particularly once you get down to 10mg. Further reductions are at about 1mg per month tho there may be a level that becomes the maintenance dose to keep symptom free. As I'm on 8.5mg it could be another 8 months if all goes smoothly.

For other conditions the reduction can be faster.
Had 3 hours sleep tonight and now been up one hour, so now back to bed at 3.30 with hope.......

[ViewsAskew]

Yikes - at least 8 more months?????

Boy, I'd be tempted to take a stronger sleep aid 4 or 5 nights a week, taking 2-3 days off to prevent dependence. If I thought there was ANY chance of it working, I'd be begging the doc.

Hope you got some sleep.

I'm actually tired early tonight (for me), but MUST water plants. I now have over 400 African VIolets, many of them young starters, and they've been terribly neglected in the move. If I do not water them tonight, they may reward me by dying....

[Polar Bear]

My sleep aid is zopiclone 7.5mg plus an antihistiman to give the zoplicone a boost, as per doc's instructions. Antihistiman does not appear to have a bad affect on the rls.

But perhaps I am now used to the drug and don't think doc will be happier at anything stronger. Might push it with him. He has said before he doesn't like sleep aids.

Ann, where on earth do you keep 400 plants. Bet they took a bit of careful attention during your house move.

[ViewsAskew]

At least while you're on the prednisone it seems that the doctor would want you to get some sleep! If you used a benzo or something that helped you sleep only part time, you'd at least get sleep 60% of the time or so. You could be off it the rest of the time so you'd not get dependent.

many of those plants are very small - my joy is in propagating them. I like making babies . But, they do grow, and quickly! I have two plant racks in my office. I give away the babies when they are large enough or throw away the weak ones or ones that do not bloom true.

I'll be looking for homes for these beauties come spring, so if anyone wants some, PM me.

[Polar Bear]

I love African Violets but they'd never make it across the Atlantic.

Regarding sleep, reckon I'll ask doc for something stronger, I shall have to do so ... and can just hear him now....
'' ''''Well now Betty, and then what ?? where will we go from there ?? where will it end '''''

Hmmm... wonder.... do you mean use something stronger, and forget about zopiclone etc. but only use the stronger med only alternate nights.

Or do you mean, continue with the zopiclone nightly and boost it with temazepam on perhaps alternate nights.

I have to be able to reasonably argue my point with doc. He is reasonable but obviously does not want to go over the top.

But when I used to hear people say they did not sleep I was sceptical ... reckoned they could not possibly function if they did not sleep and that it was an exaggeration.....

I take it all back.... it is possible to function (sort of). Others do not realise that you may be in a fog, lacking concentration, only taking in half of what they say and forgetting most of it. A pleasing smile and an interested attitude can cover up a lot.

[ViewsAskew]

My best friend and I were talking about the sleep thing just yesterday. She was saying the ten years ago (before she got lupus), that she'd never have believed she could function given the lack of sleep and other issues. But, she does.

Per the sleeping, I was thinking to not use the zopiclone on certain nights and use temazepam or similar instead. Say, Monday through Thursday. Then, Friday through Sunday, go back to the zopiclone. You'd prevent dependence but you'd hopefully get sleep for the 4 days you use the temazapam (or whatever).

You HAVE to have some sleep! Remind him of the increase in heart attack and stroke in RLS patients who don't get sleep.

[Polar Bear]

Thanks Ann, that's certainly an option.... sounds good.

I will talk to him about switching between the two.

[Polar Bear]

Ok, I'm going to try this.

I am a voracious reader and can be reading for hours after hubby goes to sleep. Even when I drift off whilst reading, if I get wakened by the noise of the book falling onto the floor, I pick the book up and start reading again. It's as if I can't just lay down and wait for sleep to come.

So a couple of days ago I thought about talking books. Hubby hunted out an old sony walkman and I bought a Maeve Binchy talking book (4 cassettes) for 30 pence in a charity shop. However walkman was playing up, but it seemed to be a very good idea... whilst walkman worked.!!

The idea being that I would just drift off to sleep, pull out the earphones, or they'd likely fall out anyway.

One of our boys arrived this morning with 2 ipods that he and his wife no longer use. He had loaded up a few hundred songs for us, and also had loaded up The Kings Speech audio book. He registered me onto itunes and we downloaded another book for £3.

So roll on bedtime and hopefully rls will be well enough medicated and we will see how it goes with regard to drifting off to sleep, without page turning etc.

[badnights]

good luck, it sounds like a good idea X (those are fingers crossed)

[ViewsAskew]

Great idea....let us know how it works.