Any insomniac Cysters?????

BeAsYouAre · 06-09-2006, 12:47 AM

I was wondering...... I suffer from extreme insomnia. I can go days with only a cat nap here and there. This has gone on for 5 years now. The Dr has me on 2 sleeping pills, I have been through therapy for relaxation thing, I have done natural treatments as well. No help with anything except the prescription. Now that I am TTC I dont want to be on these, however I need them. Are there any Cysters out here who also suffer? Any advice or ideas?

Headyfeady3 · 06-09-2006, 01:01 AM

I have allways been that way I used to use kava-kava and melatonin. they are natural.

beachlover · 06-09-2006, 01:50 PM

I take Ambien right now, and it seems to help, unless I am especially anxious. In the past, I have gone to a sleep doctor and had the test done, and I was given a low dose anti-depressant with Ambien, and went to therapy to learn the relaxation techniques (which I really didn't learn that well). Then I was weaned off of Ambien and the anti-depressant. I was fine for a long while, until I went off of my BCPs. I would consider going to a sleep disorder doctor if you can, since they specialize in this. I personally think a lot of it has to do with hormones, because I went off of BCPs back in October 2004, and have had a horrible time sleeping since then. I had posted about this before, and someone had posted that she had went to a seminar and someone said that people with PCOS had cortisol levels out of whack-ours was low when it was supposed to be high, and vice versa, as compared to normal people. I haven't researched into it, but I have thought about doing that. I am curious if there is a natural treatment for this.
I have tried the melatonin, and it hasn't worked well for me. I would love to find something natural that worked for me.

RoaryKennedy · 06-09-2006, 06:58 PM

I have it, too, all the time! Grrr...I am so tired today, because I haven't been able to fall asleep or stay asleep, and that's so miserable!

I take the Ambien when I can--that it, when I can get the doc to approve it! They seem very hesistant to give the sleeping pills. When I first sought prescription intervention, I was prescribed Trazodone--didn't do a thing for me, and I was still awake until 4:00 am! Then, I got Ambien, which worked like a charm, except I seem to build a really high tolerance to it--I can start with half of a 10 mg pill, and by the end of the prescription (the doc is willing to give me 15 pills), I end up having to take one and a half pills to get the same effect. I also insisted on trying Lunesta when it first came out, and that also did nothing for me. Ambien seems to be the only thing that does the trick.

When I can't get Ambien and I know I need to sleep, I rely on the Tylenol PM--but that sometimes isn't good either, because it gives me symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrom--I want to shake my arms and legs all around, and can't get my muscles to relax, plus it leaves me groggy the next day. I tried the Melatonin, and that gave me scary, vivid nightmares.

I'm TTC too, and I don't know what the answer is, either...

beachlover · 06-10-2006, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoaryKennedy

I have it, too, all the time! Grrr...I am so tired today, because I haven't been able to fall asleep or stay asleep, and that's so miserable!

I take the Ambien when I can--that it, when I can get the doc to approve it! They seem very hesistant to give the sleeping pills. When I first sought prescription intervention, I was prescribed Trazodone--didn't do a thing for me, and I was still awake until 4:00 am! Then, I got Ambien, which worked like a charm, except I seem to build a really high tolerance to it--I can start with half of a 10 mg pill, and by the end of the prescription (the doc is willing to give me 15 pills), I end up having to take one and a half pills to get the same effect. I also insisted on trying Lunesta when it first came out, and that also did nothing for me. Ambien seems to be the only thing that does the trick.

When I can't get Ambien and I know I need to sleep, I rely on the Tylenol PM--but that sometimes isn't good either, because it gives me symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrom--I want to shake my arms and legs all around, and can't get my muscles to relax, plus it leaves me groggy the next day. I tried the Melatonin, and that gave me scary, vivid nightmares.

I'm TTC too, and I don't know what the answer is, either...

You sound exactly like me! Truthfully, the only anti-depressants that helped me with sleep were Remeron and amitryptiline (Elavil), and I ended up gaining weight fast with both (and I cannot afford any more weight). I actually tried taking Children's benadryl when I first began having problems this time, but it didn't work a lot of the time. I feel like a zombie if I take Tylenol PM, but when I am desperate for sleep, and have nothing else, you do what you can. I lucked out for the moment and a female rheumatologist prescribed the Ambien. I was doing well taking 1/2 for the longest time, so I could make my script last a while, but have needed the whole pill to sleep, and, like you said, sometimes even 1 1/2. Lunesta did not work for me, either. Several years ago when Ambien and Sonata came out, my sleep doctor prescribed Sonata, which also did absolutely nothing for me. My regular doctor has given me the trazodone before, which didn't do anything for me, either. The SSRIs (I don't know if that is the class of trazodone), do absolutely nothing for me to help me sleep or anything else other than make me feel weird. I don't feel like myself at all when I have taken these. It's strange that so many of these medicines do not make me sleepy. A lot of medicines that people swear knock them out either make me feel horrible, or do the opposite-keep me awake!!
As you were saying, I am concerned because we are wanting a child, too, and I know I cannot take this medicine while I am pregnant. I am so fearful that this insomnia is going to be a life long battle.
In the meantime, my husband is fast asleep and snoring within 10 minutes of going to bed. ; )

~Sandra · 06-11-2006, 04:05 AM

I suffer too. I have for years now. I'm on the Remeron and Elavil cocktail and it has changed my life. They both cause weight gain but it was more than worth it for me.

Shandac · 06-11-2006, 05:52 AM

I have been diagnosed with a sleeping disorder...but they say its related to my fibromyalgia.

I go through periods where i NEVER sleep for days...i will get 20 min cat naps here and there for a week or so then I finally crash.
Or i am tired all the time, can never stay awake

we did a sleep study last yr (my dr. thought i had sleep apnea and thats why i am soooooooooooo tired all the time) but the results came back with no sleep apnea but i don't reach REM. Everytime i get there my body wakes itself up...hence why i am sooooooooooooooo tired. We have tried MANY things...i even tried the amitrypiline I was at 60 mg and still wasn't sleeping so i decided to stop taking it.
THe last time my dr. perscribed co temazepam 15 mg i am suppose to take 1 or 2. The pharmacy said it would knock me on my butt in 15 min with one pill..........WELL i take two around 11pm (i work till then) and i am still wide awake in bed counting the cracks in my cleiling at 4am.......sooo needless to say i am not taking that anymore....LOL

I have tried the sleeping pills and they don't agree wiht me...so i won't take them anymore.

I usually find if i go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every day and try to min. my stresses it helps............but its next to impossible to min. the stresses...hahah

Good luck i hope you find something that works!

BeAsYouAre · 06-11-2006, 02:41 PM

I too am on sleeping pills. With them most of the time I sleep great. I am on Trazadone 100mg (its also a depression med) and Lunesta 3mg. What I do is take the Trazadone at bedtime then when I wake up at 2am I will take the Lunesta. This works together without them together I am up most of the night tossing and turning. Soooooo frustrating.

one-hit_wonder · 06-12-2006, 05:54 AM

I have struggled with sleep issues my whole life. I couldn't even nap when I was a child because I couldn't fall asleep, even though I wanted to. That was a constant struggle with my parents because they thought I was being disobedient. So I learned to keep my head under the blanket for an hour and play or read quietly -- then, my cheeks would be rosy-warm, so they'd assume that I'd fallen asleep. This problem persisted throughout my adolescence: I could only fall asleep after 2 or 3 hours of lying in bed, and it was so hard to wake up at 7 for school (and to STAY awake in class!).

I'm very jealous about my sleep time, still, because it takes forever to fall asleep, I awaken at the drop of a hat, and I'm groggy in the mornings. I'm also tired all day -- I'm only really 'awake' for a few hours in the late evening. Plus, I have whiplash, so my mattress has to be very supportive in order for me to fall asleep. It's hard on me to sleep away from home.

I've been on clonzepam (sp?) as a last resort when stress gets to me: when I was teaching my last year of grade school, I needed it during the entire month of June just to get through to the summer holidays, otherwise I only got 3 hours of sleep per night. It knocked me out in 45 minutes flat. However, I'm resistant to it now. A few months ago, my rehab doctor (who's treating me for whiplash) prescribed a mild antidepressant that has sleepiness as a side effect. It worked, but I don't want to be on it because it can cause birth defects and I'm not on contraceptives.

So, I make sure that I wear earplugs, which helps, and I keep the curtains closed and the phone off. I've also, sadly to say, kicked dh out of the bedroom because his snoring and rolling around in bed wake me up constantly. I think we're going to get 2 single beds so that his movement doesn't bother me, and I'm somehow going to get him to the doc to deal with his snoring. (I miss him in my bed! lol)

I'm not having as much trouble sleeping now -- I've noticed that since I've started eating better, I fall asleep faster -- although the fatigue issue hasn't subsided. My doctor is going to refer me to a sleep clinic, though, because I have symptoms that are consistent with narcolepsy (falling asleep in public, sleep paralysis, dreaming while I'm still awake). I really hope that helps, but I'm nervous because I don't want to have my driver's licence suspended if I do have narcolepsy!

Oh, the stress issue has made a huge difference, as well. I don't teach anymore, which has helped all of my PCOS symptoms. I can't sleep when I teach; as well, I don't get my period.

People who can fall asleep right away annoy me!!!! Especially when they tell me (like my dad does), "Just close your eyes and go to sleep!"

bluebug · 06-12-2006, 08:06 AM

It's 12:09 am here and I am not even tired yet. I could sleep all day if I didn't have responsibilities. I better at least try to sleep, I have to get up at 6:30. Take care all.