fibro, lack of sleep, new meds

[seajoy]

Hi everyone - I haven't been to this forum for quite a while. It's good to see you all again. I would love for this part of the forum to have a lot more activity as there is so much suffering with severe pain. I shouldn't talk - as I have not posted in quite sometime. Please forgive me.

I have fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis in my knees, depression, anxiety, ocd, sleep apnea, and major sleep problems. For the past almost 4yrs I have only slept for about 3-4 hours per night from pain and just plain insomnia, I guess. I have no problems falling asleep, but staying asleep is another story.

I finally got a doctor to listen to me. He is my new psychiatrist, and he could not believe I wasn't being helped for this, as lack of sleep causes more pain, depression etc.... So, he put me on ambien for at night, and provigil for during the day. I've been on these for 3 days, and am feeling quite a bit better. I've slept for 6 hours every night, and even felt like doing a little work around the house during the day.

Has anyone here had these types of problems and gone on these meds? Just wondering. Thanks.

 

[BigNorsk]

Ambien seems to vary a lot for people, from didn't do anything to saved my life.

One of the common side effects is sleepiness during the day, which is what the provigil is to prevent.

Both can be addictive.

For some people the Ambien doesn't work near as well after awhile, from 2 weeks to a couple of months.

Many sleeping pills are contraindicated for fibro patients because they tend to cause the sleep to be even more shallow and thus rem sleep doesn't occur, I haven't seen a specific study done on Ambien with fibro, but anectdotally, it appears not to have a big problem that way.

 

[seajoy]

So far, I'm staying at about 6 hours of sleep. I do not feel groggy in the morning. I used to before the ambien. The provigil is actually more for my fibro. I have a real lack of energy since I got fibro. I felt like I was missing my life. This stuff has seemed to help some.

Thanks for responding to my thread, Marv. Hope your fibro is not so bad right now.

 

[seajoy]

I had to go off the provigil. I was getting very jittery from it.

 

[seajoy]

Had to go off the ambien too. I just didn't feel well all day while on it.

 

[One day at a time]

I've tried ambien and never felt that it really helped me....then when they put me one my pain meds I have stayed away from mixing my meds...I'm scared of combinations! Anyway, I was put on lyrica once and managed it for two days before I couldn't stand it anymore....my mom takes it and seems to help her a bit but she said she will only take it at night.....s.
Sorry that you feel that way and I know how frustrating it is with the lack of sleep and the fibro.....will pray that you can get some relief!

 

[Stephanie2381]

I am interested to know if there are any non-narcotic pain meds that work for fibro pain, but will not make one groggy or sleepy all day the next day?? I pretty much just suffer all day working full time at a desk/computer and I just want to cry by the end of the day as it is non stop!!! I am only 30 and so young to suffer this early with this much pain!!

Help is appreciated! God Bless -- Stephanie

 

[Stephanie2381]

Also -- I am a member of another forum that is major active on fibro -- if you want the site address just private message me and I will give it to you -- I get on there every day and there are soo many people there who are encouraging and going through the same stuff we are

God Bless -- Stephanie

 

[kasietjie]

Hi Stephanie, I would love to have that address of the other forum, but I'm very new here, and did not figure out how to private message you! Maybe you can private message me now?! Thanx!

 

[Stephanie2381]

Here is the address: go to google and type in healingwell it should bring you to the site / this page wont allow me to type in a link for you sorry

 

[kasietjie]

Thanks! I will go find it! It seems to me there must be quite some Fibro people around here as I see this post has been read by more than 600 people!