Karen,

Your idea of trying a night in the guest room first, is a GREAT place to start.
Requesting a sleep study might be the next if the issue isn't just your hubby's waking you up. Jumping straight to reguesting/receiving strong meds doesn't sound like it'll fix the underlying problem anyway. You could end up slapping a very powerful bandaid over the real issue, instead of exposing it.

If you request a sleep study and apnea and restless leg syndrome were ruled out, and there was documentation of a severely interrupted sleep cycle that was being caused from pain, that would provide your doc with important info.

You are doing you're homework and becoming informed, and I understand your concern about requesting certain meds. The one my doc offered me (and it's been a few years since I needed it) wasn't anything hard core, it was a step up from OTC supplements. Depending on where you live, asking for certain meds raises flags, and from my perspective asking for alternative meds within the same drug class is more appropriate. Asking for potent new drugs as your first step, might not be in your best interest from a medical standpoint, or with regards to your relationship with your doc. You DO NOT want to get labeled as having DRUG SEEKING behavior, that will only complicate your treatment. To go from high level pain to knocked out from a sleeping pill, might not provide a restfull night for you anyway.

Another idea--my doc has helped me stagger my dosages to accomodate my preferences. I choose to go with a low level time release med to keep my baseline pain level lowered (3-5 pain level) but not gone from the morning till a few hours before I go to bed. I have break through pain meds that I can use any time, (so if a situation raises my pain to the 7-8 ranges I use it) but which I try to avoid using until a few hours before bed most evenings. This lessens driving complications, aids sleeps, and gives me down time to relax with.

Consider keeping a pain journal until your next doc appoinment. If you need a copy, let me know. Then, you will be armed to discuss specifics with your doc about when/if your current meds are working well at different points during a regular 24 hr cycle.