I have just realised from Melody reference to my "bladder" post above that you may think I am a "he", in fact I am a "she"!

Interesting that my posts give the impression I am a bloke not a lady!!!!!!!!!
Lupin

Ah, Lupin's a lady!!!!

I did indeed think you were a bloke and I have no idea why!!!!

Funny, when we don't use male or female names on these boards, no one knows who we are posting to!!!!

So you're a gal!!!! cool

Mel

There is another reason, Melody, for you to watch your magnesium:

http://healthletter.tufts.edu/issues...magnesium.html

Consensus now for diabetics, is that magnesium is vital.
(irrespective of diuretic use).

Right now I am testing out a new ionic magnesium, and so far it is working
well. You can read about it at my magnesium thread.

Magnesium is often misunderstood by doctors, and often ignored:
http://www.mgwater.com/diabetes.shtml
Serum measurements for magnesium, are not accurate unless very high or very low. One can be very deficient in the cells, and show a "normal" level
in serum tests.

Since you have financial burdens, solutions may be very inexpensive using
BEANS
3 oz unsalted almonds = 270mg
Greens
brown rice
as examples.

Even if you got off that diuretic in your blood pressure pill, you would have problems since you are diabetic.
Also by reducing your Zestoretic, reducing the Zestril part, you have reduced your potassium sparing portion, since lisinopril conserves potassium that the HCTZ depletes.

I am sure zorching around back and forth to the hospital put a strain on your muscles to some extent, plus the stress, which contributed.

Taking 2mg of Xanax (alprazolam) at bedtime is quite a lot. Why you need so much to fall asleep should be probed. Normal magnesium levels are calming and falling asleep normally would follow from normal levels.

People like you in a pinch, with limited resources are always falling victim to
dietary losses. You may be thinking you are doing a great job, and you probably are in certain areas, but others may be neglected. And as long as our medical system further neglects these areas for you, you can remain clueless.

Yeah, I know that 2 mgs of xanax to go to sleep is a lot. I discussed this with Dr. Fred. He said "well, you are under a lot of stress so I completely understand why you use Xanax to sleep, it relaxes your body".

If I didn't take anything, believe me I would never get a good night's sleep. I would be lying there till 4 a.m. I've done this and it always happens. Only once in a great while, if I am absolutely exhausted, do I go to sleep without anything. I will look into the magnesium thing!!!

I've been this way since I was a baby. My mother told me the reason she never had another child was because I never slept.

When I was about a year old, my mother brought me to the doctor and he told my mother to give me a teaspoon of wine before bedtime. (this is a true story). My mother did as instructed and she said I slept all night long. It was the best night's sleep my parents had also.

Well, the next night they gave me a tablespoon of wine, and guess what??? She said I danced in my crib all night long. There must be something in my nervous system that doesn't shut down when I go to sleep. Researchers say they really don't know why we need to sleep, we just do!!! I read that the other day.
They are still trying to find the reason that a human being needs sleep.

Me???? I have too much on my mind. Before there was such a thing as ambien, lunesta, whatever I would sleep for 2 hours, and get up, go back for 2 hours and get up. I did this ever since my son was born. He slept but I was obviously a nervous mother. And the problems we had with him growing up, just added to my stress.

So some years ago, Dr. Goldbetter prescribed Ambien for me. Do you have ANY IDEA WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT, when you have never done that? I remember telling my doctor, "what a gift you gave me'. Then the insurance wouldn't cover it any more, and he gave me lunesta. That worked for one week. It did absolutely nothing after that.

I could cut down to 1 mg of xanax, take it at 8 p.m. and maybe by 11 p.m. I'll get drowsy. I only take it at other times if I have a dental appointment. I could not go otherwise, I'm a dental phobic. I'm very careful with meds. I used to be on 8 oral diabetic meds a day and now I just take my shot of lantus (I'm down to 30 by the way) and my high blood pressure pill.

I would love to be like my husband (before he had the PN), he would say "I'm going to sleep now, put his head on the pillow and in 30 seconds flat, he'd be out like a light. I have never been able to do that in my life.

I have a sister-in-law and many friends who are exactly like me. My sister-in-law takes trazadone (for many years now) besides other stuff because she can't go over a bridge, ride in a car (she can ride in buses) she gets too stressed out if she flies so she takes an ativan. Alan is nothing like that, neither am I. But man of my friends who are my age, well, they don't sleep. And they won't take anything. They think it's a crime to take a pill. Me??? I did the guilty thing a long time ago. Like I said, throw anything at me during the day, I'll deal with it. But when you are lying in bed and you have insomnia, well it sucks.

I called up drugstore.com and they told me how to do it. So thankfully I do have another source. I will try and go down on the xanax. What about this new Rozerem thing? They say, it works, it's not addictive and you can stop anytime? I'd love to get samples from Dr. Fred but he said they don't give out any samples.

Anybody try this Rozerem????

Mel

on the Xanax without supervision and a taper schedule from your doctor.

You don't know how complex, and unpleasant it can be! It can take months to change a Xanax dose downward for chronic users.

And I think you are missing my point.... proper magnesium levels lead to
better and more complete sleep.

The first symptoms of removing the Xanax could be more muscle cramping.
Using benzos for this purpose is an upward spiral...you develop tolerance and
have to increase. That is how you got to 2mg.
1/2 of a .25 knocks me out ( I use for airplane flights and dentist).

Please do be careful.

I see what you mean. So I will go from 2 to one a half tonight.

Some years ago, I was on Xanax for one year. I took a .05 every night.
I did it for a year Then for some crazy reason, I decided "no more xanax". Don't ask me why, I don't remember, but will say I remember not having any ill effects. I just stopped. I didn't take it for one whole year. Not that I slept great. I went right back to the falling asleep at 1 a.m. sleep for two hours, getting up, etc. " But I was stubborn and didn't want to depend on any meds.

I will look into the magnesium thing. I'll do a search on your postings (so you don't have to do the explanation again) and I'll find out what kind of magnesium you use. I do know my girlfriend takes magnesium citrate for her restless leg syndrome and she swears by it. It makes her go to the bathroom also. She always said to me "melody if you are going to take magnesium, it has to be magnesium citrate". She would drive me nuts, lol with the magnesium citrate thing.

Oh, Alan is having lots of pain now. He just tried to lie down to take a nap and I had to massage him. It didn't help. He said "how on earth can my PN get worse, it's never been this bad". Then he had to stand up to relieve th pain. I simply said "Maybe this is what they mean by an exacerbation????" Maybe the nerves are healing and they have to hurt before they get better???" I've read this on the boards.

Boy, this PN sucks big time for many many people!!!!

mel

p.s. YOu use one half of a .25?? jeez, that wouldn't affect my little pinky. Does a person size have anything to do with the amount of xanax. I'm not a small person.

and thanks for the info on the xanax. I do listen, believe me. It's much easier to pop a pill than it is to lie awake all night. But it's not good to be on them because I know you have to go higher. My sister in law (on the trazadone, well they have to keep making it stronger every year). I never knew. I never even heard of trazadone until she mentioned it.

I once asked my former doctor "why not put me on trazadone so I'll be in better moods all day long and I'll sleep at night, after all, my sister-in-law is on it (so's my son by the way)??. My doctor simply said "no, you'll get too drowsy during the day), so that was the end of that discussion.

Mrs. D., thanks for all the info about magnesium - I slept like a stone until I got PN - now its so hard with nerves firing all night etc... gotta try something new.... !

Oh, just so can explain, I only started the 2 mg of xanax about 10 days ago, I had been on one and a half for over a year.

Tonight, I go back to one and one half. Should be no big deal. I'm only on the 2 mg for 10 days. I'll either spasm my head off or I'll go to bed at midnight.

Alan could not lie down any more, His PN was driving him nuts. I massaged his calves and feet (of course this worked) but he had to get up and walk around. No problem when he does this. This PN (in his case) is very territorial, he has problems sitting or lying flat on his back. He can walk around, exercise, and move, with no problem. How very odd.

I could have sworn it would be the back that would have turned out to be the culprit but so far 3 back specialists have said no. I don't think we are going to go to any more back specialists.

So we'll wait and see when he starts his home infusion thing.

be well,
OH, by the way, thanks for the info on the ways to get magnesium. I eat green beans all the time and I live on greens in salads. Every day, twice a day, so maybe I'm getting some magnesium after all, but not the amount I should be getting.

Will look into magnesium supplements.
melody

It is on the first page.

I am doing a trial on a new product, which I had stumbled upon visiting another
forum (no not "that" one) ...

And so far it is very nice. Ionic Fizz Magnesium Plus. I am very interested
in effervescent technologies for drug delivery, and this product appealed to me
since I do love my AlkaSeltzer. And because I am very sensitive to the laxative effect of most mag products, including SlowMag.

I have been using 1/2 scoop (it is a very SMALL scooper BTW), for several days now, and notice a distinct improvement in my tense muscles. I have a tenacious twitch in my left calf, which is gone now. I have had a creeping increase in leg cramping in the early morning, too, which is very bothersome.
You mix this powder into warm water, and drink. So far I am using it after breakfast, at 1/2 scoop.

Effervescent drugs tend to be absorbed very quickly into the body from the stomach (unlike other dosage forms). So I was intrigued by this product because of that FIZZ factor!

Next week I am increasing to one scoop/once a day. Like I said...this is the smallest scoop you ever saw! 1 scoop is less than a teaspoonful, I'd guess.
It has other vits in it too, including silica...which is good for tendons, (which I need also). I have a link on the Vitamin forum to it...on the mag thread which is on page one.

I am always looking for tolerable magnesium sources. I am very sensitive to the laxative effects, because of my congenital GI defect. For others, this may not be such a high criterion, but I figure if I can tolerate it, and it works, then ANYONE can tolerate it! LOL

Mrs. Doubtfire:

What would we ever do without you???

I hope we never find out!!!!

Melody

I googled the magnesium fizz thing and this link came up!
http://www.nutritionexpress.com/prod...S5-03101&Add=N