Help with sleep meds please
 

In a flair since Sept and now I have my days and nights turned around. I need something strong to put me out for a few nights just to get be back in line. I've tried all the standard ones like ambien, temazepam, lunesta and about 5 or 6 others. I think I need the real sleeping pills (yes the addictive ones) but I only for a few days to get turned back around. Any ideas on what to ask for; I think my GP will wright me a few of anything that will help. Thanks - 8am here and going to bed.

Ask your PCP what they think you should use, your will get your best answer.

Keep a good schedule. go to bed at the same time, up at the same time.

DARK room! make sure that any TV lights, alarm clock lights, lights from the humidifier, or cell phones are dark! Even tiny lights from appliances can tell the pineal gland in the brain that its time to get up!

Avoid Caffiene after 12 noon. Loads of hidden caffiene everywhere. read lables.

Practice meditation and relaxation. Lay in a soft, comfortable, dark space, and say good night toes, and feel them relax. Good night ankles. and feel them relax. Up to your hair. Deep breathing! pullin air, and move that diaphram. Put a book on your tummy and watch it go up and down with each breath.

melatonin is also awesome. its the natural substance that we make naturally at night to trigger sleep. 5 to 10 mg at night with warm milk helps!

AVOID alchohol. it prevents you from entering rem sleep.

When meditating, move your eyes left to right. right to left. up and down. down and up. it helps trigger the REM response we normally use when we sleep. REM is the restful stage of sleep. REM=rapid eye movement (dreaming)

DONT stress over it if it takes a few days. with practice it can get better.

Last but not least, please tell your MD. Sometimes it can be part of a flare, and sometimes its just part of the disease. There are things you can do to become more comfortable at night. Comfy PJs, good sheets, soft blankets, and if need be remove pets! I love my cats, but sometimes they keep me awake. If I am in a sleep distrubed cycle they get removed from the room. When I am in a better space, they can come back.

Feel better :hug:

in addition, no computer or television right before going to bed. I think it creates a stimulation that makes going to sleep more difficult.

Reading is good. I only read a page or two each night. There is no hurry to finish anything.

Thanks for all your reply's - I do have a major prob with many issues I should not and need to re adjust ie( Keep a good schedule...) Hopefully, with all your kind help listed I will be able to sleep. If not, time tells all ... thank you:hug:

Melatonin. If it doesn't actually keep you asleep, it may help you (as it does me) to fall back to sleep when you do wake up too early.

you've gotten some great advice.
i'm also on trazodone. it's an AD but also can put you to sleep.
i turn the lights out an hr before i plan to go to bed. that gets your melatonin levels to come up.

have you tried anything like tylenol PM? check with your dr before trying any drugs. if you do try it NEVER overdose on it. tylenol can have serious or life threatening side effects on your liver.

you also might try something that works as "white" noise. or some really relaxing music.

and, don't nap during the day.
boy, good luck.

Thank you again for all your advise and I have tried all advise but Melatoni. I don't go out often so have not got to the right store for that yet. I've been been down the list of most common sleep meds and have tried them all in past.

With your help, I seem to be doing a bit better (4hrs last night - no sleep today YES!!!!) But still just a mess here. I have a Dr appointment tomorrow, if I keep it. She was advised of this problem before, but like most only gives minor pills.

End result - like everyone has stated, but has been so kind as not to put in my face - I have to learn to deal with this w/o meds. For this and many other I thank you.

Trying :hug:

Reduce daytime sleeps to essential recharge power naps only.
Dark room at night.
Light reading before settling in a nice temperature room.

and a Body Shop Sleep spray containing Jujube date extract and Camomille. Just the job for good zzzzzzz's

I've had insomnia off and on for years. The older I got, the longer it lasted. I've been on 1 mg of Klonopin at bedtime for six months or so, and it works great.

Do talk to your doctor. If natural methods don't work, you have to look into other things. You've got to get your sleep.

(((Pink))) I really don't have any suggestions or advise as I have no problem with sleeping. However, DBF has insomnia and it so rough on him (and me too as he wakes me up throughout the night to tell me he can't sleep or honey, are awake, or honey, tell me a story.:rolleyes::D). I can really empathize with those who suffer insomnia. DBF takes Ambien but many times that doesn't even work. Once his mind settles down he does much better.

Sending you big cyber:hug:'s. I am glad some of the suggestions are helping you out. That is awesome.

CAUTION -with taking melatonin
 

There is a potential serious problem with taking melatonin for folks with MS. It elavates some BAD stuff for MS folks... "Activation of MEL receptors enhances the release of T-helper cell Type 1 (Th1) cytokines, such as gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) and IL-2, as well as of novel opioid cytokines. MEL has been reported also to enhance the production of IL-1, IL-6 and IL-12 in human monocytes.".

I avoid it by taking L-Tryptophan which is also a "natural approach" to getting to sleep and having a good night's sleep.

L-Trytophan is recently become available again after being removed from the market many years ago after having some unknown harmful substances was found in some batches which were thought to be produced by some unknown process when they altered the production method.

I also take some L-Theanine(200 mg) and some Zanaflex 4mg to get a truely ralaxing night-of-sleep.



jackD

1: Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2001 Mar;10(3):467-76

The immunotherapeutic potential of melatonin.

Maestroni GJ.

Center for Experimental Pathology, Istituto Cantonale di Patologia, PO Box, 6601
Locarno, Switzerland.

The interaction between the brain and the immune system is essential for the adaptive response of an organism against environmental challenges. In this context, the pineal neurohormone melatonin (MEL) plays an important role. T-helper cells express G-protein coupled cell membrane MEL receptors and, perhaps, MEL nuclear receptors. Activation of MEL receptors enhances the release of T-helper cell Type 1 (Th1) cytokines, such as gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) and IL-2, as well as of novel opioid cytokines.

MEL has been reported also to enhance the production of IL-1, IL-6 and IL-12 in human monocytes.

These mediators may counteract stress-induced immunodepression and other secondary immunodeficiencies and protect mice against lethal viral encephalitis, bacterial diseases and septic shock. Therefore, MEL has interesting immunotherapeutic potential in both viral and bacterial infections. MEL may also influence haemopoiesis either by stimulating haemopoietic cytokines, including opioids, or by directly affecting specific progenitor cells such as pre-B cells, monocytes and NK cells.

MEL may thus be used to stimulate the immune response during viral and bacterial infections as well as to strengthen the immune reactivity as a prophylactic procedure. In both mice and cancer patients, the haemopoietic effect of MEL may diminish the toxicity associated with common chemotherapeutic protocols.

Through its pro-inflammatory action, MEL may play an adverse role in autoimmune diseases.

Rheumatoid arthritis patients have increased nocturnal plasma levels of MEL and their synovial macrophages respond to MEL with an increased production of IL-12 and nitric oxide (NO). In these patients, inhibition of MEL synthesis or use of MEL antagonists might have a therapeutic effect.

In other diseases such as multiple sclerosis the role of MEL is controversial. However, the correct therapeutic use of MEL or MEL antagonists should be based on a complete understanding of their mechanism of action.

It is not yet clear whether MEL acts only on Th1 cells or also on T-helper Type 2 cells (Th2). This is an important point as the Th1/Th2 balance is of crucial importance in the immune system homeostasis. Furthermore, MEL being the endocrine messenger of darkness, its endogenous synthesis depends on the photoperiod and shows seasonal variations. Similarly, the pharmacological effects of MEL might also be season-dependent. No information is available concerning this point. Therefore, studies are needed to investigate whether the immunotherapeutic effect of MEL changes with the alternating seasons.

Publication Types:

PMID: 11227046 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]