Sleep medication suggestions?
 

Does anyone have some suggestions for a sleep medication that doesn't have one waking up to a brain that has turned into three bean salad? I am a having cognitive and coordination problems, which are relatively new for me, so would prefer something that doesn't make these things too much worse.

I have only been sleeping for an hour or two at a time for the past several years, but was able to go back to sleep within a few minutes. These more recent symptoms have made me feeling exhausted; yet I seem to be unable to get back to sleep. Sometimes pain or spasms wake me up but mostly I just wake up like it is morning and then can't get back to sleep for an hour or more. Meditation used to work well at getting me back to sleep but for the last month or so, I wake up again within less than an hour if I try that tactic. I have been trying melatonin for the past few days without success.

I'm not taking any meds at this point as I prefer to hold out as long as possible with out them. Had nasty reactions to some that were tried years ago so have avoided all medication since then.

I think that the lack of sleep is making the cognitive and coordination symptoms worse. Will be seeing my GP in a couple of days but he generally deals with me like I'm from another planet and hasn't been very helpful in the past. With a doctor shortage in these parts, there's not much chance of switching to another GP either and my neuro appointment isn't for another month (doctor shortage again).
It would be great if I could maybe suggest something to them but I have no experience with this type of medication and its potential effects on MS. Would appreciate any insight in this regard.

Erika

Sorry Erika to here about your problems. I have been taking Ambein on and off for yrs. I mean when you first take it you will have to get use to it but once it gets in your system you will be able to sleep for 8 hrs and get up and do what you have to do. At first it will feel like you are sleeping all the time but it will past but you have to sleep 8 hrs.

Valarian root, does great (its the root that valium comes from) or try melatonin. its the chemical our bodies secrete at night time to say "its time to sleep"

couple of things to consider. if you are waking frequently it may indicate a snoring issue. This can obstruct your airway, and you are waking up to rekick your respiratory system into working again. Sometimes we wake up to pee for the same reason. if you are exhausted beyond measure and have interrupted sleep you may need a sleep study, BUT you may want to try some breathe right strips for your nose as a low cost test to see if that helps. It holds open your nose at night and allows air to come and go more freely.

NO TV for an hour before bedtime. allow your brain receptors to know its bedtime. Constant motion and bright light from the TV and computer says WAKE UP! we need you to pay attention. Reading before bed helps a lot of folks. meditate. take a warm bath and allow your body to relax. Turn off ALL the lights in your room. If you have a bright alarm clock cover it! the light on the TV, or cable box, cover it! Make it as black as you can. This will trigger your own natural melatonin. Find time during the day to exercise. This helps you shed that cortisol from stress and keeps your adrenaline levels high. Grab a teddy bear, and cuddle up like a child.

I hope you find rest. :hug:

Hey, great suggestion on the snoring thing. I never thought of that but my late husband (died of a brain tumor in 2005), used to complain that my snoring was enough to make wildlife restless fifty miles away (we lived on a remote farm then). Will try the breathe right strips.

Hve tried valarian in the past but it seems to cause inflammation reactions in the digestive tract. Not good as I had an emergency intestinal resection in 1978 for regional enteritis/peritonitis and have had digestive issues ever since. Its the main reason I try to stay away from medication. Even NSAIDs cause gut inflammation and throw too much of a burden on an already pickled liver. Had a liver biopsy in 2001 because of changes to liver enzymes on repeat blood testing. That was done during another surgery that was done for GI bleeding and gall bladder removal; and the biopsy showed some liver damage. Since then I really need to stay on top of liver function as bleeding problems (was an issue during surgery), inability to absorb fats (7% on a fecal test) and hormone imbalance have all been connected to that. The GI guy said that it would be best to stay away from most medication if possible. So there is that issue as well.

I stopped watching TV about 20 years ago and don't even own a TV, so that isn't a problem. Have been meditating for 30 years (I am a Buddhist) and that does help with putting things into perspective, managing stress, and sometimes sleep...but it hasn't been helpful in keeeping me in a state of sleep lately.
There are no electronics in my bedroom other than a battery operated clock and I sleep with blindfolds on. Also try to stay off the computer before bed, but when I wake up in the night and am wired and weird, sometimes I end up sitting infront of it. I know that it is not helpful for sleep, but there isn't much to do at 2:00am. Reading is difficult at times, but sometimes I'll do that. Mostly I just meditate or do yoga when I wake up in the night.

Ah yes, the teddy bear. That would be Willy, the dog that never leaves my side (even comes to work with me when I am able to work). I keep telling him that the pamphlet said 'guard dog', but he insists that it said 'bed hog'. We have been living together for 8 years and consistently he cuddles with me in my bed until I am just about asleep, then he quietly moves from my bed to his own.
Similarly, if it wasn't for Willy, I'd probably not get out and exercise as much as I do but he insists on a minimum of three walks or ball play a day; more when I am not working. It is sort of living with a bad mother in law at times, but his sense of order and schedules force me to get moving in the morning and press on with what ever each day brings. He does insist that I consider his needs before my own...yet he is understanding enough not to be a pest when things are not going well.

Thankfully today is turning out to be one of the best days that I've had in a loing while cognitively speaking and I think that off-loading some of what has been going on lately with you folks helped me to get a better rest last night. Thanks so much!

Apparently it is time to go as I've just received a nose poke in the ribs from Willy to say, "Hey, its time for you to get dressed and take me for my walk."

Erika



Thanks for the suggestions.

MS has changed my sleep patterns. I'm retired so I sleep when I feel like it. I usually sleep in 3 to 4 hr intervals, wake up, watch some TV and go back to sleep for another 3 to 4 hrs.

I don't take sleep meds. I just go with the flow.. It works for me now. :D

I hope you find a natural way to sleep..:hug:

Suddenly I started having trouble falling asleep and if I woke up during the night, I couldn't get back to sleep. Melatonin didn't work for me either. My doctor prescribed 50 mg of Trazodone and it worked great. I didn't wake up feeling groggy. After taking it for a while I stopped taking it to see how I would sleep without it. I was back to sleeping through the night on my own. :) Guess my body and mind needed a little help for a while. Best of luck and I hope you start sleeping better soon!

Hi Shadiyah
 

I still have not made a decision on Ambien. Have the script but am afraid to take it. Mostly because I had an alergic reaction one time to sonata. Any side effects that are weird? Ginnie

Ambien CR
 

I had originally started with Ambien; but the pain (PN) and spine issues would wake me from my sleep around 4:00 a.m. For the past two years, take Ambien CR. (the CR releases an effect during that time so I can sleep thru until 6:30 or so) I take the Ambien CR every evening around midnight, along with my pain meds. Since it is painful for my to lay down; the Ambien has really helped me get sleep. My pain seems to disappear with it.

It really is much safer to go to bed within 20 - 30 min. after taking Ambien since many people get a bit unsteady on their feet.

Since I have taken Ambien CR for a long period of time, i can handle it much better than some; although sometimes I fall asleep in my lounge chair and then wake up to go to bed and am unsteady at times myself. I would say that is something one can control just by going to bed shortly after taking the Ambien.

Ginnie,
 

As I previously mentioned; the biggest side effect is the unsteadiness when walking. That can be resolved by going to bed within 20 min. after taking the Ambien.

Also, some people do have issues with getting up and eating without realizing it. My daughter took Ambien a couple of years ago and said she would get up in the morning and find different items of food on the counter. She obviously had gotten up during the night without any memory of it. That has not happened to me.

Between my pain meds and Ambien CR, i am finally able to get sleep. Before Ambien, it was just too painful to even lay in bed. Since the Ambien...good to go to bed without pain and sleep at least until 6:30 or so.

Gerry

Erika, Willie sounds so wonderful. To think that he stays with you until you sleep, then goes to his own bed. Another story about an intelligent animal.

I too am up in the middle of the night on the computer, as that is my pattern. I sleep a short while, get up and do something and drink Ginger tea, and that will usually put me back to sleep. I took Ginger tea BEFORE bedtime tonight, and it didn't work this time. Probably an over-active day--out watching the eclipse in a park, driving to Santa Fe to see a grandson's Lacrosse game--just did too much. Tomorrow I will be mostly a vegetable.
But seriously, Ginger tea helps me sleep. I use a brand called Ginger Aide which has just the right combo of herbs for me. I too cannot take much medication and will have gastric trouble from some of them, and Ginger Tea soothes my stomach. I advise you start with half a cup and build up, as it is strong. I think other ginger forms would help, such as candied ginger cubes, but I have not had any of those for a while.

If I do not take enough magnesium and calcium during the day, I will spasm and jerk all night. I need at least 1000 mg of magnesium a day, about same for calcium. I take these instead of Baclofen or Zanaflex, which I could not tolerate, and the neuro advised magnesium. Good thing I had that Neuro. I take the magnesium at lunch and dinner, and the calcium mid-morning and mid afternoon, not at same time as magnesium.

Again I thank you all for the suggestions. Have had another horrendous night of being up ever hour from 7:00pm last night until now. This trying to get enough hours of sleep has become a job in itself.

The fatigue and increased confusion set in around 6:00 last night after an excellent morning that included a couple of walks with Willy and a visit with a firend who came over. The afternoon was pretty good too and was spent doing some light gardening. In retrospect, I probably should have called it a day right there; but headed off to the local nursery for a few vegetable plants. It was a zoo in there because of the long weekend and I already know not to go into busy market places...but I really felt quite well when I headed out.

Shortly after getting home, it took two tries to make a cup of herbal tea because on the first go I absent mindedly poured the tea into the Splenda bowl (have been off sugar for years), instead of into the tea cup.
That habitual stuff going wrong more frequently, tell me that the brain is getting more confused and at times like that I now know to just stop trying to do anything that requires proper cognition. If I push it, it can progress into scary stuff like drawing a blank at how to use a bank machine. Had that happen not too long ago when I was out and about. I knew my PIN but once I was standing infront of the machine, but I didn't remember what I was supposed to do with the card and the number to make it all work. Sorry, I'm rambling...

The sleep thing: Ginger-lemon tea is well stocked in my cupboard and yes it does help with the digestion and maybe even with other inflammation. Have also found that cammomile tea is good.
I take a mit full of vitamins and minerals including calcium/magnesium, Omega-3, Vitamin D & Bs, etc because of malabsorption syndrome and have blood levels of some tested regularly. Also take a herbal thyroid support which has allowed me to stay off of synthroid (talk about not sleeping), for the last few years. The thyroid issue turned out to be due to a problem with liver dysfunction at times, when it was not converting the T4 (storage ofrm of thyroxin) to the active form T3. So I also do things to support liver function and all has been well in that regard for the last few years as well. Rambling again...sorry again!

Anyway, the body is tired but the mind is wide awake now; so will do some yoga & meditation and then try for a lay down.
Thanks again for being here. It means so much to share this with people who understand.

Erika

I hope you feel better soon, Erika.:hug:

Erika, last night I was wide awake from the time I went to bed until 5 AM. It was probably several things causing it, but one thing was inadequate magnesium. I had changed to a new formula, and by 5 AM I figured it must not be as strong as my other formula, and I took a little more, which worked. Also, I was told years ago to take magnesium and calcium at different times; we need both but they are antagonists.

Last night my lower back went into myoclonic spasms all night, which is the lower back spasming so bad that it causes your legs to jerk, and they will jerk whether you lie on your back, L side, R side, or stomach. This is such a serious problem for me that I have developed an arsenal against it, including 1000 mg of magnesium, 1000 mg of calcium, D3, 100 mg of B1, and the Vitamin E complex i take seems also to be needed, as I've had some breakthrough "jumps and jerks" when I have not taken E.

Thanks for your suggestions and support.
I will be seeing my PCP this morning. Spasm in the back/torso has been a night time problem in the past, but now that stupid hug is back. Woke up after a couple of hours of sleep moaning from the pain a little while ago, so it looks like it will be another sleepless night...
Hope that the doc comes up with something that works. Will post with what comes of it.

Erika

Update:
I am trying baclofen to control the night spasms and it seems to be helping in that I am not being awakened so often by the jerking & painful spasms. Seem to be able to obtain more benefit from yoga stretching as well, so if that is all that comes of it, I will stay with it for a bit.
Any relief is good relief.

For falling asleep easier I take 2x25mg Diphenhydramine (Benedryl) shortly before Bedtime, same amount as Tylenol PM, just no Acetaminophen. It causes an increase in Sleepiness which helps fall asleep. For a few years I also took Melatonin to help me fall back to sleep when I woke up to pee, now that I Cath there is no need for this. Most nights I sleep 6-8 hours.