Sleep Issues

[trkdoc714]

Thanks for all the ideas. I try to keep the meds to a minimum. I've reduced pain meds from 30 - 40mg Oxycodone per day to 10 or less.

I still have some Ambien left but don't care for the hypnotic effects. I've only taken 4 out of the original script and each time my wife tells me stories about some weird guy roaming the house in the middle of the night. I think it's best to leave those alone before I take the show on the road (or in the yard at 2 AM as previously mentioned).

I had seen Rolfing mentioned a few times before. I thought the name was unusual too, LBP. I assumed it had to do with noises associated with the stomach flu. I'll look into it though. There may be something that could work.

I've looked into the link Justin posted yesterday. There are a lot of great ideas to try there as well.

I had a great nights sleep Saturday but not so good last night. I'll try again tonight using some of these ideas. I don't think I'll be doing the epsom salt/ lavender bath though. If that preceded the Julie Andrews performance, I'd have to move.

Thanks all!

Bob

[Liz]

Originally Posted by trkdoc714

I don't think I'll be doing the epsom salt/ lavender bath though. If that preceded the Julie Andrews performance, I'd have to move.

Thanks all!

Bob

i just burst out laughing! not sure if it's b/c i'm sleep deprived or b/c you're funny! either way, don't try it, or do b/c we need entertainment on this forum. i'm on right now researching much less entertaining surgical procedures.

ps... y'all could always move to san francisco... it's very hard to shock people out here!

[LBP]

Have you asked your dr for other safe non-addictive sleeping aides? I first had to tried Zolpidem which is generic form of regular Ambien. Only worked for a couple hours and I'd be up. I found Ambien CR to be way more effective that regular Ambien. And I believe there are other options beside OTC stuff.

I would like to reduce my meds too, but quality consistent 8 hrs of sleep per night is more important in the big picture. I get sick, colds flue etc if I don't get enough sleep, let alone the fact that sleep helps your body heal.

Bottom line is that perhaps there's an alternative pain med to your percocet that will make you sleepy. I'm off percocet and reduced to Vicodin with a musle relaxor, nerve pain and sleeping pill. For now I need all four to really sleep. I am hoping that with rolfing, massage, pt, pilates, constant stretching etc, the pain will subside so I can reduce or remove the pain meds and then wean off the Ambien.

Good luck.

BTW my surgeon said he didn't think rolfing would make a difference...but that's western vs eastern mentality. I am optimistic that it can be a piece of the puzzle worth trying.

[trkdoc714]

Thanks for the ideas LBP. I'm reducing the percocet and taking a generic, over-the-counter sleep aid. It's working to a degree. I still wake if I move the wrong way but I fall back asleep easier.

I found that if I don't take a pain pill until after dinner, the "hyper" effects wear off by the time I lay down for the night.

I'm really trying to find a way to live without any meds totally. What good will it do to finally have my back healed and ruin my liver in the process?

How has the rolfing work for you?

Bob

[LBP]

Well I don't know if my particpation in this thread jinxed me or what but I am up in the middle of the night! Why? Because there has been some delay mixup in my cyclobenzaprine refill. I've had to go the last week without it, and just rely on Ambien CR...and it's not doing the trick on it's own. I've been up due to pain in the middle of night....take more pain pills than I otherwise would.

For some reason, with me, that muscle relaxer with Ambien Cr and pain med, really makes a difference in knocking me out and keeping me asleep longer.

Can't wait for this mixup to be resolved, especially before Xmas traveling!

and on a side note, I've heard it's not a good idea to take over the counter sleeping aides for an extended period of time. Besure you discuss with dr if you sleeping problem persists. I think that's why we get Ambien, because it's safer if taken over a longer period of time.

Anyhoo...looking forward to 7 or 8 hrs of straight sleep soon!

[keziah23]

I've had sleep problems all my life, got worse as my neck got worse, since surgery my sleep problems have continued but are different, i have the problem of my hands going to sleep/tingling if I sleep on my side and back gets tiring, I still wear my collar at night because I'm a stomach sleeper and trying to break that habit. i sleep for about 1-3 hours at a stretch. I take flexeril or percocet if i really cant sleep and need to function well the next day, but dont want to get in the habit of taking it every night. no ambien for me, i do enough weird stuff in my sleep as it is, i have night terrors and a history of sleepwalking