Can't sleep!

As5567

I have never really been able to sleep easy due to pain and stiffness etc etc. But recently I find that I'm just lying there from about 11pm right up till 4, 5, 6, 7 or even 8am and just cannot drop off to sleep. My eye's always feel so heavy that I cannot keep them open and feel like I need to sleep but I just can’t! I try to wake up the same time every day no matter how much sleep I get during the night in hope that I will be tired enough to sleep in the night but that also never works.

Has anyone else ever had something like this happen after starting a new medication? I'm currently on Infliximab and Meth (7.5mg)

Funny enough after my infliximab I will sleep without any problems for about 3 nights in a row as the medication really does knock my energy levels for a few days, but as soon as I get over the effects the problems begin again. I have looked at the side effects for both medications and Infliximab can cause sleeping problems but I have been told nothing can be done and to just try and put up with it. Any advice would be helpful!

Thanks

maria09

Hi
Your best bet is to ask your GP I take amytriptaline at night as it helps with the pain
Sleeping tablets are short acting getting you off to sleep but not keeping you asleep usually lasts about 4hrs
I've tried lavender oil on my pillow at night
Horlicks is said to help not hot chocolate as it has some caffeine in
Camomile tea is supposed to help
Some say a warm bath that doesn't help for me I think I have it too hot
Listening to party political broadcasts
Can't think of anything else at min
Maria

villier

When I can't sleep due to pain which is quite often I get up and go into my sitting room, I either read a magazine, watch something not to heavy going on the tv or use my laptop until I feel quite sleepy, nine out of ten it works, I was taught this at a pain management course I done.....Marie x

dibdab

I struggle with sleep too- it's got lots worse since restarting methotrexate 5 weeks ago . I usually make more Horlicks and read until my eyes droop. Hope you get some sleep tonight.
Deb xx

bubbadog

I can struggle some nights with sleep due to my pain, I keep a word search puzzle book and my kindle on my bedside table and doing some puzzles or just reading helps me to feel tired after a while. Some people swear by a milky drink. I hope you find something to help you get a better nights sleep soon.

As5567

Thanks all for your suggestions, still can't sleep. Only thing that sends me off is pain killers or alcohol, neither are any sort of quick fix or long term fix.

stickywicket

What do you eat/drink in the evening? Try keeping off anything with sugar in and, if you have coffee or tea, make sure it's decaff and redbush. I take pain relief about half to one hour before I go to bed and, if I can't sleep, I do the same as villier.

As5567

stickywicket wrote:

What do you eat/drink in the evening? Try keeping off anything with sugar in and, if you have coffee or tea, make sure it's decaff and redbush. I take pain relief about half to one hour before I go to bed and, if I can't sleep, I do the same as villier.

I am trying to avoid all sugar/caffeine/food for a minimum of 3 hours before bed this week to see if that helps somewhat. I have an appointment this week about my meth with the doctor so I will bring it up with him again and see if there is any suggestions/fixes he can help with. Based on my internet research it seems that Infliximab does cause around 15% of people to get sleeping issues. I think my daily routines of doing nothing all day also doesn't help and the fact that I have a lot more energy than I usually would as my treatment is working really good at the moment.

frogmorton

Hi As557

I totally agree with you alcohol is a BAD idea to use as it strong pain killers for sleep :?

Mmm.... the caffiene it's supposed to be from 12 noon :shock: Honestly that's what I was told!! I ahve some decaf coffee and tea fro the afternoons and do my best to stick to it.

Having said that, like a lot on this i do ahve low-dose amitripyline to take at night.

Good luck at teh docs for your MTX review

Love

Toni xx

stickywicket

frogmorton wrote:

Mmm.... the caffiene it's supposed to be from 12 noon :shock: Honestly that's what I was told!!

I wonder if this is a 'one size fits all' recommendation? I can't see it would apply both to myself (normal bedtime around 11.30pm) and some elderly ladies I know (Normal bedtime around 8.30pm).

As5567 wrote:

I think my daily routines of doing nothing all day also doesn't help

I know we're in different situations but I find that, although I do very little, compared with others, what I do manage to do takes it out of me more so I'm nearly always shattered by bedtime.

As5567

Really tired right now, I didn't go to sleep last night as I gave up about 6:30AM. Figured that if I was to stay up all day today and try to sleep at 10/11pm then I might just possibly get into a decent sleep cycle.

MerryChapman

Good luck, hope you get a better night's sleep xxxx

villier

Awe bless, good luck, sleep deprivation is something we can all do without, wish you well...........sweet dreams x

maria09

Hope you managed to sleep last night
When my joints were slightly better than they are now I used to go down and iron
Now I put tv on and watch sky on demand
Maria

dreamdaisy

I hope you won't need to go down the route of taking more pills, they are not always the answer and can cause further complications. You say you have more energy (you lucky thing!) so use that to keep yourself busier during the day. Come bedtime take a couple of dullers to help you drift off and then, if you do wake in the night, keep your eyes closed but amuse your brain (I turn to alphabet lists, I set myself a challenge, e.g. 3 syllable words ending with /er/) and I reckon you will soon drift off again. I wake on average about every 90 minutes or so, and I have found that if I turn on lights and start reading I wake myself up even more. I used to listen to quiet music through my headphones but I've given up with that as it disturbed Mr Light Sleeper next to me. DD

stickywicket

How was it then, last night? Did you manage more sleep? I do hope so.

As5567

Woke up about 1 hour ago from a 2 hour "nap". Even after being up for well over 24 hours I was still awake all night, I have some herbal all natural pill's to try out tonight that my pharmacy said work for some people. I have no real issue staying asleep when I do drop off it seems. And yes DD I feel very lucky that I have more energy than I have done for some time, my problem is now what do I do with it lol.... still find the moment I go to do anything such as attempt to go for a short walk my body says no and I end up suffering during the day then.

stickywicket

I think you need to take medical advice on this. I do hope the pharmacist was aware of what other meds you’re on before suggesting the herbal ones. Herbal doesn’t necessarily equal harmless. Digitalis is a herb

The problem of energy v pain is a personal one. For my money, a bit of fresh air, especially somewhere nice and/or with nice people, is worth a fair bit of pain, especially if it promotes better sleep.

As5567

Hmm yeah, didn’t think to ask about if it's safe to take with my medications. Think I will give it a miss for now to be on the safe side. I hope on Thursday they will be able to suggest something for me, I'm more than sure it's the Infliximab causing it.

dreamdaisy

I was told when I was on infliximab, then enbrel and now humira NOT TO TAKE any form of herbal tablets whatosever. You should have informed the pharmacist about the meds you take - or more to the point he should have asked. You slept for two hours earlier today? It may be that you have to take your sleep as and when you can get it - I think that all they will suggest on Thursday is more drugs. DD

As5567

Thanks for that info DD, I wasn't aware of that :O

Finally had a good nights sleep, Yay!

Only down side is that I woke at 5am lol, better than being awake at 5am still I guess

lizzieuk1

Would u like to ' borrow' my 2 year old for a few days, u would def sleep after entertaining him for a few days!!

stickywicket

lizzieuk1 wrote:

Would u like to ' borrow' my 2 year old for a few days, u would def sleep after entertaining him for a few days!!

I've sometimes wondered if the reason(s) I slept so well when my RA was at its worst was/were my two small boys

lizzieuk1

Am dead to the world most nights pain or no pain tis impossible for me to stay awake after 12 hours of toddler time!!

As5567

I will pass on the baby sitting thanks lol, another good night sleep! Doctor at the hospital today said to leave things for the next 4 weeks and if nothing improved then he will look into my options but explained to me how almost every option will be a short term thing and wont be a fix. Inflammable apparently can cause short periods of sleeping problems such as insomnia but often go away, which seems to have happened to me now. Guess it will be something I have to put up with if it happens again, seems worth it to me than going back to my old pain levels.

maria09

Hi
As you can see by the time I'm awake :roll:
Went to bed at 10.30 and seemed to flit in and out of sleep making it feel like I haven't slept
So downstairs,warm drink in hand checking on this in between playing candy crush my favourite game at min also watching a programme about Henry the seventh
Hopefully after that sleep will return
I always have trouble sleeping when I've had my rheumy appointment as my joints really hurt after the examination
Maria