Trouble Sleeping with pain 😴 🥱😫😢

zuko2515

Hi I was diagnosed in 2016 with Osteoarthritis in both knees I now have it in both ankles, feet and hips. I need 2 new knees but they are trying to make me wait till I'm a bit older (im 53). I use a walking stick daily and have a wheelchair as I cant walk for long. I had severe psoriasis since 1992 (currently under control due to biologics)

I also have bursitis in both shoulders , synovitis in my hands and tennis elbow in my forearm.

I had a flare up on the 4th of December which lasted 4 weeks it was a nightmare I Could barely move my fingers , wrists , ankles where enormous. I had lost my grip and could hardly do anything and my shoulder pain had escalated Sleeping was impossible.

I tried different pillows (it's cost me a fortune) was given medication which has done nothing only way I can get any sleep is downstairs sat up on the sofa.

I've had steroids which helped but after finishing the stiffness etc has returned.

I've seen the rheumatologist had ultrasound scans I have now been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in every joint in my hands, wrists ,elbows, feet and knees 😪.

Over the years I've had methotrexate , cyclosporin, adalimumab biologic injections and currently on Taltz but the rheumatologist wants to change it to bimekizumab biologics .

Sleeping is still a nightmare can't manage more than a couple of hours in bed then back in the chair.

My relationship seems to be on hold due to all this and I miss it as much as my husband does .

I'm 53 but my body feels 83 I'm stuck in the house so tired in pain I'm feeling like there's no end to all this ....rant over I apologise 😔 How so people sleep ?advice welcome

Naomi33

Hello @zuko2515

I find it hard to sleep to and was advised to try SLEEP herbal remedy spray natural lavender etc etc from a well known health shop. I just spray a little and has helped 🙌

Good luck @Naomi33

zuko2515

Thank you I've literally tried everything apart from sleeping stood up 😂

tru70

i feel your pain, i don't have a good night sleep at all and you just can't settle as the pain is to bad

Trish9556

Hi @zuko2515

I don't sleep well at all and now I just get up and potter around wth a cocoa and do my jigsaw puzzle.

I also have a snoozeband which connects to my kindle or phone so I can listen to the radio or a book or white noise. One of the best things I've bought

After all that I can usually snooze on the sofa with my teddy bear blanket.

I used to take 2 paracetamol when I woke which also worked but I can't have that now my meds have been changed.

Good luck, I haven't slept through the night for many years but getting up does work if you cannot walk off the aches.

Trish xx

painallthetime

I find sleeping difficult cos of pain. Why is pain worse when lying down. GP no help just says take painkillers, which if I took as and when in pain I would take more than the daily recommended dose. There seems no help and no research into causes of arthritis and pain

Hellesbelles

Hi painallthetime, I know how you feel.

I have OA in my right knee, in my C spine and now in my left hip (newly diagnosed).

I find I sleep in 3 - 4 hour sessions, having to get up, pop a couple more pain killers, have a walk around & make a cuppa, before going back to bed for the 'second half'

If anyone has any suggestions as to how to aid a good night's sleep, it will be very welcome!

Helen x

Ellen

Good morning @painallthetime Getting sleep is so difficult when you are in pain I totally agree. It can feel so isolating when the rest of the world seems able to sleep.

I don't know whether you have read this article? I do hope there may be something in it which you haven't already tried which might help you.

https://versusarthritis.org/news/2022/february/top-tips-for-good-sleep/#:~:text=Sleep%20is%20important%20for%20everyone,should%20not%20be%20taken%20lightly.

The following is some information about the research Versus Arthritis is doing around the specific issue of pain.

https://versusarthritis.org/news/2020/march/how-is-our-research-tackling-pain-in-arthritis-a-closer-look-at-our-research-centre/

I hope some more of our members will come along to offer their advice.

Best wishes

Ellen.

frogmorton

Hi @painallthetime

Sorry you are struggling so much to sleep. Its awful that. As Ellen said it's worse when everyone else seems to be sleeping. Also because there are less distractions it feels worse to me anyway.

I can have dreadful pain at night too. First of all what painkillers have you got? Maybe there are better ones for you. My anti-inflammatory is a 24 hour slow release for instance. I have also taken things like amitriptyline to relax muscles in the past. This also had a sedative effect and I certainly slept!

I have also tried meds like gabapentin which is an anti epilepsy pain and helps some people with neuropathic pain. I know there are others in this category too.

Have you ever been to a pain clinic? If not is it worth asking your GP for referral?

Finally I listen to an audio book or podcast to distract my mind from the pain. That can help a lot.

Take care and some ((())) for you

Toni

Chris32

I have OA in my knee and find sleeping can be a problem. I found two possible actions that help a bit.

1 sleep on my back. But then I snore and turn over anyway (Probably after getting a nudge!)

2 A pillow between my legs so one knee doesn't rest on the other, whichever way I face. That does help.

I would be very interested to see an answer to a question above:" Why is pain worse when lying down?".

Surely the joint is no longer carrying a load when we are lying flat.

FionaChaney53

Hi, Like many of you I too have osteoarthiritis in the neck, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, and sleeping is problematic. I was given amitriptyline to help with neck pain and headaches at night, and this has really helped me, but I still take painkillers for the other pain I experience. Co codamol full strength, or Ibuprofen.

Sometimes I have a bowl of porridge when I am awake at night and this helps a little. Its about 03.56a.m now. I know its not good practice to open ones laptop but I do feel wide awake…..

I've tried meditation and relaxation practice, this also helps for a while, but to be honest its years since I've slept more than three hours through before getting up. I try to rest up during the day a little inorder to compensate for lack of sleep at night. Lack of sleep brings on anxiety and feeling low….so sleep whatever way I can get it is important. I am not becoming stressed so much anymore as I decided simply to go with what my body was telling me. Thank you for your posts , they have all made me feel less isolated.

Poppyjane

Hello@FionaChaney53 welcome to the online community

You seem to have tried lots of different techniques to help you with your sleep - or lack of it. As you say it is a problem experienced by many of us and we are glad that the posts you have read have made you feel less isolated. You are now part of the community and we are all here to offer friendship and support to each other whatever the time of day or night..

You may already have looked at the VA information pages but in case you have not I attach a link

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2022/february/top-tips-for-good-sleep/

I hope you will look round the many discussions and categories on offer and join in with us again soon.

Best wishes

Poppyjane

Daydreamer123

I haven't had a good night sleep in years,wake up in the night and takes ages to get to toilet,feel like 91 not 51 ,how do you peeps cope at night xxx

Robby4070

Hi @zuko2515

I’m the same age as you; I also have PsA & OA. For nighttime pain I’ve been prescribed pregabalin as I have a niggerly sciatic nerve due to arthritis in my spine. I found this helpful as it blocks the nerve signals. Ask your Rheumatologist or GP about it. Hope this helps .

Marje

I find I sleep better on recliner setee than in bed pain starts at about 6 in evening bought a pain begone pen which just takes the edge off pain . II have bone on bone in shoulder but consultant put me off op as he said there’s lots that can go wrong back to orthopedics about hip in November as I cannot weight bare cannot take ibruphofen due to diverticula desease and had orimoph but ended up in hospital with severe constipation and had to have temporary catheter as couldn’t wee then got numerous urine infections one a month for 5 months so been on hiprex for that for over 5 months for that currently taking Gabapentin but have to take laxatives as that makes me constipated so fed up of pain as was hoping to enjoy my retirement but it’s just constant pain