Insomnia
Argh! I feel like Ive forgotten how to fall asleep. So it's currently 2.47am in the UK, I need to be up for work at around 7 and I can't sleep, again.
This has been going on for at least the past month, I don't sleep much before 2am, I try to get up early often fail miserably and end up being late for work (luckily my boss understands even if my bosses boss doesn't)
I take 75mg pregabalin twice daily, previously my feet, hands and strangely my left ear feeling like they were on fire kept me awake so my MS Nurse suggested I take two at night instead- I'm not sure if that worked or not my feet still got hot and I got a lot more constipated 😬 The problem is the more tired I get, the more tingly my hands get, which then keeps me awake...
The last time I saw my Consultant she suggested I practice mindfulness (so I tried to meditate - didn't work) , practice good sleep hygiene and if that fails I should take amitriptyline. Problem is, amitriptyline seems a bit scary to me, and I'm a bit uneasy about popping another pill on top of my Tec and Pregabalin. Someone I know took amitriptyline and said it made them feel really spaced out. Is it really that bad?
So, after this big long post (sorry) what I really need is some tips on how to get asleep. I've tried herbal teas, herbal sleeping pills, meditation, reading and I'm really running out of options
I bought a white noise sound machine, it took about a week for it to work but it finally did. There was a lot of different sounds on the machine but I thought the standard white noise would work the best. I first one had was the kind that went underneath the pillow. I would turn it on and just listen to the noise and try to keep my head clear, now I fall asleep within 30 minutes. My pillow machine broke right away because it was used, I couldn't find one to replace it. My husband said to get a regular one, he could hear the pillow noise machine and it helped him sleep. We bought a extra one to have around in case the one we use nightly breaks. I also turn it up loud when we have thunderstorms it helps keep my dog calm. Potter
@motorhead , it's a vicious circle, isn't it? The more you worry about not sleeping, the harder it is to get to sleep! Amitriptyline can sound scary. I tried it for exactly the problem you had, irritating legs keeping me awake. I'd take it in the middle of the night and I too, would be "zombified" the next day. Then I learnt about Amitriptyline. It's a mild anti-depressant, which also counters neuropathic pain. And, it also helps you sleep. So, it needs to be taken at least 12 hours before you intend to get up the next day. For example, if you want to rise at 7 am, do not take Amitriptyline any later the 7 pm. It was an "oversight" that I wasn't told this when it was prescribed to me. Hope this helps.