Has anyone found out how to stay asleep with fibro? I can't take antidepressants because I get all the side affects. Sleep meds don't work at all, it's like taking water. I can fall asleep, but have REM sleep most of night and am constently waking up. The pain doesn't wake me up yet but with the weather change it's just a matter of time. I do try to exercise but the last week the fatigue has been to much.

Have you tried rivotril, magnesium, and or darn i forgot the other one. They work a little bit for me. I wake sometimes to. Not always.

I take mag. but I've never heard of rivotril. What is it?

Hi Rilsam:

I'm sure you'll find different people use different remedies to help their insomnia. Here's my input:

Take calcium 1,500-2,000mg daily, in divided doses, after meals and at bedtime. The calcium has a calming effect. Use calcium lactate or calcium chelate form (do not use lactate form if you are allergic to dairy products).

Take magnesium 1,000 mg daily which is needed to balance with calcium and relax the muscles.

Melatonin - start with 1.5 mg daily taken 2 hours or less before bedtime. If this is not effective, gradually increase the dosage until an effective level is reached (up to 5 mg daily). Melatonin is a natural hormone that promotes sounds sleep.

Vitamin B complex will help to promote a restful state

Pantothenic acid 50mg daily is good at relieving stress

Inositol 100 mg daily (at bedtime) enhances REM sleep

Just another thought: Fibro sufferers frequently have hypoglycemia. This condition can cause anxiety and fitfulness. If you have felt anxious, panicky, etc., you may be suffering from this condition. If this is the case, just before you retire try to eat something that contains fiber with a protein food, such as bran or rice crackers with raw cheese or almond butter. Eating something like this should maintain your blood sugar levels while you sleep. Try to avoid heavy meals, caffeine, alcohol, and sugar.

Catnip and chamomile have mild sedative properties. Drinking chamomile tea several times throughout the day helps to calm and tone the nervous system, promoting restful sleep.

California poppy, hops, kava kava, passionflower, skull-cap and valerian root in capsule or extract form are all good for helping to overcome insomnia. It is best not to rely on one herb on a regular basis, but rotate among several. Take before bedtime.

Do you have restless leg syndrome (another fibro condition)?

Have you tried a hot bath a couple of hours before bed?

Blessings,
Kirstee

Kristee, thanks for the in put. I've no restless leg syndrom or hypoglycemia but I love to eat a small snack close to bed time. I do the cal/mag and vit b thing. I only have caffine about 3 times a year due to migraines (it's so unfear, I love my coke). Unfortunetly I've tried alot of the other stuff too. I go to sleep fine it's just saying asleep that's hard. But I'll try the cat nip, Calf. poppy , hops and kava kava. How do you take catnip?

Hi Rilsam:

I figured you'd tried a lot of different methodologies. Insomnia is so awful. Try the tea form of catnip. I believe it comes in a capsule as well, so try the capsule if that is all you can find.

Have you ever tried Calcium Night from Source Naturals? It's a sleep promoter as well. This product might be an internet purchase.

Blessings,
Kirstee

Just a note on the melatonin. Lots of us w/fibro have autoimmune issues confounding. Melatonin is generally contra-indicated in autoimmunity, as it can flare things up.

And -- for what it's worth -- a sleep doctor told us last yr. that with melatonin LESS is more -- that studies had generally shown superior efficacy with 0.5 mg taken 3 hrs before bedtime, vs. 3 to 6 mg. doses. The smaller amount primes the pump, so to speak ... the larger amts tend to shut down endogenous production of melatonin, which is unhelpful for many people.

Depending on how well one's body converts melatonin to serotonin, melatonin can be a blessing or a curse. If one is taking melatonin & notices increased dark mood, or decreased energy, it could be a sign of conversion issues -- esp. with the higher doses.

In regards to melatonin, your body produces its own in the dark-dark --- many homes have light seepage around windows and from electronic devices. Avoid exposure to TV, bright lights, computer screens, etc. for 3 hrs. before bedtime for maximum home-made melatonin.

Best wishes.

Elmhar, I don't think I could go three hours before bedtime with out tv. It's my unwind time from my kids. But I've tried long quiet baths before sleep which didn't help. I've also tried low dose melatonin for about a week, it didn't work, but I found what you wrote very interesting, esp. because they think I might have MS also. Thank you. I've tried seratonin during the day too, it didn't work. The only thing that seems to work is flexeral or xanax but I only use that once in a while when I'm very desperate because they create their own problems. I will pick up catnip for tonight. I'll probably dream I'm running away from cats all night. LOL. I'm so active during my sleep from dreaming and waking up too much, which makes my muscles so sore like I've worked out for hours. My medicine cabinet looks like a health store with all the supplements. I'll let you know if the catnip worked, wish me luck. If not I guess I'll keeping going down Kristee's list of things I haven't tried.

i have to take so much stuff to go to sleep. at night i take Cymbalta, Rozerum,
Requip, Soma and 2 Tylenol PMs.
I know at one point amitryptaline helped.
sometime i still wake up with pain though in the middle of the night. i sleep with like 6 pillows and it takes me like 1-2 hrs to get comfortable. i get so upset after i have found a comfortable position and i get woken up.
i hope you find some relief. like the others said we are all different and what works for one of us might not work for the other.
robin

Hi, my doc killed 2 birds with one stone. He prescribed me Klonopin at night to help me sleep and keep my anxiety smoother during the day. I have tried herbal teas, melatonin, trazadone (YIKES), ambien, white noise, hot baths, prayer and meditation, trying to wear myself out during the day. The Klonopin, prayer, and meditation so far are doing the trick the best. But I still have times where I get my days and nights confused....lol
MimGregg:wave:

I take half a xanax at night which is like klonopin. I don't have an anxiety problem but it does help with the fibro. I hate taking it long term. But I will ask my doc. about klonopin if I can't sleep with natural remedies.
I didn't sleep last night again but that had to do with my doc. He stuck a 24 hour cardiac monitor on me because my dizziness has gotten worse. He doesn't expect to find anything but doesn't want to miss anything either. I'll try the catnip tonight. I did find it in tea. Thanks for all y'alls feed back.

hi rilsam,
have you checked into ambien? i have taken it for over 4 years now without increasing my dosage and i sleep. went years without befor i found this little pill. now except for the strokes and fibro fog my mind is my own again. sleep deprivation is very unhealthy. please, please step hard on your doctor about this. the damage to tissue long term is not worth it when there are answers available. there are other meds like lunesta on the market now also.
peace and sweet dreams,
bluelakelady

My doc is actually quite wonderful. I'm the one who gets tired of shoveling different pills down my throat. I do eventually get sleep but is usually about after 3 months of not sleeping. Then I sleep with no help except benidryl for about 2 months then back to no sleep. I think my body gets beyond exhausted so I can have a few months of good sleep. My doc has given me ambien, lunesta, restoril and one more (I can't remeber the name). It's like taking water. I''ve been on about 15 different anti-depressants that are suppose to help sleep. It usually makes my insomnia worse or I get a terribble side effect. The latest was cymbalta. It did help me sleep but unfortunately I would sleep 12 hours a day and still wanted to sleep more. I also got very nauseaus on it. This is way I try to stick with natural remedies. I tend not to have side effects with them. My doc feels very sorry for me and would do just about anything I ask but we're both just not sure what.

There's a product out there called "Deep Sleep" that contains the valerian,hopps ,Calif. Poppy and a few other things. You may want to give that a try......Kat.