My Brother just had a heart stent put in last week and he's had insomnia ever since. The Cardio gave him sleeping pills on Friday but he said he still can't get to sleep easily and when he does he wakes up after a few hours. Does anyone have any suggestions or similar experience? He's desperate to get some sleep and all things considered he really needs to rest. HELP!

Your brother might be sleeping more than he realizes. It happens.
Anyway, this sounds to me like an emotional reaction. Stent installation is a very invasive proceedure and one we experience essentially awake.
The distress will probably pass with time. If not, he might need counselling for what amounts to PTSS.
Good luck.
:wave:

I agree with the previous response...as someone who had to have a stent put in myself a couple of years ago, at what I considered a very young age, I know that anxiety is a normal, natural and "to be expected" reaction. And if a person is anxious, insomnia could very easily be part of that.

Everyone reacts emotionally in a different way...if sleeping pills aren't helping (or even if they are), I'd suggest he learn some relaxation techniques (there are tapes he could play as he's trying to fall asleep), and consider finding a "safe" place/person to talk about what he's feeling (could be a friend, neighbor, pastor, support group for people with heart disease, counselor....).

The main thing is to realize that it is okay to be scared, and with time he'll figure out he's not going to die immediately.

Also, be aware he very well may be in denial at this time that he's anxious/scared, but I'd bet a lot of money (if I had it, and if I was a gambler) that is what is causing his sleep problems.

Thanks for your input and kind suggestions. I guess you never stop to consider that this could be the problem given his personality.........it all makes sense though and I will try to talk to him about this. I went through something similar (todays the aniversary of MY heart episode)!

Thanks again!

:angel:

linda,

Is there any possibility that they either added or upped his beta-blocking medication since his surgery?

He only started taking the beta-blockers when he had his attack. He would occasionally have insomnia before this but it has now gotten to where he's only getting 3-4 hours of sleep a night. Could the Beta-blockers be contributing to the insomnia?:confused:

ABSOLUTELY beta-blockers can cause insomnia.

I cannot sleep more than 3 fitful hours a night if I take beta blockers. I spent a whole month of sleepless misery before I realized it was the atenolol I was taking that was the casue.

Wow Lenin! You were SO on target. He tried 1 night of not taking them and said he slept like a baby. He's going to try taking them in the A.M. instead of in the evening to see if that makes a difference and then talk to the Doctor too to see if he can switch meds to something that doesn't cause insomnia. I know you weren't suggesting that he NOT take them for 1 night but he wanted so desperately to get some sleep that he decided to see if that was what was causing the problem. I cautioned him on ASKING a Doctor BEFORE he does something like this in the future. Thanks again. You made this ordeal a little less frustrating for him. Linda

Linda,

I'm glad that I could help.

Usually the only way we can answer the question "Is this drug causing condition X" is to stop the drug and see. Very few drugs a so important that they can't be done without for such a trial: certainly none of the antihypertensives.

Which beta-blocker is he taking? A short acting one like propranolol or straight metoprolol can be taken morning and afternoon and STILL allow for good sleep but atenolol is 24 hours, and nadolol is about a WEEK!:dizzy: