RA and a good night's sleep - Arthritis Message Board

Hellokitty1973 · 07-29-2002, 12:59 PM

Sorry that if I am posting too many questions. With being just diagnosed with RA, lots of questions come up!

Anyway, I have just begun some treatment and I know some of the medication will take some time to kick in. In the meantime, I am having some issues sleeping on some nights. Specifically, I am tossing and turning so much... any time I roll over, I wake up because of the pain or stiffness. Moreover, I feel worse the next day vs. when I have a good night's sleep, I feel so much better!

Any thoughts on how to get a better night's rest? Can I take anything OTC for sleep? I don't know what would mix with the Celebrex and Plaquenil.

Thank you!
"Sleepless in New Jersey!"

scbagrrrl · 07-30-2002, 08:32 AM

Ask your doctor to perscribe something to help you sleep. I am on Plaquenil and Celebrex - and I take Ambien or Sonex (?). I take Ambien every night - it doesn't leave me feeling "hung over" in the morning. I take the other one if I wake up in the middle of the night and still need another 3-5 hours of sleep.

One of my friends that has RA, swears by her waterbed -the heater keeps her feeling comfy despite the joint pain. (I'm not a fan of them personally)

You also might have them do a sleep study on you to see if you have any other underlying sleep problems - ie restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea, which could be contributing to your problems...

Good luck and keep us posted!

Hellokitty1973 · 07-30-2002, 09:19 AM

Thanks for your reply!

I, too, am not a big fan of waterbeds, although I have read that they help.

It's funny, I usually have no problem falling asleep. But, I usually wake up a few times during the night, even if just for a few seconds. I can also tell sometimes in the morning that I tossed and turned a lot during the night. I really don't want to take any sleep aids, but maybe if I just used them once in a while. I just want to be able to sleep straight through the night on a regular basis! :-)

CherylAnn · 07-30-2002, 11:17 AM

I, too, used to sleep sooooo peacefully and long (8-10 hrs). Now, I am constantly awoken by stiffness and pain and soooo restless. I feel as if I haven't had a good night's sleep in a year and probably haven't. Tylenol PM helps sometimes and I ALWAYS take a pain reliever prior to bed so I can GET OUT OF bed and function in the am. I do find that sleeping on my back (which sucks) with a pillow under my knees helps my lower half, although I still experience pain in the neck, shoulders and hands. I'm not on any rx meds yet as I recently went off Plaquenil due to no gain. So, I hope for better days ahead when all the rx stuff is tuned.

scbagrrrl · 07-30-2002, 12:41 PM

I was really aversive to taking the meds - but it does seem to help me sleep through the night. The only problem is that I'm still completely exhausted after a full night's sleep! I'm waiting for that pill! LOL