Anonymity

I'd say there's a couple of things going on. First of all, it's commonly recognized in the medical world that the effectiveness of pain relievers and antihistamines, among many other medicines, is significantly reduced after a certain period of time. There is a medical term for this, which I can pronounce, but I can't spell. Anyway, if you're talking about a pain relieving medicine that seems to have lost its effectiveness, I think you should bring this up with your doctor. Unless you do, he/she will assume it's still working at its maximum potential. Once you mention this, the doctor can switch you to another medicine, sometimes for only a few weeks, and then when you switch back to your original medicine, it will work at its maximum potential again. Pretty cool, huh?

Secondly, it sounds like it's time for a sleep study for you. What you're describing is a symptom often associated with Periodic Limb Movement and Restless Legs Syndrome. I'm not even suggesting that you have either, but I am encouraging you to find out for sure. It is very common for those with fibromyalgia to have a sleep disorder as well, so I would highly encourage you to have a sleep study done.
My fatigue was horrible, and I felt unrested every day when I awoke. My rheumatologist referred me to a sleep clinic, and I went through the sleep study. Lo and behold, I have Restless Legs Syndrome. My leg jerks were waking me up 28 times an hour, and I had no idea!! My sleep cycles were out of whack, and I was seriously sleep-deprived.
Now that I've gotten my RLS pretty much under control, my fatigue is much better, and I feel rested when I wake up. I still have fibromyalgia, of course, but I feel SO much better, and my pain has significantly decreased!!
It can make a world of difference in your fibromyalgia pain! You could have a disorder that's contributing to your fibromyalgia fatigue and pain and not even know it!! Besides, the study doesn't hurt, it (usually) only takes one night, and insurance often covers it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Lastly, the Ambien can really help on a short-term basis. It is a good suggestion that you mention it to your doctor. Ambien cannot, however, solve a true sleep disorder on its own (that I know of), and it is not something you want to take on the long term. It can disrupt your sleep cycles after a period of time. Thus, it is better to make sure that you don't have a sleep disorder (through the sleep study) before taking Ambien long-term. Obviously, you could start on Ambien on a short-term basis whenever you want (as long as the doctor okays it, of course- but you knew that!).

Good luck with everything, and I hope you find out what's disrupting your sleep soon so that you can feel better soon!

[This message has been edited by Anonymity (edited 01-16-2003).]