Can't Sleep - Multiple Sclerosis Message Board

Blessed4Life · 08-24-2007, 12:39 AM

My body is truly driving me bananas! Yesterday, I was so fatigued that is was difficult to do anything. This evening I am wired! Well at least my body is. I cannot sleep. The muscles in my legs, arms, and chest are jerking around and my fingers keep getting this "shock" feeling (only way I can describe it...not so much burning as shock). I have watched two pretty good movies and tried to fall asleep but I find that a quiver or jerk that wakes me back up. So I figured I would get on the boards.

Michelle

ezee · 08-24-2007, 02:19 AM

Michelle, I know exactly what you are talking about. Every nerve in your body is buzzing like high voltage wires right? For me, I have a prescribed muscle relaxer called soma, that gives me the much needed relief from both nerves, and muscle spasm, well most of the time anyway. Sometimes, nothing makes the pain go away, not massage, or ice, or heat, or meds. The family love thing, I recommend highly though. It cures so many pains!

I sometimes get acid reflux from years of pain meds, and am able to sleep just with a couple of antacids. I try not to lay down until after a good 30 minutes after any meds since I discovered this sort of nerve thing in my chest and arms.

Blessed4Life · 08-24-2007, 07:36 AM

Hey ezee!

I am taking Lyrica which usually helps sleep but doesn't really address the buzzing. Last night, I felt like I someone has sipped some Espresso in my water. No matter what I did (though I wanted to sleep), I could not. I finally fell asleep around 3:30am! I have to go in to work since I didn't go in on Wednesday. I will be making a pitstop for coffee.

Isn't that funny? Now that I need to be up, all I want to do is sleep.

What muscle relaxer are you taking? Do you taking only at night? I have a low tolerance for most medicines. They usually knock me out. But last night, my body wanted to be UP.

Michelle

ezee · 08-24-2007, 09:07 AM

Blessed, I also was taking Lyrica, but had to discontinue it due to the Edema in my legs, ankles and feet. I also noticed no pain relief benefit from it... maybe it's my body chemistry, I don't know.

I take a muscle relaxer called "SOMA". I have taken it along with codeines, like Vicodin 7.5/750 for years, due to a major back pain which was ultimately relieved by major back surgery. They gave me Oxycontin 60mg for pain after my surgery and I hated it, and ultimately stopped taking it and went back to Vicodin.
With my recent pain issues, they gave me Oxycontin 80mg, so I tried it again, and again I hate it, and have all but one of them left in the bottle. I already feel terrible on a regular basis. Why would I take anything that makes me feel any worse??!! The SOMA is effective in relieving my spasms, occasional anxiety, and make my pain killers much more effective. I swear by them, not at them as with some other meds.

ezee · 08-24-2007, 10:30 AM

Blessed,
When you have difficulty sleeping due to your nerves, is there a particular area that the nerve sensation is most plaguing and seems to make sleep most impossible?
I neglected to also mention an over-the-counter that I employ to sleep, on occasion. I suffer from seasonal allergies, and use Benedryl-Allergy to combat this. I have found that one-two will give me the amount of drowsey I need to get to sleep, when sleep is elusive. I usually drop off within 15 minutes.
I also spend most nights with my entire body buzzing and spasming. Another thing about sleep difficulties... I try to eat dinner as early as possible, and try to eat light enough not to cause sleep problems, but not so light that it makes me want to get up and snack. I also avoid anything for dinner that might cause acid reflux, which I have determined is a contributer to a certain type of nervous malady, that is manifest in my arm-pits, and chest area. It is really quite maddening, and I bless the day that I determined that this was the cause of exposing my already very sensitive nerves to yet another internal malady, i.e. acids eating away at my esophagus.