almost the end of day 4 and feeling pretty good

[addicted_to_vicoprofen]

Ok, I feel really good.  My head is clear, and I have more energy today than I did yesterday (still not as much as I wish I had)  I am quite ancy - my ativan is helping though.  I am now ready to conquer my next mountain.  Since October, I haven't fallen asleep without help of something - vicoprofen, ambien, benedryl, whatever.  Most recently it is ambien.  I can stop the ambien with no withdrawal but I do have horrible insomnia.  I don't know how to get myself on a natural sleep schedule.  any one have any ideas for me?

C

[kimmieb]

Thanks for your helpful note.  Sounds like we both entered menopause quickly and unexpectedly.  I'm 46 and wasn't anywhere near it, I don't think, before this surgery.  Still had very regular periods like clockwork beforehand.....except that i had huge ovarian cysts which were wreaking havoc on my cycle a lot and severe endometriosos along with it.  So, after having one surgery to remove the huge cysts about 8 months ago, they came back not even 6 months later.  At that time, I made the decision just to have everything out.  I was pretty miserable most of the time anyway over the past few years, so I was hopeful that things might improve after getting everything out of there.  Well, you're right.  About 2 weeks after surgery, I couldn't stop crying.  Worse than any PMS I had ever experienced (and I experienced some PRETTY bad PMS, believe me).  Saw the dr., she put me on a very low dose of estrogen.  I seemed to have gotten better in that area.  At least I'm not having crying jags 24 hours a day.  But, I still feel very much on the "sensitive" side with my moods sometimes, so we'll see.  I just really don't want to be put on an anti-depressant right now, and I know that's the first thing my gyne will suggest.  I don't need another drug, especially one that has such a deadening effect on the sex life.  I've had enough problems with that lately because of everything else, don't need more of it.  Yes, the benadryl does really bad things to me -- definitely a "no go" for me for the sleep issues.  Does the exact same thing to my little son, so after giving it to him once or twice when he was littler, I never gave it to him again.  I've heard that Melatonin works well for many people.  I tried it once or maybe twice, a long time ago, and it didn't work.  If I'm remembering correctly, I think it had a similar effect on me as the benadryl.  My husband is an airline pilot and used to try melatonin sometimes when he would get back from international trips and be really jet-lagged.  It seemed to work better on him, but then again, EVERYTHING works better on him, lucky guy!  Give it a try though.  At this point, anything is worth at least a try, right?  It's basically process of elimination when trying to find somethng that works.  My problem is usually that everything is eliminated though and I can't find anything more "natural" and less addictive that even works a tenth as well :-(  Let me know what you find.....     ~~~K.

[Lotus55]

My menoapuse was surgically induced.  Well first they left me ONE ovary and it was good on a few years, then hot flahes etc, then I went on ERT cause my blood work said I needed it.  Then they had to take the ovary which they should have in the first place he was trying leave me some natural hormones.  Well Kim PLEASE be careful With menopause "can" Come a danger of depression because of the hormone thing.  If you find yourself crying alot or crabby alot, well please talk to  a professional cause mine was like PMS to the 100th degree and it just keep gettting worse till I "dropped my basket" so to speak. had a bad breakdown. This was in 2000.  I swore that I would try to warn anyone new to menopause to please just be mindful of your moods.  So Kim, PLEASE be mindful of your moods.  You got me thinking OMG what if I cannot stay asleep because of the benadryl?  What if makes me sleepy then keeps me up 1/2 the night?  Have you tried Melatonin?  I may give it a shot.
Sweet dreams!

[kimmieb]

I can relate.  I, too, think that my recent (barely 6 weeks ago) surgically- induced menopause (took both my ovaries in addition to everything else) has probably ruined any possible chance I had at a normal, decent, regular night's sleep.  It kind of freaks me out if I think about it too much -- that something like that can be taken away from you in a flash, never to return again.  Talk about depression!  Anyway, BEFORE this surgically-induced menopause, I was already having sleep problems and was taking 2 mg. ativan every night for sleep.  Works like a charm.  Then had the surgery.  Still works like a charm (most of the time, at least), but I'm itching to get off of this stuff for many reasons, yet I'm convinced that I will never find anything that does what this drug does for me.  Benadryl has almost the opposite affect on me -- it makes me feel wired and jittery and sleep is like an action movie that I'm participating in and when I wake up a few hundred times a night, I'm totally exhausted, especially by morning.  I'm getting ready to try muscle relaxers (flexeril? soma?) -- any experience out there?  Has anyone transitioned from an anti-anxiety med (e.g., low dose ativan) for sleep to a muscle relaxer??  Curious....

[Lotus55]

Well I also cannot sleep without aide and that is since 97!  I was on Ambien for over 6  years but it was not working well anymnore and I was having amnesia...not good.  I take simply sleep now, tylenol pm without the tylenol
or actually its the same exact as benadryl!  I think menopause has ruined my chance of sleeping soundly again, that and my pain.  I would DIE for a good nights sleep now that you mention it!!!!   I am trying to remember how I came off the Ambien.  OH YEA, I was inpatient for depression, they were giving me Seroquel only while I was in there.  It KNOCKED me out!!!!  I slept like a dead person ,I Dont think I even MOVED all night!  One extreme to the other.  I could not continue  on that, it was TOO heavy BUT it broke my Ambien cycle and now I take the benadryl thing.  I also sleep with ear phones with relaxation music but sometimes THAT keeps me up...LOL  Sweet dreams!!!
Lotusflower

[kimmieb]

I can relate.  I can't remember the last time I was able to fall asleep naturally -- it's been YEARS for me.  I'm currently on 2 mg. of ativan per night for sleep but would love to get off of them entirely.  I just cannot sleep though, and I'm afraid to just trade one drug for another.  Anyway, I'm sorry I don't know the answer to your question, but I'll also be waiting to read if someone does.   Good luck to you!!   K.