sleeping all the time...

[Sheri817]

Just wondering if anyone else is sleeping their life away?? At night I take neurontin and valium and Im usually in bed by 10:30 or 11, get up at 5:30ish. I drink my 3 cups of coffee and because i normally have a HA take the usual 1/2 of a vicodin and 1 excedrin. Then, I am able to get kids up and going by 6:30 and off to schl, but by 9:30 I am whiped out. I try to make myself stay up as long as possible but usually back asleep by 10 and will sleep til at least 1 and sometimes longer no matter what I do I just cant stay awake. Then I have to go thru the same ritual so that I can function for my kids and to get dinner(most of the time I cant even cook dinner because I feel so bad). Then, if I could I would be back in bed by 8 but of course I can't because I have to make sure my kids are asleep being the OCD mom that I am lol. I just don't understand why I have to sleep this much and of course I don't eat lunch cuz I sleep thru that time and Im not a big brkfst person but try to eat somthing small because I know I won't eat lunch. I don't take the valium and vicodin during the day unless Im just really hurting so why am I so sleepy?? Any suggestions would be appreciated!!  :))

Sheri

[Sheri817]

You are right Linda, I have always been the go getter. With 3 kids (son 18, daughter 13 and son 10) I have been the ONE who drives everyone everywhere and our house was always the gathering place for all the friends. I was the COOL mom! lol But, not anymore! And, I think that is what hurts the most. My brain doesn't even function enuf to help my kids w homework. It's very depressing to go down this road as I'm sure you already know too well. I got a surgery date yesterday, it's gunna be on 3/6. I'm nervous about it, but also ready to get it over with and start the recovery process. My herniation is 20mm but don't have a syrinx and doc says everything else looks good on the brain MRI, so hoping not to have any complications....Thanks, to you and all who responded to my question! Hope you have a great day!

[irislita]

I was like rahe non stop on the run...but i do feel su much more tired.it can b the meds...definitely a fact.i was on lyrica the minimum doSe and could not stay awake.i felt drugged.i am trying mate tea now...it is stimulating plus is really positive side effects. Maybe u can try

[linnielou232]

It sounds as though you have the same  personality as I do.  I was a go getter also, but when my Chairi got so bad I also didn't and couldn't do anything.  In your post you mentioned that you haven't had surgery yet.  Your body is probably just drained from all the pain and other issues you are going through.  Keep listening to your body.  It tells us what to do and if you need to rest then rest.  You'll get your energy back.  Right now your body just need's time to get some rest.  Best wishes for a better day tomorrow
Linda :)

[nsalem656]

what is neurotin

[Rahe28]

I take neurotin as well, three times a day. I havent found that it makes me sleepy, but quite the opposite...makes me stay awake :(

[Sexybare]

Ive been really sleepy alot to. I also have neurontin but hate to take it because when takin it with vicodin and muscle relaxers it intensifies the drowsiness.

[Rahe28]

I take magnesium and vit D daily, and still I am just exhausted. I just want to lay around all day.... I have never been this way...I have always been the one running around all day, never even sitting down, and the last 4-5 months has been just the opposite. Ugh....

[selmaS]

  An autoimmune thyroid issue is diff to dx and treat as it can flux btwn hyper and hypo...and it cycles so u can go for testing and have "normal" levels....when in fact u have this issue...did they put u on meds..synthroid?

Once they find goiters or nodules u should have them  checked via ultra sound every 6 months to look for change in size....this will affect how u feel.

I was on the synthroid, until I went for my post op visit and then was taken off meds, the nodules have not changes in size and my levels are in range....

  With all that, I still had the fatigue...and the magnesium did help...so ask ur Dr....

[Sheri817]

I did find out that my blood tests showed hyper thyroid about 3 mo's ago and had 3 lg goiters on thyroid. Went to Endo, about 1 mo later and had tests that showed hypo and at that point I had been extremly tired all the time too. Then, I felt pretty good for about 3 wks in a row. During that 3 wks was when they checked my levels again and called me last wk to tell me all levels were normal, but while waiting on those results the tiredness hit again. ugh! I just talked to my NS to get my surgery date and ask the nurse about it, she said it is not chiari related, to call my Endo back because it sounds like my thyroids again..geeez, Idk what to do...so tired of going to doc's.,.prob by the time i get an appt with endo i will be hypo again..I do know that when they gave me the iodine test, after taking that pill, I had more energy than i have had in yrs..lol came home and cleaned my entire house...when i ask doc about it she said the pill should not have done that..so who knows!!  Hope yall can understand my jibber jabber..stupid chiari..i think i just ramble on without making any sense most of the time..good thing you guys understand! Its great to have a place to ramble and be understood!

[selmaS]

  The not feeling refreshed from sleep is a common complaint.....I found I had low levels of vit D and when I tried taking supplements it did not help and this last time I got sick from them, in reading up I found the meds for GERD deplete magnesium and with out proper levels of magnesium u can not absorb vit D....so I got some and am sleeping much better.....

  I would suggest u all get levels checked....not that it is the only possible issue, but it is one we all need to check,

[nsalem656]

I don't drink caffeine often (I hate coffee and drink seven up type drinks for soda) but I feel just as exhausted as sheri here and I'm not a mom. A 10 hour sleep at night will still make me feel like I only slept 30 minute nap.

[selmaS]

  Hi...I am not a coffee drinker and avoid all caffeine when possible as it  is not good for us as chiarians...I was told no caffeine, NOW keep in mind in small doses  to help speed meds into ur system or when u have a CSF leak is the only time I advocate using it....

I did have bouts of exhaustion too, but found getting on a reg schedule helped....

Most a.m. coffee drinkers don't realize it, but their morning cups of coffee set their bodies up for a rollercoaster day of highs and lows, only to bottom out at the point of exhaustion. Just a few hours after consumption, when the artificial high dies down, many people may reach for more coffee or something sugary to get another lift, leading to daily fluctuations in energy and alertness, and possibly to eventual chronic adrenal exhaustion.