Sleeping

Hi everyone...I am on Riba and peg-intron for almost a month.  I am having trouble sleeping through the night.  I have wacky dreams and wake up around 2-3 am and can't go back to sleep.  My doc told me to take benadryl before i go  to bed.  Anyone recommend anything else..is this normal?

[Debbie556]

ask your Dr for a persciption for ambien. They gave it to my husband during his treatment. The benadryl might give you the wacky dreams or cause yo to wake up . It doesn't always work for everyone.They might even have you try melitonin it is natural but didn't work for him.  I hope this helped good luck

[Andiamo1]

It is very common to have sleep disorders while treating.  Be careful if you take sleep meds, some of them are habit forming.  I took lorazapam; it worked but I became dependent on it.

[Trinity4]

My sleep patterns are very erratic.  Sometimes night sweats, night terrors, lot's of tossing and turning.  Usually sleep 3 hrs soundly and then disrupted sleep after that.
It has been like that since starting tx.  I tried Ambien and still woke up after 3 hours but did go back to sleep more easily.  When I first started tx, lack of sleep and interferon fatigue were a terrible combination but I seem to have adjusted somewhat now.
Looking forward to the day when I can sleep soundly for at least 6 hrs.  
Good Luck
Trinity

[charm27]

I had the exact same thing. I slept a maximum of 4 hours a night if I was lucky.
As far as the crazy dreams I still have them and dont understand why...
However Im sleeping MUCH better now Im finished tx.

You'll get back to normal when your finished.
I didnt get one full night of tx on 52 weks of tx, slept in dribs and drabs.

Even Ambien didnt help so I stopped taking it.

Feel better
Charm

[jankar]

I take Zoplicone and only a half at that  - the benefits of getting a good sleep versus addiction is one I have chosen.  I will deal with the addiction at the end of treatment with the help of my practitioner.  Getting a good sleep helps me manage the symptoms better.

[Redbare]

I agree with everyone, Yall all sound just like me. Dreaming is the pits! And I take Ambien too, helps just for a little while and sometimes not at all..... The pain over takes to where I can't get comfortable. I am taking my 5th shot today! My Moods are all over the place. Good Luck to everyone! And may the sandman visit you all tonight.......

[Max60]

Ambien CR.  They were the single most important peripheral I took during tx. After a sleep pattern became established, I was able to cut them in half. Stopping post tx was not difficult.

[lapis]

Have you tried also taking Tylenol before bedtime, to keep the pain from waking you up?  I tried Ambien and Ambien CR, I sleep well with it but it gives me horrible day-long headaches the next day so I've stopped taking it.  I take a Clonazepam and a Benadryl before bed, Tylenol too if I think I need it, and sleep pretty well most of the time.  Lately the dreams have been wild, though!

[twang]

Has anyone just tried melatonin supplements?

[nygirl7]

AMBIEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You still won't sleep through the night but it will help knock out the crazy dreams and when you do wake up at 2 (very common problem) it will help you fall right back to sleep instead of tossing and turning. Also it helps you just put your head on the pillow and literally start snoring. AT least you feel like you are getting SOME sleep (even though the lethargy will still keep you exhausted) you do get some 'sleep'.

At least it helped me like that.

[Kristina538]

I use zopiclone (imovane), and the chemist gave me a 'pill cutter' which has enabled me to have half, third, quarter etc.   Prior to taking them I slept only 90 minutes maximum at a time and had great trouble getting back to sleep.

During tx I took a half or third which was enough. Post tx I'm down to a quarter.  I still wake sometimes but my tx sleep increased to 3 and 4 hours and it was easy to get back to sleep (sometimes after a cuppa :-).    

Lack of sleep brings about its own set of mental and physical symptoms, so insist on some help.

[DragonSlayer45]

insomnia is a very common problem. Ambien helps a lot but even with Ambien I began to have the same problem. My doctor put me on Xanax .5mg before bed and Ambien. I sleep all night. My wife has occasionally moved to another room because I began to snore pretty bad. It also helped with my irritability problems.

[Redbare]

Yes I have taken Tylenol also infact most of the time at least 2 a day, But when I hurt like the way I was talking it just does nothing for me. It's almost like my whole body is clinched like a tight fist, and it gives me horriable headachs. I slept ok last night. But I had took on of my Loranzapams around 4pm, and then also at bedtime around 10pm I took my Ambien and my prozac. Done it that way before too, Doesn't always work the same way. I have used a heating pad and it does help me, the pain in my neck is where is helps and it takes a while for me to drift me off. Thanks!

[t27ertwine]

Thanks for all the advice. I am suppose to meet with my doc. on Wed. about sleeping and blood work.  I hope he suggests something else other than benadryl.  

[Marc1955]

I experience the same sleep interruption problems. I researched the prescription sleep aids and decided I didn't want to go that route. For me, the best solution has been to rigorously follow the advice given to people with insomnia: don't use the bed for anything other than sleeping (like reading or watching TV), if you do wake up, try not to let yourself come to full wakefulness by lie there quietly, avoid stimulating activities like watching TV or surfing the Web. I find the problem is pretty easily manageable, but it does take some discipline.

[goldyn]

there is a drug called Ativan its been around a while so docs are easy to give it to you , what it does is mellow you out and help you drift off to sleep, thats the only way i made it through with 5 kids it calmed my nerves and helped me sleep.......

[lalapple]

try not to take pills to help you sleep.  i eat a banana before i go to bed almost everyday and sometimes it knocks me right out!  also, benadryl might help bc it's pretty safe to use and i think most hospitals even use the generic benadryl for problem babies in hospitals, i i guess it's pretty safe and those little pink pills also knock me right now!  try to avoid exercise too before bed  and get really soft comfy sheets and blankets.  i love my blanket, can't sleep without it.