What do you do for sleep

Hello.

I have had HCV for at least 27 years.
I have also had problems sleeping for about as long.  
On and off over the years I tried all sorts of things.
Exercise, to exhaustion.
Herbal valerian and other plant based suppliments.
Cold remedies (antihistamines).
Hot milk.
Pot.
Alcohol.
Prescription meds (some of the XYzpams rivotril, immovane).

Funny how the doctors think that with the fatigue from HCV must come easy sleep at nights. Sometimes I pass out in the after noon for one or 2 hours on the sofa but it is not real sleep.

The herbals are useless. Cold remedies work but one cant take em all the time they will mess me up. Exercise is difficult due to sore joints but i can do walking but hey, it is 2 30 am, I walked 3 hours today and I still cannot sleep.

I am on my third 25 miligram oover the counter sleeping pill since 11 pm but I am up and typing because of my frustration for the last few months now. Yeah they get you tired and feeling groggy but if you aint gonna sleep you aint gonna sleep.

Pot and alcohol work fine, if you like to pass out instead of sleep. And booze aint good for the liver.

What does a Hepper have to do to get some regular hours of sleep?
PLEASE !?!?!

[Cela]

Have you had your thyroid checked?  Hyperthyroid can cause sleep issues, and can be caused by Hep C.  I had the same problem some time ago, but now sleep easily and soundly.  My husband sometimes takes Melatonin.  He says it helps him to relax after a stressful work day.

[nygirl7]

I had the reaction to the ribavirin for the Hep and also a dramatically hyper active thyroid.  I didn't sleep at ALL.

Now I take thyroid meds and I take Ambien CR.  It doesn't help me sleep a complete night but I knock RIGHT out after taking it and then even if I do wake up...I can fall right back to sleep.

It's something ;)

[Cheesegrater]

Ambien eh?

I have heard this name before. I will have to look into it.
Melatonin is useless for me. Yes, I have tried it.
The alternative "medecine" people have made quite the sum from me over the years.

[Teufelhunden]

Same same like nygirl7. Thyroid problems due to treatment. I would be exhausted going to bed but my mind raced and I'd toss and turn. I'd be a zombie in the morning. Doc prescribed meds for Thyroid and I take Ambien CR. I get about 5-7 hrs sleep now.  Can usually doze back off if awoken during the night. Be careful with the Ambien though. Might want to invest in a pair of handcuffs.  

[web52]

i have to take ambien cr on an empty stomach for it to work. so i take it eat a late dinner & crash. get a steady sleep for 4.5 hours, then its hourly waking till the morning.

[GrandOak]

You can also try Melatonin or it's homeopathic equivalent Valarian Root.  This both have a possible side effect of very vivid and sometimes wild dreams.  Melatonin is triggered by darkness and should you experience the side effect you can counteract it with bright lights.

However, it seems most prescription sleep aids are far worse with the reported side effects of sleep walking, cooking, driving, and worse.

Personally, Ambien didn't do a thing, Ambien CR works but leaves me groggy the next day, Melatonin and Valarian causes vivid/wild dreams (most quite frightening, others concerning, all very realistic) which carry over into waking period.  I found that Tylenol PM or Advil PM actually works best for me to get needed sleep but still wake alert and functioning the next day.

For both Melatonin and Valarian, the sides effects, or should I say strength of the sides, seems to be relative to their purity and dosage. The good thing about them is that they are OTC and you can adjust the dosage on your own.

However, as with all supplements, if on tx, I highly recommend consulting with your doctor first.  Most have not been studied to determine what, if any, interaction they may have upon tx, or most anything else, and your doc may want to monitor you more closely if you use them,