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Reducing sleep aids experiment

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
1/4 tsp children benadryl, 2 tbsp pepto bismol and .1
mg klonopin kept me asleep from 10 - 6:30. : )

maybe I need to pay more attention to why my digestion
is bothersome when I try to sleep. I skipped dinner
last night because I had a snickers bar at 4. lol. I was
full for some reason.

Mountain climbing on occasion has always been a
favorite activity for me. That was back when shoes
weren't important. I only needed comfy shoes
after getting cfs (?). My body went into spasm. hmmmm,
I wonder
if that's an ms symptom too.

Hoping to get some laundry done today. hip hip hooray
it's laundry day ...... ; )
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
Sorry I was incomprehensible - I was just trying to say I was empathetic with your missing "normal" sleep.

Without using big words I can't spell or that are too long to read....:)
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
After a fun filled day of washing, drying and putting away
laundry I couldn't fall asleep until 11. So fun = too excited
to sleep. We have new washers and dryers so it
was better than it sounds. : )

I took 1/4tsp benadryl, .1 mg Klonipin and 40mg 5htp
and slept from 11-5. Then after tossing and turning
for an hour, I took the rest of the klonopin, mag citrate,
candidase virastop and another 1/4 tsp benadryl.
And slept from 6 - 8:30. 8 1/2 hours is good for me.

It's finally cool here today. : )

Hope everyone has a great day. X
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
I'm still completely "not with it".... I resorted to 5 and a half painkillers one day, back to 5 since.
I'm half way through another box of cherries.

I'm off to a concert tonight. Brahms, Haydn and Mendelssohn.

And on Saturday, I'm going with my wee brother to a LIVE screening from the New York Met of the performance of Shostakovitch's "The Nose", being shown here.:balloons:

I wish all these wonderful things would happen thoughout the year - not all crammed into the autumn.

It's a fair bit of expense and overdoings for me, all at once.

but it's wonderful.:love:
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
Hope you enjoyed your concert.

I'm not sure why you're trying to reduce your
pain med when you seem to need them.

I ran errands yesterday until after 8 pm so I didn't
get to sleep until 12. Woke up at 5:45 probably from
neighborly noise. Been awake since.

Last night I took 1/4 tap benadryl, .125 mg klonopin,
2 tbsp pepto bismol, mag citrate, candidase and virastop.
Since I was wired I took what I knew would work.

Coffee time. : )

Hope you a have great. tc ... x
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
I'm trying to reduce them because I don't want to have to increase them, xchocoholic - codeine is addictive.

I have serious problems with addiction. I am very, very vulnerable to it.

If I can keep to 5 a day, I don't mind.

Having to increase to 6 is a great, big, red warning flag that I could be developing problems far worse than pain.:cautious:

I have been wondering (while lying awake at night... and thinking of you:p ) if you have tried to plot out your reductions on a graph...

that would give you a visual image of how well you are doing, rather than the numbers you have been tyipng out here,

you might see patterns in how the different things interact... which might be useful.

But I happen to like graphs and plots of things. I know not everybody does.:rolleyes:
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
heeheehee I'm wiped out right now from staying awake
all day after getting only 6 hours of sleep so graphing
this sounds funny. (lack of sleep giddiness)

I get why you'd want to stick with minimum codeine
but it's not worth being in pain. Hopefully your
Dr appt can help you with this.

I watch my klonopin too but I take it every time I
feel jittery now. Like you're doing, I just keep the dose
as low as possible. The joys of chronic illness.
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
So it looks like I'm just not getting that sleepy feeling some nights. I've noticed this before if I'd had caffeine or certain
supplements. To counter this I'm using
Banadryl because it always makes me sleepy and I need an allergy med anyway. I get slight swelling around my lips and have at times noticed my throat was affected. Benadryl has always worked.

Taking pepto bismol is helping me with digestive discomfort. It kills h pylori and I had that 2 years ago so maybe it's back. I really have no idea but glad it's working.

I'm still needing candidase and virastop for undigested food.

The plan is to reduce 5htp slowly then eliminate it. I'm still at 40 mg but will lessen that tonight.

Will stick with Klonopin since I'm using it for myoclonus.

Have a great day everyone. X
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
I'm trying ti convince myself that I can function on 6 hours of sleep. I was taking more sleep meds if I woke up at 5 but decided not to today. I felt fine and actually got a lot done.


Taking klonopin for the jitters is a given.
I'm backing off the caffeine too. This would be sooooo much simpler if I had a brain. : 0

tc ... x

@peggy-sue
Hope you're feeling ok.
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
I'm sorry I've not been reporting in daily! :redface:
I've not been doing too badly, although the hour change along with going out to an event at a weird time got me in a complete muddle.

I had succeeded in sticking to 5 painkillers and my guts had adjusted...

but
I got up an hour early on Saturday, rather than later - so my "day" ended up being 2 hours longer than usual,

I was stuck in a cimena seat for 2.5 hours early in the evening, so had to take painkillers early to cope with that.

I thought that "settling down for the evening" would be late... about 9.30.

But it was only 7.15 when it happened.

So I was back on 5.5 on for two days. I ate a whole box of the cherries between those 2 days too. (19 in a box)
I had got very grumpy.

But last night I went back to 5, and no cherries. :angel::angel:
Just 2 squares of 81% choccie which I munched with ginger oatcakes.

A functioning brain would be wonderful wouldn't it?:hug::hug::hug:
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
I'd like to think that I wouldn't have done a lot of the dumb things I've done in the last 23 (58?) years if I'd had a working brain.

I'm jealous of your outing. I live for getting out and enjoying something new. I went out of town 2 weekends ago and loved it.
Had to rest when out and crashed afterwards but it was definitely worth it.

I have liquored cherries on my grocery list. ; )

Hopefully whatever treatment they find for your pain will help. I haven't tried it yet but I've heard some good things about those injections.

forgot to say. I took1/4 tsp benadryl, 2 tbsp pepto bismol, 30 mg 5 htp and .1 mg klonipin. Slept 10:30-5. I was busy yesterday which always helps me sleep.

tc ... x
 
Last edited:

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
I live for my outings too :love:- it's unfortunate for me that all the big things I love doing all happen at the same time of year...

I am waiting for a physiotherapy appointment to deal with my functionally-short-leg.

Perhaps they might look at what is going on in my hips/pelvis that is causing the trouble?

There is no mistaking that I am two different heights depending on which leg I am standing on

- or that I end up going on a reverse camber when navigating my way around the sitting-room door and so throwing my hot juice all over the carpet...

or that this stops when I am wearing a red and a green clog with different sole thicknesses which make me level!

Nobody is getting to stick any long pointy metal tubes into me, :p not when it comes to putting any form of liquid into bits of me not amenable to ingesting them.

And certainly not unless the vial of chemicals used can be traced back to its batch origins and I have personally vetted every person involved in its production, the sources of the chemicals used to make and test it etc.
Ditto for the syringe and needle used...

(except for getting blood out, and that is quite enough of an embarrassing palaver for anybody)
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
So, needles are out, eh ? ; )

I'd need a Klonopin myself to make it thru
the door to get the procedure.

So if wearing different sized heels solves the problem is that the long term solution ?

I'm wearing myself out trying to downsize
so I can move. I can't believe all the useless stuff I'd collected over the years.
And the clothes I bought but never wore.

I had too much caffeine to sleep well last night. I finally crashed at 11:30 but woke up at 3 or 4. I've been awake but resting since.

Sleep aids are still about the same. Had to increase Benadryl due to dust exposure. Decreased 5htp to 25mg tho. Still needing digestive aids candidase, virastop and pepto bismol. I'd read that 5 htp can cause digestive problems but mine start every nite before I take it.

New mantra ... sleep is for suckers. haha

tc ... x
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
I have to confess to resorting to 5.5 painkillers again over the last couple of days.
No cherries for three days :angel:

- then half a box of them last night.:devil::devil::devil:

My OH has gone on a long weekend holiday, I am left on my own (apart from the cats).
Muzzy is too busy fighting with a plastic carrier bag on the kitchen floor containing some carrots to pay any attention to me, (I don't know who is winning) and Pippin never pays any attention to anybody.

It is freezing cold here now. I am dressed like the Michelin man - layers and layers.
It's harder to get moving at all during the day - and moving around keeps the pain at bay.:mad:

I only really need the painkillers for when I am sitting/lying down, resting or trying to sleep.

:) The problem with wearing different shoes is the expense as much as anything else. I only get one functional pair out of two pairs. I have already "worn" one shoe from each pair out, more than the other.

I have my second cup of coffee around 4pm. If it gets to 5 and I've not had it, I go without.

But I still only go to bed ~ 3am. I start winding down for it at 7.
I really haven't a clue whether less coffee would help my sleep.

I love my coffee, but have cut down from 6 big mugs to 2 small mugs a day. A huge cut!:thumbsup:
But I don't think I'd get through the day without it.

I desperately need to downsize on all fronts. I need to get rid of my glass collection before I pop my clogs - I can't leave it to Michael to deal with - he'd be clueless and some of it is quite valuable.

I have cupboards full of "stuff". The stuff I use and wear is not in any of them - but everywhere else. Piled on chairs, on the floor, or hanging in the cloakroom... or being used as a bed by Muzzy.:p
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
I love watching cats play. They either look at you like you're an idiot or give it their all. I've been feeding and playing with a stray cat lately. : )

I was actually thinking about having special shoes made or having yours altered. I've never tried it but I'd think a good shoe repair store could handle it.
I was thinking they'd just add an inch of sole or heel to one and hide it via paint or art.

That sucks that you hurt more when resting. Would a tens unit help ?

Laying on ice packs works for me most of the time. That is until I get up again.

I noticed a correlation between lifting anything heavy and pain too. Do you get this ?

I moved into a 1 bedroom condo 2 years ago from a 3/2 condo with a garage and yard and that was a real pain. Downsizing wasn't as hard this time because I've had most of my stuff put
away for years due to allergies. Dust is my enemy. Still I can't believe I thought I had to have all that stuff. : 0


I fell back to sleep for a couple of hours thanks to Klonopin. Now thanks to Klonopin I can't wake up. duh !
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
I really try to avoid any heavy lifting - in fact I try to avoid light lifting.
Lifting anything is an absolute no-no.

The most I do is emptying the dishwasher or hanging up the laundry.

Michael would do these things for me, but owing to my residual OCD tendencies, that is out of the question....

:p
Me; (sternly, panicking) "Michael, have you washed your hands?"
Him; (shouting, annoyed) "YES!"

Me; (suspiciously) "When?"
Him; (whispering grumpily) "yesterday".

I require these things to be accomplished using proper sterile techniques.:rolleyes:

I went to a cobbler to ask about getting my shoes altered - he didn't think it would be possible, given the sort of fancy clog type I wear.

I hope physio will help.... if I eventually do get my appointment. :rolleyes:

Sorry to hear you're zombified by the klonopin... :hug:
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
We have companies that make special shoes for people in the US but I'm not sure how stylish they are.

In a lighter note ... we nailed small pieces of wood to my young son's shoes one Halloween because he insisted that in order for his Frankenstein costume be complete, he needed to walk like Frankenstein. That lasted about 3 houses when he realized he couldn't keep up with the other kids. Still roflmao over this. Kids. : )

So my sleep is still broken up. Slept from 11-3 then 4-7. I went ahead and took more Klonipin instead of waiting to see if I needed it. I'm catching on. : )

I'm hoping that eventually being busy during the day will help me sleep at night.

I only had 25 mg 5 htp so still working on reducing that one. The first time I took 5htp I had a popping feeling in my head so I'm going slow. It may have been totally unrelated but it scared me.

Gotta get busy. This place is completely torn apart. tc ... x
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
I once indulged in a pair of big fluffy "hedgehog" slippers.
Completely impractical - you have to try to waddle along with your feet a foot apart.:lol:

It's too cold here to even think about getting busy... but I do need to.
I need to go out to get something for my tea... but it is dark and freezing and pouring with rain.
The washing is still in the machine after 3 days, I haven't a clean pot or pan in the kitchen, papers are strewn half-way up the stairs (I don't even know how they got there - I'm sure it wasn't me.)

5.5 tablets again last night. and a half box of the cherries. It was "Le Weekend":p

I want to get back down to my 5 a day, only.

I will be busy next weekend, I'm going away.:thumbsup:
Hopefully, I'll manage to cut down a bit then... but I'll need them during the day for sitting on the train.

How are you feeling after your sleep now?
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
I keep thinking that I'm more alert but then I do something that proves otherwise. My expectations are probably too high considering I'm post menopausal.

I'm going to have to Google hedgehog slippers. : ) I had animal slippers once too but can't remember what.

Hope you have fun next weekend. A train ride sounds exciting. I hear you on needing pain pills tho. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Your place sounds like mine right now. I see order in the chaos but I don't have the energy to do anything about it. A stranger would only see chaos.

I did laundry today for 3 hours so that did me in. Now I'm watching Jane Eyre for the very first time. So far, it's just stressful. I love Pride and Prejudice and thought this would be fun too. nope.

tc .... x
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
Jane Eyre is indeed a bit stressful!
There is not a lot of fun it it.
The film I know is an old black and white one - with George C. Scott as Rochester. He was so perfect for the role I could not bear seeing anybody else doing it. I had read the book before that, so was surprised to find the film so true to my imagination.

I washed the pots and pans and chopping boards and baking trays! :angel:
I didn't hang up the laundry.:rolleyes:

Today, I hang up the laundry, make dinner and have a shower.
I am feeling sort of up to it all, so hopefully that will mean back to my 5 only today.

I had 5.5 painkillers and half a box of cherries again last night.
No boxes open. I will try to keep it that way for a few days.

I hate train journeys with a vengeance, I'm afraid.
They are dirty and noisy and full of people with colds and 'flu.
There are people eating smelly things,
children screaming
and folk talking loudly on mobile 'phones.
You get completely shaken about and there are no seat belts.

The toilets are automatic electronic ones which I don't trust not to open suddenly on me,
or lock me in and disinfect me.

I could fly to the continent and back again twice for the same price as my ticket, and the start of my journey, Dundee to Edinburgh, takes an hour and a half.
It's only 45 minutes by car, and the petrol costs less than that fare stage does.....:mad:

I'm never happy! :p