[TinaPParticipant]

Hi,

I don't know if anyone else feels like this. I am starting chemo in 3 weeks. But for a few months now, when I have a sleep in the daytime, I wake up feeling rotten. Once I am up and had a coffee, I seem to wake up and feel ok again.

Tina

[DaiCroParticipant]

AOK, normal, ditto, with knobs on… try not to sleep during the day… keep yourself awake with distracting things that don't encourage snoozing.:-)

I'm a fine one to talk… sleep, or rather the lack of it, is the bane of my life… Cousin Dex doesn't help but I know that a good night's sleep… a good seven hours or more without waking, is as good for me as any medicine or therapy on offer.8-)

I have had four out of five really bad nights… feeling absolutely drained and depressed and almost in despair… then last night I had a straight eight hours, almost unheard of… and today the sun is shining in my soul (and its not bad in the real outside world either).:-D

Sleep is a great restorative Tina but nearly every piece of associated advice says to try and avoid sleeping during the day.

Regards:-)

Dai.

[DaiCroParticipant]

[b][quote]I'm a fine one to talk… sleep, or rather the lack of it, is the bane of my life… Cousin Dex doesn't help but I know that a good night's sleep… a good seven hours or more without waking, is as good for me as any medicine or therapy on offer. [/quote][/b]

An here we are, a week later, feeling sick with lack of sleep and 'Dexday TM' in four hours time.

Any secrets to share… I'm getting to the end of my tether. 2 sleeping tablets on Sunday gave me 7 hours straight… and then I couldn't wake up yesterday… until I came to bed. I know from experience that sleeping tablets (at least the ones I'm on) only work for a short wile and then I have to endure withdrawal symptoms.

Ho hum.

Dai.

[eveParticipant]

Hi Dai
As you can see,its early hours of the morning,enjoying a cuppa and watching a program on the Royal Navy,in ST Lucia,if Slims awake so am I:-P

I do not know if this will be of any help,but Slim takes a mild ant depression Amitriptyline 10 mg,it worked wonders for him for a few months,then he had high dose Cyclophosphamide prep for injections and sleep patten changed again.
Amitrptyline is very mild and we know other people on it,and it seems to work until body gets use to it,but you can up the does.Love Eve

[DaiCroParticipant]

Hi Eve,

My GP gave me some Amytriptiline for my PN last year but I didn't fancy taking an anti-depressant (albeit a very small dose) I still have the packet, unopened… I'll check the sell-by date and if they are still 'live; I'll try them.

You can't beat a personal recommendation.:-D

Dai.

[eveParticipant]

Yes I agree Dai

Slim never had pn when on Chemo ,but he has it now,people have recommended drinking a glass of milk,plus another thing from boots coco ??????,if the gentleman who recommended it is looking in.I would be grateful for the name again.he said it helps him.

Dai I think its because it,s an anti depressant,Slim was of the same thinking a:-S s you,but our lovely GP said she recommends it rather than sleeping tablets,and it did work for a few months,he still takes it,I can only assume that the present treatment or his body has got use to the dose,it does not work so well.he can up the dose but is reluctant to do that.
He would like to cut down on pain relief,but has found it impossible,so he has accepted that he is a legal junkie 😎 it,s a small price to pay when you look at the big picture. Love Eve

ps Thank you for accepting me on face book,and giving me Mins.

[DaiCroParticipant]

Hi Eve,

Like Slim I would love to cut back on the Morphine but I struggle with keeping the pain at bay as it is… so I'm legal too… but I'm convinced that the morphine is responsible for as much harm as it does good… especially after nearly 4 years of constant intake.>:-(

I have checked the Amitryptiline and its sell-by date is 02/13 so I'll start tonight. 3 hours last night and about the same dozing this morning… so I feel almost human now.;-)

I think that social networking is fine in small doses… its great for catching up instantly… but like all new fads I can't help but wonder what we would be doing if we weren't doing this.:-|

I won't be bothering anyone, I use fb like a pigeon hole at college… but it is good to know it is there if you need it. But I have family and younger friends who seem to live on fb and Twitter… before that it was Friends Re-united and other such sites… people are desperate to communicate but don't know (or haven't the skills) what to say. When I see rational people getting outraged and upset over trivia… well, I feel outraged… but choose not to say so.:-D

Dai.

[DaiCroParticipant]

Hi Eve,

Its either amazing, or an amazing coincidence… but 2 nights of one small dose Amitryptiline and 2 nights of at least 6 hours solid sleep… sans sweats and directly on the back of a Dexday tm…. I'm impressed and hoping for more of the same. I have woke early both days (6ish) and stayed awake but so much more refreshed than with the sleeping tablets.:-)

So far so good.8-)

Dai.

[brochoParticipant]

Hi Eve and Dai thought I would join your conversation about morphine! Like you Dai I have been on it constantly for 5 years now The dose has increased from the early days as my pain has increased I have always worried about being so reliant on it but Iknow I cannot manage without it . I take 165mg of slow release Oxycontin twice a day, no need for any breakthrough doses unless its a really bad day Every so often I reduce the dose to see if I could manage with less , which never works. So now I have finally accepted its a necessary evil and I am not going to worry about taking it My doctor pointed out last week that what seemed a high dose to me was not that high and I am not a walking zombie He basically told me to stop fretting about it so just for once I will do what I am told !! love Bridget x

[TinaParticipant]

Hi Dai,

Amatriptyline is a widely used drug and has many uses. I suffered very badly with muscle and nerve pain and was given amatriptyline many years ago as a muscle relaxant. Patrick used it in a low dose when he had trouble sleeping and it really helped.
Patrick was also on 185 mg of SR morphine a day backed up with Oramorph, I never noticed any zombie-like effects in fact I didn't notice any detrimental effects at all. He had to stop when his kidneys failed but very starngely after that did not feel any need for it?
Love to all

Tina X

[HelenParticipant]

Hi Tina et al
If you need pain relief, take it. I have looked after people who have taken colossal doses of opiates and functioned very well for years. ( you wouldn't believe the amounts we see in the addicion service:-P ) There is nothing so wearying and depressing as pain. As long as your docs are aware of what you take they generally don't let you have more than you need. If they are worried they send you to pain clinics, anyway, bone pain is so gnawing and tiring you need the hard stuff, 🙂
Love Helen

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