Sleep Remedies

I take magnesium as it helps with leg cramp and restless legs, but in fact it's not just my legs that settle, I just find that if i'm taking it regularly I'm a lot less fidgety.

I think that the biggest help with insommnia is not worrying about it. Accept that you don't have conventional sleep patterns.

If you have stuff on your mind that you need to do tomorrow, write it down!

Do you ever get a reaction when you read something when you can barely contain yourself from jumping up, waving your arms and screaming like a maniac? (In a good way, btw!!!)

An epiphany!

Magnesium... I've read a lot about that with the fibromyalgia! A lot of things I've read lately suggest magnesium supplements!

PurpleIvy, I just had the most awful leg cramps. I've had it before, too. Last night, I must have broken into a cold sweat (fibromyalgia?) and gotten dehydrated. I had the most awful shin splint in my left leg! I couldn't stand up. I sat on my leg on the floor, and I got a foot cramp because my toes were pointed. I tried to adjust positions and I got a calf cramp in my OTHER leg.

All I could do was sit on the floor, drink water, try not to cry and whimper for over 30 minutes. This started at 3am!

I am going to stick to my multivitamin for now, try to stay hydrated, and do stretches before bed. I don't want to take any other vitamins for now because I will have blood tests when I finally get to see the rheumatologist for fibromyalgia and maybe he can tell me about my magnesium levels.

I just hope it doesn't happen again before then. It's just mind-blowing agony, really!

Just googled Magnesium - Ive just read the following:

Severe magnesium deficiency can result in low levels of calcium in the blood (hypocalcemia).

Magnesium deficiency is also associated with low levels of potassium in the blood (hypokalemia)magnesium'

Absolutely wonderful - So perhaps my brain is working a little better!

Me x

I tried crisps for years, but it was magnesium that did the trick!

I'm not in a lot of pain, either. Besides the fatigue and mental fog, my fibro symptoms started with pins and needles feeling in my fingers. For awhile, I did have intermittent wrist pain. Ocassionally some flukey pain would pop up, but usually not enough to bother mentioning to the doctors.

My wrist pain and finger numbness was misdiagnosed as neuritis by a orthopedic doctor. I've had much better luck with a rheumatologist who knows fibromylgia! My primary care doctors missed my symptoms, too.

My hands and feet get very cold. Sometimes one side is colder than the other.

I went for the exam and the doctor pressed on the "trigger points" that they use to diagnose FM. The pain was incredible and lasted for about four days after the exam! It was really shocking for me, because I really didn't think I was hurting!

It's worth getting checked, just to be certain. Hrm... strange about the pins and needles disappearing with the 5htp, but then there's a lot they don't understand about FM.

It may be promising because perhaps if I get something that helps me sleep, it may also make the pins and needles go away. My brain is lapsing into that fog again... My mood took a slight dip when I realized it was happening all over again, but I've just got to hang in there and I'll finally see a doctor who might be able to help me.

I'm actually also quite exhausted today... that's from coming down off the prednisone. Same with the fuzzy brain symptoms... Sigh.

Just read website about Fibrom

WHAT IS FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME?

I dont ache al over, although in the past I have had the stiff calf muscles when i wake up. No twitches

People with Fibromyalgia limit their activities including exercise routines. This results in their becoming physically unfit - which eventually makes their fibromyalgia syndrome symptoms worse.

Fatigue - This symptom can be mild in some patients and yet incapacitating in others. The fatigue has been described as "brain fatigue" in which patients feel totally drained of energy. Many patients depict this situation by saying that they feel as though their arms and legs are tied to concrete blocks, and they have difficulty concentrating. Most people with FMS complain of fatigue. It can be profound, interfering with all daily activities. (got that)

Sleep disorder - Most fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder called the alpha-EEG anomaly. This condition was uncovered in a sleep lab with the aid of a machine which recorded the brain waves of patients during sleep. Researchers found that fibromyalgia syndrome patients could fall asleep without much trouble, but their deep level (or stage 4) sleep was constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity.). The sleep pattern for clinically depressed patients is distinctly different from that found in FMS or CFS. (possible)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Constipation, diarrhoea, frequent abdominal pain, abdominal gas and nausea represents symptoms frequently found in roughly 40% to 70% of fibromyalgia patients. (get that from time to time)

Chronic headaches - Recurrent migraine or tension-type headaches are seen in about 50% of fibromyalgia patients and can pose as a major problem in coping for this patient group. (only somtimes)

Temporo-mandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - This syndrome, sometimes referred to
as TMJD, causes tremendous face and head pain in one quarter of FMS patients. However, a
1997 report indicates that as many as 90% of fibromyalgia patients may have jaw and facial tenderness that could produce, at least intermittently, symptoms of TMJD. Most of the problems associated with this condition are thought to be related to the muscles and ligaments surrounding the joint and not necessarily the joint itself.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome - Sensitivities to odours, noise, bright lights, medications and various foods is common in roughly 50% of FMS or CFS patients. (sensitive to sounds, medications, light so this is possible)

Other common symptoms - Painful menstrual periods (dysmenorrhea), chest pain, morning stiffness, cognitive or memory impairment, numbness and tingling sensations, muscle twitching, irritable bladder, the feeling of swollen extremities, skin sensitivities, dry eyes and mouth, frequent changes in eye prescription, dizziness, and impaired coordination can occur. (Got half of these)

Oh dear, I will look into in more seriously if the following supplements dont work:Gingko, Magnesium Calcium and Vitamin D supplements. (They are my choice, they have not been prescribed!)

Me x

I'm at work now... had to come here and vent a bit. I'm really frustrated that I can't get into the doctor until the beginning of March. Today is one of the worst days I've had, energy-wise. I ought to really give up and just go home. Getting the cups back in the kitchen from a meeting last night was just exhausting. My coordination is bad this morning, too, from fatigue. Nearly broke into tears just trying to wipe off the table -- only got one done and decided the rest weren't bad enough to bother with.

I have things here at work that I put off doing yesterday because I was exhausted... hoping to be better today...

I'm afrraid of phoen calls coming in. Yesterday, by the end of the day, I could barely handle directing calls. Any inquiries made of me, I had to keep having the caller repeat what they wanted.

I took one prednisone this morning - hope it kicks in. Hot caffeinated tea...peppermints... anything to give me a boost!

March just seems so far off right now.

I slept from 8pm until 5am this morning - no dreams, so probably no deep sleep. And from the way I'm feeling, definitely no deep sleep. Seems like a waste, really.

I've only just discovered this discussion thread and am most intrigued by it. I'll get chucked off the computer shortly but will revisit to read what you're all saying.

I'm not having trouble sleeping at the moment as my sudden heavy medication since mid-December plus time off work means I can rest day and night.

But just as a kickoff contribution from me, I feel it's best to know what might be behind a period of poor sleeping. Sometimes it's physical, sometimes emotional or a cloud of anxiety that's hard to pinpoint cos you're plain exhausted ...

Or, of course a combo of all three when after a period of time depression can really kick in.

Some how I just deal with erratic sleep patterns, I think mainly by not worrying about it and by either getting up or writing things down.

Your advice sounds very good though. I don't suffer from anxiety on a regular basis, just from time to time about a specific event, though at the moment I'm wondering how I'm going to cope with Interview Evening at college later on.

Aaron, I don't know if there's anything "behind" not sleeping. For me, I can sleep 10 hours and sometimes feel like I slept 5 or 6.

I've read that with SAD and Fibromyalgia, the brain just doesn't get the deep sleep. So, it's a sleep quality issue... at least for me. I can only speak on my behalf, but Rosenthal does mention the sleep abnormality in his book "Winter Blues." Unfortunately, he doesn't spend enough time on it or really examine it. More like an "Oh, and this is kinda interesting, but let's move on..."

The sleep troubles might have to do with serotonin imbalance. He may be looking at it as more of a "symptom" than a possible cause.

Me, you're not annoying me. Not in the least! Yeah, I have oatmeal for breakfast -- but I like it with cherry preserves. Oops! I also like wholewheat waffles with fat-free yogurt. I get into a bit of a "carb trap."

Me, somewhere you mentioned that you don't dream.

I don't remember if I ever commented on that.

People with SAD and Fibromyalgia don't get that "deep sleep" that allows us to dream, so we tend not to have as many dreams as other folks.

When I do dream, I think it's usually a dream where I'm late for something or I'm not where I'm supposed to be... I don't know if that's my brain playing games with me -- See, I read that with FM (and I assume this could apply to SAD), is that when our brains try to enter "deep sleep," the brain is also having periods of wakefulness. So, it's like it's fighting to be asleep and awake at the same time.

Me, I know what you mean about being passionate but not wanting to upset people. I'm pushing my feelings about sleep and SAD when I know people may not agree -- when I know that it may be more fibromyalgia than SAD, too. But, I just can't let go of Rosenthal's comment about sleep that he didn't investigate. I just can't drop that off my mental map. It bothers me a lot. And the similarities between FM and SAD bother me. I hate that they don't understand these problems... because I want to see a cure or some improved treatment!

I've been holding back a lot of what I have read about anti-depressants. I'm working on reading "The Anti-depressant Fact Book" by Peter Breggin, MD. It's scary to read, really.

Those of you who are on anti-depressants who are experiencing "increased anxiety" should read something out there on the internet about "akathisia." If you are experiencing akathisia, it may be caused by your medication... not SAD or anxiety.