[Health] Fragmented sleep due to pain

[storywizard]

Hello...

after my week of experimentation I have clarified for myself what ails me re fragmented sleep. The answers are not easy for me to take as they require even more commitment to self care, which as a caregiver I was not doing much of...I have resisted chronic aging, but it has snuck up to me and clobbered over the ego....ouch...

So here we go in no particular order...

1: A comfy mattress really helps, sleeping on my back is the best position for pain relief.

2 : Opiate pain medications break up my sleep, they help the pain, but I remain awake...
2a: I am limited in what pain medications I can take due to Glaucoma/Prostate issues
2b: Will seek out massage to help deal with pinching nerve in cervical vertebrae.
2c: Am investigating anti inflammatory diet to control pain.
2d: My knee pain is probably from being over weight by 25lbs, as well as the basic arthritis.

3: Sleep medications (2.5mg Ambian or 7.5 mg Zopiclone) do help me sleep, but not restoratively.

4: I do not have primary insomnia, I fall asleep easily without the sleep medications, even after an awakening from pain.

5: I most certainly do have sleep apnea, lol....
5a: xPAP therapy controls my apnea...however...

6: I am not sure what kind of xPAP I should be on. ASV certainly takes care of most events, but I do not like being "forced" to breath. CPAP and BiPAP both were hell, but would I be able to get used to them using sleep medications??

7: My titrations, 2 months apart this summer, were similar and different at the same time. The first one showed most events taken care of at 11cm, with a few Hypos that may go with a pressure increase to 12 or 13cm. No centrals, no PLMS!! no sleep meds taken. The second one, again 11cm to get rid of events, no centrals, but severe PLMS!! took a Zopiclone half way through....
Yet my machine data contradicts the no CA findings of the titrations and certainly the ASV machine is working hard all night keeping me breathing...so what is going on at night with my breathing???

8: Have a referral to a third sleep doc in October, will take all my reports and respiratory data to her will see what she says...

That was certainly a hard, fruitful and exhausting week, I really appreciate all the support, I really do want to write a success story, someday...

all the best,

Storywizard

[DariaVader]

storywizard, something that has been helping me with cervical pain is inexpensive and relatively easy. Google "Still point inducer". The hardest part of using it is laying on a firm surface (floor) but I have had success placing a large thin hardcover (the grandkids) book on the bed and using that for my firm surface.

[storywizard]

storywizard, something that has been helping me with cervical pain is inexpensive and relatively easy. Google "Still point inducer". The hardest part of using it is laying on a firm surface (floor) but I have had success placing a large thin hardcover (the grandkids) book on the bed and using that for my firm surface.

looks very interesting...thanks!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGCRpUgJWfo

Storywizard

[kaiasgram]

Storywizard, you've certainly been hard at work this past week and I respect your sticktoittiveness (that's a word ). It looks like you'll need to find the best compromise among all those variables you identified because they're all interrelated -- sleep quality, pain, medication and PAP therapy. I'm glad you're seeing another sleep doc -- I hope it helps you get closer to an approach that gets you to that better balance.

As a caregiver you have to take care of yourself. I hope you have people close by lending you a hand and giving you some breaks from your caregiving obligations at home. That's so important.

You're fighting the good fight, just know many of us are behind you.

kaiasgram

[3porpoise]

Hi Storywizard,
Osteopathy , I Found to be very helpful. Not inexpensive , mind you , but worth it.
3

[storywizard]

Hi Storywizard,
Osteopathy , I Found to be very helpful. Not inexpensive , mind you , but worth it.
3

I will add to my list...

at this point I will try anything to get restful sleep...well almost anything..:-)

Storywizard

[Hanrahan]

In both my initial sleep study and a recent titration it was noted that my sleep was very fragmented due to periodic limb movement. And while I had been aware for years that as arthritis has had its way with my body, I had been so focused on getting CPAP working that I did not pay any attention to the pain I have been in at night.

I am now starting a program of various exercises to help with relaxing my arthritic joints and the muscles surrounding them, as well as working on my throat exercises...

What I find frustrating is that I just did not connect my pain, and the movement to relieve it with arousals from sleep. What is also frustrating is that two sleep docs also never mentioned the PLMS until this last titration when the sleep tech pointed out the data to the doc.

I just noticed that you are in Vancouver. There is little or no UVB in your sun.
Anyway, to late to turn back any of those clocks, lol.

I am wondering if anyone else here suffers from pain at night, and how you deal with it? And has the pain affected CPAP therapy for you??

Storywizard

Read up on cetyl myrestoliate [CMO] and see if it may help your arthritis, and there is a topical cream too.

Most people are D3 deficient and that seems to effect everything. If you think you may be, 10,000 ius is not excessive. Stasha Gominak uses both D3 and cpap to help her patients.