Anyone else not sleeping?! Need sleep!
I’m 63- a runner- eat clean- not anxious- am blessed- doesn’t make sense, rite?
My oncologist prescribed 5mg ambien & NOTHING ! Help please thank you x
Comments
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Lunesta helped me tremendously.
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Me too! I don't want to take meds. I've tried melatonin but I don't think it works. It's frustrating.
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How about trying the Sleep with Me podcast? I really didn't think this could work but it does. It's just a guy telling really really really pointless boring stories. New podcast lands every few days but there are some that I just listen to over and over again. I fall asleep within about 10 min.
Set the volume so you can just barely hear it. You can set your app to turn off automatically at the end of the episode or let it continue to the next episode. When wired on steroids during chemo I once went through 6 episodes in one night - I'd just lightly wake up, hear him muttering on and on, roll over and go back to sleep.The first 20-25 min of the podcast is him talking to the audience, talking about his advertisers & sponsors, and responding to questions from listeners etc. I recommend you skip all that and just get to the story.
of the recent episodes, 678 The Lemonade Experience has been one of the most reliable ones at putting me to sleep but I've also liked 681 Bernie the Butterfly & 685 Cloud Towerhttps://www.sleepwithmepodcast.com/episodes/
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I have a long history of insomnia. I've used Ambien and Xanax, but nothing has worked as well as Melatonin. The first few times i took it I really didn't get any benefit from it. Then i doubled the dose, and Shazzamm! It was like a miracle. I could fall asleep easily, stay asleep all night, and woke up refreshed wolithout any hangocer.
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thank you all & god bless! soooo frustrating for sire
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i have a long 50 year history of insomnia too and anticipated it getting worse on letrezole.
Did accupuncture at drs suggestion. Take Magnesium supplements and do meditations with the "calm" app. They have adult sleep stories too. Occasionally i still struggle and resort to melatonin. 10 mg to sleep all night. Ive heard up to 20 mg is ok cause as we get older we produce none.
Did ambien years ago and was alergic.
Im finally sleeping. The breathing u do for meditation helped the most. Clears my racing mind.
Good luck
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20mg of melatonin every night; 95% of the time, that does the trick. I've switched it up with 10mg + 10 mg timed release and it is different enough to help.
I've tried benadryl (which is an old antihistamine) which is what hospitals use and it can make some people drowsy enough to help them sleep--doesn't do much for me for the 5% of the time the melatonin fails me.
When I go fishing on a cold afternoon and have the ocean breezes, I sleep like the dead. Clearly that is not a 100% treatment.
I read somewhere that doing a mental list of beauty-care type thinking (like counting sheep but daily care routine instead) helps some fall asleep faster.
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Seconding the melatonin and magnesium. Magnesium also seems to help ward off or reduce tinnitus (a hormone therapy side effect) and constipation. The wonder supplement that works wonders!
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yes. Gotta love magnesium. Helps with those awful leg cramps too. To many reasons not to take it.
Such a shame drs know so little about diet nutrition vitamins supplements . . .
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How much magnesium and do you take it at bedtime with the melatonin
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So glad to find this thread. I have suffered with insomnia since my cancer diagnosis. I have a prescription sleep med but don't like to use frequently as it is not recommended for long term use. I've also tried Benadryl, guided meditation, exercise, no naps, magnesium. I have been on letrozole for 4 plus years and suspect the insomnia is related to letrozole. Anyway, I have been reading about magnesium deficiency, sleeplessness and anxiety and decided to order a product you can mix with hot water that has magnesium and melatonin in it to see if that helps. Thankful for the sharing on BCO.
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The Sleep with Me podcasts...whoah. He bores me to sleep with the rambling. I usually take melatonin..5mg and another half and listen to the podcast..well at least a few mins of it. If I really need a solid 4hrs guaranteed, I take a xanax but I'm trying not to rely on that.
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I take 200 mg of magnesium every night when I take my tamoxifen. For melatonin, I read that it's best to take it temporarily then stop for awhile so I'm off of it now. Can't recall what the dosage was...and my MO is good with both. Hope that helps!
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Onegoodfriend - I too find it frustrating to do all the "right" things (exercise, healthy eating, etc) and deal with side effects of breast cancer. You didn't mention it but I assume you are on an aromatase inhibitor? When do you take it? My plastic surgeon wanted me off ALL meds and supplements prior to and for several weeks after surgery in December; consequently, I was able to add things back one at a time and assess. I went from good sleep for two weeks post surgery (no pain meds I promise) to waking up 3-4 times a night when I restarted aromasin so it was easy to identify that as the culprit of my previous sleep (or lack of) issues. I switched to taking it in the morning and got back to decent sleep almost immediately. Something to try.
Other sleep things - I took 5mg of melatonin nightly for about a year which didn't hurt and possibly helped. In my forced "stop all meds" I restarted things that were required (AI and allergy) before adding the optional things in an effort to be certain I was taking the minimum to do all the tricks. I have not restarted melatonin.
My oncologist prefers supplements to Rx as a first step to solve a side effect. I take magnesium (400mg) each morning for joint pain. I recently added tumeric (500mg) at night and she's a fan of the combo. I take my caltrate twice a day since the body can't handle the recommended dose at one time.
I have ambien (5mg) in the drawer. If I go more than a week with crappy sleep, I will take it for three nights and this typically gets me back on a good sleep schedule. I've probably done that 3-4 times over the past year.
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CBD oil has worked wonders No THC involved A couple of drops going to bed and I am sleeping wonderfully
Nel
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My first round with Femara beginning around May of 2012. Almost immediately stopped sleeping along with other really bad side effects. Changed to Eximistane. No change. I could fall asleep but would wake never to sleep again. Onc put me on tamazapam. Worked like a charm. In 2014 I went off AIs because of side effects and was diagnosed February of 2018 distant metastasis in sacrum of back.(moved and new docs) Back on femara, kisqali and zometa infusions. I guess I'll never sleep again. Onc says I can take benedryl which works but it only makes my mouth drier than it already is so I watch movies. Onc was worried about interfering with kisqali with sleep aids but I was in bad shape when I was diagnosed. Hugs and sleep wishes to you.
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hi and thank you everyone!
Runrcrb,
Gosh I may have filled out my profile incorrectly(I’m 63 & so much better w pen and paper) yes, I am on AI- arimidex in the morning for just over one month now.
On a side note, I do take curcumin & an alkaline/detoxifier drink every morning and guess what? My awful acid redux is gone - no meds anymore for that -
Sleeeeeep:
After a pretty sleepless month, My oncologist wrote me lowest ambien dosage - HATED IT! Kept me awake- go figure
I do have a point here I promise: when my father passed 15 months ago.... I had way more anxiety & depression ...than I did when I was diagnosed w ILC JUNE 2018. Soooo back to subject to sleep- I had some left over Xanax( which I don’t need any more during the day I guess) i was told to take it and ....I finally slept.
Be well everyone
Ogf
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Thank you nel... appreciate that info
Ogf
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Make sure you are taking the ambien on an empty stomach. Do not eat anything for at least 3 hours before taking it. Only water. Also do not take any Nexium or antacids before taking it. These drugs make it less effective.
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Hi joE777
Thank you muchly ... wishing you strength, deep slow breaths ( they help me ) & restful sleep as well
ogf
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onegoodfriend,
So glad to hear xanax worked for you. I have some prescribed back in the early breast cancer/husband cancer days. I noticed zero effect when i took it. Go figure.
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thank you jenn:) -
I have been 3 years on hormonal therapy...Just back on Tamox since March after being on Aromasin. Insomnia is a big issue bc it is a side effect of the meds. Mine is pretty horrible. I still don't sleep after exercising, yoga, meditation-nothing will make you sleep because it is chemically induced
What works...
1. low dose of effexor every night + some melatonin-2 to 5 mgr ( I stopped in March to give my body a break after 2,5 years and I hated the constipation)
or
2. Gabapentin + melatonin or temazepam or flexeril. Sometimes gabapentin works by itself. You might want to try flexeril by itself. I would not do flexeril long term (liver). I don't like to use sleeping pills. You can become dependent. I use temazepam about once a week.
I am seriously considering going back to effexor for hot flashes + insomnia-works pretty well...probably at the end of this month. I will stop again around May to go back to gabapentin to give my body a second break. I hate to take all those meds but this is the only way I can sleep.
I bought some CBD oil but I am afraid to mix it with gabapentin. Side effect? I have tried it by itself and I did not sleep great, although I can see the potential once off meds.
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Hi everyone!
I never had sleeping issues until my cancer diagnosis last year and starting letrazole and lupron (for medical menopause). I now have very disrupted sleep with a few hot flashes. I have taken 20mg of melatonin since day one and it does help me fall asleep.
I am currently in the state of Oregon, where cannabis is legal and am testing out some things. Specifically CBD oil with a 10:1 ratio CBD:THC. I started having panic attacks yesterday on a hike and today I feel off and very weepy. The only game changer that I have introduced is the CBD oil. I am not going to continue taking it as I have just had to take a valium and climbed into bed to try and rest.
Any one else had this experience with real CBD oil (not the kind made from hemp)?
Hugs to all - Brenda
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Hi...I’m thinking the THC level was still to much for you....I’m going to try some edibles in the next few weeks....will let u know! I can’t sleep either! UGH! I’m on anastrozole,have tried taking it at different time,doesn’t seem to matter,I take Xanax .25mg some nights,seems to help...kinda. All the best,Dian
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Oh no! Hope my experience can help someone: finally some relief from arimidex induced insomnia: oncologist perscribed restoril- restful sleep last nite finally! bh”
Thank you everyone here!
#gratefulandblessed
Ogf
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My husband bought me a ChiliPad. Best gift ever. It’s a mattress pad that cools (or heats) water that runs through coils. It’s been a life saver.
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the chilipad looks interesting. I will have to do some research on it as well as determine if i want to invest $1000 😀. Always something new to pursue
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Restoril update:
Worked ONE night - and that’s it :
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melatonin can have the side effect of heart palpitations, which keeps me awake! The only thing that works for me is cannabis. I'm in a state where it is legal. I started taking CBD oil to manage chemo SE's. Now I take some edible form most nights and I sleep 8-9 hours at a time without even getting up to pee. Life changing! I had to try different kinds and doses to find the right thing. Too much and I was groggy in the morning. Too little and I still wake around 3am. People from all walks of life are in the dispensaries. Its fascinating if you grew up with preconceived notions of who consumes it
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