No Sleep...Help PLEASE!

5 days...1-2 hours each night. This has been the worst! I'm fighting a nasty cold, pinkeye, and an ear infection, plus I'm 5 days into a whopper migraine. Can't take meds till Sunday. I feel like I'm dying and nothing I try seems to help me sleep. I cringe at the thought of 3 more nights with little to no sleep. Lack of sleep has given me paranoia and hallucinations...it's BAD! I'm in desperate need of some good sleep.

My migraines cycle, and I can only take my abortive every 15 days. I wish I could drink myself to sleep, but alcohol triggers and/or makes my migraines worse for me...so that's out of the question. I even passed out today probably from pure exhaustion, but that was short lived unfortunately. I am at my wits end, and have never wanted or needed anything more in my life...sleep! Some people wish for fame and fortune...I just wish for a good night's sleep. Without sleep I lack the strength to deal with the horrific pain these migraines torture me with! I need help...PLEASE!

Dawn

Dawn,

My advice - take thy self to the ER ASAP! If nothing else, they can give you something to sleep which might help break the cycle. I have no other words of wisdom for you except that I hope you feel better soon.

Sleep is essential as breathing, and not a luxury that you can do without. Get medical help now.

If I'm at a loss for too long, I try a back muscle relaxant or sinus medication. Especially is I have long migraine episodes because I know I"ve been holding tension. Then when I lie down, I do deep breathing and forced relaxing to ensure I'm letting my muscle relax before I fall asleep. Both OTC's put me to sleep right away.

Good luck.

Dawn

That is crazy they are saying you can't have meds for 5 days. The lack of sleep just leads to more migraine in a viscous cycle. I do not get withholding pain relief in such a situation. I don't know if it would help you, but I have a prescription for Tizanadine which is a muscle relaxant for my neck problems. I also found it knocks me out cold so I can only take it at night. It really helps on those nights when sleep seems impossible. That and I would look for a new doctor who doesn't think you should be in significant pain just to meet some crazy idea about withholding medication.

I would be contacting the doctor who is treating you and asking for a proper sleeping pill - one of the best is called Stillnox [zolpidem tartrate 12.5mg] or get it from a local practitioner. What you are experiencing is very worrying and could turn into a psychotic episode. I have had experience of this with my own mother where she had to be admitted into a psych unit from days of lack of sleep.

Other than that, have you thought of just giving up the plan you have of going off your medication, and trying it again some other time? Just put this trial down to experience? Seems like it's not worth the anguish and pain and danger?

Hope you get some help and soon.

Thanks E1 for your ideas and inputs. Last night was ROUGH...it got to the point of hearing voices (some deep man voice kept saying my name..freaked me out!), seeing roosters, and hearing cockadoodledoos! I really thought I was going to die or worse...go absolutely and irreversibly insane! So scary for me!

I want to say that the reason I am only allowed meds every 15 days is because I am on large doses of narcotics as an abortive. I've had migraines for 7 years now, and after trying every type of medication for migraine treatment available, it's the only thing that works..unfortunately I have to space 15 days in between treatments as it is too easy for me to become immune to its affects, also, my drug contract cannot be broken.

On the plus side, I did get some sleep last night. First I took a soak in the tub filled with Lavender oil for about an hour. Then I decided to take some benadryl, Tylenol PM, and a muscle relaxer (Thanks for suggesting that!). I still have migraine, I'm a little shaky and groggy, but relieved to have gotten some sleep as I do feel a bit stronger today! Hopefully I can get one more good night's sleep tonight. Tomorrow night I will be up all night...but Sunday will be my day to get rid of this nightmare...at least for another 5 days before it starts all over again.

Thanks again for all your suggestions, I really appreciate it!

Dawn

i would try a script for a sleep aid. Lots of folks take one every night. Unless it increased the # of M no harm done for trying to sleep.

My doctor gave me a script for klonopin for just this problem. I cannot take regular sleep aids; even Ambien was too disturbing. It's a tiny dose (just 0.5mg), but it works wonders for me.

Dan, thanks for the idea...I will definitely bring it up with my regular physician! Even if I can just take it to help me sleep during my migraines. Normally don't have issues sleeping, but these migraines seriously disturb my sleeping patterns...Does the med help you stay asleep?? That's my biggest problem during the migraines. It's not so much that I can't fall asleep, but that sleep never lasts more than 1-2 hours..with no chance of falling back to sleep.

Dawn

Myself, I'm very sensitive to anything sedating. So if I take one (klonopin), I'm out 'till the alarm wakes me. If it's the weekend I can sleep 10 hours straight no problem. Of course, your mileage may vary...