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Advice on sleep meds anyone?

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  • renee616
    renee616 CSN Member Posts: 181
    #22
    tgf said:

    My "recipe"
    First of all ... if your body tells you it needs rest or more sleep ... listen to it!

    I found that I needed a lot more sleep while I was having chemo and radiation. Now that I'm just on tamoxifen ... my body still seems to need more sleep than it did before my diagnosis. To be honest I usually go to bed around 8 PM (get up at 6:30 AM to get ready for work). My night-time pills include a xanax and a benadryl. When I go to bed I sort of "meditate" ... but not really. It's just that I have "trained myself" to get in bed and really, really relax ... and unwind. I don't know how long I do it ... maybe 20 minutes or so ... with my eyes closed ... and I find that I hardly move. I'm just there ... on my back ... legs stretched out ... totally relaxed. (Some times I count slowly to help get relaxed). Eventually my body tells me it's time to go to sleep and I roll over on my side ... and I'm asleep in just a few minutes and sleep soundly through the night.

    Anyway ... it works for me ...

    hugs.
    teena

    My Dr gave me Ambien back in
    My Dr gave me Ambien back in November when I was first diagnosed, Its worked all these months & I woke up feeling great, but with my last refill, Sleep hasn't been good. The pills are shaped different this time & although I know they come in different shapes, so far mine have always been the same. So I'm thinking its all in my head that they are different! Its amazing how I can convince myself of things while i'm on chemo!
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  • mrs gadget
    mrs gadget CSN Member Posts: 118
    #23
    Talk with your doctor ( as everybody else has said here)
    During chemo, I was able to be very open with my oncologist about this and he wrote a prescription for sleep meds right away. Your doctor will want to know everything you are experiencing and can help you get thru the chemo process comfortably.
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  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 CSN Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #24
    I took Tylonel PM once
    and ONLY took one instead of the two it said..BUT I think crazy to take tylonel if not pain etc...

    I have told all my doctors I am up 3-4-5 x or more each night..no one has suggested or asked me if I wanted anything. I think just jot it in my file..
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  • thebeckers6400
    thebeckers6400 CSN Member Posts: 15
    #25

    Any type of sleeping pill can have a rebound effect of causing more fatigue the following day. This is especially true from long term use. Cancer treatments can cause fatigue and sleeping pills can exacerbate this effect. My oncologist’s were unaware that my extreme fatigue was a common result of the frequent use of sleep aids. It took 4 nights of sleeplessness before the rebound insomnia and fatigue ended. It was worth the effort to get off the sleeping pill cycle for good!

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  • sunylady
    sunylady CSN Member Posts: 1 Member
    #26
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/213885/advice-on-sleep-meds-anyone

    Hello everyone, first trmt of chemo this week and was told that the dexamethasone would cause sleep issues if I actually opt to take it…I have turned down steroids in the past on account of what a number it can do on the body so that being said I do take the cell salts by Boiron as they stated that they do not interact with other meds however I will check with my naturopath when my appt.with him comes up. I have taken cell salts for years for various other things and gave them to my children when they were young for colds and they always did the trick for them….Just a thought for you and like anything educate yourself on the cell salts. Hopefully you will find something that will work for you…Inhale relaxing essential oils and meditate or listen to a mediatation app before you TRY to rest that weary body and eyes….Take Care

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  • MelanieCov
    MelanieCov CSN Member Posts: 3 *
    #27
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1020174#Comment_1020174

    I have suffered insomnia for the past 2 years and tried extensively all the alternative therapies as well as put into practice all the things that you have listed. The result of poor sleep has resulted in panic attacks as I try to navigate the cancer road. All stages of sleep are a problem. Does anyone else have any ideas? My doctor is now trying Clonodine (Catapress) as off label treatment. Hopeful, it's only been a week and still has not helped.

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  • dssdesi
    dssdesi CSN Member Posts: 23 Member
    #28

    Hello, A good nights sleep is such a gift. It changes how the day goes. I have had sleep problems even before cancer. Here are my tricks that mostly work. Because I don't want to be addicted to something. I shake up what I take based on how I feel. Most nights I take Magnesium glycinate and am surprised how it does work and benefit of getting more mag. in me. On the nights once in a while I if the pain is bad I will take 5mg oxy. When its anxiety I will take once it a while a gummie with cbd. 5mg thc and melatonin in it from (sleep gummie mail order from FIVE). And some nights nothing. Most days now I get enough sleep to function close to normal even on verzenio and lestrozole. I wish you all the best I know its hard. GOD bless!

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