Four nights with no sleep!

[CHeatherS]

This is really hard.  I have been on PD for a week and a half, and am home doing 4 exchanges a day before next month when I will go on the night cycler. 

I am not one for anxiety, and letting things get to me, so don't know what this is.  I have just dropped all my my bp meds because that's ok, and dropped my zemplar because the PTH has settled down.  But at night I am so anxious, my legs won't hold still, and I cannot sleep. I tried listening to my iPod to distract me... nothing works. I am exhausted.  It feels as if the pressure on my bladder and my diaphragm are somehow hooked up to a central nerve that just will NOT relax.  I hate to take a med, but called my doctor who is prescribing Rozerem which I will try tonight.   

Yesterday I was so careful, even finally got out for a walk.... trying exercise, which I haven't gotten much of all winter.  Careful not to nap in the daytime, which I have done all winter when my GFR was 7%.  And it seems this last year or so, I slept SO well, as if the high creatinine was like a sedative.   Now that the brain is coming alive, is this more than one can take?  I really can't take this, must have sleep!

Any of you have this problem in the beginning? 
Heather

[RightSide]

Heather,

I had a lot of trouble sleeping too--but not for the same reason.  (In my case, it was intense itching, all over my body, which didn't subside until after months of treatment.)

My neph prescribed a bedtime "cocktail" of:  300 mg gabapentin; 50 mg Trazodone; and 25 mg Benadryl.  Sure puts me out like a light.

[onestronglittlelady]

I never had problems sleeping until last December when I started dialysis. I too don't want to take drugs. I give it 1 hour, if I don't fall asleep I do something else until I am tired. Some weeks I only sleep a few hours each day. I could get medication but I don't want to become dependent on medications, and many of the side effects scare me. I have noticed if I go for a walk I can usually sleep.

[miket]

I never went on for 4 days. But I do have a problem falling asleep and staying asleep. I am on the night cycler also. My doc prescribed me Ambien which works pretty good. It supposed to slow down the brain, so you can doze off into la la land. Don't be afraid to use drugs, just use it long enough to develop a normal sleep pattern, then stop using them. I still can't sleep like the good old days 8-10 hours without waking up.

[lmunchkin]

When husband was on PD, he couldnt sleep either, like miket, he too would take ambien, but found that walking and reading a good novel would help him to sleep. Alot of it could be anxiety too!  Not knowiing anything about your history, but is something bothering you? You know what I mean? I know my husband couldnt sleep if he had a big medical procedure, or some big Bill or something else would bother him! Of course when he couldnt sleep, I couldnt either for worring about him!

I'd say try walking on threadmill or round your neighborhood just before laying down. If that dont work try the book. If that dont work then talk to neph. about prescibing Ambien.  I have occasionally taken it and found it personally not addictive in any way, yet slept a good 4-5hrs.

lmunchkin

[CHeatherS]

Gosh, I am into day 6 now, this is crazy.  I took a long walk yesterday, over an hour, thinking that would help. 

I think that I have worked out the issues of it all, losing my health, etc.... and am not easily off the deep end.  I can usually come to terms with reality and meditate, look for the good in a situation.  But I am very anxious, and it's as if my legs won't hold still or relax, and my breathing is not easy.  It's just crazy.  I will obviously have to break down and try something strong, come Monday morning and call a doctor.    I have done all I know to do, at my wit's end.

[lmunchkin]

Sounds like a good plan!  If not anxiety or possibly a panick attack, you doing the right thing by going to doctor.  The breathing is of some concern, so Doc needs to know!   Let us know what you find out!  Lifting you in prayer,

   lmunchkin

[CHeatherS]

Well, I went 7 days with no sleep, and finally last night took some Ambien.  Sweet sweet sleep.  Amazing what a difference I feel today.  It's a whole new day.  YAY!!!!  Bless you all, with sweet sleep.  Hopefully I won't have to keep taking this, but for now, I am thankful.

[AguynamedKim]

So happy you finally got some sleep!  I'm hoping for 2 in a row now!   

[murf]

Research has discovered that 7 out of 10 dialysis patients suffer some form of renal insomnia. My record is about a month. But eventually the cycle gets broken through sheer exhaustion. I found it worser on hemo than PD. I know this won't help much, but all I can add is don't fight it. The more you worry about it, the worse it is. On these non sleeping days, I have a stack of DVD's available.

[Bruno]

I truly deeply sympathise with you because insomnia is the CKD curse that makes many lives miserable including mine. It's not only pd patients who suffer, hd people like me cop it as well - as I understand it the condition is related to something the kidneys used to do but no longer will, something to do with an enzyme that tells you when to sleep so that you end up with a condition something like jet lag - in other words you can sleep, but at the wrong time.

But let me help, I put up with it for 2 years, not every night, but enough to make my life a misery, but eventually I asked my GP for help and he prescribed Melatonin marketed here in Australia as Circadin. I take a 2mg dose and have enjoyed deep natural sleep for a month now.

Might work for you because it's not a drug but rather replaces a natural body product and from what I read on the net, rather good for other purposes as well. Anyway, it's been a game changer for me.

[CHeatherS]

Thanks again, and yes Bruno, that is something I used to take before kidney failure, it does work well, but it wasn't able to knock out whatever I was going through last week.  I have had two nights sleep now with the Ambien, and hope that I can stop it soon....  There are just so many adjustments going on now since I have started dialysis. Wow!

[cath-hater]

Because you said that your "legs won't hold still", it sounds like you have restless leg syndrome.  It is very normal for pd patients.  It's not anxiety.  It happens when you don't get in enough dialysis.  If you don't move your legs, you start to get this weird sensation and the only way to relieve it is to move your legs.  I know that feeling very well.  I used to get it bad when I was cheating myself on dialysis a while back.  Until you get sufficient dialysis, you can try jogging and tiring your legs out before you go to bed. It's better than taking some drug to help you sleep.  Sleep aids can give you irregular heart beats, which can lead to aneurysms (blood clot to the heart).  This is all from personal experience.

[CHeatherS]

I so agree with you Cath.... I have always tried to avoid drugs at all costs, very careful with the food I eat, etc.   This last week, I even went out for long walks (it took all I could do to do it) and thought surely I would go to bed tired, and I did...... but soon the restless legs and anxiety would return.  I am hoping that it will be a very short lived drug time for me, as right now, the Epo shots and phosphorus binders are the only drugs I am doing. 

[mykey711]

Yep, I have a hard time sleeping too, but it's better since beginning dialysis. I agree exercise, Melatonin, or Ambien (last choice), may work. I'd sleep better now if it wasn't for the drain pain each cycle.