help with sleep

[wazzadg44]

I am having treatment(chemo) for mouth cancer. Although I am restricted in my eating ability and what I can eat the thing that brings me down is the lack of good sleep. I have Tramadol for pain(not bad) and a liquid morphine which I can spray on to the tumor and that helps a lot with pain. The biggest problem is finding something that will do the pain job and also allow me to get 6-8 hours sleep on the go. I'm awake 2-3 hours after going to bed and find it very difficult to sleep well after that

I also have Lorazapam but I find this not good. Ideally a combo pain killer/sleeping aid would be my wish. I do not want addictive drugs nor do I seek to abuse them. Any thing that can help me in this situation would be helpful

[Sheryl]

You could try hydroxyzine which can be bought over the counter in a variety of brand names. Also something called Sominar. Both are antihistamines/mild tranquillizers. Usual dose for sleep is 2 tabs. With the hydroxyzine make sure 25mg dose not 10mg the lowrr dose is for allergies.

 

Non-addictive. May leave you with dry mouth and some people feel groggy in the morning, others not.

[pineapple01]

Ultracet was good for sleep, pain and feeling normal next day after nasty root canal work.

[scubascuba3]

People often recommend melatonin tablets

[Orton Rd]

3 hours ago, pineapple01 said:

Ultracet was good for sleep, pain and feeling normal next day after nasty root canal work.

That's just tamodol which he already has. I think atarax is better than anything an anti histamine avaialble over the counter. Melatonin is not bad but wears off quickly

Edited June 4, 2020 by Orton Rd

[cyril sneer]

atarax only works for 2-3 nights in a row and leaves you feeling awful the next day

 

gabapentin works for me, more so than prescription drugs

[Speedo1968]

Sorry to hear about your condition.

Perhaps you could also look at your diet ( both food and liquid ), eating times, what you eat particularly later in the day and general habits such as TV viewing, internet use.
Some medications  foods can cause bowel problems that also may affect your general body clock.

Good luck with finding a way to reduce you medication.

[wazzadg44]

Thanks all for your suggestions. I have decided to give Melantonin a try but will keep all others in mind. Speede-With the cancer and chemo my tongue on the right side is very swollen and that limits what I can eat and swallow. My saliva glands have been destroyed by radiation and dry mouth is a problem also. I am able to eat almost any liquid foods-porridge,pasta,spaghetti,poached/scrambled eggs and a pureed mix of vegetables which is awful but filling. I also take Ensure at least twice a day,eat ice cream,yogurt and smoothies. I f you have any suggestions they will be welcome. I do not watch much tv-I leave that to the better half.

Cheeers and stay well all.

[scubascuba3]

I tried Hydroxyzine 1x25mg last night as an experiment, 22 baht for 10 at Fascino. My sleep is generally ok but this time of year I'm more restless with the heat and humidity, AC fixes that but i thought I'd try Hydroxyzine. Definitely better sleep, i even slept about 2 hours longer than normal, still had to get up a couple times for the mandatory toilet. No side effects and not groggy in the morning. I'll just take as and when required, not daily, but I'd recommend it

[bkk6060]

Serious answer, have you tried masturbating?

That or the real deal can put your body and mind at ease always sleep well after.

 

Also, Tramadol is well know for causing insomnia, sleep disruption, and bad dreams it is not truly a sleep aid.

Edited June 5, 2020 by bkk6060

[pineapple01]

7 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

I tried Hydroxyzine 1x25mg last night as an experiment, 22 baht for 10 at Fascino. My sleep is generally ok but this time of year I'm more restless with the heat and humidity, AC fixes that but i thought I'd try Hydroxyzine. Definitely better sleep, i even slept about 2 hours longer than normal, still had to get up a couple times for the mandatory toilet. No side effects and not groggy in the morning. I'll just take as and when required, not daily, but I'd recommend it

Thats the only way to recommend, what your prob is, and how it suits You.

[Speedo1968]

8 hours ago, wazzadg44 said:

Thanks all for your suggestions. I have decided to give Melantonin a try but will keep all others in mind. Speede-With the cancer and chemo my tongue on the right side is very swollen and that limits what I can eat and swallow. My saliva glands have been destroyed by radiation and dry mouth is a problem also. I am able to eat almost any liquid foods-porridge,pasta,spaghetti,poached/scrambled eggs and a pureed mix of vegetables which is awful but filling. I also take Ensure at least twice a day,eat ice cream,yogurt and smoothies. I f you have any suggestions they will be welcome. I do not watch much tv-I leave that to the better half.

Cheeers and stay well all.

Sorry a lot of question marks below, not requesting an answer but perhaps pointers to finding a way to help you get a better sleep.

 

If you are a meat eater how are you getting your protein, do you cook then blend the meat ?
If you are not eating meat where is your protein coming from ?

Are the vegetables you blend uncooked or cooked ?

You could use chickpea powder ( besan ), it's protein is around 20%, its used in Indian foods and Arab foods such as hummus.      Ideally it should be cooked in a pan until it forms a paste then once cooled it can be added in a smoothie.

 

You say you are unable to sleep for 2 - 3 hours when you go to bed is that because of pain / discomfort from the cancer or is it because you are not tired or your mind is too busy ?    

Do you need 8 hours sleep ?     Perhaps 6 hours is enough say from 10pm to 4am.

Check your body clock.

 

Do you eat late evening, have you tried / are you able to adjusting food times to 2 meals a day or not eating after 4 - 5pm ?    I understand this may not be possible with a liquid diet.   For example I don't or very rarely eat after 2pm until the next morning, small breakfast and main meal at lunch time.

 

You mention that you don't watch much TV, if you have a laptop you could download English language tv series or even a BBC radio drama or comedy, listening to something can often make you fall asleep more easily than watching something.

Reading a book.

 

Not sure if any of this helps.

 

 

[Don Mega]

following with interest, I'd love to get 3 hours sleep a night.

[Pilotman]

Tramadol is guaranteed to keep me awake.  That's the main reason I stopped using it and switched to a common over the counter pain med.  It's not as effective, but prolonged use of Tramadol makes even that ineffective after a while.  It just robs you of a good nights sleep. I understand that all of those types of meds have the same impact on sleep.