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rubytuesday

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Everything posted by rubytuesday

  1. I have EDS III and the pain that comes with it. I also have fibromyalgia and arthritis so as I am aging and have traumatized the lax joints so much I am really paying the price these days with more painful and restricted mobility in some of the joints.
  2. I have fibro and arthritis and ehlers-danlos, but the specific pain I notice with regards to my dysautonomia relates to the pain of blood pooling in my feet and legs--if I've been sitting for a prolonged period (with legs elevated) and/or when I first get up in the morning. When I stand to walk--I have a very bad burning pain in my feet and legs that makes it hard to walk (much worse than when your arm or leg 'wakes up' after its been 'asleep'). I will sometimes experience chest pain when I lie down (especially at night). Otherwise I don't think my joint pains are related to dysautonomia.
  3. Just saw a commercial for Mega Red Krill Oil being better than fish oil in omega 3s and crosses brain barrier, smaller than fish oil, not supposed to cause fish-tasting belching. I'd taken fish oil for at least a decade before the POTS got bad. I did go off of it when my immunologist told me to (hadn't restarted it til about 6 weeks later when I saw the optometrist). I didn't notice any change with my POTS--unless increased nausea today (was really worse than my daily nausea) was from dysautonomia being worse. I'd woke up with stiff neck and had used heating pad and have just felt 'strange' (like mild presyncopal today) but in morning, my BP runs a little low--this morning it was in 120s over 89 (I figured it was pain). Came back down tonight to its average of 112/72. Still have pain and feel a little bit lightheaded but the pain is decreasing. I wonder if kinking your neck when you sleep triggers anything with the dysautonomia as circulation/cerebrospinal flow may have been impeded. (Sorry to get off topic). The Mega Red Krill oil is really pricey compared to fish oil but reading the difference between the two seems to be no brainer to get omega 3s in krill oil. So hard to tell though as everybody seems to be pushing their own products.
  4. I'm in southwest Ohio, too. Not close to Cleveland at all, but my cardiac specialist is at UTMC. Welcome. Sorry to meet under these circumstances but this website and the people here have been so helpful and supportive.
  5. I think it has to be POTS. I'd always rode bike 10 miles/day--up and down hills/against the wind--then suddenly the legs were led. Then I felt strange (almost like near syncope coming on). Was so close to the house--didn't know if should push it/risk it or get of and get down (but I was afraid if I got down, I may not be able to walk it home). That was the start of the bad POTS last summer. Never have been able to do regular bike for safety but could do 70 min on tredmil in aquaciser and can bike on recumbent bike (but cannot climb steep stairs or hills). We have 1 steep step in garage to get to upright freezer. I can do it if there is something there I can push off with but for my legs to do the work--I think it is like when you raise your arms above heart level and get light headed, same thing happens when you raise your legs too high. I exercise on bike every day, 25 min. so I just don't think it's deconditioning. With my OH, cardiac specialist explained to me (and with ehlers-danlos), the calf muscles are not able to constrict strong enough when the blood and fluid rushes to the leg to keep things from pooling and then can't get enough back to the heart and brain. The I believe this happens with dysautonomia since the ANS also regulates things we do not think about (including vasoconstriction/dilitation).
  6. I had 2 sleep studies. No obstructive sleep apnea but a few episodes of complex (not sure if that was exact word) apnea (a mixed cause) when the oxygen saturation dropped down to 84% for about 14 seconds. Because it did not happen so many frequencies throughout the sleep study, it was not considered to be anything abnormal. (Scarey to speculate what happens if it goes longer than 14 seconds or more times, so I don't think about it). I agree that some people take more shallow breaths when sleeping (since I don't get into the deep stages of sleep, I imagine my breathing is shallow). I have watched my baby, DGS and DH all different ages in their lives when they are sleeping and breathing is so shallow to make sure the chest is rising and falling.
  7. I am taking a nickel free multiple vitamin per immunologist's recommendation. Immunologist told me to go off the calcium, vitamin D, folic acid, fish oil and eye vitamin, and just take this 1 multivitamin. It has the same amount of vitamin D that I was taking but didn't see that it was D3 (like my supplement was). The multiple vitamin has much greater vitamin A + C and selenium and luten (multiple vitamin has no selenium/luten). Optometrist and opthamologist tells me--no way I can stop eye vitamin or fish oil--I need as much omega 3 as I can get with eyes at risk for so many things and having dry eyes, corneal erosions to boot. I'd remembered this morning as I was still having GERD at 10:45 from the fish oil I'd taken at 7 that morning that this huge puppy was one of the pills I had aspirated (with my vocal cord dysfunction, when I took my pill, the cords must have been closed and chucked it into airway). I could not cough it out, started to rattle and thought I was going to choke to death. I cannot take liquid fish oil. I just cannot. Something about certain tastes/textures on my tongue/in my mouth make me wretch. Does anybody know if fish oil comes in another form? On a side note, I was reading that in winter (not so much sunshine), you should take cod liver for your fish oil to get more vitamin D and in summer go back to fish oil (since you'll get more vitamin D from the sun). (I suppose they don't take into account those of us who use sunscreen and have GI absorption issues). Any suggestions very welcomed. Thank you.
  8. When I get to a presyncope, it seems that I might as well forget about getting anything done. I'll semi recline and give myself time to rebound but I will still have warnings following sometimes for hours and sometimes for the entire day (that is what I am noticing in cold winter). In hot spring/summer/fall days when it happens it happens so much more frequently and takes me much longer to rebound. I am enjoying this 'break' as much as I hate winter.
  9. Am so sorry you have to make that trip again (and with the cost of gas going up), but it's warmer in April (actually can get hot), so be careful and safe travels. What a let-down. But glad things will come to fruition in April.
  10. Alyssa, What kind of helmet do you wear? I am so scared to think of hot summer days coming (altho I hate the cold/heat is my enemy, too, now). DH was just longing for summer last night while in my mind I felt sense of dread (since this past summer was the most debilitating one of my entire life). I didn't understand what was happening to me. My DM had broke her front tooth in faint and DH broke one in a slip and fall. But if this summer is like last and I need to go outside, then I was seriously thinking of wearing a helmet--too many times on the ground either voluntarily or by force.
  11. Christy, Thanks for the support. I had read that it was the more conclusive, but honestly wonder if the GI didn't order it because of generating more revenue for the failing hospital by another test/visit (and for he/his company, too). I'm saving that question for the day I call him back to ask what happened to his return call to review my test/plan of care. Have to pick my battles. Right now (knocking wood) since stopping the calcuim, vitamin D and supplements I was taking and changing to a nickel free multiple vitamin as immunologist recommended, I'm not quite as nauseated but GERD is sporadic. I know I need scoped again. Am waiting to get these first of the year bills paid to meet the rest of my max out of pocket, then will work on that issue if things persitst (which am sure they will--bathroom day all day Sat. and today started out the same way). Something's got to give.
  12. hilbiligirl, sorry you're having such a bad time with this. sending you virtual (((hug)))
  13. mully, I had 2 sleep studies, have hypersomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, mild narcolepsy and do not get into the dee stages of sleep. I was on Cymbalta to try to improve fibromyalgia/arthritic/chronic pain of ehlers-danlos. For me, it made me too drowsy to function in the day and that was with titrating it up just one notch. It does help a lot of people. DH takes his at bedtime and it puts him out like a light. I took mine in the morning (if memory serves).
  14. My insurance plan covers Cymbalta for fibromyalgia, however it really just made me too sleepy to function. DH took it for his pain and depression until our insurance prescription planned changed this year, making the Cymbalta really inaccessible to him (considering co-pays on all the 'must have' Rxs). Some doctors are willing to try and others take the low (easy) road. My insurance wouldn't allow a sleep agent until I had failed results or intolerance to its lower level one first (Temazapam). I'd started out after sleep study on Ambien which is in the same 'level' as the new sleep agent the doc was going to try for me. I had to call her back, remind her that I'd taken Ambien (had sleep walking, talking, eating, the whole 9 yards and that was before doctors were 'alerted' to these possible side effects. After that I went to the gentler Temazepam (Halcion) that they use in elderly in hospitals/nursing homes, but there are times when it just does not get me in to sleep. Then I'm still drowsy all the next day. I have a pretty good pharmacist and kind of 'lax' doc who won't even fax Rx's to Express Scripts. So I usually play dumb now and rather than call, drop in the doctors office with the form filled out, show them where doc needs to sign/put ID no. and where to fax. DH came off Cymbalta cold turkey when deductible and co-pay went so high--despite pharmacist's/my warnings you can't do that. He's been on it for at least 2 years. He had terrible withdrawal for a week before he had to go back to his doctor (another co-pay) and get a new Rx for something generic. It seems to be helping him in some ways but he kept punching me in the back in his sleep last night (he has hyperspasticity in his arms and legs) so in some way I don't think it is relaxing him as good as the Cymbalta did. I wish you well.
  15. I couldn't understand my GI doing merely the 1 bite of radioactive egg/90 min. test. The tech stopped the test when the bite of egg passed the stomach at 90 min., but then the radiology report says it passed in 45 min. (I have GERD from my 5-6 p.m. supper into 10 or 11 at night sometimes, and take omeperazole and ranitadine). I have read the 4 hour gives much better accuracy regarding motility issues. Then the GI never even followed up with me? In my first sleep study--they had buffet style breakfast/microwave. For lunch they would go anywhere in city and get whatever I wanted (the center paid for the meal). In my 2nd sleep study, it was in a sleep across the street from/owned by hospital. It was early spring and they brought me nice breakfast but eggs were ice cold by the time they WALKED them from the hospital, up the long drive, waiting for traffic light and to get to building I was in. I think I just had juice. Am glad they're getting these tests in order. I wonder if they'll still have a routine of exploring things in their accustomized way at the Mayo? It was so hard laying on that x-ray table for 90 min., glad you got to get up and down? Sending good vibes for your trip.
  16. As high as we get our hopes and as weary as we get from seeing specialists and expectations dashed, since driving all that way, I'd fit cardiologist in, too. (I'm biased about neuro simply because of my experiences). You'd mentioned your hypoglycemia being well before POTS dx, but could this still be dysautonomia manifest in a not so common way? (i.e. how many of us had motion sickness or couldn't ride certain rides at fairs/amusement parks as kids, but never related it to our ANS). I hope you get some answers.(After I had pituitary tumor removed, when endocrinologist was testing functioning of the system, he'd mentioned that he 'should do' an insulin challenge test in an upcoming visit--why I did not know. But whenever I went back, he said I didn't need to have the test. I never understood why I needed it one visit and then an about face. That was in early 1980s--maybe his office wasn't equipped or maybe it was challenging to get ins to approve or maybe he felt it would be long day at a hospital--in city for me, or maybe you couldn't have it done unless you were an inpatient back in those days. Have no clue.). I have had a fatty pancreas (and fatty cysts on my liver) since I don't know how long--it was 'incidental' finding on a CT done as far back as 2004. My fasting BSs are good (knocking wood as lot of diabetes in family--DMs last BS was high--but doc told her to 'watch her sugar intake' but didn't check fasting BS--I told her to fast for her next doc appt and when they checked her coumadin level to ask them to check the fasting--but she did neither. DGM was 'borderline diabetic' back in the day--which would be diabetic in this era, DGF was found to be diabetic on autopsy--sudden death at 64. DGGM was insulin dependent diabetic. DN has juevenile diabetes). Nobody can tell me why my pancreas is fatty or if that is source (or IBD) with my malabsorption. Gets really frustrating when I do all the things they tell me on my part, yet things stay the same.
  17. That's a good question I've pondered (especially since I'm a bleeder, have syncope, am alone a lot and cardiac specialist tells me that I will have fewer warnings of faints). I have seen where some even sleep with helmet but having neck problems, and being side/stomach sleeper, I just don't know how I could get used to that. The bike helmets I have don't really come down enough to protect the eyes/forehead although they do extend just a bit beyond the forehead. I would think 1 concussion would be enough to consider wearing a helmet around. I've been very luck so far as 3 places I could have got seriously hurt/killed--once when passed out in yard, just missed the stone border of flower bed. Once hit kitchen floor with back of my head when fainted (maybe being on crawl space/having some spring in the floor helped) and another time I started to 'go', DH caught me as I was doing face-dive into our concrete driveway. Certain things with housekeeping (like getting up on stool to get ceiling fans or sqatting to regulate the fireplace insert or to reach in/out of oven or reaching up on stool into high shelf/closet/cubbords are scarey to me--needless to say, I don't do much with stove or oven when nobody is home and I adjust the fireplace only if somebody right here).
  18. I have the same. One reason I think is that even though I turn down heat and use ceiling fan, it's warm under the blankets the hubby (and me off and on thru the night) need. Secondly, I'm more of a side sleeper (with a little on stomach) but arms are up when I'm on my stomach (around my face/pillow) and closed against the body when on side. Heat and laying on extemeties will trap the fluids. I try (since I'm a light sleeper) to make every effort to keep my hands straight rather than curled when I sleep. I have osteoarthritis and find my hands/fingers/feet very painful in the morning but as you say, in osteoarthritis it usually wears off in a few hours. My rings are snug on my fingers when I first get up, but after I'm up, the fit is usually back to normal. Since I side/stomach sleep, the eyelids will be puffier in the mornings, too from the pull of gravity while reclining so many hours.
  19. I went through accupunture therapy before for migraines and fibro but didn't do a thing for either in me.
  20. I have asthma but this sensation was not my typical asthma attack. It started over course of summer (or so I'd noticed) few years ago with me. When I had follow up with my PCP I had mentioned to her that I thought it was taking me unusually long to recover from June's surgery or anesthesia as I just didn't feel like I was able to get in a good breath. She ordered pulmonary function test at local hospital here in boonies and pulmonologist interpreted it as my asthma being out of control. He'd put me on all kinds of things that were making things worse. (I discharged him, found another who listened to me and over cooler spring months I do know if I just adapted or if things got a bit better). That was 2007. When I went to new immunologist at University (who also is allergist/pulmonologist), I went for immune deficiencies but she ran the same test and showed me the test, explaining how I had vocal cord dysfunction (I have had asthma all my life), and sent me to otolaryngologist who scoped me and confirmed. He said the throat was very very red/dry/inflammed and vocal cords were closing tight when I breathed when they normally should be opened. It is also called 'upper airway obstruction'. (I had laryngitis develop and present at the time as well). Curious, I took a copy of the pulmonary function study to the immunologist at my next visit (as it sure did look a lot like the one she had run). She said it was vocal cord dysfunction back then too. She said many doctors miss this and mis-interpret it as asthma, which is why those meds do not help. It is important to recognize the difference as triggers for both can be the same, but if I have to use my rescue inhaler for asthma (coughing irritates the vocal cords and sets them into spasms you don't really feel as spasms--just as not getting air or change in voice control/pitch/tone/quality). I had to learn rescue breathing exercises to use for exercising and if I need my rescue inhaler for asthma, I have to do these rescue breathing techniques first because the inhalant rather than entering the lungs, would instead deposit itself atop closed vocal cords. BTW, my pulse ox is always good. This should be checked out. (I'd also had echocardiogram that showed small pericardial effusion and minor things consistent with age. Chest x-ray showed COPD and I've never smoked).
  21. I have OH so standing still or standing for prolonged periods are very hard for me to overcome--but I've had glutteal muscles/tendon avulsed from my hip bone when I got hit by a car, so standing is painful to me. I pool blood/fluid in my legs when I stand and it makes the BP go lower but I have to keep my legs elevated when I sit to help avoid pooling and to try to take stress of my hip while supporting my neck. I have to get up and move though. I have what I think is nausea and gastroparesis (GERD from 5 pm supper into 10-11 at night and tender epigastric despite omeperazole and ranitadine) from the dysautonomia. The more I sit, the harder it takes things to equilibriate being vertical. I feel better (once I am vertical) when I keep moving but if I am still for too long (like in checkout line, or if DH stops and 'chats'--he's a talker, to friend, then I get into trouble--have to look for place to sit down and fast). Sitting in truck to ride for about 30 min. does not bother my dysautonomia, but when I go to climb down from the truck, it does. Sitting riding my bike didn't bother me, but dismounting and pushing bike up our steep driveway would set things in motion. So now I stick with stationary recumbent bike. I am recording secretary for parish council and I will be at meeting around 3 hours--in that length of time my legs are really tight with blood/fluids/feet are ice cold and mottled/purplish redish/blue. Then I will have to take a Bumetadine for a day or two and really work harder with fluilds to get what pooled in my legs off. There isn't room under the table the way things are positioned to let me elevate my legs at the meeting but it's some way I can get out and give back (always makes you feel better). :-) If it is hot/humid outside, I cannot sit more than a few minutes under our shaded swing--even when I get the legs up. When I worked in an office, having fibro and arthritis to boot, it would not be unusual to walk into an office at 62 degrees (truly) there was little way to control the temperature and I had to dress in layers to protect the joints. When I did have to sit, I would sometimes have blanket on lap/coat over shoulders til I could get out of the office and get moving. If I sit at church services and things get to warm I have had the sensation hit me. It was worse if I was standing in service, so now doctor has told me to sit through services, but I have to carry cold water and a fan with me just in case. When I was on Mestinon, I would also take an extra Mestinon right before church services to be on the safe side. My cardiac specialist told me with my ANS failing, that I would have less warnings of faint and that the 4th leading cause of death in elderly/people with this was from falls (injuries from the syncope).
  22. Makes sense to me. Maybe that is why docs have putting finger on pulse of the stomach/GI issues, too.
  23. Shoegal, I had pituitary adenoma (surgically removed) but I had low thyroid function and my female hormones were so low, I should not have been having meses. My symptoms were very bad headaches every day and at the time I was hemmorhaging (menses) and needing injections of DDAVP to stop the bleeding but then after about 10 days or so, bleeding would recur. When I had headache at several of gyn visits, he'd mentioned going to neuro but I never fathomed a tumor. He also suggested placing me on hormones to help control cycles/bleeding. (I have a bleeding disorder and am a bleeder). Before I took that road, I went to endocrinologist to see if he could find why I was having this bleeding. Even he was scratching his head--like I went to the wrong kind of doctor for that, but did do CT scan and found the tumor. As best I recall my ACTH was ok. I periodically (and when I started with the neurocardiogenic syncope being sent back to endo) get the endocrine labs tested. Serum cortisol (if memory serves) is at its lowest between 6-8 in the morning (give or take an hour). It is at its highest around 4 pm--so the level fluctuates. It may have been low but typically they ask you to be at the lab no later than a certain time in the morning (and the lab documents the time of the blood draw). That being said, mine still will run lower than low normal in the morning, but have to follow-through with 24 hour urine cortisol (they usually do my serum and urine creatinine at same time) collection. That gives overall measure of how things are working (and mine is always fine). I did have to take synthroid (very low dose) for a while but didn't feel any difference 'energy-wise' after my surgery and it was stopped (told endo I'd rather not take it in case in my elder years I needed it--didn't want it to become ineffective for me). My blood sugar was always alright. I've always run a low/low normal blood pressure (so did my dad--he was big guy and I was short/petitie). I still get terrible migraines (thankfully not as often as prior to menopause and when working)--lot of things trigger them for me--not enough sleep, (I have hypersonmia/mild narcolepsy on 2 sleep studies, excessive daytime sleepiness), not drinking enough non-caffinated beverages, weather and barometric changes, cold, heat, certain smells, certain foods, stress from work (ie overstimulation--including bright lights in workplace and noises of my sensoriums) and I'm sure that homone shifts did as well. I cannot take aspirin, ibuprofen or NSAIDs, and they wouldn't put me on beta blockers or calcuim channel blockers to prevent my migraines because I ran low blood pressure (that was before my syncope/POTS). That meant the only thing left short of my imitrex (and I'd tried all the anti-migraine agents), was tylenol. My neuro told me that taking more than 2 days (consecutively) could give me a rebound headache that mimics a migraine. Medications and herbs can cause headaches by releasing or inhibiting chemicals in the brain. I have the IBS too. I know how bad it can be. I suscpect gastoparesis--go to my GI (update him about dysautonomia) but he only orders the 90 minute gastric emptying study then tells me to 'call him' in a day or two after my test (he called me back when I was at church--left message that he'd call back and he never did). Now I was given 1 bite of radioactive egg. The x-ray tech told me once the egg passed my stomach, she would stop the test, so it may not drag out the whole 90 minutes. I wasn't wearing watch but it felt like very long time to me. She sat at computer watching screen all the while I was laying there. She turned lights on and said we were done. I asked her how long it took. She told me the full 90 minutes--but the radiologist report said it passed in 45 minutes!! I don't know why he doesn't do a small bowel follow through in the first place but I think its to generate revenue for struggling hospital. I never called him back (I know I should to have things pursued further). I still will have GERD with supper that I'd eaten at 5 in evening at 10 at night. I was tender in the epigastric and know I still have the gastritis (despite being on omeperazole and ranitidine). I have one extreme to the other with my IBD. My pancreas is 'fat' and liver has fatty cysts and I struggle to maintain my weight. My immunologist suspects malabsorption and I take isosource as a supplement (liquid form being easier to digest at least some vitamins and nutrients I need). Using laxatives routinely can cause the bowel to become laxative/enema dependent. A surgeon (when my constipation got so bad I had thrombosed hemorrhoids and rectoanal fistula) had me take mineral oil, colace and mylanta twice/day. It only worked mildly and seemed to stop working so well. My PCP told me to try Miralax in morning and use it at night if I need to. It has helped me a lot (although I still have the extremes at least it is not constipated stool--but there is nothing I can do to fix the 'bathroom days'. If any of your meds contain iron (even calcium) or in me, dairy can cause constipation. My immunologist also told me to find nickel free multiple vitamin (since I cannot wear costume jewelry without reaction) as she says ingesting the nickel will do the same thing to my gastrointestinal track. I've had colon polyps removed (kind that can turn cancerous) but no crohnes or ulcerative colitis. I've had pill cam, serum allergy test for wheat and serum celiac all negative for allegy or celiac disease (altho small bowel bx is more reliable test). I wish I could give you more answers/some help. Sending virtual (((HUG)))
  24. Good luck with the Mestinon. When they added Mestinon with me, I was ok on the twice/day dose (but some worsening nausea, bit of cramping, loose stools). I was to use a Mestinon in between if I felt the symptoms leading to near syncope as it kicks in within 15 min (per cardiac specialist--which I thought a little odd since if I start to feel pre-syncopal, it hits me quicker than 15 min, yet it might help me to move forward after 15 minutes with an activity) but that extra dose would have me doubled over with cramps and nausea not knowing which end I was going to chuck things. They had to take me off of it after being on it only 2-3 mos. The longer I was on it, the worse the episodes (nausea/cramping, etc. got).
  25. As hard as it is (and I have chronic fatigue, ehlers-danlos, hypersonmia, arthritis and OH), you have to exercise. Start at baby steps, whatever you 'enjoy' (and I use the term looslely knowing how hard it is) doing and what is safe for you. Honestly, don't look at how long you do it--even if only starting at 3 or 4 minutes at a time. You will find that it will help protect you from deconditioning and your muscles from waisting. I started with physical therapy--treadmil in heated aquaciser. After that I am up to 25 minutes a day on recumbent stationary bike. Exercise releases a morphine like chemical in your body. But it builds your endurance and helps keep things toned. Otherwise, I agree with energy conservation--doing things at the time of day that you seem to feel your best. When I have a good day--I jump on it and get as much done as I possibly can (for fears it will probably bring me down a couple of days). I'll microwave healthy choice or steamer meals or low sodium soup (if I cook a family meal--I have to plan ahead and prep in stages ahead of time--doing crock pot is another easy way). I use chair in shower for the syncope risks but it also conserves the energy. Humor also stimulates release of 'feel good' chemicals from your brain. With my fibro and EDS, I have to be very cautious as to not exercise to the point of inflammation (things are already inflammed--so have learned to listen to this body, especially since I can't take NSAIDS, aspirin or ibuprofen). My sister is hospice nurse and to work long hours/shifts she does--she swears by energy drinks. I wouldn't try that but my heart rate is slow enough it can handle morning coffee. I also use isosource as form of liquid protein packed with vitamins and minerals since I have GI issues/malabsorption. I have never had a cardiologist, rheumatologist, genetecist, physiatrist, or orthopedist who did not say that not exercising was an option. Forgot to mention I have had 2 sleep studies--both show hypersonmia, excessive daytime sleepiness, mild narcolepsy. I do not get into the stage IV (deep stage) of sleep and have very little REM sleep. What little sleep I get is light (stage II) and even in that I had nearly 200 interruptions of alpha waves (waves that tell you 'wake up. it's time to get up') in my sleep. I had the all night/day studies both times/different places. They also detect things that you may not be aware of that interfere with restorative sleep like restless legs or obstructive sleep apnea. Because of the test results, my rheume started me on sleeping agent--but the ones that got me to sleep quicker only lasted (with me) til about 2 a.m. and it was like somebody turned the lights on. One of them, I had sleep walking, talking and eating (before the literature/even sleep doctors were alerted to this side effect). So I take old time one--gentler but takes so much longer (and sometimes misses the window of opportunity) to get me to sleep and then I am still tired/sleepy in the day. But I figure any night time sleep is better than none. While sleep hygiene tells you not to nap more than 20 min. and not past 2 or so in the afternoon, my sleep doctor told me that rather than use big guns (there are Rxs) to get me to sleep and then another Rx to make me more alert (in day), since I don't work outside the home to go ahead and nap when I need to (I still have to fight late afternoon/early evening battle body craves sleep).
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