Can't sleep... ow ow ow

[Blackbird]

So... I am flaring up now (Crohn's Colitis) and I have been off my remicade and am not due in to see my rheumatologist until the end of April (thank you gastro guy for not sending in the referral till a month after I saw you! grrrr). I'm sure they will all agree to put me on Humira in the coming months. The arthritis is hitting all the areas of my ribcage back and front making it painful even to take in a breath. Also, it is worse when I lie down and god forbid I want more than three hours of sleep at a stretch I have dilaudid for pain management but I am wary of taking too much as I have already a higher tolerance for it and I know what it is like coming off high doses (ugh)... any suggestions? If I could just get some sleep I think I would manage the pain much better. I have a high pain threshold, generally. Should I ask my GP for sleeping pills? I am trying gentle yoga and I am really not one for the meds after having had so many all these years but I want to SLEEEEEP! Thank you for reading my rant... I hate feeling whiny but wow I am tired. Any advice would be most welcome.

 

[KayleighMeek]

Sorry to hear you're having a horrible time at the moment. I have been there with the arthritis pain, just when your dozing off you move and the pain shocks you back awake. I used loads of pillows propped up around me and under where needed to keep me supported and to stop me moving as much in sleep because that would wake me up. Also I sometimes have a warm bath before bed as it helps me relax a lot more and eases the pain slightly I just needed some help getting in and out lol.
Hope you can start the humira soon and get rid of the pain x

 

[Blackbird]

Thank you, KayleighMeek. Yes, I find pillows helpful and have even attempted sleeping in a chair lol. I do feel better after a bath. If I could get even 4 hours of sleep right through I think it would really help. I just keep waking up and once awake, I'm up for an hour it seems. Thank you again, I appreciate your advice.

 

[KayleighMeek]

That's ok sorry I couldn't help anymore. It can be frustrating to wait for the medication I usually find that's the only thing that makes a lot of difference. I did recently have steroid injections which helped whilst waiting for a new med that I have been started on to work. It made the waiting for the meds to start working a lot easier to deal with. X

 

[afidz]

Hello!
I don't have arthritis per say, I have some form of it that comes along with Crohn's ( I never understood that part from my GI) But I get horrible back, neck and joint pain, I wasn't sleeping much because the pain was awful. I was put on an anti-inflammatory, and the it was like the difference between night and day. I know having Crohn's you can't take most anti-inflamatories, I was given a patch that I put over my post painful area. Maybe this would help?

 

[SkinnyNinny]

I have similar symptoms and also feeling frustrated. I told my doc about it and he gave me sleeping pills. After the first night I was so groggy I couldn't do to work. After that I was waking up in the middle of the night. I've stopped taking them, but my pain is just as bad. I don't really want to take pain medication, though it does work to an extent it just has bad side effects. I feel the doctor doesn't know what to recommend and I dread going to bed at night! I wish I had some advice, but it's the same. Pain all around my ribs, it's hard to tell if the pain is originating from my colon or my bones. Pain goes away during the day, so I'm guessing it's the bones. During the day I have taken an acetominophen and iboprofen together (Tylenol and Motrin) and they usually work great however it gives me wicked diarrhea, so I would never take it before going to bed otherwise I would have an accident for sure. Also have been doing some medical marijuana but have been cutting back because it keeps me awake.