This may be of some help.
Tunia043 - Oct 20th, 2009 11:34 AM
[ Original Post ]

So far Benedryl has been a saving grace for me when I need to get quality sleep. I can definitely tell when body is run down due to lack of sleep. I seem to ache worse (especially that awful shoulder and neck pain). However when I use one Benedryl caspule I sleep sound. I have built a tolerance to it so I am not as groggy in the morning. I noticed that my energy level is better and I can put off using pain meds for a day or so. However taking Benedryl more than twice a week can have opposite effects. (Insomnia) But even if I can sleep well once a week it is like a slice of heaven. Take care.

Comment


 

Fantod - Oct 20th, 2009 12:50 PM

Thanks for the tip! I do have one comment about taking pain meds. The longer a chronic pain issue goes on, the harder it is to manage or stop. It is better to take your meds regularly rather than starting and stopping them. It is pretty difficult to get ahead of the pain using medication in the fashion you have described. Take care.


Tired of the pain - Oct 20th, 2009 5:26 PM

There also has been alot of research into the drug AMITRYPTLINE and sleep cycles. Because with Fibromyalgia, sleep cycles are constantly being disrupted by pain making it very diffictult to obtain REM sleep where the body heals itself. Disrupted sleep cycles means no matter how many hours of sleep we think we are getting - we still wake up tired in the morning. The drug certainly has been a big help for me. It is taken in a dose in the early evening - so it does not cause drowziness in the morning. (By the way, it is also an antidepressent - but for this treatment you require much higher doses 3 times a day)