Insomnia

[Chrystalwuzhere]

I'm like one of those people you hear about on television who only sleeps a couple of hours a night most times. Makes it really hard when you have to work and have a structured life. After a while of not sleeping, you start to have a breakdown in health and well-being. Your thoughts fragment, you become emotional, forgetful, irritable, clumsy, unable to read or even think clearly. When I try to read, I only catch fragments of things, and then try to put them together. It makes studying Scripture impossible.

I've been on sedatives for a while, but they no longer work. Before surgery, I told the anesthesiologist my problem and he said, "Don't take two! You've built up tolerance to them. Go to the doctor and get something else." So, back to the doctor I go. It only took me 4 and 1/2 weeks to do so. I have an appointment at 11:00 a.m. this morning. *sigh* I'd like to sleep without sedatives, but know that's not going to happen, not unless the Lord intervenes.

My doctor referred me to a sleep specialist, but I simply can't afford that right now. So, I'll continue to struggle along until I can go. I have state health insurance, which is much better than most insurance plans, but the premiums went up and it's now $60 copay for a specialist. While that doesn't sound too bad, to a poor working girl like me who has a mountain of other medical bills it is. I just can't afford that or the bills that will pile up as a result of tests and other such nonsense that will go along with it.

I have a sister-in-law who sets down on the couch and goes out like a light. My Dad is like that too. Oh, how envious I am. :feeling:

[Jessie]

I'm like one of those people you hear about on television who only sleeps a couple of hours a night most times. Makes it really hard when you have to work and have a structured life. After a while of not sleeping, you start to have a breakdown in health and well-being. Your thoughts fragment, you become emotional, forgetful, irritable, clumsy, unable to read or even think clearly. When I try to read, I only catch fragments of things, and then try to put them together. It makes studying Scripture impossible.

I've been on sedatives for a while, but they no longer work. Before surgery, I told the anesthesiologist my problem and he said, "Don't take two! You've built up tolerance to them. Go to the doctor and get something else." So, back to the doctor I go. It only took me 4 and 1/2 weeks to do so. I have an appointment at 11:00 a.m. this morning. *sigh* I'd like to sleep without sedatives, but know that's not going to happen, not unless the Lord intervenes.

My doctor referred me to a sleep specialist, but I simply can't afford that right now. So, I'll continue to struggle along until I can go. I have state health insurance, which is much better than most insurance plans, but the premiums went up and it's now $60 copay for a specialist. While that doesn't sound too bad, to a poor working girl like me who has a mountain of other medical bills it is. I just can't afford that or the bills that will pile up as a result of tests and other such nonsense that will go along with it.

I have a sister-in-law who sets down on the couch and goes out like a light. My Dad is like that too. Oh, how envious I am. :feeling:

:pray: I know that one all too well. Lord please give her rest of body and mind!

[CTZonEdit]

How do you know you will not be able to sleep w/o sedatives?

If you are unable to ever let your mind rest from the world and everything around you, then your body will suffer. If your mind is constantly racing with stress, worry, panic, depression and anxiety those factors need to be addressed.

If this is your case then you really have to retrain your thinking, not rely on drugs to stop you from thinking.

But then again I'm not a doctor and could be completely wrong, but I just feel bad you are not able to sleep. So I'll just hush-up and :pray:

[Chrystalwuzhere]

How do I know I won't be able to sleep without sedatives? Because I've been at this for years. Been to doctors. Tried the medications. Been examined, been diagnosed by more than one doc (not that I needed to be told I'm a perpetual insomniac). Sedatives have helped, but they work for a short while and then stop. I'm one of the most severe kinds of insomniacs, and it only gets worse and worse and worse with time. It is HARD to go to work on 40 minutes sleep. It adds up over time and destroys your health.

As for my thinking, I conform my thinking to God's Word, taking every thought captive. I really don't want to train myself away from that, because it's a wonderful place to be.

I'm sorry if I made this sound like it is a momentary discomfort kind of thing. This isn't something that has just popped up suddenly, it's something I have repeatedly battled against for years, and the surgery and estrogen depletion highly aggravated a bad condition that was already there (which my doctor warned me it would). I've only slept three full nights in the last 4 and 1/2 weeks. That should tell you how bad this is. My family doctor wants a sleep study done by a local sleep specialist to see exactly what my brain and other things is doing when I try to sleep. She has tried to treat the insomnia with no avail. I wish I could afford to go right now, but it is in my near future. I told her I would do it when I was fully recovered and had a little more money to spare. She seemed satisfied with that.

So, with that said...the doctor changed my medication, as usual. Since the other sedative became ineffective, there's really no need to keep taking it.

[a.baker]

:hug: I will pray for the doctors wisdom and for God to open their eyes to the core of this problem for when you can afford to go back.

It is hard for people to understand some things in life unless we ourselves are struggling with the same issue. It is frustrating on your side when you try to explain it to someone who is unknowing because they have never been there. That part I understand. It like a constant defense case is draining.

While I can't say I understand insomnia because I have never been there I can imagine. I have been many times in the past up for much too long because I had to be, not that I wanted to be. And I can't imagine living that for weeks.:(

I am sure you have ruled all other things out. Sounds like a hiding health issue. If all is right with worries and stresses like CTZ said then thats all there is left. Can you remember when this started did anything in your life change? I mean anything. I'm not trying to analyze just curious and concerned.

:pray::hug:

[CoreIssue]

CTZ is right, but, if there is some imbalance it could be medical, with the tensions making it worse.

I do know if you believe you cannot sleep without help you will not sleep.

But, if something is wrong with one's bad it does not matter how you think.

Complex and confusing at best.

A bad situation no matter how one goes at it.

:pray:

[Willy]

Been there ... :pray: :hug: ... except the estrogen depletion ... :viking:

Chrystal say:
After a while of not sleeping, you start to have a breakdown in health and well-being. Your thoughts fragment, you become emotional, forgetful, irritable, clumsy, unable to read or even think clearly. When I try to read, I only catch fragments of things, and then try to put them together. It makes studying Scripture impossible.It's been awhile ... I remember sitting on the side of my bed ... exhausted but 100% adrenalized ... the only thing I knew for sure was that my Savior was in it with me. I remember half-smiling and chuckling to myself, how I could be aware of that and feel so dis-jointed about everything else.
The worst was not being able to receive nourishment in God's Word.

... and then you write this ... below ... and I know you are going to be alright.:nod:


Chrystal says:
As for my thinking, I conform my thinking to God's Word, taking every thought captive. I really don't want to train myself away from that, because it's a wonderful place to be.
:nod::nod::nod: