[mickey66]

Zometa and sleeplessness

by mickey66 on Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:09 pm

Hey all,

I've been lurking on this site all summer and have gotten so much helpful information. Now it's my turn to do the asking.

Since diagnosis, I haven't really had a great night's sleep, which I attribute to several different factors. One, I was in a cervical collar due to a fracture in the C2 vertebra (this led to the diag­nosis). Two, of course, the constant overthinking of the disease ... even in sleep!! And last, I'm sure the drugs are a part of the problem. I finished the induction phase approximately 3 weeks ago and am scheduled for a stem cell transplant (SCT) in mid October.

Yesterday, I had my first round of Zometa ... Per all the info on the forum, I felt as if I pre­pared myself as best as I could – hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, along with Tylenol. I went to work today, with a touch of aches and pains in my bones and joints. Nothing that would keep me home, though!!

My question is this: What does everyone take for sleep?? It's driving me nuts not to have a good nights rest.

I have read Benadryl (diphenhydramine), and last night I took 2 melatonin tablets, which didn't seem to phase me a bit. I have a couple of Xanax (alprazolam) that I would like to try. Anybody try this with Zometa or any other meds that you are taking?

I'm almost desperate!! (Plus, I'm sure my family and students would like for me to be well rested!)

Thanks in advance,
Mickey

[kjpoppit]

Re: Zometa and sleeplessness

by kjpoppit on Thu Sep 10, 2015 10:36 pm

Hi Mickey,

I had many nights of poor sleep initially after diagnosis and during my initial treatment. I was prescribed Ambien. This may not be the choice of some people, but it really helped me. The dex would cause me sleep difficulty, but I also couldn't turn my mind off. I did a lot of thinking about the disease and life and family. I have somehow managed to control my out of control thoughts. It comes with time.

I hope you find something that helps,

Kim

[Ian]

Re: Zometa and sleeplessness

by Ian on Fri Sep 11, 2015 5:14 am

Hi Mickey,

There are a lot of recommendations for how to deal with sleep issues in this forum thread from about a year ago:

"Help with dexamethasone-related sleep problems?"

You also might find a few other recommendations by searching the forum using keywords such as "sleep", "insomnia", "sleeplessness", etc.

Cheers!

[Tracy J]

Re: Zometa and sleeplessness

by Tracy J on Sat Sep 12, 2015 1:12 pm

Hi and sorry you need to be here, but I'm glad you found the forum. There's nothing like sharing your experience with people who really get it.

I have also had trouble with sleep ever since diagnosis. It's a combination of physical discomfort, dexamethasone, and anxiety/ depression. Here's what I do for sleep:

Exercise
Meditation
Melatonin
Benadryl OR
Ambien

Works pretty well for me, but it took a while to figure it out.