Where did all the help GO??

[NateS]

Success!!

First night that I was able to stay in bed almost all night.

I woke up a few times, I remember about three, BUT only the first one got me up out of bed.

The rest I was able to just shift position and fall back asleep.

So second sleep cycle recorded having lasted 5:15 hours with an AHI of 9.50.

Total sleep time was 7:05 with a total AHI of 10:29.

Now if I can do this again for a couple of days I will then try without any pain relief.

Rich

Your perseverance is paying off, Rich!

Happy to hear it.

Regards, Nate

[racprops]

Well another fair night.

Once again I woke up early, but now I lasted 2:24 hours and had an AHI of 2.50, but again much hip pain…

And I was on my Norco…Darn….

So I got up and stayed up for about an hour and ½ and at that point took a second pill (I was told the “life time” of these are 4 to 6 hours) and I have taken my first pill an hour before bed time so it was 5 hours later.

This worked out so so I had a little stomach distress..

So back to bed and to sleep where I sleep 2:22 minutes with a AHI of .42 where I was awaken by hip pain again..and I then tried different positions, first I tried sleeping flat on my back…I did so for 48 minutes and this caused a AHI reading of 19.95 for that time…

I then tried sleeping on my right side and slept for 55 minutes and got a AHI of 1.09.

I am starting to think I need a new bed, sadly my current one is only a few years old and has a 5 inch memory form top and SHOULD be very good But this hip pain is so strong Norco cannot stop it.

Talk about a catch 22, I need to sleep on my sides but doing so causes such hip pain that I can’t…and sleeping on my back causes major AHIs.

Rich

[NateS]

Rich,

I too suffer from hip and back pain. I have found that a very mild strength vicodin helps. The Rx is:

HYDROCOD/APAP TAB 5MG-325MG
The present label says: “Take 1 tablet by mouth 4 times daily as needed.” I have never taken that many in one day and I would not recommend it.

But I try to take one only once during the day, and only one at night when it is nagging me. We sleep on a very firm Serta iComfort Genius:

I don't like the name of this website "Sleep Like the Dead" but I believe they are truly unbiased based only on user surveys:
http://www.sleeplikethedead.com/memory- ... mfort.html

Like all mattresses, there are periodic heavy discounts offered by the manufacturer.

Regards, Nate

[Sir NoddinOff]

I didn't read every single reply in this thread and therefore don't know where your back pain is coming from. However, if it's generally recurring inflammation due to age, painful joints, over exercise, bad posture, sore muscles and things like that, then you may find some relief using Glucosamine-Chondroitin supplements, an OTC product that I've been using for lower back pain for over a decade with no adverse side effects. It takes a week or two to kick in, plus you should take the FULL RECOMMENDED DOSAGE every day... don't skimp. Also, stick with the top brands, or with Walmart's version... some of the really cheap one's don't deliver full benefit. BTW, I'd be very wary of using opioids on a continuing basis. I'm sure I don't have to spell out the reasons why.

[DreamStalker]

The number of drug users and pushers on this forum is alarming. No wonder so few can cognitively look at the world collapsing around them. The global bond market bubble is bursting and nobody seems to understand or care about the consequences ... much less the causes.

[racprops]

Pain meds working slept a total of 8 hours last night with only two to three wake ups.

Felt a little better today.

Getting there.

Rich

[NateS]

Pain meds working slept a total of 8 hours last night with only two to three wake ups.

Felt a little better today.

Getting there.

Rich

Great news!

Regards, Nate

[JohnBFisher]

Rich, this is wonderful news. As you start feeling better you will feel as if you can (and should) move about a bit more. That's great. It doesn't have to be anything major. Just moving about and doing work around the house will be enough. But don't overdo it! It's the type of thing that will continue the progress of improving your health. A little bit of muscle tone and being physically tired will help you sleep even better. That in turn will help your body manage the pain (along with the painkillers). But you might find you need less of the pain killers in time.

Definitely wishing you many more nights like the last!

[racprops]

The pillow is indeed working very well.

As is the pain meds.

The only risk I feel with taking one pill at night is getting the habit of waking up nearly pain free.

Last night I got a low AHI of 2.40 and it was Hypopnea of 2.25 and CA of .15 with one wake up and a total sleep of 6:39:44.

I feel fairly good so far.

Rich

[racprops]

OK after a week of better sleep I think I can say the battle is over.

Each day I feel better. It still is a up and down thing but the highs are getting higher and the lows less low.

I hope these threads and my battle/journey will help others.

I know all of the help and suggestions I received from here and another site and from the Vender I got the second hand system from all made this possible.

Rich

[NateS]

OK after a week of better sleep I think I can say the battle is over.

Each day I feel better. It still is a up and down thing but the highs are getting higher and the lows less low.

I hope these threads and my battle/journey will help others.

I know all of the help and suggestions I received from here and another site and from the Vender I got the second hand system from all made this possible.

Rich

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[JohnBFisher]

Racprops, ditto! Congratulations on sticking to it. And on hanging in there as your body adjusts to the therapy .. and at the SAME time deal with pain that was severe enough it disturbed your sleep. Not an easy task. But you did it! And it should show others that it's possible to make the therapy work. Again, good for you. I hope you continue to see benefit .. and while I don't mind seeing you post (because you DO want to learn) .. I hope you don't feel that you need to post.

Of course, your posts are always welcome, but unlike the classic Chinese curse "May you live in 'interesting times'!", let me wish "May you live in 'dull times'!" .. .. Seriously! I really hope that you are able to enjoy and forget your sleep issues. Yup. Your new best friend is your mask. But you will get so accustomed to it that you will awaken one day and not really realize you have it on. May you enjoy many, many mornings after a good night of sleep.

[khauser]

The number of drug users and pushers on this forum is alarming. No wonder so few can cognitively look at the world collapsing around them. The global bond market bubble is bursting and nobody seems to understand or care about the consequences ... much less the causes.

This will probably fall on deaf ears, but I truly hope you do NOT ever find yourself in the kind of debilitating pain some of the other people on this forum have (including myself). With the attitude you have you'll resist help and put yourself through a miserable time, all to "stay clean".

I won't debate that a narcotic can interfere with ones ability to think, but as it turns out, so does severe pain. I'm lucky to have a handle on it that allows me to do my job...

[49er]

The number of drug users and pushers on this forum is alarming. No wonder so few can cognitively look at the world collapsing around them. The global bond market bubble is bursting and nobody seems to understand or care about the consequences ... much less the causes.

This will probably fall on deaf ears, but I truly hope you do NOT ever find yourself in the kind of debilitating pain some of the other people on this forum have (including myself). With the attitude you have you'll resist help and put yourself through a miserable time, all to "stay clean".

I won't debate that a narcotic can interfere with ones ability to think, but as it turns out, so does severe pain. I'm lucky to have a handle on it that allows me to do my job...

I totally agree. I know I have a pretty much had a negative attitude towards meds but there is no question that for some people like yourself, they are quite beneficial and I have no argument with that. And if I could find a med that helped me stay asleep on the machine throughout the whole night, I would take it in a heartbeat in spite of my concerns.

My point Dreamstalker and others is just like life in general, meds are not a black and white issue and folks who have a different point of view from us should not be condemned. As KHauser rightfully points out, we never know when we could be in a situation where we need meds and there aren't any other options.

49er

[racprops]

Well I was trying to avoid meds and took a lot of supplements.

Over the years I have tried a lot of “Natural” Cures..

NOT ONE ever seemed to work.

I really wanted them to do so and I really believed they would help, but after so many tries and no help, give me the real MEDS!!

I DID all the good things: ate fairly GOOD food, took the good supplements, hiked with the wife..did no drugs, no smoking and no drinking and still I had to have a Quad bypass.

So much for the silly wacky cures, I back with the standard Doctors.

Rich