Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Tramadol - CAN'T SLEEP

Nods.

Excellent suggestions, except that I don't drink alcohol. It makes me break out in humiliating circumstances. But I will try the calcium. Thanks.

For doc to have documentation that I'm taking the drugs I am prescribed and no others. I am on a contract for pain meds. Protects both of us. At a minimum, I get tested, unannounced, once a year. In 18 months, I've been tested 3 times including the initial visit. I don't have a problem with it, though. The docs don't want to be in trouble and don't want their patients in trouble, either. It must be tough to find a pain management doctor in your area, huh? I hope it doesn't come to that around here.

It is hard to find a pain mgmt MD here - but she's a good one, so I'm lucky. I have never had to sign a contract, but that's probably because I can't ever seem to work up to a therapeutic dose of anything. Maybe I should just stop expecting narcotics to act like NSAIDS and get over myself.

This is what I really want. A new drug.

How about a new duck?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgNItW2O3-Q

If you can take benadryl at bedtime that might help.

Tramadol works great for me but it does make me wired- I see it as a good thing cause it knocks out the fatigue which is sometimes worse than the pain for me. Because of this I try to avoid taking it after late afternoon, it can last up to 6 hours for me so it gets me to bedtime.
Before going no starch I had to take it around the clock- I had to take benadryl with it at nite to sleep.
MaryCay

Thanks MaryCay. Benadryl keeps me awake as well. I have what is frequently called "paradoxical reactions" to almost all meds. Most recently tramadol, but NSAIDS now cause massive inflammation in my whole body. That's the reason for my search for a narcotic that makes me not so clumsy and stupid as oxycodone.

Bwwwaaahahahaaaa!!!

forgive me, i know i should know this.......

muscle relaxants?

i couldn't tolerate flexeril.....turned me into zombie marshmallow man for several days at time.

but zanaflex, drops my BP ~1 hour after taking it, zonks me out for ~1 hour or so after that, then the BP comes back, i feel back to normal, and the muscle relaxant properties last ~5-6 hours. so its excellent for getting some sleep. if i need it in the daytime, i have to time it well. but i do use it for scans appointments, the dentist, anything that requires me being in one position for too long.

for me, part of my pain is muscle spasms, so zanaflex helps that.

and the sleep inducing part is a nice side effect at bedtime.

some people have mentioned liking skelaxan.

if you are on them, or have already trialed them, then ignore this.

before zanaflex, it was a hot bath or shower before bed, which did similar things for me as the muscle relaxant. now its often both zanaflex and a shower, though sometimes its just the zanaflex. or start in the recliner with the heating pad before bed. or start in bed with the heated mattress pad on.....