Is Fibromyalgia Pain Keeping You Awake at Night? Treating Fibromyalgia Pain with Sleep Aids?
by Ask a Healer
Additional Pain Relief Options
Natural Fibromyalgia Remedies
Anyone who has been diagnosed with fibro can tell you that fibromyalgia pain is pervasive, intense and can be pretty much constant. Often, the pain of fibro will interfere with rest at night. If you suffer from sleepless nights due to the pain of fibromyalgia, your doctor may have prescribed a sleep aid such as Amitriptyline. This is one of the older prescription sleep aids and, in my opinion, safer than some of the newer ones but are chemical sedatives the best answer for fibro-related pain that keeps you awake? Are you educated on the risks of taking sleep sedatives longterm? The object of this report is to help you learn more about the side effects of sleeping pills, particularly the sedative amitriptyline, as well as to offer alternative medicine approaches to managing the pain of fibromyalgia.
Question on health care and healing: My fibromyalgia pain keeps me awake at night but I'm not sure I want to take the prescription sedative my doctor suggests. Is amitriptyline safe to take, so that I can sleep better at night?
Healing Facilitation Response:
I have never been a big fan of prescription sleep aids though I have used them at various times at my life. Some of them were worse than the sleep problems that caused me to resort to meds.
In fact, I've used Elavil before - which is one name for amitriptyline. I took it about 20 years ago, when I had spiraled into a deep depression on coming up against some childhood memories that I wasn't ready to face. The emotional suppression created chronic fatique, anxiety and insomnia.
I hated the way it made me feel, kind of like a zombie, but when I have spoken to other people who took it, they said it had the exact opposite effect on them.
Each person's metabolism is different so monitoring the effect a sleep aid has on you and keeping in frequent communication with your doctor are vital. Monitoring the effects of medication is not just important with sleep aids but when taking prescription drugs of any kind.
I have a very sensitive system and have never found a single prescription sedative that didn't make me feel groggy and hung over the next morning so I turned to natural sedatives for those nights when I just can't get to sleep. However, I am aware that an occasional night of insomnia and having a sleep disorder associated with fibromyalgia pain and other symptoms are two different things.
Missing good sleep long-term can make fibro symptoms even worse and make pain management much more difficult for fibromyalgia sufferers. In such cases, getting a good night's sleep (even if it is chemically induced) may sometimes be better than no sleep at all. A lack of sleep can contribute to a feelikng of chronic fatique and malaise that makes it very hard to function at mental levels throughout the day. Lack of sleep also compromises the immune system so I consider chronic insomnia to be a significant health issue, all on it's own.
Side Effects of Prescription Sleep Aids:
Chemical sedatives are often prescribed to fibromyalgia pain, to help with sleep problems.
Since you asked about amitryptyline in particular, I've gathered a bit of info on that particular sedative.
Because it is an antidepressant, amitriptyline may be more apt to be prescribed for depression but is also sometimes prescribed for insomnia.
Sometimes a doctor might prescribe an antidepressant if their patient is experiencing significant loss of sleep due to pain, even if depression is not diagnosed. There are definitely potential amitriptyline side effects you need to be aware of and watch for when taking this drug. Even though this article just deals with this one sleep aid, most chemical sedatives have some risk of dependency and/or side effects that should be considered so be sure to fully discuss all risks and potentials for reactions with any prescription sleep aid.
Side Effects of Amitryptyline ===>>> More Dangerous Sleep Aid Side Effects
Important Health Care Disclaimer: The information in this article on fibromyalgia and the sleep disruption that can often occur with fibro sufferers is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or treatment from your health care professional. Laminar Crystal Sleepers, natural sleep aids and alternative medicine therapies are suggested as avenues of exploration for adjunctive therapy and not intended to replace the advice of your chosen health care professional.
If you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or any of the related conditions including Epstein-Barr Syndrome or Chronic Fatique Syndrome, please consult with your health care professional about sleep aids, the side effects and risks, and your options for regaining restful sleep. If indicated, also consider seeing a mental health professional for tips on reducing excess stress and worry in your life or for help with emotional issues that may be exacerbating your fibromyalgia symptoms and sleep problems.
