How to sleep with severe pain in the early hours?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I'll try to be a bit vague as to not out myself, but what else can I do to help myself?

Awaiting surgery for painful condition. I'm on co-codamol and anti inflammatories. I'm coping in the day time, but at night I wake up crying in pain around 4am. I guess the painkillers are wearing off by then.

I'm reaching the end of my tether after3 months of this. Pain before, but not on this level.I literally don't know what to do. I asked my gp via e consult for help. was written a prescription for the same thing. Now it's nearly Christmas, so Ive probably left it too late.

I feel like an utter drama queen, but it's affecting my ability to think clearly. I don't want Christmas to be even crappier than it is.

Is it back related?? Can you push back later when you take painkillers? Can you have water and tablets by your bed so when you wake up you can take them? At least psychologically you may be able to relax more knowing pain relief will kick in soon maybe? Jabbing suffered chronic pain that wakes me for past two months you have my sympathy, it is truly exhausting and wears you down. Is it worth phone consult with GP for any longer lasting slow release tablets?

Hi, sounds like you're having a terrible time. Difficult to give advice without knowing what part of you is sore but your description sounds like the way I was with sciatica last year. Heat made a big difference to tide me over, as did nerve painkillers like gabapentin. They're not going to make the pain go but do help until the surgery. TENS machine also helped too intermittently, I got one off Amazon for about £30. I'd recommend one that has wire connections for the pads so you can choose where to get replacement supplies as the ones with stud buttons or specific model pads are more expensive.
Hope you feel better xx

I would bypass e consult and call your surgery, my GP was really helpful on the phone

Sciatic pain here too! It’s truly horrible

Oh you have my utmost sympathy. I had this for months this year. I have RA and had chemo for breast cancer. This resulted in the biggest flare up ever. I would fall asleep in exhaustion and wake up at 2am with pain everywhere.
Can you take naproxen? Gp might give you something stronger. Otherwise I found it better to take the max dose of paracetamol and codeine separately.
Hot water bottles, volterol gel, anything I could find. Although it barely took the edge off. Also maybe an antihistamine to help you sleep?

ok, if anyone knows me, pretend you don't please. I have no idea why I still pretend to be anonymous on here. It's my shoulder, but the pain is going down into my hand.

Painkillers by the bed is a good idea. At least now I've got a week off, I can try and get to sleep after. I've just been giving up.

I think something like gabapentin might be a good idea - it does feel like nerve pain on top of the other pain. Maybe I should try a tens machine too.

I have this with my endometriosis, I’m lucky it’s only a few days a month that I wake up with the pain. I’ve been told to ask the GP for tramadol, diclofenac, naproxen, amitriptoline, gabapentin or dihydrocodeine- hopefully there’s a painkiller out there that will help you more than co-codamol. For me heat pads really help too.

Endo too and diclofenac is a wonder drug for pain

Oh and I keep the painkillers by the bed and take them as soon as I wake up at night, can usually get back to sleep about an hour later.

Hugs chronic pain is just rotten,

Poor you, sounds like nerve pain. It’s definitely worth speaking with your GP, I take amitriptyline which is good for nerve pain and also helps with the sleep, does take 3 weeks to reach maximum efficacy so not sure when your surgery is.

I think you are right FVFrog. E consult is crap. 6 million questions and then you get a two line response that ignores everything you said.

That sounds horrid Phyzzy. I have psoriatic arthritis. I'm on naproxen, on top of my methotrexate. I've obviously struggled with pain stuff for a long time, but I think it's the combo of lots of pain and a fear of it being for a very long time that's got to me.

Hopefully next month, but I think it's likely to be cancelled.

Thanks for being so lovely everyone. It's made me cry. Right basket case I am.

Definitely go and talk to someone, mine is much more short term, but feeling there is no end in sight is awful. Sending you positive thoughts for a good nights sleep tonight!

Can you change the timing of your drugs, so that you take a dose half hour before bed, and another during the night? Perhaps spacing them further apart in the day if the pain isn't so bad then? Night time is the worst as there are no distractions.

What time do you take your bedtime pain killer? Could you try taking it a little earlier, then set an alarm for before 4am to take the next lot? Sometimes your body can get into a habit of waking at a certain time and the pain can be coincidental (as in the pain was there anyway but because you are awake you know about it).

Oybbk I have psoriatic arthritis too. I have tramadol Sr 200 twice a day when bad, naproxen full whack, amitriptyline, paracetamol, pregablin. Amitriptyline would be a good start as even a fairly low dose will knock you out at first and that's what you need! There's almost certainly nerve pain from that shoulder as you describe it so you need a nerve pain drug on top of your cocktail. It's shit shoulder pain is horrid

Weed.

I've been taking naproxen at 7am and 7pm, cocodamol exactly at bed time then paracetamol in the other doses so my brain can function.mIn the day Id rather be in pain than groggy I think. But maybe I could take co-codamol earlier, then take some more in the early hours. My gp wants me to take it through the day.

I think you are right Lougle, some of the waking is coincidental. Sometimes I'm sat bolt upright crying before I've even woken up.

I'm not great with amitriptyline - speeds my heart up a lot, but I've never tried anything like pregabalin.

I genuinely thought about weed, but I've no idea where to even start. I live a sheltered life.

Tonight, I'm trying a shot of whisky. Not ideal, maybe I should save it for 4am!

I feel like an utter drama queen, but it's affecting my ability to think clearly.

No, not a drama Queen, I can totally relate to this. I've got very severe Rheumatoid Arthritis. By this, I mean it's badly out of control and I'm in a cycle of constant flare ups and have been for months. I'm usually kicked awake by it at 3am and there is mo way I can stay in bed and tolerate the pain.

It's less than ideal, but I get up and slip downstairs and take my painkillers and busy myself either having a read online or popping on You Tube and watching a concert (Chris Deburgh the other morning, he really is very good!! ).

I'm sure you know this, but don't just take the painkillers when you feel you need to. I was told by my Rheumatologist to take them at the specific intervals so they build up. I'd get on the phone to your GP and get a prescription electronically sent to the pharmacy, they can turn them around pretty quickly.

Chris DeBurgh.

I usually try and lie in bed so I don't disturb dh, but that can be a bit miserable.

I think getting up can help, then going back to bed when you're ready - there is nothing worse than laying in bed, knowing you should be asleep, but actually being wide awake.

Do you think you could be having withdrawals from the cocodomol? It jumped out at me in terms of the timings your struggling with.

I should try that over Christmas I think, when there isn't the alarm pressure.
I'm going to have a go at sleeping. Thank you for all the advice and kind words.