☼ Hello. mammaP checking in!

[MrAnxious]

Hey mamma have you ever tried coconut oil for your psoriasis, it has many healing properties both ingested and externally

[MaryKA]

Hi mammaP, I've been catching up on all your posts from mid-Nov onwards. Hopefully you are sleeping now while I type here at 5.30 am!! I don't have sleep problems much, not like you, and can usually cope well enough, but it is hard on the body. Glad you can have cosy jim jam days!

 

I really enjoy your sense of humour and the way you give love to your family. And get it in return!

[mattinsmom]

Have you started your taper? And if so how are you feeling with it? And sleep, has it come to visit?

Just checking in on you. 

[mammaP]

Hey mamma have you ever tried coconut oil for your psoriasis, it has many healing properties both ingested and externally

No I haven't tried coconut oil Mr A, I have some in so will give it a shot. It's worse on my scalp and I feel like

shaving my hair off so I can coat it in soothing oils! It will settle again, it usually does, I'll use the coconut oil

and leave it on a while before shampooing. Thanks for the tip.   Just remembered, I once used cocoa butter

It took a week before it was all out of my hair   (And did nothing for the psoriasis) 

 

 

Hi mammaP, I've been catching up on all your posts from mid-Nov onwards. Hopefully you are sleeping now while I type here at 5.30 am!! I don't have sleep problems much, not like you, and can usually cope well enough, but it is hard on the body. Glad you can have cosy jim jam days!

 

I really enjoy your sense of humour and the way you give love to your family. And get it in return!

 

Have you started your taper? And if so how are you feeling with it? And sleep, has it come to visit?

Just checking in on you. 

 

Still not sleeping much but a little bit better, drift in and out of sleep so getting maybe 2 hours.

I can cope with that if it's 2 hours solid but it's broken so not refreshing at all really. Like 

everything else, it's transient and will pass eventually.  It's good to see you Mary  

 

I dropped to 2 beads but only for 1 day then decided to stick with 3 for a bit longer after Rhi

pointed out that it could be withdrawal making the insomnia worse. Don't want to rock the boat! 

Will play it by ear and see how it goes. I do feel like the side effects are getting me again and

that made me want to drop a bead, but not sleeping is will be making me feel rotten too. I'll

see how I feel when I can sleep. I couldn't sleep while taking it though, and sleep got better as

I was tapering.  Still, it will get better eventually, there's always the mallet in the shed   

[wulfgar]

Hi,

 

Have you tried vitamin d for psoriasis? Here is some interesting stuff:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22103655/

http://www.medhelp.org/lib/psor.htm

 

There are some creams out there with the active form of vitamin D that are effective. Select the brand which has the highest concentration.

 

PS: If you are low in vitamin D, start out with a low dose in the morning when supplementing or your sleep might be affected.

 

Wulfgar.

[mammaP]

Thank you Wulfgar, that is very interesting! I think I will be trying  vitamin d cream. 

 

Last night my car was vandalised . I should have moved it off the road being new years eve but totally forgot.

I was feeling really rubbish, very down and tired but made myself get dressed and go out. Took a packed lunch

to eat by the beach and then saw the damage. It isn't major but sickened me anyway. I knew it would happen 

if I left the car where it was but forgot. Not much sleep either, ironically I was so relaxed and sleepy but the revellers

were out in force and VERY noisy.  Normal for this time of year and folk just having fun all night long. The neighbours

weren't fighting either, would have been a good nights sleep  . I feel that my insomnia stretch might be abating, I 

hope so, 3-4 hours will do, hopefully tonight will be peaceful and I will be out for the count zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

[mattinsmom]

I'm sorry about your car. There is no reason for acts of destruction. And I'm sorry that you still haven't found a few hours of sleep. Prayers and wishes that tonight you drift into peaceful sleep.

[mammaP]

Thanks Amy, sadly when people here have too much to drink they turn into yobs! The UK is well

known for it 

 

Feel terrible today, no sleep again apart from around 45 mins. I went to sleep and woke up again,

checked the clock and less than an hour had passed.  I'm exhausted, in pain and getting a cold to boot.

This WILL pass, I keep telling myself that! 

[bubble]

Dear MammaP,

 

sending you some positive energy 'sitting' in my little window after a long and ugly wave.

 

I just wrote to Nikki how these short, cold and dark days make things even more difficult for us (and general 'merriness' seems to serve the purpose of setting off how we feel, for a better contrast).

 

Every December I start looking at the calendar with the sun rising and sun setting times. It gives me comfort days are getting longer minute by minute, we are getting out of the dark... but it's haaaard and painfully slow.

 

I had a very strong urge to drop my Xanax by 5 % but managed to resist it thanks to the support I received here. It's an incredible experience. Even my boyfriend was encouraging me but the SA has more authority for me

 

it's nice to be part of this community MammaP...

 

Sorry I can't be of more help except sending lots of love,

 

bubble

[mammaP]

Thank  you Bubble, I agree that this is the best place to be for what we are going through. I

don't know where I would be if I hadn't found SA! 

 

I've read some of today's posts but can't concentrate so I am sorry for not replying to any.

I'm so tired I am going to bed right now at 3.30 in the afternoon and will stay there as long as it takes.

Hopefully will sleep away the next 2 days, lol. 

 

I hope everyone is coping and not beyond what they can bear. 

Squishy Mamma hugs for all who needs one. xx

[Sweetcreature]

Have a nice rest MP hope you're ok x

[mammaP]

Thank you SC. I actually slept for 4 hours!! Very strange sleep with vivid dreams and again not sure what was real

but I consciously knew to go with it and not fight it. It was still much needed SLEEEEP so the weirdness wasn't 

inportant. Still feeling sleep deprived and dizzy but much better for it. I've run a bath and waiting for it to cool a bit

then will go back to bed and see if sleep comes again. I can feel that tomorrow will be better. Itis amazing the

difference just 4 hours sleep makes to me! 

[mattinsmom]

Wishing you a wonderful soak and a sweet sleep. 

[mattinsmom]

I just read on another post that you did not sleep last night and are feeling pretty lousy today. I'm sorry that you feel so awful. Sending a m&m hug.

[Rhiannon]

Hi Mamma, taking one of those squishy mamma hugs and giving one back! I so appreciate your presence on this board, your good advice and your compassion. You inspire me. 

[mammaP]

Thank you Rhi and Amy, those hugs are very much appreciated.

Last night I stayed up until very late so I wouldn't be just lying there thinking, then went to bed and 

listened to a relaxing story on my sunrise/set clock. All comfy and sleepy then drifted off in no time.

1.5 hour later I was woken by a loud buzzer which stopped the instant I opened my eyes. There was 

no buzzer it was in my dream. That was it then, couldn't get back to sleep again! Yesterday I felt ill

and exhausted, couldn't do very much and didn't even get dressed. Forced myself to get up today and in

the shower, Had a short walk to the shop across the street and I feel a bit better now. 

This will pass, I keep telling myself that! 

 

It isn't new and I'm not sure it's withdrawal because it's been happening like this all my life. I can't sleep

and become sick and tired, weird dreams and sensations, sudden waking as if there's been a loud noise.

Night after night of no sleep until I am dizzy, sick and fainting. 

 

Then suddenly it's over, I never get more than 4 hours, but that is amazing after weeks of fragmented sleep! 

 

I thik this phase has gone long enough now and may be on it's way out. I hope so! 

[tezza]

Hi Mamma, I'm so sorry you're having this trouble sleeping. I don't sleep the best, either...never did. I feel the same as you after two nights of bad sleep, dizzy, nauseous...it's awful, I hope you get some much needed rest soon.

 

HUGS!!!

[Sweetcreature]

I feel terrible today, I am in pain, exhausted and want to cry, if I hadn't learned so much here I would be calling 

the doctor and getting something to make me feel sleep. That would knock me back months or even years so 

I am just riding it. We all have to ride it too in order to get better. 

 

So sorry to hear this MammP.  Get better x

[mammaP]

Thank you SC, it's lovely of you to pop by. I'm sorry if I seemed a little short with you on your thread, 

I didn't mean to come across that way. I hope you are doing ok. 

 

I am still struggling with sleep, I can fall asleep but wake within an hour or so and have no idea

what wakes me sometimes. Then can't get back off again. I am going to try the spare room tonight,

make up the bad with my favourite bedding, and put a topper on the mattress because it is  too hard.

I'm hoping that the change will help in some way. 

 

I can't figure out what it is, My BP is all over the place too, it was a bit high Sunday evening, then

yesterday went to the coffee shop and almost fainted. Came home and BP was very low. If I had

taken the bp med it would have been even lower. 

 

It seems my body isn't producing the right hormones or whatever. Very odd. I am reluctant to go

to the gp because 3 of them have said different things and will no doubt come away with a 

prescription for something I really do not want. 

 

I shouldn't do this because it's 3.30 in the afternoon but I am going to bed, it is calling me     ! 

[Meimeiquest]

MP, this has been so long...I am so sorry. I have not had anything like this, but I started sleep problems from puberty. Then years without problems (except working nights, a nightmare) as I spent very little time in bed, although I would dream anxiously about work a lot.

 

Anyway, I read a book on social rhythm therapy as a treatment for mood disorders. I have been getting up at 5:30 a.m. (Or earlier--this sure hasn't stopped my insomnia) every day, and it has really helped me a lot. I am often tired and other WD symptoms, but my mood is much steadier. It doesn't have to be so early, I just have to get up early for work some days so had to make it consistent. Under this therapy it just needs to be consistent. And anything else you can make consistent is supposed to help as well. Just a thought, as I feel so bad for you.

[wulfgar]

How long have you been on Omeprazole? For me, that drug is total poison. It can effect blood pressure, among many many things.

[Altostrata]

A lot of people take omeprazole unnecessarily. It's another prescription doctors throw out like candy. Over time, it can cause very serious depletion of vitamin B12, which is crucial to neurological functioning.

[mammaP]

I've been taking omeprazole for years, 10 at least! I was given it to protect my stomach from meds,

plus a hiatus hernia. The hernia I could keep on top of but meds always seem to set things off. 

When I had gallstones omeprazole was doubled then I reduced it after the op. I was taking gaviscon 

too and would swig it from the bottle when the gallstones were still in residence but haven't needed

that since the op.. 

I've been tapering the omeprazole by removing beads for a week or so now. I am a bit worried about

that to be honest, I am also taking tramadol which is hard on the stomach. The problems I've had 

from acid and meds have been huge. Twice I got pneumonia from inhaling acid and once had a bleed

which was very scary so I am a bit anxious about setting all that off again. Any tips on that would be

very welcome. Maybe it would be better to use gaviscon instead. 

 

Still no change with sleep. Went to bed yesterday afternoon but didn't sleep. Bed at 10.30pm, I was

falling asleep on the sofa but by the time I went got in to bed was wide awake again! Gave up at 6.00

and got up, had breakfast but couldn't function or even hold my head up so went back to bed and just

laid there, finally drifted off for an hour. My brain just does not want to sleep for more than an hour, in 

my head I am alert when the lights are out and it's just me and my imagination, but as soon as I get out

of bed I can't function.  If I listen to the meditation or white noise I can fall asleep but don't stay asleep,

once the light goes down and the noise stops I wake up. It never goes on this long, I go through these

phases and always have but not so little sleep for so long.  After a few days of broken sleep I would

have an 'all nighter' and stay up all night. That usually sorted me out and I would sleep the following night

but I can't stay up, my body won't let me.

It has to end soon, the body is marvellous and it will sleep eventually. I remember when I was little my 

dad wouldn't wake up one day. My mum called the doctor who said he was exhausted after working 2 jobs 

and having no sleep. Dad slept for 2 whole days!  Now THAT would be sheer bliss. 2 days of zzzzzzzzzzzzzzs

 

My poor dad didn't think it was bliss though! 

[wulfgar]

Good that you taper omeprazole. After such a long time you wold get rebound stoping abruptly. Rebound lasts between 4 weeks to three months on abrupt stop. So taper for three-four months might be in order or just taper gradualy to lower dose maybe...

 

For acid problems i use sodium bicarbonate (used in baking). 1/4-1/2 tea spoon in a glass of water. Take it two hours after meals up to 15 min before meals. It also helps with equalizing acid load on your body. Might give you loose stools though, when taken to much. Also use calcium/magnesium based antiacids, think they are harmless. Gaviscone when going to bed worked for me, and less side effects.

 

You can also make own probiotics. I made lots of probiotics when gastritis was bad. Think it helped a lot. Quite easy to do from probiotic pills you buy. One pill in a litre of milk, keep it at 35-41 degrees celcius ,and you have hundreds of pills worth of probiotics.

 

I think one problem with omeprazole is that it lowers acid when eating as well, when you need acid for digestion and to kill off bacteria.

 

I dont know much about tramadol, but have eaten lots of nsaid pills that where terrible on my digestive system. Doctors prescribed me omeprazole. although helping with the stomache pain, but side effects where awful for me. I took ranitidine instead of omeprazole for a while, it worked, and had much less side effects for me. Swedish meat soup was the only thing i could eat for several months. I can give you the recipie if you like. Verry nice on the stomache!

 

As for sleep, im clueless at the moment. I have tried so many things through the years, somtime i think it works, and then all of a suden, it works the opposite. Some times i try doing nothing att all about my sleep. It works some times as well. The only thing i think made a little difference was getting my vitamin d level corrected. Thats not a quick fix though, it takes a month or two to get your levels up.

 

You can have an hour or two of sleep from me, just tell me where to send it!

[Meimeiquest]

MammaP, I think digestive enzymes and/or organic apple vinegar help some people. Because a healthy GI tract leads to a healthy vagus nerve function, straightening out your GI system might help your sleep.....we can always hope, leading to spending a fortune in supplements .

[mattinsmom]

I am so sorry that you aren't sleeping. Last night I started to fall asleep on the couch, got up for bed, and was wide awake as soon as my ass hit the sheets. Then my mind wandered too and pretty soon I was in total meltdown until 2:30ish. I would have thought that would have done it but it didn't. At some point I fell asleep because I woke up. I try two things that sometimes work for me - 1, a website called "themoth.com". It is simply people telling stories. The stories are short and and you don't have to really pay attention. The second thing, and this might sound weird, is I put a heating pad on low and cover my head with it. I have no idea why it works but it works when I wake up too early. Not at night tho which I find odd.

 

I do hope that your body starts to behave and allows you to sleep. I am a wreck when my sleep gets bad and I imagine that by now you are climbing the walls. If I could sprinkle sleepy fairy dust on you I would. Since I don't, I send an m&m hug with an extra shhh, shhh, its ok to sleep whispered to your body.  

[Sweetcreature]

I'll second what Amy said MammaP - thinking of you

 

Sweetcreature x

[mammaP]

Aww thank you for all the replies everyone, I very much appreciate them all, and the hugs

are very welcome too. 

 

Well, I think that you all must have been rooting for me last night because I was still  awake at 3am,

then dozed for few minutes. I decided to give up and go out because the northern lights were 

supposed to be active. I looked at the clock and it was 7am!!  What a nice shock that was,

I had slept for 4 hours, 4 whole hours  . Still weak and wobbly but feel much better for it. 

I slept in the spare room and it was very quiet, I think maybe the traffic is waking me in my

bedroom because it's at the front. The only reason I sleep in there is the noisy neighbours! 

Think I will use the spare room again tonight if my neighbour doesn't have his girlfriend in. He's

very quiet on his own but when she is there it's like world war 3 is starting!! 

 

You are all right about the gut thing, mine is terrible. I have been trying to control the candida and

need to stick with the gaps type diet. It is so hard here, there is very little choice food wise. 

Hardly any fresh vegetables and limited fruit. A good butcher and fishmonger but no green

grocers. The only health food shop for 40 miles closed down so there isn't much choice .

 

Thanks for the offer of the recipe Wulfgar, that would be great. You could post it in the 

symptoms and self care forum then others can benefit from it too. There is a thread on

diets here. I've bumped it so it's waiting for you. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/890-scdgapspaleo-diets/page-7

 

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

Hi mammaP'

 

That sure is an encouraging post from you about the sleep, you really needed that! Unfortunate about the food choices, tho. That kinda sucks.But I know you do the best that you can. Sure glad to hear from you and I love the graphic you posted too. Computers can really be a life line in these hard times.

[alex]

Very good news mamma!!!

 

Cling to that experience;time and nature will do the rest.........

[mammaP]

Slept again last night but still feel exhausted! This phase of insomnia has really knocked me for 6. 

I tried going to bed a few times today but the doorbell  wouldn't let me sleep   Maybe 

that was a good thing because I am tired enough to sleep tonight now. 

 

A very old friend called, she was firing questions at me and suggesting different meds for different things.

She is always at the doctors and always comes away with prescriptions which always have side effects

then gets more prescriptions for side effects, and she was trying to convince me to try some of them! 

 

Then after an hour and a half she said " oh dear you look stressed, have you got anything for it?" 

 

She was telling me about some of her anxiety symptoms and I know from what I have learned here that

it is side effects causing it but had to keep quiet in case she decided to cold turkey some of her many

meds. After 2 hours she said goodbye and I fell into bed completely drained. 5 minutes later the bell rang

again and she was back because she forgot to ask me about the cordial I use.

That needed a detailed explanation about why I get that one, ( because she wants to buy the same one but

there is cheaper available filled with additives, then WHY I don't buy the stuff) . By the time she left again

I was at screaming point. Fell back into bed and 10 minutes later the bell went again. Groaned and dragged

myself up AGAIN muttering to myself that I just want to be left alone, it was the delivery man with my new car part

and I can get it fixed so I was glad I didn't ignore it! 

 

Another hour and I will be in my magnesium bath with a lavender candle burnng then into my warm cozy bed for

a hat trick of 3 nights of sleeping.   

 

Just remembered, I got some of those amber glasses and wear those in the evening, maybe they are helping   

[mattinsmom]

I'm so happy you are sleeping! I have always found that the sleep after a bout of insomnia always leaves me feeling tired. I think it is my body remembering how sleep deprived it is. Here's rooting for another night!  

[mammaP]

Thank you again everyone. I had some good sleep again last night and felt really tired

this morning but felt better as the day went on, which is normal for me anyway. I think

I'm getting back on track thank goodness. I would love to have 8 hours every night,

I've no clue what that feels like but can imagine how much better I would feel. Maybe 

when this tapering is all over I will be able to sleep like a baby. Maybe that isn't a good 

analogy, my babies didn't sleep, that's when my sleep really went to pot and never recovered! 

 

Before that I would be out late and up early for work so didn't get much sleep. That was a lifestyle

choice though  . When I was a child I remember sitting my siblings in a circle reading them

stories. Mum came and found us, siblings asleep all over the floor and I was still reading to them. 

It was midnight  .  

 

Tomorrow I am going away for a couple of days. I have a routine hospital appointment Monday and

it is so far away that I am staying nearby, will see a movie and maybe find new boots in the sales

if there are any left.  . 

[Narcissus]

 

I would love to have 8 hours every night,

I've no clue what that feels like but can imagine how much better I would feel. 

 

It feels great!  But do you what what feels even better?  10!  

 

I'm glad you're feeling back on track, I hope you're going somewhere very pastoral and calming.

 

I really appreciate you reaching out in my thread, thank you very much for that.

[alex]

Thank you again everyone. I had some good sleep again last night and felt really tired

this morning but felt better as the day went on, which is normal for me anyway. I think

I'm getting back on track thank goodness

 

That is very good news mammaP!!

 

I t definitely gets SLOWLY better.

 

Hugs, A.

[mammaP]

My time away was a welcome change but exhausting and the hospital turned into another 

heap of stress as it always does! No boots in the sales my size, except gorgeous platforms with

6 inch stillettos and studs.  Was very good and left them on the shelf

I found an absolute bargain wool knitted  coat, alpaca and merino wool. £195 on the ticket.

Lots of sale tickets stuck on top of each other as it was reduced further and further.

I grabbed it at £4 !!! It had a hole at the back of the neck, under the collar. I went to the hotel

and used an earring hook to fix it, now it's like new, so I am really happy with my bargain posh coat.  

 

The hotel was nice but very very hot and no way of turning down the heat or open windows so a sleepless

night, it's a good thing I had a couple of nights sleep beforehand. 

 

Now the hospital. For years they've been  at loggerheads, one doc saying one thing, another something else.

Bottom line is that I suffered injury during surgery 12 years ago. Everyone can see it, it is obvious. One leg 

appears much shorter than the other, but it isn't. This is where docs can't agree.

"spine twisted" x 2 docs. 

"Wrong size prosthesis" 1 doc.

"tilted pelvis" x 2 docs.

 Meantime scans and x rays show hot spots in my thigh bone marrow.

" osteomyelitis" x 2 docs

 "bone cancer"  1 doc. Test after test inconclusive, then 2 years ago seriously ill with septicaemia in a different hospital.

 No apparent seat of infection was found. Weeks in hospital with multiple organ failure and IV anti biotics.

6 months ago they said the lesions  are arthritis and the leg appeared shorter because of the way I walk. So off I go 

for physiotherapy, which made no difference whatsoever. Still in pain, still limping along. 

 

Yesterday was a review following the physio. I was in a LOT of pain, aggravated by shopping. (Intentional I might add.

so they can see how it is when I've been on my feet for an hour!) 

 

Yet ANOTHER doctor. Ordered even more x rays. These show changes in the bone since last year. Poosible infection

in the hip joint AND the knee joint. ( Both prosthetic)  So now I'm back on the merry go round of  scans and tests.

I went in there ready to tell them that I don't want my other hip replaced thank you very much, they've done enough damage!

That is what they were offering 6 months ago, physio to strengthen muscles, then surgery to replace the other arthritic hip.

Now something else has shown up to add to what is already there. I really don't want to go for any more tests or scans. 

The tests are excruciating and inject radioactive stuff into veins and dyes into joints. If it's infection I face weeks of IV antibiotics,

then they would remove the joint(s) and pack the bone (whats left) with anti biotic "stuffing" for 3 months before replacing them.

I just do not trust them, not one bit!