Parkinson's: Hunting for Sleep
Steven and I are dogs in the hunt. I have chased down many ways to help me sleep
better, none have worked longer than a couple of days. Steven has researched a boatload of
information about Insomnia.
I have been coming at the insomnia issue as a Parkinson's problem. Which it could be.
But
As part of the insomnia issue, in the last 4 months my
muscles/joints/bones have been aching.
I remember reading that muscle aches could be a side affect from statin
drugs. Last time I saw my cardiologist,
I mentioned that I was thinking of taking glucosamine for some aches. He agreed that was a good thing to try.
But instead it has grown worse. Now sometimes, I limp when I walk.
Three months later, I
saw my cardiologist again and told him with firmness this time, (thank you
Eileen who said - you need to be firmer talking to the Dr. i.e. “Dr. this is
really impacting my life. I am desperate!”) I told him, I am having a lot
of muscle aches. Could it be the statin? He said
yes, many of his patients on statins get muscle aches. Normally the
first thing he suggests is taking Co Enzyme Q 10 but I am already taking it. So, he cut
my statin dose back by half and said
“lets see if that helps.”
Last night, I looked up side affects of the statin. (Once again, not a good idea to do before bed.)
Whew the stinker causes muscle aches in 20 % of the millions
of people who take statins and it can cause INSOMNIA! AH HA! The new contender for the evil lord of
my nights, could be a product of my heart attack last year and the 5 stents
they put in and the statins they said I must take for the rest of my life to
keep them from getting clogged up! (That
bolding of text, was not firmness, it was just to add a little drama to the
post:)
I'm imagining that at least a few of you might be taking statins too. Anyone also get muscle cramps and aches from them? Of course it could always be aging or Parkinson's, or all 3.....
SHEESH!
So we are still dogs in the hunt. Last night I got 4 hrs and 5 minutes of sleep. So says the fitbit app for the fit bit watch that I borrowed from Zyn and used for the first time last night. Yes, it has come to this.
Steven says “make a sleep log for all three DR.s to help them figure it out.”
Someone will figure it out.
Night all,
The SNARK and Nancy
So many of my friends have sleep issues, and have had them for years...but there are degrees! Sounds like an infernal rung of Dante's Inferno! Aches and pains sound pretty miserable too.
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy, thank you for the link, to read your blog. Here's another sleep aid: rub essential oil of lavender on the bottoms of your feet at bedtime. You can also sniff it or sprinkle it on your pillowcase. I like the smell, and it works for me.
ReplyDeletethat sounds delightful Marie, i'll do it!
DeleteI hear that riding a trike regularly helps one to sleep better. Hee hee 😝
ReplyDeleteHas it?
Delete