Tic Toc Can't Sleep

[Ligtocicar]

Hello everyone:

Been on prednisone for 16 days. 50mg for the first 7 days and 20mg for the rest. I also take Teva-Losartan 100mg, and Pms-Hydrochlorothiaz 25mg for blood pressure. Any suggestion to get some rest? Sleep for one hour then wide awake.

PS: Will try to reduce prednisone to 17.5 in 5 days from now.

Gil

[polkadotcom]

I resorted to simply sleeping whenever my body wanted to. I was signed off sick anyway at the time so it really didn't matter whether I was sleeping at 3am or 3pm.

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Gil, very high doses of Pred will lead to difficulty sleeping for many of us. As you reduce down through the doses it will improve - meanwhile ensure that you are taking the steroids as early in the morning as possible, and avoid caffeinated drinks, especially in the later hours of the day. I found a short walk in the evening helped to give me a better night's sleep. Apart from that, do try and catnap as much as possible during the day to make up for the lack of sleep overnight.

If you have been diagnosed with GCA, then dropping from 50mg straight to 20mg after just 7 days is a very sudden and steep drop. Reducing at this rate puts you at risk of the symptoms returning and if that should happen necessitating a return to the higher dose it can often prove difficult to reduce back down the second time around. Far better to taper down through the doses in much smaller steps as and when symptoms allow.

[Ligtocicar in reply to Celtic]

Thank you for responding.

I was diagnosed with PMR, not GCA. My CRP count was at 91. Really appreciate the advice.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

Many due to your body getting acclimatised to the Pred, especially at high doses. It's a very powerful drug, and initially you have this burst of adrenaline that you cannot cope with! Bit like a child feeding itself silly on sweet things, and being out of control afterwards.

Hopefully the sleeplessness will reduce now you are on lower doses, but as Celtic says that may bring its own problems.

In the meanwhile, take catnaps when you can, and try not to worry, that just makes it worse. Unfortunately it's just another hurdle we have to cope with.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It will probably improve as you reduce the dose - but there was really no need to start you at 50mg for PMR. The recommendations say up to 25mg and definitely not more than 30mg.

As the others say - just rest when you can!

[piglette]

Hi, I am so sorry you have been diagnosed with PMR. I started on 20mg which you are on now and found I had real trouble sleeping. I give into it and listen to the BBC World Service which I find really interesting. I know some people even get up and do the housework, I am allergic to housework so that is not an option for me! As polkadotcom says just sleep when you can, even if you are watching TV.

[1Purplecrow]

Hi,

sleeplessness is a challenge. As others have said, you cannot control some of these side effects, so try to find a way to entertain yourself at 3 am. I used mindless easy crossword puzzles. Yes, pen and paper crosswords.

I found the computer stimulated my brain and made sleep less likely, so i went back to old -fashioned tools.

For me, a cup of warm milk with a touch of honey and a couple of crackers also coaxed sleep.

Don't fret, sleep when you will, and be ok.

Warm regards, jerri

[Marcy47]

I take Kalms nighttime herbal tablets when I can't sleep and find them very useful.