I only managed 2 hrs sleep last night. Is this all part of the joy of PMR or the Prednisolone
Difficulty getting to and staying asleep - PMRGCAuk
Difficulty getting to and staying asleep
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Wraysbury
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Following a bad night myself, you have my sympathies, try & take a short nap this afternoon.
What dose of Pred are you on & when do you take it?
Wraysbury in reply to
I’ve been taking 15 mugs for 3 weeks
in reply to Wraysbury
It’s probably the Pred it can make you very restless & sometimes a bit the high side of normal.
I presume you’re taking it in the morning before 9am?
Try winding down in an evening & relaxing before bed, it should get better as you get used to the Pred in your system.
Best Wishes
Mrs N x
Wraysbury in reply to
No I was taking it at 6 in the evening. Starting mornings from today having read loads last night
in reply to Wraysbury
Ah, that’ll be it! We take it in the morning as it mimics the time we usually get it from our own Adrenal Glands.
Taking it at 6pm will definitely keep you awake!
Good Luck 🍀
I found that the prednisone gave me a nervous energy for the first month or so. But it did dissipate in time.
I don’t sleep when the dose I am on is not high enough. I notice that from your first post you are still in pain, and several people thought you might need a higher dose of 20 mg to zap the inflammation. If your experience is like mine then a higher dose might help the sleep issue too.
I feel for you as not being able to sleep when you are already exhausted is SO miserable.
Consider asking for a higher dose.
I wish you the best.
Where inWorcestershire are you? I was brought up in Malvern.
PMRproAmbassador
Could be either but if it didn't happen pre-pred, it is probably that. And part of the reason pred should be taken first thing in the morning so it is out of your system before bedtime. Though pred can make some people sleepy and it helps if they take it immediately before bed.
I used to go to sleep in seconds before pred. I now can lie awake for five hours. I listen to the BBC World service and am becoming quite knowledgable about things.
I was awake all night sometimes when on a high dose of Pred.,l could hardly wait for morning and was up at 5 30 am sometimes. I still find it hard to fall asleep at night and like piglette l lie awake for hours .
I had a couple of nights going to bed around 10 and eventually falling asleep at 3. It’s the Pred , but this week has been much better
Any better sleep with taking the Pred in the morning? x
Wraysbury in reply to
Yes thanks! I still woke at 4 but got back to sleep, dosing from 5 onwards cos the pain was returning but it’s managable. I’d also increased my vit d drops as I was so worried re calcium absorption and read that too much can cause excess peeing!!
Ive taken the right amount for 3 days and I’ve stopped waking up frequently needing to go!! Sometimes I’m my own worse enemy!!! I feel much brighter today. I’m looking at Keto diets, but can’t give up dairy totally as I make my own kefir with cows milk. Any tips to kick the diet off pls??
in reply to Wraysbury
Afraid diet & me are not yet friends! I’ve had breast cancer during this PMR Journey so still think I’m entitled to a glass of wine or a biscuit, Life’s Too Short!
But.......... l really do need to go low carb! So after France that’s my Plan!
Hope you get into a good pattern of sleeping!
Mrs N x
Not keto - low carb. Different thing. Just cut white/processed/simple carbs drastically and eat loads of above-ground veggies plus normal amounts of protein and fat. And dietary calcium is much better for you than supplements so the optimum is both.
There seem to be so many articles advocating Keto diet for PMR. Is it not worth the bother?
The keto diet is very extreme, inlcuding high fat as well as low carb, and for most of us it isn't necessary. You lose a lot of nutrients and fibre when you go totally keto and it is much harder to stick to in the long term which is also an important factor. A recent study has found that it isn't a good approach long term. Low carb means under about 80-100g useable carb per day - which with careful planning is a very pleasant diet, I think at least.
I eat (almost) no processed baked goods nor rice, pasta and so on. I say almost because if I fancy a pizza or risotto or icecream I have one, but once in a month or two - I live in Italy 
But moderate amounts of meat, fish, eggs and dairy plus loads of veg seems to work well. I can maintain my weight even on pred and feel well. There is NO reliable evidence done in studies that a keto diet is good for PMR - and anyone who claims that is telling porkies!
Hi Wraysbury, I too have difficulty with sleep, sometimes I go off easily and wake at the classic 3am and can't get back to sleep at all - last night I couldn't get off to sleep eventually drifiting off at 3am. I am in the "pred makes me jittery " camp. I did get down to 2 or 3mg and found I could sleep better and was less jittery but had to go up to 7mg as I had a flare ............and the sleep problems and jitteriness returned. it's a bummer. I take melatonin in an effort to catch my circadian rhythm - I guess it works sometimes. The other thing is you don't have to give up dairy on the keto diet - there are recipes containg eggs, cheese yogurt and cream...........good luck on your journey.
I made lifestyle changes with the help of my daughter who is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner here in Canada. I wanted to avoid some of the pred side affects so she helped me create an eating plan that was doable in the long term. I also needed to lose weight due to chronic knee issues and a recent diagnosis of high blood pressure.
What I ended up sticking with is a low carb/sugar/salt diet. I have not cut out any of the food groups per se, but I rarely indulge in any simple carbs (white bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc). I still eat a variety of protein, (above ground) vegetables, fruit, and some dairy (yoghurt, cheese, occasionally butter), my main fats come from olive and coconut oil and avocados. I've kicked my coca cola habit, and drink a lot more water/sparkling water. No more processed food for me either (if I can help it).
The result - I've lost 25 lbs since April, and I've cut my blood pressure medication in half. So it is possible to avoid weight gain (and diabetes) while taking pred. I've learned that the better I eat, the better I feel. I've also learned to balance activity with rest (that was a tough one for me, especially during the "honeymoon stage" in the early weeks after starting pred when you feel so wonderful after weeks or months of pain, inflammation and stiffness). Careful not to do too much.
Hope this helps.
I have had many nights like that. It goes from the sublime to the ridiculous. At one point I was having 13 hours sleep a night and 3 daytime naps. The insomnia phases were helped by 10 mgs of Amitriptylin one hour before bedtime. Make sure that you have a proper sleep in the afternoons, on the bed under a blanket. It made no difference at all to my nighttime sleep. I agree with others, morning Pred is better.
Hi Piglette,thank you for reminding me about the golf,one of my grandsons likes golf which has got me interested .lt is better to watch something than just laying there trying to get to sleep.
I fall asleep at about 11,30pm but awake again at 3, and that is usually that regarding sleep. I have been known to just get up and potter about until 6 when I have my breakfast and my pred. Co codamol for the pain helps to make me drowsy but doesn’t last. I tend to sleep every afternoon for at least an hour. On one occasion last week I slept from 2.30pm until woken up by my dog at 6! Fatigue is the worst part of this blooming condition for me. I find it so frustrating.
Yes. I’m the same. I thought as the pain is controlled I’d get on with things, but I’m just too exhausted. I hate it
You have to learn to pace and pre-empt PMR.
healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk......
Resting BEFORE you crash works much better. It also helps to learn to do things differently - and the learning process is good for you to avoid your brain stagnating 
Prioritise - what MUST be done, what must YOU do, what can you delegate/postpone/ignore altogether. I'm a real slut - housework is quite a long way down the list. I did have a cleaning lady but she went off to do other things after her main employer got rid of her - and finding another isn't easy here. So what - dust is very patient! It takes the same effort to dust every third day as each day - 2 days energy left for more pleasureable things! Once a week is good enough - 6 days of energy for nice things...
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