Prednisone and Insomnia

[jensen0518]

I am presently taking 10 mg prednisone and next week I will taper to 9 mg. The problem I am having is I am up most of the night needless to say I am exhausted during the day.

Any recommendations to help with this new problem

[Soraya_PMR]

Were you ok at higher doses?

[jensen0518 in reply to Soraya_PMR]

Yes feeling better going back to 10 mg

Next week 9mg will have to see how I feel

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to jensen0518]

Try a very much slower reduction to 9mg:

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

Just challenging your body to the new dose one day at a time can make a big difference to how your body copes with it.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

What time do you take the pred? Is this a new problem?

[jensen0518 in reply to PMRpro]

10:30 am 5 mg. and around 6 pm5 mg.

Next week taper to 9 MG.

Yes a new problem been on prednisone since December

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to jensen0518]

Yes, think 1mg at a time so quickly is the problem. Slow down ...

[Soraya_PMR in reply to jensen0518]

Move each dose forward 2 hours?

[jensen0518 in reply to Soraya_PMR]

Thank you

[Soraya_PMR]

Only really the obvious. Same bedtime every night. Make yourself get up in the morning. Nap early-ish in the day if you need to. Get out and walk every day in the air and sun. Restrict blue screens in the evening. Cut out caffeine. Don’t go to bed hungry. Make sure your bedroom is cool. Have a bath or shower before bed to reduce body temp.

[jensen0518]

Thank you

[Soraya_PMR in reply to jensen0518]

Hope something helps. So dispiriting when you’re tired but can’t sleep.

[SheffieldJane]

My intermittent insomnia was greatly helped by 10 mgs of Amitriptylin, taken 1 hour before bedtime. It seemed to make my body comfortable enough to settle down and sleep. Try to avoid electronics in the bedroom - including this lovely site!

[alvertta]

My naturopath gave me 1 mg melatonin when I was on 60 mg prednisone for GCA. did the trick. Put me to sleep and let me sleep a lot longer. Now I am on 21 mg I rarely need it.

[HeronNS]

Taking one of my calcium supplements near bedtime with a small snack, usually involving a little plain yoghurt, broke the pattern of my lifelong intermittent insomnia and I sleep very well now, even since having recently moved to a new and noisier home. This better sleep pattern has persisted since fairly early days on pred, four years ago.

[Oxford8 in reply to HeronNS]

Marvellous! 🌷🌷

[Linlang]

I was at 10 reducing slowly so now at 8

Acupuncture has helped me

They put needle between eyebrows and seems to help - (this needle placement is especially for sleep.)

Have had only 3 sessions but seen a big improvement walking better and pain in thighs and arms reduced

Hope it works for you.

Cost varies but I paid £51 for initial consult and treatment and £41 for each further treatment.

Good luck

[Kaaswinkel]

Hi there, I have been taking just 10 mg of Amitriptyline prescribed by my GP. Has helped the sleep at night, and also helped the residual pain at night. Succes. Alida.

[Thelmarina]

Can only add that even if you don’t sleep you are resting, especially if you don’t worry about not sleeping - also listening to the radio does it for me. It stops the thoughts whirling round my head and Radio 4Extra has a huge variety of programmes, some I remember from the past! Music may lull you to sleep, for me it’s speech. Good luck!

[Soraya_PMR in reply to Thelmarina]

Snap, love radio 4 progs as I fall asleep. Rarely get to the end of a half hour program.

[Thelmarina in reply to Soraya_PMR]

I know! I start off with Hercule Poirot, fall asleep, wind up with Hancock’s Half Hour and never find out who did it! 😂

[Hidden in reply to Thelmarina]

I usually listen to 4ex in bits. Some of the morning broadcast of a programme in a car, part of the same programme while cooking then the end, if I am lucky, in bed. Sometimes I end up with the same 15mins 3 times...🙄

[Thelmarina in reply to Hidden]

Snap! 🤣

[Suet3942]

I used to take Amitriptyline but had to stop due to af. I started to take a magnesium supplement each night 3 weeks ago and it has really helped. My OH is now taking it a well.

[marigolds in reply to Suet3942]

What sort of tablets are they? I have some but am worried that they don't dissolve as they are hard.

[Suet3942 in reply to marigolds]

Hi marigold. They are in tablet form from Holland and barrett . Take with water.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to marigolds]

In the stomach you mean? They are designed for that - plenty of acid down there!! It is possible to get effervescent tablets if you prefer - though how easy it is in the UK I don't know.

[Berylholley in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you both for useful information. I was having some bowel problems but am much better after my Sygmoidoscopy.