Sleeping Pills: I was wondering if most of... - PSP Association

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Sleeping Pills

29 Replies

I was wondering if most of you give your significant others sleep aids. David is not sleeping well at night and the doctor was going to give him something but he refused to take it. He is worried about wetting the bed. I don't think a light sleep aid would knock him out that much. Also I tried to tell him he is wearing Depends all the time anyway and if he does go it wouldn't matter that much. I don't know, am I way off base on all of this? And no way he would do the Convene things all my UK friends out there use. It's not an option for us here anyway.

Any advice is greatly welcome and appreciated as always.:)

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29 Replies
NannaB profile image
NannaB

My hubby would wake and get up 6/7 times a night. I finally went to the Doctor and asked if he could prescribe sleeping pills. He did but they only ever lasted for less than 2 hours. still, that was longer than he went without them. He has an enlarged prostate and also worried about wetting the bed. I used to try and reassure him letting him wear a pad and putting incontinence sheets on the bed. It didn't make any difference. He still got up to go. We had a bottle by the bed for him but that caused problems. He once left the bottle on the floor and aimed!!!!!! If he did manage to go in the bottle, he would then try to take it to the bathroom and if I didn't catch him in time, he would fall and the contents would tip out. It was an awful "I can't do this any more" period for me. It didn't stop until he went into a hospital bed with sides and had the convene.

It's yet another awful stage you are both going to have to get through but I hope it doesn't last too long and he relaxes enough to stop worrying about the bed wetting but I think I'd probably be the same if I had the dreaded PSP.

Sending a big hug.

X

in reply to NannaB

Thank you and I think you are right. And that putting the bottle on the floor thing and aiming is something my husband would definitely try! I did buy him a bottle but he is not coordinated enough to use it by himself. He is in a hospital bed now with sides only at the top though. So he can still get up and does. Part of the problem is he gets up and goes into the living room to watch television. It seems he is afraid he is going to miss something, kind of a like a child. I have to really talk to actually get him to go to bed most of the time too.

I'm thinking about getting him to at least try a pill one night and see what happens.:)

NannaB profile image
NannaB in reply to

Bad night last night with C. At 4.30am, 4th time of going downstairs to see him, I put the radio on timer to go off in 30 mins. He slept until 6.15.

X

in reply to NannaB

Sorry for your rough night. That sounds like a good idea with the radio.

Auddonz profile image
Auddonz

Don takes a valium, just 5 mg to relax him. He wears Depends an an extra pad if he does have an accident but seems to b working. Less wet beds with the extra pad. He is now wearing them during the day as well. Give it a try.

Love,

Audrey

in reply to Auddonz

He is wearing those Depends Fit Flex and they do work well. I had tried a couple other brands because they come in a larger size. But they were way to loose around the legs. So we are back to the Depends.

Auddonz profile image
Auddonz in reply to

We get them from the VA and they are free. He is still weaker since he had the tooth pulled. The neurologist said any trauma or illness plays havoc with anyone who has Parkinsons, which our guys have.

Pippin2328 profile image
Pippin2328

Bobs doc gave him Tamazipan for sleeping and I put on a tranquility depends pants for nighttime and now he is in bed asleep and quiet from 9 till 5. At 5 we get up toilet him and give him juice and me and the dog go back to sleep for a hour. He has been in a wheelchair for a couple of months and no falls since this getting around. No one has the perfect answer just try what works for you...

in reply to Pippin2328

Thank you so much for the advice. He takes a generic for Xanax twice a day so I think I will try one of the sleep aids I have left over.

Auddonz profile image
Auddonz in reply to

Better check with the Dtr first since he is on Xanax jmhk.

Yvonneandgeorge profile image
Yvonneandgeorge

We had another bad night last night, so tired slept in the other room he kept calling me and banging, I just wanted to sleep, I must of had 4 hours sleep, if that, going to ask doctor for some sleeping pills, we can't carry on like this xxxxxx

in reply to Yvonneandgeorge

I hope that will help you both, Yvonne. So sorry.

Auddonz profile image
Auddonz in reply to Yvonneandgeorge

No you can't. I am so sorry you are going through this :(

Are you in America? If you are in a legal cannabis state a nice indica strain will give him an awesome sleep and he won't have any dreams/nightmares either. I heard it will give better bladder control during the night also.

in reply to

Don't think we are in an approved state and doubt we could afford it anyway. But I will check!

Auddonz profile image
Auddonz in reply to

Not approved in Fl, nuts would love to get some but don't want to go to jail. Although it would give me a rest, hah

Chris_F profile image
Chris_F

Elizabeth has mirtazapine and zoplicone prescribed. I give her the mirtazapine with the rest of her meds arounde 10.30pm and the zopiclone (in suspension) around midnight. She wears disposable pants for sleeping and has had very few 'accidents' to date. Occassionally she has used her personal alarm to call me for toileting usually between 3 and 5 am. I'm not very human at those times though so I'm a bit mechanical in movement with non-threatening grunts in the right places.

Hugs 'n' all

Chris

cabbagecottage profile image
cabbagecottage

it's so unpredictable isn't it , Can have a few better nights thn it all goes pear shape . I have found since John has been in pads it has taken a a lot of stress away .

I avoided it for a long time thinking they would make him more site but in his case it has been better . I do use lots of Bepanthem barrier cream .

it nearly put paid to me whil he was still struggling to walk , that's if you can call it walking .

Amilazy profile image
Amilazy

Hi Jmhk, I have found that if I give M a sleeping pill we have wet beds. So my pharmacist recommended trying 20ml liquid paracetamol ( equal 2 tablets) to relax her. This works on most nights for about 3 hrs, also he recommended Lozarapam half tablet for if she was over anxious, bouncing fighting sleep. The half tablet worse than useless so increased to one, again works for about 4 hr. So we get some sleep without accidents. I have to say that we still have bad nights when nothing settles her, even Marie Curie nurses note this but have not suggested anything.

Best wishes Tim

in reply to Amilazy

Another unfortunate symptom. I hope these Depends will live up to their name.

SWISS_MISS profile image
SWISS_MISS

My wife takes zopiclone 7.5 mg.

She takes between 0.5 and 2 tablets per night depending upon needs. Normally she takes one tablet.

Our doctor reckons that the need to go to the toilet will override the tablet. It does but it makes moving her more difficult as she very relaxed.

Without taking them would be very difficult for me through lack of sleep.

Georgepa profile image
Georgepa in reply to SWISS_MISS

Veronica has just been prescribed the same by the geriatrician as she was waking often as many as 23 times a night. Our GP didn't want to prescribe but the consultant said it was very necessary for V to get at least some sleep .She usually goes off for about 2 hours then is awake on and off for the rest of the night . She still wakes if she really needs the commode and i go down . She has her first two hours of natural sleep then I give her a pill when she wakes and half an hour later she is asleep judging by the snores - have to say we are on a low dose 3.75 and it gives her (and me) between two and three hours sleep .

in reply to SWISS_MISS

Now that is one thing I was wondering about. He still gets up and staggers to the bathroom from bed. I'm wondering if the extra pill will cause more falling issues. The first time I get him to go to bed before me, I will try it.

Heady profile image
Heady

Hi, my life has changed enormously, since S has started to USE his pads at night. OK, the washing machine works a bit harder, but not really that much, as we were still having wet beds before! I think he still wakes, but goes straight back to sleep. It does mean, I am getting some rest! It's me that take the sleeping pills, so I can sleep. Nothing too strong, so I able to perform if needed!

Lots of love

Heady

Gadgetgeek profile image
Gadgetgeek

G doesn't take sleeping tabs but I do! G doesn't like me taking them as she thinks I'll get addicted, but I often only have half a tab. I am awake instantly in G talks to me so doesn't knock me out but gives me a few hours quality sleep. G now wears disposable incontinence pants at night which has helped hugely as there is no leakage.

abirke profile image
abirke

Bruce had not had the problem of wetting the bed. He is loopy but he knows he must use the toilet...though oft times he misses and it ends up on the floor. B uses Tamsolosin (prescribed) and diphenhydramine (OTC). the former is not working as well as it used to. But maybe just try him with Sleepy Time tea...then go to a supplement, Melanin, then maybe an over the counter (OTC) med, Melanin is easy on the system, Sleepy Time Tea does give you extra fluid at midnight......and otc isn't too bad.....but again B has not wet bed for any reason...that's all I can tell you

Goddluck

AVB

in reply to abirke

Well the problem is not getting to sleep. It is staying asleep or at least being able to get back to sleep after a bathroom trip. Melatonin is one I forgot about though.

easterncedar profile image
easterncedar

Melatonin, I think?

timinsuranceman profile image
timinsuranceman

I find the natural Nytol product works for a few days. I have advanced PSP so do understand your partner's concerns. Not with Nytol

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