I can’t sleep.

[Bauchhashem]

This is my third time around! I had my first mastectomy27years ago when I was 40 and then 12 years ago a second one. They took out a tumor in July and found I have mets in my pelvis. I was started on Ibrance with Letrozole then went off because of Covid. I also have developed a DVT in my legs and pulmonary embolisms in my lungs, which landed me in the hospital for 4 days.I have had a cough with mucus for weeks. My biggest problem though is it is after 4:00 in the morning and I can’t sleep! Does anyone have any ideas?

[Truest]

I’ve often had trouble sleeping since my recurrence three years ago. It’s the last thing we need. I’ve found if I take one Benedryl before going to bed it helps me sleep and when I wake up in the middle of the night, I can fall back asleep easily. I wouldn’t do it every night but sometimes you just need escape sleep. Getting outside to walk makes a difference. I also think meditation, (guided because I’m pretty anxious) helps. Hoping for some restful, restorative sleep for you.

[Peggypilot in reply to Truest]

i have no problem with Letrozole but I j have not started the targeted therapy yet…my choice but no sign of spread after 1 year MBC. Re sleep, I have been taking Sonata for years and it works well for me. Ask your doc. I tend to sleep late but it really helps…take care…

[AvidBooklover]

Ask your dr about .25 of Xanax....am betting anxiety is part of the issue. And also guided meditation is excellent. There is one on the Calm app in the Yoga Nidra section that really helped me sleep.

[Hotlantaphatz]

my MBC sister! You have a lot going on. Trust me I understand. Maybe it is anxiety and stress that you are experiencing. Because my met is malignant pleura (lung affected) which made exercise difficult and I became restless and could not sleep. with my oncs approval I started walking, not far and not fast. As I progressed my anxiety has improved. I breathe better so I am sleeping now at least 6 hours nightly. Also I see a therapist twice a month to check in and open up to how I am feeling about all of my s**t! You see I am angry about the cancer and not sure why. It has helped quite a bit. So share with your doctors. Don’t suffer. Make sure you make yourself comfortable as you move through this trip that we did not want to go on! Stay strong X!

[fancydog]

Sleep is sooooo important! I did not want to take anything to help but my whole QOL depends on a decent amount of sleep. You may have to experiment a bit to find what works for you but a little medicine can change your life! We have very valid reasons for having difficulty sleeping. I take a bit of Klonopin and Ambien.

[SushiLife]

I have been on Ibrance for 3 1/2 years, along with Arimidex (anastrozole), xarelto (because of a resulting clot), and Gralise (wonderful gabapentin extended release for pain). All of that leads to serious fatigue and swings of emotions, but when it’s time to sleep my brain says “Nope! It’s time to think about all things ridiculous and stay awake!” The struggle is real as you know. I did a sleep study which was extremely helpful, but I also did some great counseling to help me deal with the heaviness. Prayer is an amazing thing! Exercise at my own pace helps, as well as physical therapy specifically for breast cancer SURVIVORS which is what we are sister! My dr also gave me ambien cr - which is way different for me than regular ambien. I take it maybe once a month when I need to get sleep back on track.

You will find what works for you! You are not alone in your journey. Prayers over you!

[CaveCreekAZ]

I too am on letrozole and Ibrance I find that melatonin and cannabis gummy‘s give me the best sleep and I wake up feeling refreshed and alert and ready to fight another day ❤️

[Fiercefighter13]

I find it hard to sleep when I have "things" I feel like I need to think about.....cancer, things to get done, life......my doctor prescribed Lorazepam, and I only take 1 at night when it's time to sleep. It puts me out cold, and I sleep very well, and wake up rested. Hopefully you can find what you need since sleep is so essential to healing and life. Take care!

[Hidden]

I too struggled with sleep, but it is now much improved

Things that helped me

1. A CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) Counsellor gave me a good piece of advice. I was waking and then getting frustrated that I was awake which just sustained the period of being awake. She told me to tell myself - ‘you are safe, you are comfortable and whilst you may not be asleep your body is still benefiting from the rest’. I added to this breathing techniques like box breathing. So breathe in for count of 4 (so your belly inflates so breathing diagrammatically ie from diaphragm) hold break for count of 7 and then exhale as if blowing through a straw for a count of 8. This engages your parasympathetic nervous system and vagal nerve and engages your body’s rest and digest mechanisms.

2. I wear a good quality eye mask to help block out light and it’s important to have your bedroom at right temperature as you will wake if you are too warm

3. I’ve worked on stabilising my blood sugar as that can cause you to wake

4. I have an air filter by my bed. If you look at TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) then they have a TCM wheel. Between 4-5am is indicating that the lungs may need more support. Also TCM has an association between emotions and organs, lungs are sometimes associated with grief. So I’ve been working on supporting lungs and ensuring I have clean air

TCM Wheel

[RLN-overcomer]

Greetings Sister/Warrior/Thriver: I take Benadryl, or Melatonin on a rare occasion when I can't sleep. I have also in the past taken 1 Benadry, and 1 Melatoin when I really couldn't get to sleep😇👍

[KatyAnn]

talk to your PCP about giving you something to help you sleep. My bones hurt. I was told it’s the Letrozole. Idk but it’s mostly my wrists and hands. I have bad arthritis so I use otc pain patches made with lidocaine. That helps. Idk what to say except it’s not easy staying alive with stage 4 it’s very very hard and because of COVID I stay home going on 3 yrs even though I’ve had all my shots and getting another! Why did u stop taking your meds? Your said you stopped during COVID. Any reason? Just curious. I hope your doing ok. Did they put u on blood thinners?

[FaunShea]

Hi , sorry to hear you can't sleep. I take Calcium Magnesium to help me relax and sleep at night. It comes a powder. I disolve a teaspoon in my green tea before bed. It helps . Best to you ?💗?