Advice for resolving sleep issues?

[zuchinni]

Hi all! I'm very new to all of this and thought I would ask for some advice.

I suddenly developed Raynaud's in mid-November which has been progressing rather quickly (currently affects 3 of my toes on one foot, growing patches on the soles of both feet and a patch on one of my heels). Initial bloods were all marked as "ok or satisfactory" but my GP has referred me to see rheumatology based on its clinical presentation.

Until this past week, I was pretty secure in thinking that it was probably primary Raynaud's playing out weirdly due to a long-standing neurological condition that I have, but I've started realising that it really might be something a bit more serious. Earlier on this week I started experiencing some spontaneous and/or over-the-top bruising, episodic red+purple discolouration at some joints and some joint pain. As I started digging through the SRUK website and then doing a little more research, I realised that some other things I've been experiencing may also be indicative of rheumatic disease– I've had some difficulty with using my functioning hand for a couple months now (investigation lead by neuro given my medical history), my fingers are quite swollen and puffy, there's vertical ridging in all of my nails, a horizontal dent in one of my fingernails, some spider veins, and the skin at the ends of my fingers seems to be going shiny.

I'm starting to wake up in the middle of the night due to painful episodes and then am struggling to go back to sleep, which I feel is significantly affecting my quality of life at the moment. When I last spoke to my GP on Friday, she said that nothing I've said is overly surprising given the suspected autoimmune condition and that I should wait for rheumatology. I asked if she had a timeline on that and she said she didn't know but that it might take a few months.

Does anyone have any tips for improving quality of sleep with painful episodes and/or managing the uncertainty between appointments? I know I've been very lucky to get a specialist referral so quickly, but this is starting to really mess with me and any advice would be very much appreciated.

[bananasplits]

morning zucchini …I wanted to very quickly try and put your mind at rest as I know that waiting for appointment can be fraught. I obviously cannot suggest what you have but try not to worry. On a practical note for sleeping I simply use valerian sleep remedy and lavender oil. I have also used paracetamol in the night but now I am on medication this isn’t so necessary.

I know it’s easy to say , but try and remain calm , exercise and I find walking in countryside helpful. All the best

[Broseley]

Sorry I don't know the answer, but your nail problem sounds like my dad's, who had psoriatic arthritis. He used to take ibuprofen to reduce the pain and inflammation. But he never had any trouble sleeping. I hope you manage to enjoy your Christmas day. Good luck with finding the answer to your problems!