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Information on CRPS/RSD & Sleep

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Informational:
RSD & Sleep
Please see the attached article and the links that lead to more links if you are interested in learning why you cannot sleep and why you are always tired.  I would post them individually but it would take a Month.  LOL!

You are in control of reading through these if you are interested and I see that there may be some idea's within to get more possible good sleep.

Hugs and Love, Rain

http://www.rsdhope.org/Showpage.asp?PAGE_ID=1&PGCT_ID=2953

Informational:
Limbic system more explained Thanks Hooshmand for the explanation not that I agree with all statements you have made, this is a good explanation!

http://rsdrx.com/rsdpuz4.0/puz_32.htm

RSD PUZZLE #32
"My RSD Started From An Injury To The Hand And After Carpal Tunnel Surgery. Why Is It I Can't Remember Anything?"

RSD is not just the disease of peripheral nerves. The condition is not a simple burning or stabbing pain. Besides the pain the patient also has other manifestations such as movement disorder, constriction of blood vessels in the extremity, swelling of the soft tissues ( mistaken for "fibromyalgia"), and disturbance of the limbic system (the temporo-frontal lobe regions). The limbic system is the primitive cortical system in the cerebral hemispheres. Disturbance of the this system results in depression, poor judgement, poor memory, fatigue, irritability and agitation. It also results in insomnia.

The memory loss is not simply because of depression. As a matter of fact, not all the RSD patients are depressed. Somewhere around one-forth of the RSD patients have a normal depression test on psychological examination.

The number one factor in memory loss among RSD patients is the pain causing disruption of normal natural REM sleep. This results in the patient being fatigued, irritable, edgy and having poor memory the next day. Sleep is probably the most important recuperative state of our life. We need to sleep to give the brain a chance to put its house in order after a stressful day. Especially during REM sleep the brain stem and the limbic system undergo recovery and recuperation.

The same patients who suffer from memory loss also have a tendency to suffer from chronic fatigue as well.

The effective and successful treatment for memory loss in RSD are as follows:

1. Antidepressants that provide natural REM sleep. At the top the list is Trazodone.

2. Pain relief. Like any other RSD complication, the patient is not going to get better unless proper relief is provided.

3. Nerve blocks. The anesthesiologists who have extensive experience with nerve blocks, and the patients who have undergone the blocks, describe the phenomenon that the first successful nerve block that the patient receives is immediately followed by a deep sleep which helps the patient feel much improved.

4. It is imperative to discontinue existing BZ'S (especially Ativan, Xanax and Ambien) to give the patient a chance to have natural, normal REM sleep. Realizing that Ambien does not cause significant rebound (withdrawal), still it reduces the REM sleep.

Another medication that seriously disturbs the memory function and the general state of RSD patients is barbiturates in the pain medications such as Fiorinal, etc. The barbiturates which for decades have been used as a sleeping pill, are more anesthetic than sleeping pill. They provide an unnatural sleep and deprive the patient of REM sleep.

Alcohol is another drug that cannot be used in any amount in any RSD patient because of not only the caustic (damaging) effect of alcohol on the nerves but also because of depriving the patient of REM sleep.

In more severe cases, to counteract fatigue and memory disturbance, the patient may require Paxil, Zoloft, or Prozac in the morning and Trazodone and night. The same outline antidepressants are also effective in control of the chronic pain.


H. Hooshmand, M.D.

Informational:
Hi All!

I am sorry for such a late post but with the lack of sleep and extremely high pain levels today was a day for crashing.  One of those days where you sleep are awake long enough to swallow some fluids and eat and then you drift back off again.  I thought that with that and the fact that I know that many of us suffer from drastic lack of sleep… I was wondering if anyone takes Melatonin supplements and everyone’s thoughts on this site (some of the links are funky and will throw you off the article sorry for that).

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/melatonin.htm

Hugs and Love, Rain

Informational:
You can get melatonin at most drug stores and health storeslooking for help for my son that does not sleep. I discussed it with his ped and he was fine with it, just wanted me to limit the dose to a maximun of 3 mg. I think it helped him for a while.

I have taken melatonin and it does help you get ready to sleep. After 30 minutes, I could feel myself starting to yawn. It felt like a very natural progression towards sleeping. It does not give you a drugged feeling or make you pass out. I woke the next day refreshed and with no lasting effects.

These days, I just grab a sudoki puzzle and that helps me to relax. The next thing I know, my pen is running all over the page and my head is bobbing.

Start at the lowest dose, which is 1 mg and work up. I think they do not recommend more than 3 mg per night. I have used more without an ill effects but it isn't reccommeded. Please be aware that it can cause sleep disturbances and bad dreams for some people.

Reta

Informational:
I tried it and it didn't work for me after a while.  Now I have to use stronger things that I dont' like.  So I choose to use nothing and let nature take its course and that works like this some nights I'm up all night and other nights I fall asleep at 1:30 so you never know.  Other nights I fall asleep sitting up and fall off my bed.  Hahahaha.

Lots of Love, Patches

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