Nightmares and insomnia....

I had a TAH on March 12th. I have been having ALOT of trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep. When I do fall asleep I have very bad nightmares. A night doesn't go by that I don't have one. I am at my wits end! I was told it could be a menopausal issue but I still have my ovaries. Is this a common post-op problem? I don't want to resort to taking sleeping pills all the time......What should I do????

If you're still on pain meds, they could be the cause of the nightmares. I, too, have a horrible time falling asleep and I have weird dreams even now that I'm off the meds. I do take Ambien when I can't stand it anymore.

I had my TAH on Mar. 20th-I didn't have nightmares but I did have very bizarre vivid dreams and I would only sleep for 2 hours at a time. I only took pain meds for 4 days and getting off those helped. I found that getting enough walking in without overdoing it has helped. I now only wake once or twice a night and I go right back to sleep. Good luck.

My hyster was March 23rd, and I as well can not get to sleep. My head didn't touch the pillow once last night. I just woke up from a much needed nap. I came home from the DR and passed out on the couch. I feel a lot better now. We are going to discuss my insomnia next visit after I get this bladder ( or kidney, she didn't really say which )infection cleared up. I have had several nightmares and when I am not having those I have some very vivid and strange dreams. Especially about the female reproductive system, and it ends up depressing me the rest of the day. Hang in there and here's hoping that all of us find that good nights sleep...somewhere. If anyone finds it, let us know...we want some too, lol!

My surgery was Jan.3rd, but I didn't use anything stronger than OTC Tylenol after I got home. I slept ok at first, but after about a month, I would fall right asleep, but wake up every 1-2 hours all night long. This continues for several weeks--I would finally fall good and asleep about 5AM, and have very vivid, odd dreams. Thankfully, this has stopped and in the last 2 weeks or so, I've been sleeping much better--waking at around 1:30 every night with a hot flash, go to bathroom and right back to sleep. Like clockwork! It does get better!

I had the same problem up until about a week ago (I'm 5 wks. post op) Once I got off the pain meds, the nightmares went away. I took advil pm at night for awhile, and that seemed to help me get a few hours of sleep. I finally went to my GP and got a script for ambien. I took just half a pill for a few nights to get my sleep cycle regulated again and that helped alot. I didn't really want to start taking sleeping meds. either, but I also really wanted to sleep again.

I got over the nightmares after the first week. I wasn't taking pain meds--I actually think it was the withdrawl from the oxy, along with just having the surgery at all.

Hope you start getting some good sleep. I am still searching for it, too. I seem to do better in the guest bed, where I can spread out by myself. I feel more free to cover/uncover get up/lay down without worrying about waking my partner. Not ideal, but I am getting better, less restless sleep that way.

Good luck!