Post-op insomnia

Reading the posts makes me realize that post-op insomnia is a common occurrence. This really concerns me. I really need my 8 hours of Zs every night in order to function. Otherwise I'm grouchy and unable to concentrate.
Can anyone reassure me that by the time I'm ready to return to work I'll be sleeping as well as I used to?
I'm scheduled to keep my ovaries, so night sweats shouldn't be a factor. Unless, of course, my ovaries temporarily "go to sleep!"

Chuckies

I would love, more then anything to reassure you...but I can't. My personal experience...sleeping has become extremely difficult. My GYN prescibed sleeping pills- I try to only take after lying awake for 2 hours....Sleeping naturally has been a struggle. I am 5 weeks post op(almost) returning to work beg of July. Did have one ovary removed to my suprise.

Hope you are able to get your z's post. Above is just my personal experience... Good luck!



Heather
TVH & BSO(L) 5-17-02

I'm afraid I'll have to add my experience to Heather's. I'm 3 1/2 weeks post-op and usually end up playing "rotisserie chicken" all night. (I flip over every 15 minutes for several hours while roasting!)

I too kept my ovaries, but they have a tendency to go into shock after surgery and it sometimes takes them awhile to wake up. Since I've started taking Estroven, the hot flashes have decreased, but I'm still not sleeping well.

I do take Tylenol P.M. but only if I'm not asleep by 2 a.m. I just don't like having to take anything to get to sleep. I'm somewhat of a night owl anyway, and could stay up all night if possible, so that might be what's contributing to my inability to go to sleep. And the bad thing is, I'm really not even sleepy - my brain is wide awake!

I'm hoping that before I return to work July 5 that I can get my sleep pattern straightened up.

We'll wait and see if someone will come along with some good news here and let us know that it does get better.

s,

Lisa

So far the sleep report is pretty discouraging. Anyone else out there have a positive experience I can hold on to?

Chuckies

That'd be me, Chuckies!!

Due to my uterus encroaching on my bladder, I have not slept through the night in over a year (waking 2-4 times to make the dozy trek to the bathroom). But I always slept really well in between.

Post-op, I've had a really difficult time with insomnia and was surprised that I wasn't even sleeping during the day. I'd read so much here in advance about fatigue and when I cared for my sister years ago post-hyst, I remember her sleeping for most of the two weeks after her surgery.

Which brings me to the good news! For the last two, count 'em two, nights (night 12 and 13) I have slept straight through for 7 hours in a row. That is huge for me. This is unaided sleep - I went off all narcotics the day after returning home from the castle and now only take the odd ibuprofen when my belly really swells.

So, there is hope!!

Cecee

I can honestly say that the second and thrid week I was so sleep deprived that I slept during the day in little naps. I was trying to balance my estrogen and my DR thinks that could have been what it was. I now sleep at least 6 to 7 hours a night. If I have to get up and go to the bathroom I fall asleep as soon as I am in bed again. I have a routine I go to bed at 12:00 and usually get up about 6:30 or sometimes 6:00. I sometimes go to bed earlier and that works too. What I don't do now is worry about going to sleep. I get in bed at my time and try to think of good things like my DS sometimes I even talk to him before I go to bed and that is one good sleeping pill. So ladies just keep those cools and try to get back into somekind of routine. Now if the hormones are not balanced you could have a problem. I am one year post-op today so it will get better. But due to brain I can't remember when that is God Bless

Chuckies,

I know the frustrations of not being able to sleep. I suffered from really bad insomnia up until about 4 weeks post op. I would not be able to sleep till 5-5:30 in the morning and it was making me as well as those aroud me miserable.

I had tried just about everything to help me sleep better at night, nothing would work. Just as I was about to give up and call my doc begging for Ambien, I bought some "Unisom", TA-DA.. it worked! I took it for a little over a week to get myself back into a normal pattern. I am now 8 weeks post as of today and havent had to take anything since.

Prior to hyster, I was on Lupron. The lupron was still in my system after surgery, and the left ovary wasnt awake yet (it refused to stop hitting the snoze button). My right ovary had been removed in Nov 01. I think the Lupron played the major role in post op insomnia.

As this may not work for everyone, please try something over the counter such as "Unisom". Tylenol PM might work, but it didn't for me. I took 3 of em and still couldnt sleep (2 at first, 1 more 2 hours later). All it did was make my belly hurt. I was desperate to get some well deserved and needed sleep. Both Unisom and Tylenol PM have anti-histamines in them. Tylenol PM has 'benedryl 25 mg' and Unisom has 'doxylamine succinate 25 mg' in it. The dosage for Tylenol PM is 1-2 caplets and Unisom is 1 tablet a night.

I hope you are able to get some soon.

Here's to you getting some ZZZZzzzzz's.


Amy

P.S. You may wanna ask the post-oppers for some advice as well. There are a lot of insomniacs over on the post op board and a lot of advice, hints and tips to be given.

I am another one of those ladies who had horrible insomnia. But EVERYTHING gives me insomnia. If it is even a remote side effect to a med, I get it! The first 3 wks were rough. I finally called my Dr after 2 1/2 wks for sleeping pills that helped. I took them for three night, then started to take half of one at night for a few nights. Then I tried benadryl for a couple of nights. And for the last two nights, I have slept as well as before the surgery (not uniterrupted, but ok).

I have not had any night sweats for several days, but have had a couple of hot flashes during the day. I was 4 wks yesterday. There was a note awhile ago in the hormone jungle about vitamins and which ones helped insomnia. About the time I was sleeping better, was about the time I started the vits. Maybe it was just time for me to sleep, but I am not stopping the vits!

Caren

Sleep is one thing I don't have a problem with anymore.

I was on Lupron for 4 1/2 months prior to surgery and was averaging between 3-4 hours a night tops. The Lupron is finally out of my system and hormones are doing well now. This week is the first solid week I've gotten of sleep in almost 6 months!

My solution? Be active in the morning, early afternoon, then start slowing down. Don't be afraid to take a Tylenol PM before you go to bed if you aren't feeling "brain slowed" enough to go to sleep, some people just need that nudge. A good night's sleep is worth a million, especially when you haven't gotten one in a while.

Don't eat a lot of sugar or caffeine within 4 hours of bed time, it can keep you up. Also, make sure you're COMFY when you go to bed. If your mattress has divots (those lovely rollercoaster dips), you might want to invest in one of those air beds or some such thing. Ours has worked wonders!

My last resort for falling asleep is always a turkey sandwich (believe it or not), then writing down in a journal all the things I've got on my mind.