ANA Discussion Forum

Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: Tumbleweed on August 06, 2008, 05:25:45 am

Title: Insomnia post-CK?
Post by: Tumbleweed on August 06, 2008, 05:25:45 am

Has anyone noticed a dramatic increase in insomnia following radiosurgery? It's driving me crazy! I wake up after 5 or 6 hours (sometimes 1 or 2 hours), exhausted but unable to go back to sleep.

How long did this last for you before you started getting longer sleep?

Tumbleweed

Title: Re: Insomnia post-CK?
Post by: Janet on August 06, 2008, 11:24:14 pm

Are you taking steroids? Steroids can cause insomnia.

Title: Re: Insomnia post-CK?
Post by: ppearl214 on August 07, 2008, 05:40:55 am

Agree with Janet. Potential side affects of Decacrap is insomnia and increased hunger/increased sugar levels. We have joked around here for a while now (Where is Vancouver Sue?) that on Decacrap, we had the best, cleaned homes at 3am....

Try to get some rest.
Phyl

Title: Re: Insomnia post-CK?
Post by: Joef on August 07, 2008, 07:07:06 am

The first couple days after my surgery  ... I really was not eating , I assume was because of the pain meds ... but once I came off .. but was still on Steroids.. I would get fatigued easly .. but would get up many times during the night ...(and would eat eat eat!) ....

Title: Re: Insomnia post-CK?
Post by: Tumbleweed on August 07, 2008, 10:57:35 pm

No, I'm not on steroids. Maybe it's from working too much and tiring myself out. I get 4 or 5 hours sleep and then wake up with my mind racing. Or maybe it's post-traumatic stress syndrome??  ???

Tumbleweed

Title: Re: Insomnia post-CK?
Post by: goinbatty on August 08, 2008, 12:34:36 pm

I did that also.  Didn't require steroids....not yet anyway.  With me, it was just stress.  Over the past few years, I go through periods like that where I wake typically around 3A and immediately have way too much on my mind.  I typically read for an hour or more which helps me get back to sleep.  And I've finished some great books!  I wish I was the type that had the attitude of why worry unless something happens.  Well it's just not my personality but I'm trying. 

Title: Re: Insomnia post-CK?
Post by: yardtick on August 08, 2008, 12:38:28 pm

Tumbleweed,

I agree it post traumatic stress syndrome.  Its been an ongoing battle for me for the last 2 yrs and I did not have CK.

Anne Marie

Title: Re: Insomnia post-CK?
Post by: Tumbleweed on August 08, 2008, 10:09:39 pm

Thanks for the replies. It's nice to know I'm not the only one goin' batty (goinbatty).  :D

I'm starting to find a way to combat this. The last couple nights, I did yoga right before going to bed, to calm my nerves and stretch my body. I took 1 mg of melatonin 20 minutes before bed and put another 1mg tablet right next to my bed on a nightstand. As soon as I wake up in the wee hours of the morning, I take the second 1mg dose. I'm usually up for about an hour before it kicks in, but it (so far) has managed to put me back to sleep. If I simply take 2 or 3 mg of melatonin before bed, it wears off by early AM and I wake up and can't get back to sleep.

Hopefully this will continue to work.

I think you're right, Anne Marie. The whole lead-up to CK and the treatment itself -- not to mention my symptoms immediately after coming home -- has probably stressed me out more than I realize.

Hopefully time will heal all (or at least everything that can be healed).

Best wishes,
Tumbleweed