Hi Bev~

You and I have much in common and I sure know how you must feel when you cant sleep and feel depressed and anxious AND in chronic pain all at the same time.

I have Bipolar and lots of depression and anxiety most of the time along with Osteoarthritis that is said to be "significant" which for me translates as some painful and when it comes to sleep, and needing that the most to cope - I seem not to get nearly as much as I need.

So, what to do?? Well, first of all I am self-employed so can schedule my work around my sleep - lucky me - so I sleep whenever the mood hits. So I am not nearly so focused on "getting a good nights sleep" like so many others but rather I get a few hrs. here and there and as often as it takes for me to feel rested.

My regime at night tho (I have a 14 yo and try hard to have a semblance of normalacy for him and he is also Bipolar and High Anxiety) is I take my Lithium, my oxycontin for the pain and then I take 2 over the counter anti-naseau or anti-motion sickness pills and sure as rain they make me some drowsy all the time! I have taken them for more than 10 years now and they always work like the first time!!! Now they are not a sleeping or anxiety pill but combined with what else I do take and I fall asleep on them usually.

The crux of it tho is I end up WAKING up again in the night several times but I just like that getting to sleep to start kinda thing cause makes me feel half human and like those other lucky folk that can just fall off and snooz at a drop of a hat which I have never been able to do really or at least not with any kind regularity.

Because of my being Bipolar I have swings or shifts often and that can change my routine that I have managed to establish. I find I am up and down and all over the map so that is why for me my sleep suffers greatly.

Well Bev hope I have not posted to drive you to distraction with all my writing (I am a published writer by trade, haha.) but that is my MO - I write a lot to anybody I respond to usually.

I thot I might also offer you some friendship cause looking at your profile I see that you are on your own or at least single and nothing like having all those disorders, not able to sleep well and having to be alone so much when having to deal with depression. Myself I feel like you and I are very similar and maybe we could chat on the Instant Messenger some time and even talk on the phone if you wanted to. I live far from you in Ontario, Canada but I have a toll free number and with this computer no reason in the world why we could not have a cyber-friendship. We are both in our 40's too. Just a suggestion cause I love talking to those who understand me well and I am sure you and I would have little trouble relating.

This is a great thread and to have the benefit of a true died in the wool Pharmacist well that is awesome really! We are really lucky.

You can private message me by clicking on my handle "denipink" with my post and that will bring you to my little profile that does not say much. It gives you a link to private message me as well.

Well take care and boy I sure hope you are able to resolve this for yourself. I am sure Cam would tell you as my doc told me that those anti-naseau meds over the counter are way better for us than the sleeping pills are. The sleeping pills have horrendous after effects often and only work for so long and many are very addictive too. My doc says those anti-naseau meds are not harmless at all and must be respected just as are the narcotic drugs only that they are not nearly as powerful. I get a great effect with them myself and perhaps, so could you.

I hope to hear back too Bev cause now I would be very interested to learn of any follow-up. You are not alone and maybe we could get to know each other a bit better, too. I woud love to know at some point that you have found your answers and are sleeping better. I would be really very glad to hear of that!

Denise