Hi everyone. Does anyone have issues sleeping at night due to pain? If so, what do you do to help you sleep? I’ve tried melatonin but it doesn’t work. I think within the last several weeks I’ve gotten 4 hours of sleep a night at the most, 4 hours is a good night. I can’t sleep because of the pain and it’s making my thought processing not the best. It’s messing with my college work and I’m trying to put off emailing my professors explaining why I’m making very simple mistakes because I don’t want them knowing about my TN. I also don’t want them to think I’m just trying to make excuses.
I’m hoping this topic made sense, last night was a 2 hours of sleep night. I just need some sleep.
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They make cloth type bags with rice inside that you can buy. Or,make one with a sock big enough.
Heat in the microwave and apply to areas of pain.
Others have tried applying ice to relieve pain.
It is helpful sometimes.
Best wishes,
Min
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My grandson use a heating pad on his face and said it helped so much with pain he’s able to sleep. He is 14yrs and just diagnosed this week.
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Have you told the Dr.treating your pain about the sleep disruption ?
They may have some prescription treatment options to help.
You are right —-interrupted sleep ,specifically the REM portion, affects memory.
It’s a legitimate health issue and you could express it as a problem you are working on to improve to your Profs.
Of course you know your Professors and how you think they will react to that information.
I try to live Life without Regrets but one big regret in my life is that when I first became ill I was embarrassed.
I was a M.D. and unable to cure myself.
So I shut down and cut off a lot of friends.
It was decision I truly regret —-not giving them a chance to show who they were and how they would react.
But Friends are not Professors so it’s not the same situation…Then again perhaps the Professors will be kind —-or know someone who could help you.
Just a thought .
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Carbamazepine has helped my pain and also helped my sleep a little. I use theanine and valerian root as well. Not too much helps my pain except for the carbamazepine, though. I know how hard it is to sleep through that, or avoid waking too early from it.
I also love my weighted blankets… they don’t help with pain, but they do help me sleep.
My pain has caused me to have sleep issues for over 30 years. I have tried everything. I have three things that work most of the time: Benadryl, restoril (script), and the best is medical marijuana. I get the indica strain. I take it immediately before getting in bed. The company I buy from has an edible like a gummie that works well. The only strain that has helped is indica.
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Carbamazepine prescribed by a pain clinic helped a bit for a few weeks, but the pain came roaring back. It also made me feel weird. Heat pads helped a bit, but I couldn’t cough, stretch, even swallow without triggering the pain in my sleep.
I ultimately had MVD of my 9th and 10th cranial nerves for my left sided GPN, and it changed my life, I had it back. The blood vessels were tortuous and beating on the nerves.
I’m 8 years postop now.
All is not roses, since surgery enacts a price. It was worth the cost in my case. Sadly, I’m aware of people who had MVD with poor results.
Wishing you well, and hope you get some relief.
I take Amitriptyline & I’ve learnt to sleep sitting up/or sloping/it really helps.
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First and foremost I am sorry that you are hardly getting any sleep. That wears on the mind and makes the pain amplify for me. I use CBD to help with sleep. A combination of topical, tincture and smokeables. I would think your professor would be very understanding, especially if you explained in a few sentences what trigeminal neuralgia is and how it effects your daily life. It’s def not something most college students are dealing with while balancing life and academia. It might take a tiny bit of the stress away (which is always a help with the pain).
I have been on Trileptal for a long while. When the pain interrupts my sleep I spray a bit of CBD oil in my mouth and have almost instantly goes away. During the day I found that a couple puffs of a Joint will provide enough calming effect to take the pain away a bit longer then the CDB oil. Good luck!
I take both Gabapentin and Trileptal, but I often use a heating pad. Also, if the pain is too difficult I have baclofen, which usually gives me enough relief to sleep.
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Hi @Opal7 – Are you still in college? I cannot even imagine !! If you are, go see your Dean of Students or Counseling Office and they can help guide you in the best direction. If they don’t know what is going on they can’t possibly help. I used to work at a college and it is amazing how few students take advantage of all of the support available to them ( and that you pay for with all those fees). Best of luck!! Stay strong!
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I use one milligram of lorazepam and take it about an hour before I go to bed. I find it helps me relax and I sleep through the night. My doctor prescribed it for me as it does not interfere with the Cymbalta I take daily for the pain from my infraorbital neurolgia. I think you should ask your doctor about it as you need consistent sleep, especially as a college student, I wish you the best!