Insomnia

[Deep6 68]

I had my surgery a few days ago and generally feel good. My appetite is a little "off" which I guess is good, since I'm subsisting on a clear liquid diet and just added Protein Drinks per the surgeon's office. I have had difficulty sleeping for a long time; I used to attribute it to stress, but I retired several years ago and live a pretty stress-free life. I did my usual cocktail of Diazepam plus Mirtazapine which usually puts me down (the Mirtazapine is the one that usually kicks hard- I often don't want to get up and am groggy so I typically take 1/2 a 7.5 mg dose). It's ok for now because I'm not teaching the semester and can make appointments later in the morning or afternoon.

But, here's the kicker: I did my usual dosing and still could not fall asleep last night. I find it hard to believe that my metabolic system has changed this quickly after surgery. Which prompts me to ask: among those of you who suffer from insomnia, what do you use that does not leave you groggy in the morning?

tia

Deep6

PS: dumb admin question but how do I change my avatar box to read post-op rather than pre-op now that I've just had the surgery? Thanks again!

Edited June 9, 2023 by Deep6

[sleevedbaddie 5]

Haven’t figured it out yet! I’ve done sleepy time tea which is the best so far though! I just don’t like tea lol

[summerseeker 2,417]

Once you loose some weight and begin to get more active you will tire yourself out. You may have a lower sugar diet than before and less carbs so you will naturally have less energy. Your meds may not be absorbing the same as before. Its all a new learning curve and some people think its a easy option!

To change your status - Go to the top to the page, where your name is. Click on the little down triangle. You get some options, choose surgery.

[Deep6 68]

My thanks, @summerseeker.

[Arabesque 7,621]

I wonder if it’s an absorption issue. Worth asking your surgeon & prescribing doctor. Many find time release meds don’t work as well after a bypass. Check where the meds are absorbed too - tummy or intestines. There are usually alternative formulations or meds you can take instead.

I wasn’t a great sleeper before my surgery. Not insomnia. I usually could fall asleep, but would wake & lie there for 3 or 4 hours or just not go back to sleep. It started in my late 30s. Stress/cortisol levels, then age (menopause), etc. contributed & I think waking & not sleeping became a of a habit too - usually woke at the same time. Now I get in 8 hours most nights. I have odd nights of waking for an hour or so but I will go back to sleep. Some nights I even get in 9 or 10 hours. Thank you surgery. I hope it may help you somewhat as well.

[Deep6 68]

@Arabesque- I get it. I was told to revisit all my prescription medications with the various prescribing doctors within 2-4 weeks. I had not expected such a dramatic change so quickly after surgery. I'm taking this step by step, following the liquid diet post surgery and taking the pills to reduce potential pain (I have suffered very little and they now have a protocol that involves Gabapentin, Celebrex, Tylenol).

The sleep problem has been a long running issue for me, but I figure if I'm getting a parts overhaul, I might address that too. I feel pretty positive about this whole experience- I do get hungry- but my wife pureed a cream of chicken Soup which filled me up and I had a Protein Shake later in the evening, so I feel like I can get through this--I won't be able to do much gym work for a while- I like lifting weights.

I go back to the surgeon on the 20th, so I'll see what he says on that score. Walking here is fine, except it gets really hot- I'm in Texas now and the heat is a beating. But, otherwise, I wanna get into shape to be more active.

Appreciate the note. Regards to you.

Edited June 10, 2023 by Deep6

[NinaWelch 5]

I've heard from friends who've had success with non-medication approaches like mindfulness meditation or establishing a consistent bedtime routine. Have you tried any of these? Also, I've heard you can buy zopiclone online as a solution to insomnia. I haven't personally tried it, but it might be worth looking into if you're open to exploring different options. Just remember to always consult with your healthcare provider before trying any new medication, especially if you're already taking other medications.

[ShoppGirl 5,076]

I can’t really answer your question. But I can add that Meds can definitely change how they react post surgery. Idk about right away but I was on a med for years pre surgery. Has to go off of it after surgery because it only absorbed with a meal of at least 300 calories or something like that then I went back when dinner could be 300 calories and all of a sodden I had terrible side effects from the medicine I never had the first time. Dr said that happens.

[Mrs. Ross 3]

I can’t sleep because I am anxious so bad. I asked my doctor to give me something to help

[Deep6 68]

Anxiety is awful. I used to stress out majorly due to my career, but even having been retired for ten years, I still have problems sleeping. I work out like an animal, now that I've lost most of my excess weight, and keep myself mentally engaged in a lot of things, but I still suffer from insomnia. My one doc, who I've used since the mid-90's, still has me on diazapam (addictive, but at some point for me, it just doesn't work so I stop and clean out) and Mirtazapine, which definitely puts me down most of the time. Only problem with the latter is that I don't wake up til 11am. Not good if I'm attempting to live a normal life. But, he's against sleeping pills and I get it. The other things, like Melatonin, just make me woozy.

I'm in way better health as a result of the surgery and working out constantly. I'm consuming lots of Protein through drinks plus food. I feel good. The lack of sleep can definitely ruin your day. I don't know what the current thinking is in the medical community. I trust my guy but still, it kinda sucks to have to medicate to get sleep. I'm real big on integrative medicine. Maybe there's an answer there. Dunno.

Nice to see you folks!!!!

[Clueless_girl 18]

On 6/8/2023 at 11:44 PM, Deep6 said:

I had my surgery a few days ago and generally feel good. My appetite is a little "off" which I guess is good, since I'm subsisting on a clear liquid diet and just added Protein Drinks per the surgeon's office. I have had difficulty sleeping for a long time; I used to attribute it to stress, but I retired several years ago and live a pretty stress-free life. I did my usual cocktail of Diazepam plus Mirtazapine which usually puts me down (the Mirtazapine is the one that usually kicks hard- I often don't want to get up and am groggy so I typically take 1/2 a 7.5 mg dose). It's ok for now because I'm not teaching the semester and can make appointments later in the morning or afternoon.

But, here's the kicker: I did my usual dosing and still could not fall asleep last night. I find it hard to believe that my metabolic system has changed this quickly after surgery. Which prompts me to ask: among those of you who suffer from insomnia, what do you use that does not leave you groggy in the morning?

tia

Deep6

PS: dumb admin question but how do I change my avatar box to read post-op rather than pre-op now that I've just had the surgery? Thanks again!

I have had insomnia since I was a kid and have to change sleep meds every few years. Oh and I have anxiety/ocd and ADHD. I was on an extended release form of ambien prior to surgery and just like you, I found that it stopped working. I had to add alprazolam to it to sleep through the night, but that's not great long term. My therapist said because of the absorption rate, going back to the highest dose of ambien should fix that.

Unfortunately I still struggled to sleep more than 3 hrs unless I added the alprazolam again. But I recently tried alcohol free zzzquil in its place and it does the trick! I started with a 15ml dose and I'm adjusting down from that, because it was a little hard to wake up the first time but I wasn't groggy at all. Hopefully this works for you too or gets you closer to something that does!