How Do People Sleep??

I have just finished my treatment for Rt side tonsil cancer

8 weeks IMRT and three cysplatin

I have been on 5 mg of ambian to sleep since the first week and still need it

has anyone else had to deal with these problems?

My Dr say that it is not a problem now and the sleeping is more important, the sad thing was I sleep so well before Cancer as I was just a big dumb Happy guy and NOW I am this scared frail shell of the person I was!!!!

john 

Hello John,

         I sleep pretty good considering the dry mouth and stiffness in my neck each day and night. I do wake up several times, sip some water and return to sleep fairly quickly.

         As far as the thought of cancer returning, which I am reading in your post, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of it. We all have been down a rough road. There are no guarantees given by our Doctors. The chances for us to get cancer again are 50% more likely once we get it. You and I could worry ourselves sick by reading all the numbers on the internet.

         I can only suggest this to you. You have walked down a bumpy road, make a turn and find a smooth one. Meaning, enjoy your life as much as you can, because we can't perdict what will happen in the next day or week. I know a woman that is a friend of my wife's. She was told she had Stage 4 ovarian cancer and she needed to get her things in order. They gave her roughly 2 years or less to live. That was 6 years ago. I can tell you, she is enjoying life.

         So, hopefully, you will control your thoughts, think positive and try to enjoy as much time that any of us have on this planet.

          Take Care of yourself and my Best to everyone here

On 5/22/2008 mtkjohn1 wrote:

I have just finished my treatment for Rt side tonsil cancer

8 weeks IMRT and three cysplatin

I have been on 5 mg of ambian to sleep since the first week and still need it

has anyone else had to deal with these problems?

My Dr say that it is not a problem now and the sleeping is more important, the sad thing was I sleep so well before Cancer as I was just a big dumb Happy guy and NOW I am this scared frail shell of the person I was!!!!

john 

John,

Go easy on yourself--you have been through the shock of a lifetime which releases all kinds of "fight" hormones into your body. That "shell" will peel away as you heal--your psyche and physical being are going through a major trauma. This disease has left you feeling very vulnerable---time will heal and you will get back to your old self.

A thought--are you taking anything to calm you during the day? Many people feel better with Ativan. My husband started taking it as soon as he was diagnosed and continues with treatment. He says it "dulls" the emotional knife. He takes 1 mg. every 6-8 hours without fail.(I have to enourage other meds such as pain meds, so that tells you that the Ativan is very important to him). He also started Paxil--an anti-depressant. No, he doesn't act any different than his old, funny self--- just feels like he can handle the situation better. His sense of humor carries us both.

Discuss your feelings and your medication with your doctors. I am anticipating my husband to be on the Ativan and Paxil at least a year. His life needs to get back to normal and then make the drug wean.

Best of wishes to you---hang in there and try some "aids" to get rest because everything looks better and feels better when you are getting a good nights sleep!

DeniseB 

hi john -

 i feel so sad for your insomnia state - i have had that ,too and it really drains all your energy - the doc perscibed for me trazadone - don't remember the millgrams - but it worked - maybe you can use this ambien did not work for me at all - matter of fact i tried everything for sleeping and they just did not work until i was put on trazadone - think it was 300 mgs

it makes you really groggy in the morning when you wake up but that passes with time and adjustment to the med - some people will stop taking it for that reason but just know that that grogginess will pass -

 i do hope this info helps - my heart goes out to you -

lynette - caregiver for my mom with pancreatic cancer -

On 5/22/2008 DeniseB wrote:

 

On 5/22/2008 mtkjohn1 wrote:

I have just finished my treatment for Rt side tonsil cancer

8 weeks IMRT and three cysplatin

I have been on 5 mg of ambian to sleep since the first week and still need it

has anyone else had to deal with these problems?

My Dr say that it is not a problem now and the sleeping is more important, the sad thing was I sleep so well before Cancer as I was just a big dumb Happy guy and NOW I am this scared frail shell of the person I was!!!!

john 

John,

Go easy on yourself--you have been through the shock of a lifetime which releases all kinds of "fight" hormones into your body. That "shell" will peel away as you heal--your psyche and physical being are going through a major trauma. This disease has left you feeling very vulnerable---time will heal and you will get back to your old self.

A thought--are you taking anything to calm you during the day? Many people feel better with Ativan. My husband started taking it as soon as he was diagnosed and continues with treatment. He says it "dulls" the emotional knife. He takes 1 mg. every 6-8 hours without fail.(I have to enourage other meds such as pain meds, so that tells you that the Ativan is very important to him). He also started Paxil--an anti-depressant. No, he doesn't act any different than his old, funny self--- just feels like he can handle the situation better. His sense of humor carries us both.

Discuss your feelings and your medication with your doctors. I am anticipating my husband to be on the Ativan and Paxil at least a year. His life needs to get back to normal and then make the drug wean.

Best of wishes to you---hang in there and try some "aids" to get rest because everything looks better and feels better when you are getting a good nights sleep!

DeniseB 

ditto on the ativan!  my guy also has been taking it every evening since he started treatment...he says it takes the edge off of the anxiety and helps him relax.  it has also helped with nausea

~meesh

I'll second ( or third) the Ativan. It helped me a lot too, my doc gave it to me as soon as I was diagnosed, just to help me settle down.

If you are uncomforatable, it helped me to sleep without a pillow, I didnt gag on the mucous as much that way. Like Pop-pop and others, I keep a bottle of water by the bed and sip on it throughout the night. I also have a cool air humidifier as well.

I also think that as soon as you start to feel a little better (about 3 weeks after the end of treatment) your attitude will improve a lot. You're at the tail end of a very rough road, but things are going to look up real soon.

Best wishes,

Mike

Another vote for Ativan! It was the only thing that worked for me. I took it for  year, and I am no longer on it. It was a little tricky tapering off it; took a month's time, yet I would still reccommend it.