Insomnia

I have experienced this after a knee replacement surgery.

Was wondering if your husband was given a spinal nerve block in the procedure or has utilized any SSRI medication prior to surgery.

Does your Husband take any medication to try to assist with the insomnia? The meds I have used have helped some, then, stop being very effective.

In my case, these were the dynamics. Risks of depression or neurotoxicity for this nerve block method were never discussed in the pre-op appointment.

This has been so severe that it has caused me to be forced out of work on disability.

I am sorry to hear that Your Husband is struggling with this. It is real, tends to realize that something caused a shift in the brain, possibly Hippocampus region. And, wouldn’t you know that some research shows that is the region that affects neurogenesis. So, neuro plasticity is the buzzword everyone uses with therapy, but there are some physical limitations if this area of the brain is compromised. I have been through a year of therapy and various medications, and unfortunately, no answers.

I know what he is dealing with and it is hellish.

I have had many surgeries, injections, ablations on my lower back. I get hyaluronic acid & cortisone injections in both knees every 6 months. Left hip is close to failing. Right hip has been replaced. Both rotator cuffs have significant tears.
I went years decades not sleeping well. Before the major crackdowns on pain management I was taking a Dilaudid, Ambien and Xanax every single night to maybe get 4 hours sleep.
When medical marijuana became legal, it saved my life.
The Indica strain does nothing but relax you and put you to sleep. It did take quite awhile for me to figure out the best dosage for myself. I’m not a smoker so that was not an option.
I take a capsule which usually starts working in about 90 min.
I eat a gummy which usually starts working in 20-30 minutes.
Last, I put 1 ml of tincture under my tongue which starts working in about 10-15 minutes.
Most nights I get a minimum of 6-7 hours. No grogginess the next day. So much better than pharmaceuticals. Unfortunately it’s expensive.

Flyjim:

Are all the capsules, gummies, and tinctures the Indica strain? Also, do you still take the Xanax or were you able to ween off the benzodiazepine?

These can be tough to get off of with prolonged use. I know everyone is different, but I and others have had withdrawal symptoms from the Benzos. Definitely the drug of choice for psychiatrists and other MDs. I know they are trying to help in a very desperate situation. It just seems that these mainstream medications can cause so many other issues.

No. There are different strains and hybrids. Sativa is the strain that is a great pain killer, and can increase your appetite, as in you are suffering from cancer and don’t feel like eating. There are hybrids that you may find help with many different issues.
Indica only makes you sleepy.

I still take one Xanax a day I’ve been diagnosed with general anxiety disorder. I could probably not take it anymore but one a day is no problem. That’s a lot better than taking 3-4 a day.

I have struggled with insomnia for over 20 years before my TKR. It got worse after that. My regular doctor out me on Trazadone and it works great for me.

Well, first you have to obtain a medical marijuana card, which entails going to a doctor that is certified in it.
He will explain everything to you. There are several strains and hybrids.
The Indica strain is what you want to sleep. It’s a natural product. Not a pharmaceutical. No side effects. The only negative is that it’s expensive.

My 85 year old wife has lately suffered from extreme insomnia, now over 4 weeks if you can believe 1
Doctor prescribed Lunesta finally....backfired....no sleep. Also severe breathing problems at 3:00 am.
Terrifying scare for her. Dr. next prescribed Seroquel but packaging warned in BIG BOLD letters ...
DANGEROUS TO ELDERLY, COULD BE FATAL !!! Needless to say after her previous experience, no way was she going to take it. Dr. next prescribed Trazodone. No sleep ... made her jumpy....
What are we to do ? Ideas, please We're desperate! God bless, Bruce

Has she tried over the counter Melatonin? For some years after surgeries I could not get more than about 1 1/2 hours of sleep before waking up. Sometimes I could get back to sleep, other times not. Last fall I finally decided to try 5mg of Melatonin before bed. Although I still only got about 3 hours of sleep in a session, it was a deeper, better quality of sleep. And I was able to fall asleep again for another few hours. I took it every night for a couple of months til I felt I had established a better sleep pattern, then went off it and my sleep has remained better. If I have an active day, I may sleep up to four hours in a row upon falling asleep at night.

The other reason sleep may be hard is excessive anxiety, there can be lots to worry about regarding personal health, family problems, state of the world today etc. I don’t do well with most antidepressants, but found that 1/2 of a 0.5 mg tablet of Clonazepam relaxes me enough so that I can let go of excessive worry. My doctor only prescribes for 5 tablets at a time, since they are so fussy about addiction. I don’t need a whole tablet, that makes me too woozy. So I cut them in half, I get 10 doses, which will last me for at least 6 months. I only take them if I think I am having an anxiety attack I can’t handle on it’s own.