I'm looking for others with inability to sleep due to pain

Posted by kfender @kfender, 1 day ago

I have been experiencing pain in joints of spine, hips, ribs only on the dependent side when lying in bed. Pain is severe enough to only allow a couple hours of sleep before having to get up and move around. I feel like these joints are locked up and it is painful to get up. Once I am up the pain is quickly relieved by moving around. This pain has been every day/night for about 3+ years. I am 55 years old now and despite multiple specialists and diagnostic tests, I have received no definitive diagnosis.

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jw9 | @jw9 | 1 day ago

Make sure to check back for replies on your post because I have a feeling there will be many who relate to broken nights, sleepless with pain. Whenever I have something going on it seems pain is more intense during the night. I've been told it's because there's nothing to distract my mind at night.

I'm sorry you haven't found any answers about what's causing your pain. That's why it's good that you posted a question; it can feel self-negating to look for answers and find none. I'm sorry you have been through this a long time.

For the past 2 years I've had severe lower back pain. One of the things that I do, rather than getting up, I leave the heating pad plugged in by my bed. I can reach over and use it for 20 minutes and I get some relief. It's things like that others might add to the conversation.

kjoed53 | @kjoed53 | 8 hours ago

I'm assuming that your inflammation markers in your blood work are all normal or else you would have been diagnosed by now. I have PMR so I wasn't sleeping except due to exhaustion because of the the hip girdle pain. Ibuprofen didn't help at all. It took 25mg prednisone to relieve my hip girdle pain enough so I could sleep, but then I was dealing with the sleep issues of prednisone. Subsequently I was diagnosed with SMM and had to do a fast taper off prednisone. My rheumatologist prescribed 3mg LDN to help with pain while I tapered and waited for insurance approval for kevzara. LDN is used off label for fibromyalgia, but also for RA, PMR and other disorders including chronic pain. It helps me sleep by reducing the pain that I can ignore during the day but not at night. Some doctors are adamantly opposed to off label prescriptions while others are more open minded. It's worth discussing with your doctor. It might take a month to feel the full effect, but I think it helps me with both PMR and osteoarthritis night pain.

jenatsky | @jenatsky | 6 hours ago

You might consider finding a Myofascial Release (MFR) therapist for some help. They are basically massage therapist who’ve taken advanced MFR training. It has done wonders for my aching spine and body.

shoegal | @shoegal | 3 hours ago

I too struggle with trying to sleep due to back pain. I had a spinal fusion in 2012 at the age of 62, (I turned 63 in the hospital!), due to scoliosis. I have 2 rods and 20 screws in my back.
I won't take any type of sleeping pills due to the serious side effects. I also keep a heating pad plugged in next to my bed so that when I wake up, I can just turn it on & change positions. I take a cannabis gummy every night, which my pain doc is aware of & doesn't mind.
It's a matter of having multiple items in your "tool box" that you can use depending on what type of pain you are having. I sometimes use a rub in balm (Charlotte's Web). After being in pain for over 40 yrs, I have tried to keep various items handy that might help me. Unfortunately, there are days/nights, when nothing helps & I just suffer.....good luck to you.