Can anyone shed any light on the pain I have every night after a few hours in bed, it radiates from my neck, all across my shoulders and also my whole pelvic area.It is effecting me being able to sleep much.I've tried different pain relief ( panadolosteo,celebrex and tramadol) but have given up on them as they dont seem to help and I really prefer not to use meds. Thought a good electric blanket might help, any other ideas? For background, I have PsA, recently diagnosed.
I like to soak in a hot tub with 2 cups of Epsom salt in it. I am not sure why it helps but it does. Though I find on the days I exercise in a warm pool and use the hot tub at the gym I do not need it. I also use a heating pad before bed time. I also love my Costco memory foam mattress. Hope this helps. Sweet dreams!
It's not uncommon for pain to flare after being still for a period of time. Some things that may help...
- memory foam mattress / mattress topper
- heat applied to affected area
- taking magnesium before bed
- eating a banana before bed or sometime during the day (potassium)
I hope you find some relief quickly!
Hi, Sophie
I’ve had good luck with a wool mattress topper (it’s like a thick, soft, cushy wool carpet). It is very absorbent, and it feels cooler than memory foam. There are a few places on the internet that sell them. For a while, I took a magnesium supplement because I was having muscle cramps, but I don’t seem to need that any more.
I second a thick memory foam bed topper (mine is 4" thick), without it nighttime became a nightmare. Heat as well (I like Thermacare patches, esp. on my SI area, which relaxes the entire area of back / hips). I have a wedge pillow I put under my memory foam pillow, which helps me not put as much pressure on my shoulder / upper back for sleeping.
Without those things, I would have to double or triple my pain meds / muscle relaxants.
Most nights I have hip and shoulder pain and it wakes me several times during the night and I have to turn over to try and relieve the pain and get back to sleep and in the earlier part of the night I do get back to sleep. I feel it is all related to my PSA. Eventually all sides of me get too painful and I have to get up. I sometimes take two Paracetamol before going to bed after a hot chocolate drink mainly so I don't take it on an empty stomach even though they say you can. I will get up and do the same during a bad night if I can't lay there a moment longer.
I find that Paracetamol seems to work faster but it is no good if I leave too long and wait it until the pain gets worse. Sooner rather than later helps. Pandadol Osteo is a slow release type and you do need to take it daily, two every eight hours for it to work well. I can't take Tramadol or Asprin or Codiene because it affects my stomach.
If you can take asprin this might work even better and faster and better for you. New research on Asprin and Paracetamol have realized they work much more effective than previously thought especially on any pain related to bone pain. I do find that if I don't take some Paracetamol early, it does not seem to work and I have to wait four hours to take more, but that second dose usually does helps but I have had to write off my day as after four or five hours in pain I am exhausted.
I have the padded bed and use the electric blanket in winter. Hot Water Bottle and a TENS unit during the day.
These are all great suggestions, so I won’t add anything more about how to make it feel better at home. Instead, I’ll suggest that you go see your doc about that pain. It almost sounds like it might be some sort of nerve impingement, which can be pretty common, especially if you are having a flare with swelling. I have had several episodes of this in different areas, and was very lucky that it went away with steroids. (Steroids reduce the swelling which releases the trapped nerve and relieves the pain) Depending on where the entrapment is, steroid injections can also be beneficial. Just a thought. There’s no need to suffer if it can be fixed.
Whatever it is, I hope you get some relief soon. It’s so hard to deal with pain during the night.
Hi, Thanks so much for all the suggestions, theres some great ideas. I can't understand where or why the pain should be where it is, Id love to know,any ideas?
I take a muscle relaxer, flexorel. If I take it by 7:00 I can still wake up in the morning. It helps me get to sleep and get some restorative sleep. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t …
Hi Sophie,
I get the night-time pain, too. Early on, I found relief from mattress toppers--I used a featherbed for a while until I grew weary of fluffing it up all the time. It was too heavy for sore hands. Then I switched to a memory foam topper, which worked pretty well for a few years. I then switched to a memory foam/gel mattress that gives me about 4-5 hours of sleep before the pain settles back in.
Heating pads, heated mattress pads and electric blankets helped somewhat in the early stages.
I've also used assorted medications with little success. The good news, oddly enough, is that I am able to sleep in a recliner without too much night pain, so most of the time, I simply let myself fall asleep in front of TV.
Physical therapist says that when we enter deep sleep, we lose the muscle tension that usually helps support the joints. When that happens, the joints begin to shift against our already sore and inflamed ligaments and tendons, producing night-time pain.
I do agree with Clr that flexoril sometimes does help, despite its being a muscle relaxant. It's also a very safe medication that I, personally, would not hesitate to use on a long-term basis--BUT, that's MY opinion and is not meant to sound like a medical opinion.
Sorry you are dealing with this. Believe me, I know what it's like when you can't sleep because you are hurting. The next time you think you aren't going back to sleep, try the recliner and see if you can get some rest that way. It has been a life-saver for me.
the way it radiates almost sounds like nerves having pressure on them, or something…
I was going to inquire about the same thing. Does anyone have any cures for sausage fingers? I go to bed at night fine, and a couple hours later my hands get so swollen I can't even pick up a glass of water.
my wife wears those compression gloves for arthritis and it seems to keep the swelling down.
Hi again, Im really starting to try and think outside the box about this pain now. I was wondering wether it would be worth trying pot for some pain relief and some desperately needed sleep. Does anyone have any thoughts?
i use to smoke pot b4 bed & omg at the sleep i got! it was heaven sent! i would lay in my tub filled w/hot water,smoke alittle (no much) & get out so relaxed,it was amazing!! wish i could still do that myself!
Hey Lola, I went ahead and did an experiment! Im not sure if its killing the pain or I just don't care anymore! Whatever, it does'nt really matter, its working for now. All good.