How are you supposed to sleep?

**knitter** · 11-10-2010, 03:56 AM

I have been peeing 3-4 times a night after I fall asleep, and usually about 3 times between laying down and being able to fall asleep. Last night, I peed I don't even know how many times. 10?

And I just started taking Elvail, too. I know it can take a while to help with the pain, but I figured since it made me drowsy, it would at least help me sleep! I ate something I shouldn't last night (soup with a chicken bouillon in it) but I took a Prelief before. I drank some water with baking soda in it before I went to bed; I thought that would help. It has the other few times I've done it.

Does Elavil help you sleep? How long does it take to help with the pain?

Maybe it was just stress...I have hundreds and hundreds of pages to do of reading each week, 5 term papers due in a month (grad student). How am I not supposed to be stressed and get this all done without getting sleep AND without caffeine??

It seems like I can only give up one of those...I could do without coffee if I could sleep. I could do without sleep if I could have coffee. I could do without stress if I could have sleep or coffee...but not all 3!

**Landish** · 11-10-2010, 07:35 AM

I pee about 6 times before being able to fall asleep and then I wake up every 2 hours even if I take a valium. I hardly remember what it feels to sleep all night long. Its no stress it's this horrendous disease.

***Julie B*** · 11-10-2010, 06:12 PM

The atarax really helped me, and I have a pretty standard routine that I go through before I can actually fall asleep. :-)

Sometimes a warm bath helps with Epsom salts, and if I need it, I will put one of the sticky hot pads over my bladder area.

Other things that work are pyriduim and sometimes a half of vicodin.

I hope you can find something that does the trick.............

Sending understanding hugs............

**mary124** · 11-13-2010, 04:58 AM

I get up 1 or maybe 2 times a night (depending on what time I go to bed and of course if I get distrub by the dog trying to get my attention! I take Neurontin (1500mg) so when I do get up I usually can go back to sleep in a few minutes.

**theclownster** · 11-13-2010, 02:02 PM

Hi there! I'm so sorry to hear you are having such a hard time at night. I remember feeling like you are describing. Notice I sais remember... (knock on wood) - I do get sleep now and don't get up very often during the night unless I'm in a flare. I take both Elavil and Atarax along with Ditropan XL and that helps me tremendously. I did have to make adjustments until I found a medication regimen that worked. I think I originally took the Ditropan XL in the daytime but realized nighttime was bad even though the XL is supposed to be extended release. I asked my doctor if I could switch it around and take it at night with the Elavil and Atarax. I have found this to be the best for me. I take all my IC meds at night - as night time was the hardest time for me when I was first being diagnosed and now my meds hold me through the night.

I hope you are able to find some relief soon and you are able to get some good, quality sleep.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

**needsrelief** · 11-14-2010, 01:53 AM

Im a grad student too. I feel your pain. I have been battling nocturia for years and feel like Im loosing. I was on elavil. It worked at first but stopped. i been taking neurontin. I still get up to use the bathroom but not as much. I havent had a straight sleep in years. you might want to try the IC diet also. A lady on another thread said that taking elmiron and getting hydrodistentions help her sleep the whole night. or u can get bladder instills, DMSO, along with elavil, atarax, elmiron, the diet, whatever else helps you. most people benefit from a "combined therapy". but of course u need a docs prescription and ok. some of the drs wont put u on more than one med at once. but plenty of IC'ers are. there are also some natural products that may help u here on the ICN like cystoprotek, bladder ease, cysta Q ect. I think im a little bit of a harder case. btw prelief doesnt work for everyone and it doesnt work for every food. it cuts down the acid however it doesnt guarantee ur bladder wont burn. I think its better than nothing. or it might be best to avoid the food all together good luck!!