Guest guest Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 I have a 59 year old woman who has had sleep problems all her life. Started as a child when her parents rowed at night. She's had a difficult life and has hadZopiclone from time to time. More recently she was relying on red wine, as her doctor refused her sleeping tablets. She has just had a spell in hospital having collapsed from over-work - she is restructuring her day, determined to improve things. But still can't sleep - things go round and round in her head. She has high BP. Taking Amolodopin, Lisopress, Dosozosin/Cardura (sic) She is a determined person - spoke continiuously for a full 40 mins, then told me what she wanted, and stopped! She's tried every over the counter sleeping mix she can find with no effect. She doesn't want to take a day time mix, as she considers sleep is the only problem - despite my suggestions to the contrary. Any ideas? Thanks Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 a cosh? if she's only focusing on the sleep, nothing else will work. nne ==================================================== nne Last BA MNIMH Consultant Medical Herbalist Monmouth Herbal Clinic Tel: 01600 719497 www.mariannelast.co.uk Sleep I have a 59 year old woman who has had sleep problems all her life. Started as a child when her parents rowed at night. She's had a difficult life and has hadZopiclone from time to time. More recently she was relying on red wine, as her doctor refused her sleeping tablets. She has just had a spell in hospital having collapsed from over-work - she is restructuring her day, determined to improve things. But still can't sleep - things go round and round in her head. She has high BP. Taking Amolodopin, Lisopress, Dosozosin/Cardura (sic) She is a determined person - spoke continiuously for a full 40 mins, then told me what she wanted, and stopped! She's tried every over the counter sleeping mix she can find with no effect. She doesn't want to take a day time mix, as she considers sleep is the only problem - despite my suggestions to the contrary. Any ideas? Thanks Janet List Owner Graham White, MNIMH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 Hello Janet, Having read your summation of said patient, I wonder why she has asked for your help as she has refused your expertise to deal with her as a person... If sleep is the only issue, then her perspective may be a little skewed(!). It is funny how convincing patients can be when they take their position with full blinkers and tunnel-vision in place - I want your help (but only with the following criteria as rules) - 1) I tell you what is wrong 2) I tell you how to treat it 3) I know what is right 4) I have control of the whole process 5) I know all of what is wrong and how to fix it, which is why I am consulting you!... My temptation would be to suggest that as all she has tried both her focus on the condition and treatment of said has failed, that she allow a different approach. It may be she is obsessive about her state but, there are definite issues to deal with here and for change, change must happen... I feel your concern is valid, without a holistic approach, what she wants will not effectively happen. If the concerns re: sleep are truly from childhood then she may need to allow or enable the emotions from then to release e.g. kinesiology, EFT, psycho-dynamic bodywork etc. would be useful. A final thought, the reason she may have chosen herbal medicine is that simply she doesn't want to go there - the source of the actual concern - getting an effective sleeping draught will allow her to continue avoiding the real issues... I hope these ramblings help. With best regards and good luck Janet, Benn -- Benn Abdy- MCPP Medical Herbalist Windsor & London 0 or 07957 65 88 90 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 Sleep may only occur at a particular time of the day, but it does not necessarily follow that the herbs to help with this should also only be taken then. If you are treating a bladder problem, you don't just give herbs with each wee. Sleep disturbances are an imbalance like any other, and need treatment of that underlying imbalance for a solution. She doesn't actually need to accept that specifically the stress etc is part of the problem to accept this; just to accept that her body is not a machine in which the sleep function is totally separate and walled off from, say, the endocrine glands. Sounds like she needs education about how her body works - and you could actually give her this in conventional physiology terms if that is easier for her - explain feedback mechanisms and biorhythms a bit. Having said that, we know we can, as herbalists, also give symptomatic sticking plasters that will just soothe but not treat the underlying problem. But sounds like she already tried all them. But if she wants to waste her money on continuing with an approach that has never worked so far, even after you have explained your ability to offer an alternative approach, then sure! Just make it very clear that she is insisting on using herbs within her paradigm, not yours, and hence she is wasting your expertise. Robyn Janet Elphinstone wrote: >I have a 59 year old woman who has had sleep problems all her life. Started >as a child when her parents rowed at night. She's had a difficult life and >has hadZopiclone from time to time. More recently she was relying on red >wine, as her doctor refused her sleeping tablets. >She has just had a spell in hospital having collapsed from over-work - she >is restructuring her day, determined to improve things. But still can't >sleep - things go round and round in her head. >She has high BP. Taking Amolodopin, Lisopress, Dosozosin/Cardura (sic) >She is a determined person - spoke continiuously for a full 40 mins, then >told me what she wanted, and stopped! >She's tried every over the counter sleeping mix she can find with no effect. >She doesn't want to take a day time mix, as she considers sleep is the only >problem - despite my suggestions to the contrary. > >Any ideas? >Thanks >Janet > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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