Sleeping Through the Night

[Guest guest]

Hubby is now on 8 Isocort and hit the usual problem of not sleeping

through the night--waking at 4 or 5 a.m. I completely expected this

from reading everyone's posts. So after the first sleepless night,

had him take 1 Iso at bedtime--kept him up. Next night, didn't take

any, and he woke at 4 a.m. with the shakes, ate, slept for another

hour then woke again, and felt like crap the rest of the day, just

like described.

Okay, but you have no problem falling asleep, right? And when do you

awake? Sometimes 4, sometimes 5. But never earlier than 4 right?

So the next night he set the alarm for 3:30 a.m. and took 1 Iso then,

along with a handful of sunflower seeds he just swallowed, and washed

it down with salt water. This was all on his nightstand so he just

swallowed everything without leaving bed and fell right back to

sleep. This covered the 4 a.m. low cortisol point, plus any potential

hypoglycemia. And I didn't want him to chew anything cause he

doesn't need dental problems too.

Anyway, it worked! Last night was the third time and he said it's

amazing how much better you feel with a full night's sleep. It seems

weird to set an alarm to wake you at 3:30, but apparently it's a

gentler waking than waiting till the shakes and hypoglycemia hit.

We're thinking those episodes only further stress your adrenals and

hinder the recovery.

Anyway, just some thoughts that might help others with sleeping.

Barb

[Guest guest]

>

> Tell him that I feel his pain - it sucks bad enough waking up like

> that, but it sucks even harder the next day.

, he actually feels like he knows you and asks about you since I

tell him all your stories. It's especially encouraging now that I

can tell him you're getting better. I tell him it's a rough road and

that he's going to hit some low spots before improving. Like

everyone here, the hope that we'll get better is all some of us have

to hang onto.

>

> I don't doubt that those episodes represent set backs - I'm

convinced

> of it b/c of how bad I feel the next day. I'm just hoping that I

> haven't done any long-lasting or permanent damage to my glands or

nerves.

>

In Bernstein's Diabetes book, he said that a lot of his

patients' long-standing neuropathies resolved with time once they

stabilized on his diet. And I also believe that the human body has

an amazing ability to heal and recover--given the opportunity. The

problem is getting to that ideal HC/thyroid dose that lets it heal!

Wishing you some restful sleep this weekend.

Barb

[Guest guest]

Thanks Barb. Tell him that I feel like I am figuring out the meds and

that I do have a good day here and there - had one yesterday, good

energy, no pain, very little GI upset and slept more or less OK.

Today, well, today sucked, but not as bad as Wed. I'm also about due

for my next Armour increase and I think that I can handle 1/4 grain

this time now that I'm on enough HC and my temps seem to be holding to

a decently tight pattern. I hope that Iso proves to be enough for him

and that he gets past the 3-4AM wake up hump real soon. Good rest for

everyone tonight

>

> , he actually feels like he knows you and asks about you since I

> tell him all your stories. It's especially encouraging now that I

> can tell him you're getting better. I tell him it's a rough road and

> that he's going to hit some low spots before improving. Like

> everyone here, the hope that we'll get better is all some of us have

> to hang onto.