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Hello, friends - I am searching for a SAFE Sleep Aid for us with CC. I presently take 1 Tylenol PM (suggested dose is 2), but it is too strong for me and I sleep too long and wake up groggy. I don't drink but a cup of tea with caffeine a day, and it's in the morning, so that's not keeping me awake at night. I am not overstimulated during the day, either. Seems more just like the result of a natural aging process thing
I see that Tylenol now makes a pill called, Simply Sleep. Same as the Tylenol PM, but without the Tylenol for Pain ingredient. It has 25mg of Benadryl as its main ingredient. Then, there is plain Benadryl 25mg. which supposedly makes one sleepy, but I haven't tried that. Guess I'm not sure if it is the Tylenol part of my present pill or the Bendaryl part that is knocking me out now.
QUESTION: Anyone use any Sleep Aids that are Safe for us with CC and that work well without getting that wiped-out feeling each morning?
Thanks,
TREESE
Diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis, June 2015.
Diagnosed Dec 2020 with Celiac Disease during 1st Flare up.
Spine Surgery 2010. Chronic Pain. FAITH!!
Benadryl is a somewhat popular sleep aid, and it's apparently reasonably effective. However, please be aware that it has anticholenergic properties, and recently-published research shows that repeated use of anticholenergics (in excess of a certain minimum threshold number) appears to increase the risks of developing Alzheimer's disease of some other form of age-related dementia. Please note that many of the mainstream sleep aid medications fall into this category.
Some people have had success by taking melatonin. You might do a search of the archives to find some discussions on that.
I have a hunch that at least some of the wiped-out feeling is due to your MC symptoms. When my MC was active, I typically felt as though I had been hit by a truck during the night as I tried to drag my aching carcass out of bed each morning. It's part of the "welcome basket" that comes with MC.
FWIW, for the last 25 years or so I have averaged roughly 5 and a half hours of sleep each night. If I try to force myself to sleep more, I'm unable to sleep as long the next night. I don't believe that this is a good, healthy practice, but I'm still kicking, despite all the dire forecasts to the contrary.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
In the lead up to my Mc diagnosis, I did not sleep through the night. Joked about having 'old women's bladder' as I was only 40, and getting up 2-3 times a night.
Long story short, a bit like tex I sleep long periods. Most nights it is 3-4 hr bank of sleep, toilet stop and takes me a while to return to sleep. I use guided meditations/audiobooks to get me back to sleep.
What I have learnt for my combo of health issues is that it is not the length of sleep time that is important, it is the length of time I rest, calm the mind, etc that is key.
There is no right way or wrong way... There is what works best for you....
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
I will use a 5mg slow release Melatonin on occasion....but right now my 'intermittent WARM Flushes' are doing a bang up job keeping me awake when I don't want to be.
I only use Benadryl when I need a good solid night sleep period, or if my histamine is pretty high in my system, but I don't use it as a constant aide.
E
To Succeed you have to Believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a Reality - Anita Roddick
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
L theanine 1 pill in evening 100 mg to relax me, 3 pills of magnesium glycinate 200 in evening for total of 600 mg magnesium glycinate taken all at once in evening. The mag glycinate allows me to sleep thru the night without waking at 2:00 am or 4:00 am. I take all about 1 hour b/f bed with small snack.
No electronics after 6:00 pm.
I took benadryl as sleep aid for about 9 months earlier in my diagnosis. I found it to be somewhat addictive, i.e. no benedryl, no sleep. It took me awhile to get off of it. Alzheimers risk is a major concern for me which prompted me to discontinue it.
I take 1/2 tablet of Benadryl to help me sleep ever since I've been on the Budesonide. It really messed with my sleep. I'll go off of it as soon as I off of it.
Jari
Diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis, June 29th, 2015
Gluten free, Dairy free, and Soy free since July 3rd, 2015
TREESE wrote:Tex - the Magnesium Glycinate does Not cause loose stool? Only the Citrate does? Or is it the dose that makes for the loose stool?
TREESE
Yes, it's generally true that magnesium citrate is a laxative in larger doses, while magnesium glycinate is not likely to cause such problems.
However, if you read all of the information on the back label of virtually any oral magnesium supplement I believe that you will find that the actual magnesium content of each tablet is exactly half of the amount shown on the front label. IOW the front label shows the amount of magnesium in a "recommended dose", and on the back (usually at the very top of the label where most people are likely to miss it), it will mention that a recommended dose is 2 tablets. Ergo each tablet has exactly half the amount listed on the front label.
At least all the magnesium bottles that I've looked at follow that convention. IOW, Brandy is probably taking 300 mg, rather than 600 mg.
I scatter my magnesium throughout the day, and I sometimes take the last one at bedtime, but I have never tried to keep track of whether I sleep better on those nights. The next time that happens, I'll try to take note of any effects. I can tell you that when I was severely deficient, I would awaken every night between 1 and 3 o'clock. Sometimes I would be able to get back to sleep, but I would usually wake up again after a couple of hours.
Now that I'm taking plenty of magnesium, I don't wake up during the night unless I make the mistake of drinking too much water during the hours just before bedtime.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi, Jari - I realized that Benadryl doesn't do much by way of sleep for me, so I probably was getting zonked more by the Tylenol in the PM pill I was taking rather than the Benadryl. I had forgotten that the ER gave me Benadryl and expected me to zonk out, but it really had no such effect on me either time they administered it. So, I'll try to patiently await a resolution that is based on Nature's way, for now. Maybe an occasional Valium piece of pill...I break the 10mg pill up into 4 parts and occasionally take 1 part when I really need it. Usually helps.
Thank you,
TREESE
Diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis, June 2015.
Diagnosed Dec 2020 with Celiac Disease during 1st Flare up.
Spine Surgery 2010. Chronic Pain. FAITH!!
