Fatigue and insomnia
Has anyone experienced fatigue and insomnia at the same time? Some days I can only sleep for three hours, other days I stay in bed for almost 12 hours but only sleeping for a couple of hours at a time with more than half hour of being awake in between, the best day is being in bed for eight hours only to stay asleep for the first two hours and waking up every hour after until I get up, unfortunately I can’t afford medical treatment, only managing by diet.
Hi
. That must be frustrating, especially since you can't afford treatment. Do you not have insurance? If that is the case, is there a chance you will get insurance sometime soon? PsA treatment might at least help with the fatigue. Many people with PsA have issues with sleep, sometimes due to pain and other times simply because their minds or bodies won't shut down. Have you tried over-the-counter sleep medications? Here is an article from one of our advocates about sleep that might interest you: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/soaking-up-moon-beams-and-watching-the-sun-rise. I hope you get helpful responses from the community and that you get some relief. Thinking of you. - Lori (Team Member) Lori:
Thank for your reply, at this moment I'm not sure when I'll be able to afford medication and the problem is that I can't take pain medication, over the counter meds affect my stomach even with anti-acid medication which I already take and prescription pain meds only dulls the pain and at the same time trading body pains for migraines and sleeping meds have the same effect, it's like waking up hangover from a party I never attended,(if I drank a bottle of tequila I would feel the same but at least I would have some fun before paying for it) the worse part is that this has been my luck with other meds, either I have a bad reaction or the benefits are short lived and side-effects long lasting, but as you mention is that my mind can't shut down along with the usual aches and pains, for the moment all I can do is manage with low sugar, low sodium, and paleo diet which I think it does help, it's not a solution, I'm just trying to minimize the damage and I'm not depressed but it is frustrating, for the time being doing what I can with what I got.
Thanks.Hi
. My heart goes out to you. You are not alone in your inability to take pain medications. We have a couple advocates who have similar issues. Here is an article about natural pain relief that might interest you: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/natural-pain-relief?fbclid=IwAR3ugVOCbesKWoNfmw5icnoeI_BtMv5L9w9WnUIt98VeYR85NJ1fKx4JbzQ&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=organic. We also have a sister site where you might find some more useful information about sleep issues, Sleep-Disorders.net. I hope you are eventually able to bring your sleep issues and your PsA symptoms under control. Wishing you the very best. - Lori (Team Member)
jktddychs22, I could never afford the medication. Cosentyx costs $5,000 a month!!! however, most pharmaceutical companies realize this and have what they call "patient assistance foundations"; you have to go through an application process involving verifying your income, age, etc. and a verification of need from your rheumatologist (in my case my dermatologist did it for me as my psoriasis went crazy for a while), and you get the medication FREE. you have to re-apply every year but you really don't have to pay, and while the reapplication period usually results in a month or two without medication my doctor has assured me she can supply me with free sample packs until it goes through. I've been on Cosentyx for 4 years now and I could hardly get out of bed in the morning before.
jktddychs22, they are injections but easy to do--an automatic injector in your upper leg. no stomach problems
Thanks for sharing this,
. My brother gets full reimbursement for his insurance copay from the makers of Enbrel. There is no way he could afford it otherwise. Wishing you the best! - Lori (Team Member)
, thanks for your question. In addition to what was shared here, I just wanted to let you know that we shared your post with our FB community. Many people could also relate to your experiences. Here's the link to the FB post if you're interested in reading through the responses: https://www.facebook.com/PsoriaticArthritisDotCom/posts/1531862103866308. Thinking of you, Minel (Team Member)
