Fibromyalgia & Insomnia: New Treatment Recommendation
Better Sleep Month Series: Treating Insomnia
Insomnia is one of the most common complaints in those of us with fibromyalgia, and a new study suggests a way to combat it.
Very often, insomniacs will have good luck with sleeping pills for awhile, only to see them grow less and less effective over time. That's especially the case with fibromyalgia. What this study shows is that insomniacs were a lot more successful with a combination of short-term Ambien (zolpiderm) use and long-term cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
About CBT
CBT is controversial in the fibromyalgia community, because all too often doctors who think our illness is psychological offer CBT as a primary treatment. While that may not be an appropriate use of CBT, however, CBT does have its place.
A major goal of CBT is to change your habits and get you past negative feelings. Personally, I believe I probably should ask for CBT for sleep issues -- because of my lifelong insomnia, I struggle with good sleep habits and I have negative associations with laying in bed. I've overcome a lot of this on my own, but all it takes is a couple of rough nights to bring it back full force. Studies show that CBT as a complementary fibromyalgia treatment can also help us learn to cope with our illness and make beneficial lifestyle changes.
Study Results
Here's a look at how participants fared a year after the beginning of the study:
- Ambien alone for 32 weeks: 42% were insomnia free.
- CBT alone for 32 weeks: 44% were insomnia free.
- 6 weeks Ambien+32 weeks CBT: 68% were insomnia free.
Of course, you can't just consider the positive aspects of a drug -- you've got to be mindful of the side effects. Learn more about Ambien.
What treatments have helped you sleep? What have you tried that didn't work for you? Do you think this recommendation sounds promising? Leave a comment below!
Suggested Reading:
- Biofeedback, Hypnotherapy & CBT
- Massage, Rolfing, Reiki & Other Bodywork
- Supplements for Managing Symptoms
Photo © Barros & Barros/Getty Images
Comments
After severe insomnia due to my fibromyalgia…I tried to meditate, pray, etc…to push through it. NOTHING helped. I was becoming more and more exhausted. Not suicidal, but feeling like an eternal sleep was better than no sleep at all (insomnia is a fate worse than death!). I finally started to have anxiety attacks any time I would lay down. I finally went to the doctor and she prescribed Ambien, which I’ve been taking for several years. I had to take anti-anxiety medicine w/ it for the first few months, but after that I’ve just taken an Ambien every night and it works like a charm! I wake up feeling great, but I will say I’ve done several things after I’ve taken the pill that I don’t remember in the morning. I’ve never wandered out of the house or anything like that though. I LOVE what Ambien has done for me, but I do go to the doctor a couple of times a year for complete blood work up to make sure it’s not harming me. I’ve also had people worried about me becoming addicted to Ambien…that I won’t be able to sleep w/o it…but I say, “duh, I WASN’T sleeping w/o it before!!! People w/o fibromyalgia just don’t have a clue and never will!
Interesting post. I agree about the negative associations we often have with CBT and other psychologically-based approaches to treatment. I know intellectually that there’s a place for it, but even I find myself with hackles raised when I read something that even hints of “it’s all in your head.” I know in my brain there’s a difference, but not in my heart – if that makes sense? Time to get past it and do whatever works!
See my book INSOMNIAC, and Dorothy Wall’s review of it:
http://www.fightingfatigue.org/?s=Sleep+disorders&paged=3
CBT is really starting to gain traction as a way to help those who are failing to get enough quality rest.
I’ve also seen some pretty good results from people supplementing with melatonin, as it is well received by the body as a natural sleep aid.
Thanks for sharing this article!
-Marcus
Sleep Aid Reviews
My drug of choice is gabapentin (generic for Neuronton). I have taken it for years, and get 8 hours of sleep every night. I take two 300 mg a day, one every 12 hours. I also take 30 mg of Nortriptyline at night with the gabapentin. There are side effects that wouldn’t appeal to some.
I took Ambien for several years also. My husband said it didn’t help me sleep, it just made me not remember what I had done. He found me shopping on the internet, reading books, etc. but not sleeping. My Mother broke her ankle and I went to take care of her. I was afraid I wouldn’t hear her at night when she needed to get up so I stopped taking it. I had 2 bad days and then started sleeping without any help. Recently, my doctor has put me on Flexeril for muscle spasms and I am sleeping more soundly since I started it. Our disease is one where you have to do trial and error to find out what medication works for you. Hang in there!
I take Temazapam, 1/2 an Imovane, Oxycontin, and Talwin at bedtime. I keep my bedroom very cool, use room darkening shades and play a sound machine all night. If I still have trouble sleeping I will take some melatonin or Rescue Remedy.
I take various amounts of Ambien to sleep. Sometimes I take 5 mg and then if I wake up I take the other 5. I have found that the Ambien CR 12.5 mg seems to make me croggy. I think that is perhaps I absorb things more slowly, so I shoud never take anything time released.
I had a terrible, terrible time getting to sleep. I started out taking benedryl which was a mistake and would sometimes work and sometimes leave me groggy.
The combination I use now is 5/10 mg of immediate release Ambien, 25/50 mg of clonazepam (antianxiety), 1 mg sublingual melatonin (OTC from GNC – the best) and some nights a product called peaceful nights. I also mostly take extra magesium (glycinate) and Caltrel (has 3 kinds of calcium in it made specially for those with leg cramps) at night. I also take tramadol for pain.
I am working on possible sleep apnea as a problem for staying asleep. We will see on that one.
Ambien, though, has been a lifesaver for me. I know I have other problems that are slowly resolving, but I really need the ambien to make me drowsy. Without the Ambien, I would lie awake even though I was tired. Then, my whole sleep schedule would get off track. My sleep schedule is very fragile, I have come to find. Park of it all is being able to fall asleep. I do not think I will need it forever. It is not the perfect answer, but it is my biggest help thus far aside from thyroid treatment.