Hyperemesis Gravidarum Support and Research Forums

This is sleepy-head.
For the past week I have been unable to get to sleep until around 4 in the morning, wake up at 8 and can't get back to sleep after that. Plus I get up a couple times for bathroom runs and then lay awake at least 20-30 minutes after each one. I am exhausted. I can't even fall asleep for a nap. I wonder if one of the meds I'm on cause some of it? (TPN, zophran, lovenox, phenergan, pepcid, sudafed allergy) Part of the problem is that I have restless leg syndrome that gets worse during pregnancy, and of course the relentless nausea of HG, but still... I should be sleeping more than this! I have a doc appt. Thursday, but I'd like to know what meds, if any, I can ask him about. Any of you have this problem? Any new "counting sheep" techniques?
Thanks!

I know regular Sudafed makes me hyper - could your allergy medicine be the problem?

I would definately vote for the sudafed. And the ingredient in it--pseudoephedrine--is not all that great for you to begin wtih. Can you talk with yoru OB about switching to Benadryl for the allergies? It has a benefit of making you sleepy in addition to being pretty good at allergy mangement and some people even find it can help nausea.

Also, the restless leg can be aggravated by phenergan for some people.

I had horrible sleep problems, and if I was up in the middle of the night I would end up puking, and it would make me so much sicker the next day.

I took Ambien and it worked really well, and it was a nice tiny flavorless pill that I wouldn't throw up either. It doesn't have that much experience in pg, but it is category B, so what is there is good. I took it every night from about 20 weeks on, I would sit and stare at the clock for hours hoping it would be time to take it. I was also sure I was becoming addicted, but I haven't taken one since I delivered (and I still have a bottle).

Try using benadryl in place of the sudafed. Along with the phenergan, you should sleep.

Phenergan made me really jittery and totally unable to sleep. Wierd cause it makes most people sleepy, but it's a possibility that it could be the cause.

I'm having trouble getting to sleep too...which seems odd with all the Unisom I'm stuffing in.

I agree that Sudafed is probally making it more difficult to sleep. I agree with the previous post regarding Ambien. I took it pre-pregnancy for sleep, and spent last night in L&D and was given a dose to sleep there. I was told that it is becoming common practice to give this med in pregnancy, and it is as safe as Tylenol.

Take Care,
Marie

I had a good experience with Ambien, too. They gave it to me every night in the hospital and it was WONDERFUL...the only time I got relief and restful sleep. At about 36 weeks I started getting worse again and was at the end of my rope. I told my doctor I needed him to knock me out as best he could until induction at 38 weeks, so he gave me more ambien. Ambien saved me those last two weeks! It's Category B, so I wouldn't worry about safety any more than zofran.

Thanks so much guys! My doc keeps refusing to put me on anything with benadry in it because "it's not safe for pregnancy" But I thought it was a bunch of bologna because I was allowed to take it with my first one, and my sister-in-law can take it with hers. I think you are right about the sudafed too, cuz I stopped taking it for awhile and I am sleeping better. The phenergan does make legs worse, but if I'm sick enough I don't really care! Anyway, I'm going to go ahead and try the benadryl, cuz my allergies are still a mess, and if I can kill two birds with one stone I will!

It has always been frustrating to me when I *know* another doc has perscribed a med during pg, but my doc would not. Like the Ambien. I know it works because I took some while pg, but I could NOT GET MY OB TO PERSCRIBE IT, grrr. Others here had used it, but my ob wasnt comfy with its use during pg. I think a lot of the time you have to make a judgement call, based on facts and being well informed, then taking in your own comfort level. I hope you find something that helps either way!!!