Sleepless in Missouri

[Cooker]

I have had trouble sleeping on and off for years ... post op it was even more problem and I tried several OTC products with no help ... prescription sleeping pills helped but left me groggy in the morning ... what works for me is Valium ... if I can?t sleep I will take one and it works well for me and no residual grogginess ... some doctors are slow to go this route as they can be addicting ... but for me, lack of sleep was not an option ... I wish you luck in finding something that works for you.

 

[john79t]

Thanks.
I certainly did not sleep through the night last night. I took a pain pill and got a couple of hours sleep between 10 and 2 AM. Then I was up and down till about 4:30 AM then got a couple of more hours. However, that is more than I have been getting.

 

[Johan]

John. I had my AVR 2 weeks ago, a day after yours. Came home last Thursday. Stopped taking all pain and sleeping medication as soon as I had the choice in ICU. Off the drips. This with approval from my surgeon, so nurses didn't bug me to take the meds. I am lucky and had no pain since second day post operation. Cannot sleep for more than about 4 hours at a stretch, but then I never needed a lot of sleep before the operation. I have no pain and not the added complication of your bedsore. So I am rather happy about my situation. When I wake up I start reading and soon fall asleep again. Have slept on my back for many years (acid reflux) with head raised by pillows, so present situation feels quite normal to me. Sorry to hear about your problems.