United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi everyone, was just awake on one of my sleepless nights again. It seems that once i’m up i'm awake for awhile from the pain and squeezing in my arm. Just wondering if there are any other people that this happens to. I am on 1 mg of lorazapam but drugs can only do so much just thinking about my arm makes it hurt. If anyone has any suggestions it would be great.

If your wondering about my injury i’m a 15 year old total right BPI from Canada
thanks for your support

Andrew

hey man. i too have plenty sleepless nights from the unbearable pain. tossing and turning, over and over. i find that if i position my arm just right and lay right on it, it seems to help. if that doesn't work, i let the pain go, and in my head i say "give me what you got". you need to be strong and realize it is all in yer head. if you let it get its worst, anything after that is an improvement. it hurts like hell, i'm sure you know, but bite down and bear it. i too was on meds but nothing worked. only morphine, but you can't function normally. as i ironworker foreman i need to keep my brain alert. the best thing you got going for you is yer young, you have lots of time to figure out what werks best for you. i'm 27, 3 years post ltbpi, and i keep finding different ways to deal with it. good luck from a fellow canuck. i'm in vancouver b.c.

Hi Andrew, i was awake last night with the arm too, like Denny I usually sleep on the bpi arm but if it's having a bad flareup there's not much I can do except bite the bullet and rest when i can.
I linked this page elsewhere but here it is again http://tbpiukgroup.homestead.com/centralpainbpi.html I hope you get some relief soon, it's so hard to get others to relate to this pain, i've given birth and broken bones, nothing compares to a bad tbpi pain session tho....:0(

Jenny
Thanks for that link... And they still parents there is no pain with bpi injured babies.

Sleeping is a matter of finding a comfort position. I use to sleep only on bpi arm. Then the pt told me to wedge a very thin pillow under the scapular of the bpi side and raise my arm a bit... lay flat on my back with thin pillow under my head... it does help some nights.
I wonder if the scapular wing causes us to feel as if we can't lay flat... it really helped.

Kath

Hi all

I have also found a small pillow under my bpi arm helps me with sleeping. Some nights I sleep or attempt to in a lazy chair with my arm propped up on a pillow. I am ltbpi going on 3 years. It gets better I promise. Although im not sure if it hurts less or i have just learned how to cope better.

The link was great too Jenny thanks

John

darn i forgot to login i guess it'll still post???

anyhow hi all
ditto to kath's pillow
nice link Jenn

John

ditto again on the pillow. I think I keep the pillow industry in business.

Hope you're able to get the sleepless nights ironed out Andrew. Nothing like losing sleep from pain. Not a fun thing to have to go through. I have those nights occassionally and have to go for a walk and then read something until my eyelids can't take it anymore. It helps....some.

George

My doctors prescribed neurontin for pain. At night I would take two of these and some asprin. It really helped me to sleep. I also took ambien for a while, which was wonderful. My doctor was afraid I was going to become addicted, so, currenly, I'm not taking any drugs, but use a pillow under my arm, which helps tremendously.

ok good............... Paul

Hi Andrew, sorry this is a late reply i've not been here in a while ~ just wanted to give you a tip on the sleeping, i found avoiding caffeine anytime after midday helps a better sleep, also resisting sleeping anytime in the afternoon or evening if there's an attack of drowsiness helps night sleep. Like George says reading can help, preferably something boring (like schoolbooks? ~ good luck with the pain and sleeping dude!