Temperature Processing

For about two weeks, I have been taking an herb called Vitex, aka Chaste Berry, aka Vitex Agnus Castus. I am taking 400 mg three times daily.

It has really helped with my temperature sensation. I have only gotten hot once in the last week, which was yesterday, when I really overdid it. I walked about a store with my friend for two hours. I did sit down sometimes (yes, on the floor--that is how tired I was), but I was on my feet a lot. Hanging on the cart, ha.

So that was the only time I have been hot. And many times I have been COLD. This is so unusual for me this past year. I used to be cold most of the time, but since my MS hit hard, I have almost never been cold. I mean, we are talking outside in 30 degree weather in a tee shirt and not cold.

Vitex is supposed to cause the body to make more estrogen. I chose to use it after realizing that researchers have concluded that estrogen probably acts as a natural steroid, calming the inflammation of MS. I did not expect it to impact my temperature processing. That was an unexpected boon!

[Lack of] Sleep

Here is what my night was like:

10:00 lights off

10:30 sleep (on my own, after 30 minutes--this is really good)

12:30 awake

2:45 still awake, take an Ambien (although mere mortals would not dare to take Ambien past 11:00 pm, I know this it will not last anywhere close to 8 hours for me)

3:30 back to sleep

7:00 awake

7:30 back to sleep

8:15 awake, back to sleep

9:00 awake, back to sleep

9:30 awake, got up

Thank goodness for a day off, so I could sleep in. If not, I would have gotten up after the Ambien wore off, having a total of 5.5 hours of sleep. Which is like -100 for a normal person. The only reason I could fall asleep on my own after only 30 minutes is because I had four previous nights exactly like this.

Yesterday was similar:

10:00 take Ambien

10:30 fall asleep

12:30 wake up (right after two hours! on Ambien!)

1:00 back to sleep

2:00 wake up

5:30 still awake, take Sonata (which helps you fall asleep but not stay asleep)

6:30 wake up, back to sleep

7:30 wake up

Not pretty. What is that, 5 hours? That is like -200 for a normal person (it is on a logarithmic scale, as near as I can figure).

The previous night was similar. The two nights before that were worse, because I did not take sleeping medicine. On those nights, it took more than two hours to fall asleep in the first place. And I am absolutely exhausted when I go to bed. In fact, I am absolutely exhausted and barely able to stay awake after 6:00 pm.

Yesterday I got scared, because it has been several nights in a row, and I was getting sicker. My motor skills are worse, my brain is not with my at all, and of course I feel horribly. Fatigue does not begin to describe it. My temperature regulation is way off.

I have no idea what happened. I had sleeping problems like this for almost four weeks straight, which began suddenly and ended suddenly in July and August. So... Why is it back? Well, I am going through a period of stress, which began on Saturday. I wonder if that is a coincidence. But I think the worst of the stress is over, and my sleep problem is not.

Maybe it is the weather change? But I do not think it is warmer upstairs. You would think that it would get cooler in the fall, but not necessarily. I use the air conditioning, which is based on the downstairs temperature. If the downstairs temperature is lower, the air conditioning does not turn on, but it may still be needed upstairs. I have it set pretty low, at 66 degrees. The problem with my air conditioning is that it does not hold a temperature well. I am always amazed in some homes where the AC goes on and off frequently to keep the temperature steady. Not mine! It lets the temperature vary by several degrees downstairs, which could mean as much as 8 degrees upstairs. So it is usually too hot or too cold.

But again, I do not think it has been that hot upstairs. Not hot enough to keep me up all night. I do not feel anxious until about 5:00 am, when I realize that it is not possible for me to get a decent amount of sleep. Then I get anxious. But that is a result of the sleep problem, not a cause of the sleep problem. 

Maybe I am anxious and cannot feel it?

What I do feel is miserable.

Yesterday I emailed my neurologist to let him know what is going on and to request Ambien CR, which is supposed to be longer lasting. He called it in after the pharmacy closed last night, but I will pick it up today. If I can afford it, that is. No generic. I hope it does not cost more than $35. And I hope he prescribed a full 30 days' worth. If he did not, I will leave it at the pharmacy and ask him to call it in again. If I am going to buy a medication, I want my moneys' worth. 

My neurologist recommended that I see a sleep specialist. That is perfect, because I ASKED FOR A SLEEP STUDY 6 WEEKS AGO. At least we are on the same page now. I mean honestly, if I only get 2-4 hours from Ambien, there is something wrong. My brain is waking me up--strongly. 

Yesterday I called to make appointment with a sleep specialist, and I had to leave a message. The machine stated that I will need a referral, that they would fax paperwork to my physician for him to fill out before I could be seen. Hopefully they are doing that today. I think I will call...

Hung Over

I was so sick all day. Dizzy, weak... just not a good day. Hopefully tomorrow is better. I took the amitriptyline tonight, but absolutely no Vicodin all day. I did have quite a bit of pain, but I need to know which medication is making me sick, and I chose to stick with the amitriptyline for now.

I also want to mention that I have had an odd pain in my left mid-upper back. It stabs then lets go. Sometimes a few times in a brief period of time, sometimes one and done. Hope it's not my kidney.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I no longer have temperature sensation in my feet. The ice-cold metal of the doctor's probe felt neutral or even warm to me yesterday. However, I can still feel pinpricks.

Sensory:

-Pins and needles: 7
-Tingles: 1
-Dysesthetic pain: 9, some in my tongue. :( Of course still in my feet and legs, back, thighs... yeah, it stunk. Sometimes the feeling of my clothing was unbearable. Like when you have a sunburn and you wear something with lace.
-Paresthesias: 1, I have a weird band on my forehead that I guess I will throw under paresthesias, because it doesn't seem to fit anywhere else. Sort of numb feeling, though-Numbness: 2, definitely having issues with my left fingertips, my tongue, and of course parts of my feet 
-Vision: 4, same old same old
-Nerve pain: 7
-Hearing: 1

Motor:
-Walking: 4, which I attribute to medication, not MS
-Sore muscles: 4
-Fine motor: 3
-Weak muscles: 5
-Spasticity: 4, backs of legs

Cognitive:
-Processing: 2
-Memory: 1
-Attention: 2
-Confusion: 1

General:
-Fatigue: 8 all day, but I felt great in the evening, more like 4 or 5
-Balance: 4, and again, I believe this was more medication than MS. I had been doing better with my balance the night before last--I did not need to hold onto things to walk to the bathroom. Last night not so much.
-Sleep: 0... uh... 10 hours... 10 and a half... It was so hard to get out of bed this morning!
-Bladder: 0
-Proprioception: 2
-Swallowing: 0
-A: 2
-B: 0

Emotions: Irritable! Most of the day, I was irritable, but I was better in the evening. Actually, I perked up around 6:00 and was feeling much better in general. Less tired, not dizzy at all. Just pain. Whatever was affecting me wore off. Or the steroids kicked in! Today was the last day, and I only took 10 mg.