Hi thank you for welcoming me to the forum.
I was diagnosed with intermediate and high grade DCIS in February, the day after my birthday. I am now 6 weeks post op and I am nervously awaiting radiotherapy.
My biopsy results showed that the DCIS is ER positive and I am really struggling to cope without my HRT. I suffer mainly with insomnia, anxiety, night sweats and brain fog. I was kindly referred for auricular acupuncture which is helping with the anxiety to a degree but I feel that if I could conquer the insomnia this would greatly help with the other symptoms.
I am currently taking magnesium an hour or so before bed as I heard this might help.
When I go to bed I read for a while to wind down and then listen to a meditation podcast to try and relax me but I still lie awake for ages. When I do get to sleep the slightest noise wakes me up. I’ve tried going to bed later waiting until I feel I can drop off but this doesn’t seem to help.
Does anyone have any suggestions please?
Thank you in advance x
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Hi and welcome
I fully understand the difficulties you are experiencing with sleep and the knock on effect with day to day tasks. I’ve had issues with sleep and anxiety for the past couple of years, before my BC diagnosis, after having a seizure. I got past that, and just starting to regain confidence and anxiety fading, to be diagnosed with BC, and here I am again, tossing and turning, watching the clock.
I don’t have a magic solution I’m sorry. Personally I stay up very late, past mid night mostly, then I tend to sleep longer and wake up less, rather than go to sleep early and wake more frequently. It certainly contributes to the tiredness during the day. Just another thing to add to the list!
I see you’re waiting for radiotherapy. The treatment team I had were wonderful and very professional. Which is helpful when you are “exposed”. Yes it felt odd to start with, but I was at a point where I was getting used to it and accepted that thru life we have to deal with certain things because they are too important not to. Overall the process was straightforward, and hopefully it will mark the end of your active treatment x
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Hi I sympathise with you I’m recently diagnosed waiting for surgery I will need radiotherapy as well and I’m struggling without my hrt as well night sweats are a bit rough at the moment snd I’m having trouble sleeping I had really bad hayfever as well and the gp gave me chloramphenamine and she told me to take two tablets and I do get a few hours sleep with these magnesium gives me loose stools I also find staying up later a little better it’s not easy is it what is the acupuncture you had and how did you get referred for that xx
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Hello @Juniper_berry
Welcome to the forums and I’m so sorry to hear about your struggles with sleeping: from what you have said it sounds like you are already following lots of sound advice winding down for sleep.
I would suggest that maybe thinking about how much sleep you actually need? Whilst some will say “we all need x hours of sleep a night” but with most things in life we don’t need to meet perfection, and maybe if having one or two “good” nights a week balances out the “bad” nights.
Personally I try to incorporate as much physical and mental stimulation into my day, acknowledging that some days are more physically exhausting and some days are more mentally or emotionally exhausting than others and sleep helps with replenishing all of these elements.
Wishing you some more restful and restorative nights
AM xxx
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Hi @Sal1
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it.
It’s reassuring to hear you had a wonderful treatment team, it can make the world of difference. The experience throughout my journey so far has been really positive so I am going to try and embrace the next (and hopefully final) phase of my treatment.
If I find anything else that helps with the insomnia I’ll let you know. x
Hi @daisy69
The auricular acupuncture is where they just put a few needles in different parts of the ear and leave them in for approx 45mins, it’s quite relaxing just laid listening to spa music and it’s really starting to help with my anxiety. I was referred by the cancer care co-ordinator at the hospital but you can also contact Macmillan directly and they can refer you.
To help with the night sweats I’ve changed all my bedding and pillows to more natural fibres such as bamboo and linen, which helps regulate temperature more and wicks away the sweat, and I now leave the bedroom window open constantly to reduce the room temperature.
I hope all goes well with your surgery. xx
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Hi @adoptedmanc
Yes, you’re right, if I could just get 4/5 hours solid sleep that would be so much more beneficial that 7/8 hours of constantly waking up. The first couple of weeks after surgery I was just sleeping as and when I needed it and this has probably confused my body clock/ sleep pattern. I just need a reset.
I’m normally very active, running 4-5 times per week, right up to the day before my surgery so I agree, it’s probably the lack of physical stimulation. I went for lots of long walks for the first 4-5 weeks post op whilst I was healing. Then I was given the ok from my surgeon to try running again so over the last week I’ve slowly started to build up my fitness and have managed twice now to do alternative walk/gentle jog for 2 miles, and tomorrow I’m going to attempt a Parkrun so hopefully the exercise will help tire me out and aid better sleep. xx
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