Starting a new experiment, I guess

That's right.

After the horrid night I had again last night, I guess I have to break down and embark on my next experimental medical regime a little earlier than I had anticipated.

I would have preferred to be completely off the Cesamet before trying anything different in the way of pain meds.

But I guess my body now knows that it isn't getting enough Cesamet to be of any benefit to me.  While one might think that, if that's the case I may as well not take any, I can't do that;  Cesamet is a drug that must be weaned from one's system slowly.

And although my body might not think it's getting anything, my system may well respond negatively should I simply stop taking it entirely without gradually reducing the dosage.

Easy is as easy does.

Last night, my hips were screaming at me, for a change, following a trip into Carleton Place which obviously involved more walking than my legs wanted me to do.

On my way to bed, I took my sleeping aid:  the tablets are 10mg each and my doctor's instructions were that I could use up to five of these at a time.  And it is OK to do this every night, given my fibromyalgia and all.

I generally get good results with three tablets, so that is what I use; but I only use them on an occasional basis when I feel that I am getting too far behind in the sleep department (or in cases like last night when I need to sleep through the pain).

Three tablets were added to my bedtime meds and off I went to beddy-bye time.

Awake I was at 12:30am -- so I took a fourth tablet.  I needed to sleep through this damned pain!

That didn't stop me from continuing to come to consciousness repeatedly throughout the night, being acutely aware of the burning pain in my hips, and attempting to find a comfortable position to place myself in before drifting back into my drug-induced sleep.

Woke at 7:00am feeling not at all refreshed and certainly not pain-free.

So much for using the sleeping aid!

Which leaves me no choice but to start NOW on what will be the temporary replacement pain medication for the Cesamet until my doctor convinces me to try the pain patch (good luck with that doc!).

As of today, I am back to taking a Codeine Contin table at each end of the day.

Wonder how long it will be before I go crawling into my doctor's office begging him to find another solution.