Shift Work Sleep Disorder

[ramonamom2002]

I am trying to find anyone who has shift work sleep disorder to talk to.
I haven't been "formaly" diagnoised, but when I have researched info online about it, it describes me 100%. The dr. I saw about my extreme fatigue, sleep issues, memory issues,headaches and excessive sleepiness when driving, also agrees that I have this disorder,and at my request has prescribed me Provigil but my insurance co. won't cover it unless a sleep specialist confirms the disorder and sends them the info.
I'm wondering what tests are give to diagnois it and I also have questions about the drug Provigil and it's use for SWSD. Is this a "safe" drug?
I am currently trying to get a sleep study done to diagnois me with SWSD, but even the doctor I am seeing is a little confused about how a sleep studies(which I'm under the impression is done while you are sleeping) is going to help me when my problem is not getting enough sleep due to my working 10:30pm to 6:30am and then not being able to sleep when I need to, not problems I have while i'm asleep.
I average about 4 hrs sleep a day for 4 days one week and then 4 hrs a day for 3 days the next week.THEN my family (I'm married with 3 kids- 4yrs,13yrs,&14yrs) expects me to have "normal" days the rest of the week, which was easy for the first year I worked this shift, but now after 4 1/2 yrs, the sleep deprivation is finally taking its toll on me.
I just really need to talk to others who have lived this type of life and can "relate", because no one here at my house does and I feel like I'm going to "lose" it sometimes.
Any info, comments, or advice, would be appreciated

[<mydestiny>]

Hi, New to the boards to... I do not have it but similar, I have Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome...similar but its my body clock and not work to blame.

I started taking Provigil in Feb (no wait, it was May 1st!), it helps, it really really does, at first I was in heaven...but seems it really is your lack of sleep and provigil will help you only stay awake... you know help you cope but not the cure.

I will warn you, at first provigil was awesome but I would not sleep at night either, my mind was awake but my body was TIRED, I started having severe body aches like the flu on it...so I took a two week break, got a lot of rest, and learned that I am not superwomen, and need sleep to.

Do you take anything to help you sleep when you can?

[ramonamom2002]

quote:

---

Originally posted by <mydestiny>:
Hi, New to the boards to... I do not have it but similar, I have Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome...similar but its my body clock and not work to blame.

I started taking Provigil in Feb (no wait, it was May 1st!), it helps, it really really does, at first I was in heaven...but seems it really is your lack of sleep and provigil will help you only stay awake... you know help you cope but not the cure.

I will warn you, at first provigil was awesome but I would not sleep at night either, my mind was awake but my body was TIRED, I started having severe body aches like the flu on it...so I took a two week break, got a lot of rest, and learned that I am not superwomen, and need sleep to.

Do you take anything to help you sleep when you can?

---

Hi mydestiny, thanks for your reply.

I sometimes take Benedryl when I'm having a hard time getting to sleep, you would think that it wouldn't be a problem falling asleep, but there are times when I want and need to sleep I can't and when I NEED to be awake I have the hardest time doing so.
I don't take it all the time because when I wake up I feel twice as tired. I NEVER feel rested, even when I get extra days off from work and try to get more rest.

I decided that I would pay the full cost of a months prescription for the Provigil ($163!!)because I just couldn't wait any longer for the sleep study and insurance issues to be resolved (my dr STILL after a week, hasn't been able to contact the sleep center at UCSD)I have taken it for 3 days now, my prescription is for 1x100mg every morning. The first day I took it at 3pm because that was the time it was when I got my prescription filled. I was still tired-exhausted- by 9pm. The second day was at 11am. by 4:30pm I was having an EXTREMELY hard time staying awake while driving.
This is my biggest fear- the driving part- because I've already had a car accident due to my fatigue

When did the Provigil start to work for you?

the Pharmacist told me to take it for 5 days and see how I feel, if it's still wearing off quickly (it doesn't even feel like it helps at all) then they said to contact my dr. because I may need an increase.

I thought that this med was just what I needed to help me cope, but all I'm feeling right now is complete frustration.

I guess I'm just bound to be a tired, mindless, walking zombie for the next year or so until my youngest is in school full time or we move somewhere where we can afford for me not to work.

I really do appreciate your reply and sorry for all the whinning!!!

[Alan York]

I work 3 12 hour night shifts at a call centre then I have 3 nights off. It's good money but I would never recommend it to anyone. It's caused lethargy, irritability, mild depression and the quality of sleep during the day just isn't there..there's just too much noise.

On my days off I doze constantly, but feel no better for it...in fact I feel worse. Thankfully I expect to be emigrating from the UK to the US shortly, to get married but 3 years of this have driven me into the ground quite frankly.

I truly believe that shift work is bad for you and will take years off your life!

[Guest]

i used to work crazy bottom hours, ie from 4am-12pm, from 3am-9am, or from 2pm-10pm. i've come to realize shift work, weekend work, and shiit work is not for me. (this is my personal experience, not anyone else's..) shift work, weekend work, and shiit work on me takes a toll on my body, and i vow i will never do it again.

even if i had a dream job with crazy bottom hours i question if i would even do it because of the hours.

no more public service customer service or retail jobs for me! hehe all these jobs require wacky bottom hours and weekend work.

i will never get on prescription drugs again also.

i've come to think you should never settle for less when it comes to your health.. it took me a while to learn this, and i am still trying to learn it..

a couple people with dsps told me flexible hour jobs work wonders for them. but really- how often does this come by eh?

[rpsgt chick]

shift work sleep disorder STINKS!! the funny thing about sleep medicine- almost all of us who are running the sleep tests have the worst sleep schedules of all LOL. pretty ridiculous.

i understand you're sick of waiting for your doctor to contact the sleep lab- do your own research, often times there are smaller labs around you who can get you in ASAP, instead of having to wait for a bigger lab for anywhere up to 3months. call your insurance company, make sure you dont need pre-authorizatoin for it, (if you do have your dr fax in the paperwork) and call and schedule your study asap!! make sure they understand you need to do it during the day- as its your normal time to sleep, you dont want to be going opposite your body's schedule for your sleep study or the results will not be accurate.

provigil is a quite safe drug, its been approved for "excessive sleepiness", so it covers pretty much everything- sleepiness from obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, just about everything. i took it for a while, my starting dose was 100mg as soon as i woke up, the first day i didnt feel it at ALL, i felt even more sleepy, but the second night i REALLY felt it. my husband (who is also a sleep tech) used it and functioned well on it but it gave him migraines. follow your pharmacists instructions, i know its best to start on 100mg/day, but it is common to take 100mg morning/100 mg afternoon (whatever YOUR afternoon ends up being haha). and some will just start on 200mg in the morning. there are alternatives to provigil if you find it just doesnt work for you, such as adderall or ritalin, but of course they are powerful stimulants as well so you'd want to thorougly discuss that with your physician.

technically you shouldnt even need a sleep test done to diagnose you with SWSD, but for your own safety- it really is best to get that diagnosis from a reputable sleep specialist, and a sleep study can rule out any other underlying causes to your excessive sleepiness, cuz it IS dangerous, very much so.

if you can get a different schedule or a different job, i highly recommend it. shift work is not good for your body in the long term. cancer rates are much higher in people who've spent significant times doing shift work than in the "regular" population. and do keep in mind that hour for hour- sleep during the day does NOT equal sleep at night- 7hrs of restful sleep during the night might take you 10hrs or more during the day to get the same amount of rest.

[Norway]

Isn't Shift Work Sleep Disorder classified as a Circadian Rhythm disorder? If not, it should be! Most people's bodies want (need) to sleep approx. 10 pm to 6 am. Any other schedule will cause problems.

A person with Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome may need to sleep 4 am to noon or even 6 am to 2 pm. Trying to work the day shift causes very great problems with sleep.

The two situations have the same reasons and results. "Just any" doctor may very well not know anything about this! Just ask anyone with DSPS. You need a specialist in Circadian Rhythms.

[Just_Lesa]

Hello,
I just found this board while doing research on Provigil. I pretty much had an emotional breakdown Monday and went and checked myself into to a psych ward. No, I am not crazy, turns out, I am tired! I have been trying different anti-depressants trying to curb my problem, nothing works. I am a pharmacy technician but knew NOTHING about Provigil, just that it was used in Narcolepsy the thought to use it as a shift worker never occurred to me. I work in a hospital 4- 8 hour shifts (11p-730a), monday-thrusday. I noticed that a lot of you are taking the provigil upon waking in the am, my doctor told me to take it just before I go to work.....At any rate, tonight is my first night taking it. I still feel somewhat sleepy but, I did get good sleep for once today. I have decided to clear my schedule and make more time for me and to try my best to make shift work, work for me. I am a single mom and have 3 children, I make good money on day shift but much better doing graves. I am going to try this out for a little while and if it does not work, I will consider going back to a day shift job.

I did not realize how expensive this med was either, I should feel very fortunate my insurance covered it without question for a $15 co-pay.

One question though, I took it at 10pm, it is now 2 am and I am neauseous, a side effect? I will look it up to but in the mean time, any suggestions? Thanks

~Lesa

[Fiveo7]

I am currently starting research on why shiftwork is not good for the worker, physically and mentally. It is for my master degree thesis. If anyone has any information they can forward me on studies, tests, articles or books on this subject it would be greatly appreciated. My email is richkarstien@yahoo.com