I started a night shift position a few months ago on a med-surg floor and am not tolerating it well at all. I used to sleep like a baby, anytime anywhere, and now the most I can sleep is in 4 hour chunks, day or night.
I have tried all the suggestions: black-out shades, masks, fans, warm baths, relaxation techniques before bedtime, adhering to a night schedule on my "days" off, etc etc... and I still get very interrupted sleep. I'm exhausted all the time and it's doing a real number on my migraines. I have CONSTANT headaches and neck pain. Also, I feel my dysthymia threatening to crawl back in my life. In short, I'm miserable.
I'm not a new grad and actually left a nice job with regular hours for this current job. Why? In hindsight, it was due to part peer pressure, the "grass is greener" phenomenon, the offer of much more money, and better benefits. So there lies the dilemma. This current job offers fantastic benefits and, yes, much more money. The current job offers free healthcare for life if you stay with them for a certain number of (several) years which my old job does not offer.
I do have the option to go back to my old job but they only have a per diem position open for me. I could go on my spouse's insurance, however, if I took the per diem position at my old job, and I'm sure I could eventually move back into a full-time position in time with full benefits.
Basically, I'm at a quandary because I feel so physically miserable and am not crazy about the current job. I think I was crazy to leave my old position to work the floor again, especially when I know so many nurses are trying to leave the floor! Also, the current place I work is behemoth, and sometimes I feel I've sold my soul to work there. The culture there is... weird and different, to say the least. But long-term and practically-speaking, it would be great for me, if my body could just tolerate this God-forsaken shift. In the short-term and health-wise, I think going back to my old job would be wiser. What should I do??
How long have you been taking the Topomax? I was started on it for migraines as well, and it took approximately three weeks or so to become 'normal' after beginning. The symptoms of the Topamax were extreme fatigue, nervousness, nausea and restlessness. It's important to get to the theraputic level for migraine control of 200mg BID (If I am not mistaken) in small dosage increases. It worked well for me once I got to that level. I have since stopped taking it now for a few weeks, due to decreased appetite and weight loss. I have worked the night shift for 5 years and there have been some sleep problems here and there, but would not work days for twice the pay. One medication I use PRN is Sonata. It's an older medication, but works very well. It is said to put you into REM sleep more rapidly. It only requires about 4 hours of sleep (unlike Ambien and others), and you wake up refreshed, but is also effective for longer periods of time. It also does not have the reputation of sleep walking/activities that Ambien is known for. Just a thought... In the long run, as others have stated, your health must be the number one priority. Good luck to you!!
I've been on Topamax for a little over a week. I had to get on it after the herbal supplements and acupuncture which I had been using to control my headaches were NOT cutting it anymore after starting nocs. I hope it helps.
Thank you, everyone, for your replies. Well, this is ironic..not really, mostly disturbing-- but last night, I actually had to leave work to go the ER due to weakness/lightheadedness. It really was rotten. Really rotten. I'm gonna have to talk to my manager about switching. If not, then I have no choice but to leave. I cannot keep this up, and apparently my body is screaming at me to stop.
I worked nightshift for years, and did fine. By "fine", I mean I was able (for the most part) to adjust to sleeping during the day--in chunks--and didn't find myself drowsy during my night shift anymore than a dayshifter would be at, say, 5pm. That said, I've always been a night owl, and it's actually taking some trouble for me to get used to a DAY schedule now--and I've been trying for a year!
But, the thing is, you're not me. And many of my former co-workers were more like you than me; flipping their biologically normal schedule to work nightshift left a good number of them headachy, ill, exhausted.
Night shift is not for everyone, not even close. It's a special breed of weirdness that lets us work those hours, lol, and there's no shame in saying "I tried, but this is killing me".
Find yourself hours you can live with--REALLY live with--and fast.
Find something on days. Nights isn't for everyone. I've stuck with it for a year now but have never adjusted. I can see the effects on my health. Since I've been working nights I've lost weight...have headaches in the morning after work..sometimes I have palpitations and my baseline blood pressure is higher than it used to be. Depression is another issue I'm fighting with since I've started nights and I'm getting all of these gray hairs out of nowhere! I'm looking for something else. Some people can do nights and some people just can't.
Thank you, everyone, for your replies. Well, this is ironic..not really, mostly disturbing-- but last night, I actually had to leave work to go the ER due to weakness/lightheadedness. It really was rotten. Really rotten. I'm gonna have to talk to my manager about switching. If not, then I have no choice but to leave. I cannot keep this up, and apparently my body is screaming at me to stop.
Just putting it out there. Have you gone to a chiropractor? I had migraines that mimicked a stroke. Was put on all sorts of medicines topamax being one of them and it did not help. I found out my neck was messed up and that was why I was getting the migraines. I had been in a bad car accident when i was 9. I am migraine free now. If there are times that my neck starts feeling real sore and kinked up I go back to the chiro to get adjusted if I haven't been for a while. If you haven't tried it and your insurance covers it I would definitely recommend a chiropractor. It really has done wonders for me. Not all Drs are created equal so find one that someone you know goes to if you can. Good luck with everything.
SqueakRN
20 Posts
I've been on Topamax for a little over a week. I had to get on it after the herbal supplements and acupuncture which I had been using to control my headaches were NOT cutting it anymore after starting nocs. I hope it helps.