Hi Diane -
I’m sorry you’re having problems, too. I’ll admit there’s some slight comfort in knowing it’s not just me, but I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone.
I had slept on Dunlop before - my father had one of the old Sears Dunlop mattresses bought in the 1960s, and it was still a fine sleeping bed when he died in 1999. For years I begged him to let me have his bed when I went home for an overnight visit, because it was the most comfortable bed I’d ever slept in. So it was natural that I’d think Dunlop would be the answer for me. My mattress is the softest Dunlop I could find - a 19-23 ILD six inch core with three inches of 16-18 ILD natural latex as a comfort layer, and specifically advertised for those with fibromyalgia or lupus or similar pain problems. There’s been some talk here on the forum about some Dunlop density not seeming to be as low an ILD as advertised, but since that’s all a big unknown, all I do know is that anything I try in the way of latex has to be Talalay at this point.
That’s interesting that you thought the soft Savvy Rest was still too firm - what I found with the soft PLB 2" topper was that it was so soft I was going right through it. Of course, it wasn’t on my mattress, so it’s hard to know how adding a 3" very soft topper would end up making the sleep system as a whole feel.
With my medical problems, I really want to stay from any petrochemicals. I know a featherbed will alleviate the pain, but it isn’t as good for my alignment, and completely hides the feel of latex. I used egg crate foam pads in the past, and didn’t like the way they felt. Of course, that was years ago, and I’d hope they would be better these days.
Since I don’t know if a Talalay topper is really going to be the answer for me, I feel restricted to ordering a Talalay topper from SleepEZ, simply because they do, according to Phoenix, offer a return policy. I can’t afford to pay another $500 for something that proves not to work, and be stuck with it. After trying that ultra soft PLB topper over the weekend, and realizing I was sinking right thru it, I don’t know what ILD to try from SleepEZ. In spite of my telephone-phobia, I’m going to have to call them and hope Shaun can offer an educated opinion on what he thinks I should try.
The only thing I know will work is a featherbed - which to me would mean I just wasted $1800 on the Dunlop mattress - but at least I know there’s one way to be more comfortable even if it’s something I don’t want to do. I’d have to buy a new one of those if I have to go that route, too, because the one I have isn’t in great shape. A really good one of those runs about $500, too.
If you run across a wool wrapped Talalay topper, I’d like to know where - the temperature regulation isn’t my biggest problem right now (unless sleeping cold is contributing to the hip pain, which I don’t have a clue about), but for someone who has always slept hot, it’s more of an adjustment than I’d expected.
I haven’t noticed pain at night, while sleeping (at least, not enough pain to wake me up), but without the featherbed the hip pain was increasing on a daily basis and lasting all day - to the point where just walking across the room was painful.
I think what’s bothering me the most is that I tried very hard to find the “right” mattress, and now after not quite two months it’s obviously not right the way it is. But when I chose it, it felt good lying on it for hours (and even for the first few weeks), and seemed to have been a good choice. It’s only in the last month that the pain issues have become so problematic that it’s obvious I have to do something, and I’m disheartened to know I have to spend more money to try to make the mattress something I can live with.
I just know I have to figure out something relatively soon, because I can’t keep on the way things are. One thing I learned - never buy a mattress from a store that doesn’t have a return policy that runs at least 60-90 days. Just an exchange policy wouldn’t have done me any good since I already bought the softest latex this store sells.
Life’s little learning experiences sure do come with a high price tag. Keep me posted on how your search for comfort progresses!