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Menopause and insomnia

Posted , 13 users are following.

tangobunny
tangobunny

Went back to see my Dr last Sept....she is utterly useless....first of all when I suggested going down the HRT route to her a few months before as I was having such problems with joint pain/insomnia/over active bladder....she put me on Evorel conti something I shouldn't have been on as I was still having periods....anyway I had to stop them because of palpitations etc......next she prescribed Premique....again wrong medication as no break for me to have my period......I took them as prescribed and they did nothing for my symptoms other than stopping my periods all together........I should perhaps mention at this point that I don't have hot flushes,night sweats or mood swings as I take a high dose Red Clover tablet every day which works for me......When she gave me the Premique she told me to stop the Red Clover as the HRT would take care of everything......wrong....one week after stopping red clover the flushes night sweats started again........anyway eventually as the whole purpose for me taking HRT was to get back into a normal sleeping pattern....when that didn't work I went back to see her and ask to swap to Utrogestan ......she decided that she would take me off HRT completely as according to her there is no clinical evidence that HRT works for insomnia or joint pain..Wrong there is tons of information out there backing up my theory that my problems are hormone related......I have been without anything since then despite 2 further visits re my insomnia she refuses to do anything about it.......I'm at my wits end now surviving on anything from 9 hours to 16 hours sleep per WEEK.......I'm constantly up and down all night because as I'm awake I'm more aware of my bladder urgency....also my RLS has returned...something I've not had for years but I'm sure its linked in some way......I'm going to try one more time to get her to see that I need help and it is hormone based as OTC meds have done nothing to help....I'm convinced that if I find the right HRT for me then most of my problems will go away........any suggestions please as to what I should ask for

If she refuses to help this time then I'm changing my surgery as I simply cannot go on like this....I almost had a car accident last week due to the fact that I was so exhausted

1 like, 45 replies

45 Replies

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  • pringoo
    pringoo

    Posted

    If anyone is looking to try something alternative to help with insomnia can I suggest the negative ion wristbands? I got one about a year ago to try and help with osteoarthritis pain, and although it hasn't helped with that, I'm sleeping like a baby every night. So much so that I've been able to stop taking Kalms Nights. I'm 49 and going through the early stages of perimenopause - irregular periods, weight gain, memory loss, etc. The only symptom I don't have nowadays is insomnia!
    • tina73315
      tina73315 pringoo

      Posted

      Hi pringoo,

      Can you tell me what is the make of the negative ion wristband you use?  I too have been having major problems with insomnia due to menopause.  It seems like I have tried everything except for this.  If anyone else reading this has any experience with one, please feel to comment as I am starting to feel desparate.  Thank you!!

    • rcharris8
      rcharris8 tina73315

      Posted

      Didn't really help me but what did help me was menogest cream. Google it. Hope it helps you anyway. It doesn't just tell progesterone it has things that boost oestrogen as well. I slept like a baby for 3 months the first wee while taking it. But I didn't apply it properly after that and so I thought it stopped working but it didn't. One lady you used it for 15 years. I've got the dosing right now and it's working really well for me.
    • tina73315
      tina73315

      Posted

      desperate (sp) omg...menopause really has gotten to me!  How is it anyway that, on average, men live longer than women.  Hearing about all these problems makes me wonder how any woman lives to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  
  • rcharris8
    rcharris8 tangobunny

    Posted

    i'm so happy to find this site as i'm going through very similar. My trouble started after an exploratory operation which i think damaged in ovary and made me go through early menopause. Have been in pre menopause stage for 3 and a half years during which time my sleep as evaporated. i was sent through seven specialist and no one could find the cause even sleep clinic. No 1 would believe at age 39 i could be premenopausal. The test they do are ineffective until you are literally right on menopause. So after 3 years of agony and prayer and research and many failed attempts at natural treatment etc finally found the only thing it responded to at the time ... Menogest. balances out hormones that gives natural progesterone dose as well. this works amazingly praise God for about 5 months. it then starts to saturate your system. Hit all time low again and went to gp whom after a great battle prescribed me loestrin 20? I'm 3 weeks into this and it has been helping a lot. Would not recommend using it with hrt creams though as it overdoses you. I also think i may have overdosed on progesterone overall. Seeing how it goes. May take my week break off the pill and not take continuously. Anyway i seriously relate to the comments on this forum. i also tried dim complex but i think this boost progesterone as well.
    • jayneejay
      jayneejay rcharris8

      Posted

      hi rcharris

      hello hun..

      yes ... Progesterone, natural any etc.. Beware ...

      i had a 9-10 year natural peri.. And now just full meno, aged 50.

      i saw my gyno last week, had well woman check etc... Scans etc ..

      I too used natural prgesterone in 2011, it didnt help me, made my periods come back and cause breast tenderness and a lump..

      As soon as i stopped it... It all gradually went away..

      i mentioned this to my gyno, a wonderful man, it was my first visit..

      he noticed i had vaginal atrophy, dryness... he respected my wish to choose natural route  .. But also said natural progesterone is terrible, women buy it thinking they need it and they dont, it makes you feel good for a few weeks and then sits in the fat in your body and over loads and causing a whole mess..

      he said in my case its a little oestrogen that helps my case ..

      i have mulled over this and am just trying the lesser of the three oestrogens we have as ladies ... estriol .... Ovestin vaginal cream..

      the kinder one of them all ..

      good luck 

      jay xx

       

    • rcharris8
      rcharris8 jayneejay

      Posted

      hi thanks for your quick reply. I really hope that works well for you. I've come to the conclusion that it is oestrogen deficiency as well. It's really hard though to find ways to boost this safely. i'm researching the comment on negative ions at anyone else had any success with that? ive had hot flashes but they've stopped now for me it's really the insomnia is the worst part. it's hard to get support medically.
    • jayneejay
      jayneejay rcharris8

      Posted

      hi rcharris

      yes it is hard to get support with insomnia..

      i was once given zopiclone but it has to be taken with care.. I use to half mine and take only when shattered... They do work..

      my gyno gave me 2.5 mg diazepam for the same reason last week, buti haven't  taken any... They are for the really sleepless phases, 30 mins before bed, but all not bad at the moment .. 

      The other option is melotonin 5mg or 10 mg that works too.. from biovea website ..

      may make dreams abit vivid but it does work .. Doesnt make you groggy, I have tried them all 

      jay xx

  • rcharris8
    rcharris8 tangobunny

    Posted

    no one seems to understand the severity of this kind of insomnia and it's hard to get support. I'm battling to keep in full time work at the moment. It's really hard.
    • jayneejay
      jayneejay rcharris8

      Posted

      hi 

      also insomnia ... I have had it for about 12 years, all through peri etc..

      been a nightmare... But alot better now..

      taking a mega B 100 complex helps alot in menopause we lack B alot, B6 must be 100mg in the complex, my anxiety just went after.. And aches and pains went too.. 

      also Vit E capsules... They are very beneficial.. i take lots of naturals..

      i am afraid insomnia very common ... In peri and meno 

      jay xx

    • rcharris8
      rcharris8 jayneejay

      Posted

      i also take the mega b complex. I take high dose vitamin c evening primrose oil omega 3 garlic pills multivitamins and minerals and a high level vitamin d daily. This has been over a long period of time finding out what was successful. I also take 7.5 mg of mirtazapine again i'm not depressed really but this does help. it's like a combination of things but getting the balance right.
    • jayneejay
      jayneejay rcharris8

      Posted

      hi rcharris

      thats good you take the supplements as they do help,

      not sure if you can take mirtazapine with melatonin though..

      good luck with it all, the insomnia does get better i find, been a long time though 😢

      jay xx

       

    • rcharris8
      rcharris8 jayneejay

      Posted

      hi yes zopiclone stopped working for me but it wasn't that good anyway for some reason for me. I also tried melatonin in the early days but i had a allergic reaction to it. Scratching all over! Yuck. oh dear sometimes it's easy to forget all the different things that we've tried! Really appreciate your comments and feedback though. diet helps as well as avoiding things that boost progesterone. Like raspberry tea and sage. good not to feel alone. It's good to share the things we've tried as well i think as it may help others considering these options.
    • jayneejay
      jayneejay rcharris8

      Posted

      Hi rcharris

      yes we are all women but all very different arent we ..

      useful info below ... Your not alone  😃

      Why Does Menopause Cause Sleeplessness?

      Tossing and turning all night is not unusual for women who are going through menopause. The exact cause for this sleeplessness is hard to pinpoint, due to the fact that there are many menopause symptoms that can lead to insomnia. In addition, menopause symptoms are often confused with the signs of thyroid problems.

      However, there are steps that you can take to relieve sleeplessness once you understand the underlying issues. Keep reading to learn more about the causes of these difficulties and discover if menopause can cause sleeplessness.

      What Is Causing My Sleeplessness?

      Fluctuating Hormones

      Although this is generally cited as a cause for everything that can go wrong during menopause, your changing hormones can actually change your circadian rhythms; they govern when your body is at rest and when it is fully awake.

      Sleep Disorders

      There are dozens of sleep disorders that women can develop during menopause, and most of them are related to changes in how your body functions due to hormones. Insomnia and sleep apnea, for example, can both be related to changing levels of estrogen.

      Night Sweats

      These hot flashes that occur at night are a common problem for menopausal women. Because common nighttime habits (e.g., drinking after dinner and taking hot showers before bed) trigger night sweats, it's important to make lifestyle changes so that you can rest easily.

      Anxiety

      This psychological response to stress can greatly affect your quality of life during menopause, as well as the quality of your sleep. Coupled with worries about gaining weight and potential health problems such as heart disease, thyroid dysfunction, osteoporosis, and anxiety can keep you up at night.

      Jay xx 

  • rcharris8
    rcharris8 tangobunny

    Posted

    i meant to add as well how much a change in diet has helped my insomnia. Although it's hard to stick to all the time obviously. I found helping oestrogen levels has helped but you could try be there to see which helps you. Here are some useful links. i'm also trying the negative ion bands and cherry active supplements. If they help will let you know.

    http://www.ehow.co.uk/list_6973573_list-foods-rich-estrogen.html#page=8

    http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_5066472_foods-increase-estrogen-body.html

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