Perimenopause - Help! I need to sleep!

Posted , 19 users are following.

So I'm experiencing all the symptoms of the Perimenopause (lucky me!??). Hot flushes, mood swings (happiest woman alive one minute and raging Rosie the next??), can't cope with normal tasks (e.g. Had to walk out of Morrisons one day just because I felt I couldn't cope with it ????), lack of concentration and only had three periods in the last year. On top of all this.. I'm hardly sleeping, which I just can't cope with.

Today I couldn't go into work because I just couldn't face it after another night having a couple of hours sleep. When I did drift off I had nightmares. I really need some advice from others on anything you've found to help.

I'm currently trying black cohosh and cod liver oil tablets, but I don't think they're helping. I thought they were but I had a light period and I think that's the only reason I felt better for a week or so. It was bliss to get a good nights sleep.

I've made an appointment at the doctors, but having been previously and finding they're not really that helpful, I'd much prefer to take some advice from others who are going through, or have gone through this.

Why did no-one warn us about this!! Jeezo! I'm normally a pretty upbeat, happy person but finding this new chapter in my life pretty hard to cope with ??

Oh, and feeling the need to speak my mind is going to get me into trouble soon too I think ??

Your advice is needed and will be much appreciated by myself (and my suffering husband, family and friends)

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  • Posted

    The ads popping up on here are very annoying 😡
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      Scroll to the bottom of the list of Safari settings to the "Block Pop-ups" setting. Tap the "OFF" button once to change the setting to "ON." Close the Settings app and tap the "Safari" icon to maximize the Safari browser onscreen again. Pop up screens will now be blocked on your iPhone.

  • Posted

    I'm in the same boat and awaiting recent blood tests with civilian ob/gyn to come back so this can be treated. I never knew perimenopause could be so debilitating. Everything I once enjoyed is gone. I used to clean my house and take care of myself but just doing the bare minimum.I am depressed, anxious, lack ambition. I still get my period but it's unpredictable but that is nothing in comparison to how I feel. I don't look forward to anything, don't enjoy anything and very forgerful

    • Posted

      Hi Colleen, hopefully you'll be put on something to help soon. In the meantime, why not try some of the suggestions from Sochima. Any thing's worth a try ??

    • Posted

      Don't put too much stress on yourself either. I too can't be bothered with housework etc, although I do have days when I'm better so I try to tackle everything then. Try not to let yourself go though because it'll just make you feel worse. That's my thoughts anyway ??

  • Posted

    Hi Rosemary, When I was suffering with insomnia I found  anything otc gave me a hangover the next day, and the prescription sleep meds caused me to sleep walk and sleep eat! Yes, you read that right! I had heard about melatonin, which is something your body needs and produces less and less as we get older. I tried the tablet forms of 1 -2 mg. and nothing happened.So, I found a version online that you can let disolve in your mouth or chew. It's available in 5mg. and 10mg. dosages in grape or fruity flavor. I tried it and got great results immediately with no hangover the next day. It's available locally, or online. I hope this helps!

    • Posted

      Yeah, I'm feeling a bit woozy this morning as I head to work ?? Just glad to have had a sleep though! ?? I'll have a look for these, Thankyou ??

    • Posted

      You're welcome.I know it's so hard to function without enough rest, and I hope you get some relief soon. Keep us updated! biggrin

  • Posted

    Hi Rosemary. I started hrt in april. oestrogen gel - 1pump nightly, & utrogestan capsules(micronised pure progesterone - not synthetic) 2 x 100mg nightly days 15-26 of a 28 day cycle. The peri symptoms they have most helped with are the mental ones - erratic low mood, anxiety, panic attacks, random tears, brain fog/lack of concentration, sleep & headaches. I am off work ill with colitis & suspected kidney stone as present, & had i not started the hrt when i did, i do not think i would be coping mentally right now. Personally I would recommend you think about hrt, as I think if you can get on top of the mental symptoms, you feel alot better in yourself & able to cope with other symptoms of peri/meno. my hrt regimen is a low dose/low risk one recommended by my specialist meno gp. hope this helps hun.xxx

  • Posted

    Well let me tell you. This is me word for word. 3 periods in a year. Periamenapause. Today is the first day missed work in 5 years. But so crazed from lack of sleep. Valerian root doesn't work. Melatonin out. Ive tried every known sleep aid out there. I didn't even realized the last time i slept was during last period untill you mentioned it. I went to the herb lady here in reno and she says im probably very progesterone. So today first day going to try that. Good luck

  • Posted

    how are u now ?i hope your sleeping good .. i have the same problem too im wide awake at this moment and its 4:30 in the morning now
  • Posted

    Well it’s 4:43am EST so clearly I’m not sleeping ... stupid hormones ??

  • Posted

    Hi there,

    I found a solution.

    I am in the same situation with the sleep. Or should i say, no sleep. I read the answers below and most of the women fall asleep for a bit and then wake up. That is still better than what I experience. I cant fall asleep at all, no matter how sleepy I feel. If I fall asleep even for 2 hours, it would be a blessing. I feel exhausted all day. At night, I can not keep my eyes open, but as soon as I go to bed, my mind does not stop screaming at me. I lay in bed all night hoping that I will fall asleep eventually, but to no avail. I probably snooze a bit here and there, but i don't even remember it. And if i don't remember falling asleep, it must be for a minute or so. It is going on 6 years now.

    Finally, after taking all the sleeping pills in the world, that only put me to sleep for 1 to 2 hours at the most and made me drowsy for the rest of the day, someone told me about Xanax. I know that Xanax is prescribed for anxiety only, it is not even a sleeping pill, but it turned out that Xanax is what I needed. I take the smallest dose. I sometimes even brake the pill in 2 but it is enough to stop my brain from racing long enough for me to fall into sleep and wake up after 6,7 hours.

    My doctor prescribed Lyrica, which also helped but made me a total zombie. I was forgetful and foggy all the time so i stopped it.

    Xanax is the only one that helps my sleep. There are periods when I don't need it(may be my hormones regulate themselves sometimes), but when I cant't sleep, I take Xanax.

    I hope it helps you too.

    Good luck!

    Dani

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