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Perimenopause - Insomnia

Posted , 12 users are following.

jackied68
jackied68

Hi, i have suffered chronic insomnia over the last 3 years, to the point at times, have felt suicidal. Been prescribed zoplicone and anti depressants, although no longer taking the anti d's as i know im not "depressed" just chronically tired. I have kept a diary for the past year or so and i seem to suffer the non sleeping phase leading upto my period. I am 46. My doctor has suggested i could be entering my peri-menopausal stage and has suggested HRT! Has anyone in this group experienced chronic insomnia linked to menopause, and can anyone advise if hrt has helped. Last resort as hrt is a big deal. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

1 like, 42 replies

42 Replies

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  • jackied68
    jackied68

    Posted

    Hi ladies, still on a roller coaster ride of anxiety and stress. Still not sleeping and have been taking a lot of zoplicone. Saw the doc last week to discuss my blood test which has confirmedthat i am well on the way to meno. Have talked about my options and whether hrt is the way to go, even though im not happy about it, i had made the decision to give it a try (i have been taking magnesium, vit b complex and eve prim oil ) but am still i. The grip of chronic insomnia, joint pain, and anxiety. I had my blodd pressure taken, and not surprisingly is dangerously high,so no hrt for me any time soon. Not sure if this is because lack of sleep or a syymptom of peri? Dont know what to do next, should i take anti depressants. Cant believe my life is like this, i dont recognise myself anymore. My family think i have lost the plot, have totally shut myself off from everything, just too damn tired to do anything. I just moan all the time. Will things ever get better?
    • jayneejay
      jayneejay jackied68

      Posted

      Hi jackie 

      my concern is when you say to us your taking lots  of zopliclone 

      and still say your not sleeping ..

      i have used small amounts of zopiclone on occasion  and always slept with it 

      and i mean small either half or a quarter of 7.5mg pill.

      i never take a whole one as dependency may begin straight away..

      i am surprised your doctor did not give you the 3.75mg to begin..

      How much are you taking  when you say lots ... 

      And when.. Are you taking 30 mins before bed ..

      zopliclone can have side effects.. 

      Hope you get some relief one way or the other 

      jay x

    • jackied68
      jackied68 jayneejay

      Posted

      Hi jay, thanks for replying, maybe i was not clear. Doc gives me 3.75 i do sleep with it but find i am relying on it more, also by the end of the week, i feel really yuk. Probably because it is not natural sleep. Dont get me wrong, at times it has been a life saver, but i am really not happy taking it too much, and worried about addiction, which is why sertraline may be the way to go if i cant take hrt. I have been taking zoplicone On and off for 3 years. I always had very low blood pressure, so i now have the worry of getting that down. Never seems to end
    • jayneejay
      jayneejay jackied68

      Posted

      Hi jackie 

      oh bless you hun..

      sorry i thought previously you said 7.5mg a few days ago, i must be mistaken with another lady ..

      i relate to zoplicone jackie as i use it too.. 

      for me sometimes it works and other times it just doesnt, mostly though it works, tends not to if i have other stresses of life taking over ..

      i hope your blood pressure gets better, try some deep breaths in count to 6 while inhaling and count to 6 exhaling, this is quite effective to let the stress out .. Just to relax you when needed ..

      Jay xx

  • red67
    red67 jackied68

    Posted

    So sorry to hear you are still feeling rough, Jackie, that is not good at all... You might find this interesting, but i was also struggling with insomnia, not for as long as you've been dealing with it, granted, mine really kicked in early last summer so a good few months now. I bought the Sleep School book and early in December i started to follow the mindfulness exercises that are laid out in the 5 week programme. Ok, i have not been as diligent at it as i could have been but oddly, something started to change as i tried to be disciplined and did my best to stick to the central plank of the theory which is to let go of the struggle to sleep...There's a bit more to it than that of course, and yes, i know, it sounds too damn simple to work and i can testify that this is not a quick fix, but i have definitely seen an improvement. I'm still not sleeping as easily as i've always done, but i know it is slowly improving. I have suffered with awful anxiety as part of my peri and i think there is something to be said for the idea of 'acceptance' in the Sleep School approach towards insomnia that has really struck a chord with me and allowed me to view the experience i'm going through with some distance and calmness, something i've been missing for a few years now! I'm aware that this could come across as trivialising what is a profound problem for so many of us, but please don't take it that way. The insomnia has been by far the worst thing i've dealt with in peri, even worse than the awful digestive issues i had in 2012-2013 that led my GP to send me for a whole raft of nasty tests as he thought i had crohns, or coeliacs, or IBD i'd lost so much weight....noooo, it was all hormonal. Of course, incorporating some mindfulness techniques into your life is not going to eradicate all of your symptoms, that would be a ridiculous thing to suggest, but i am beginning to see that it may well help a damn sight more than we realise. As i say, i'm still not where i'd like to be with my sleep, but if i have a really bad night now, i try to tell myself that it doesn't mean i will automatically have a bad tonight tomorrow and forever more. Easier said than done when you are knackered and it's eating into your life. I really do hope you see some improvement soon Jackie, and please don't shut yourself away...
    • jayneejay
      jayneejay red67

      Posted

      Hi Red 

      For me too insomnia been dreadful, been like it about 15 years ..

      started a while before full blown peri kicked in .. Was in peri 10 years and still like it post meno .. Not quite as bad now though..

      😢

      jay xx

    • jackied68
      jackied68 red67

      Posted

      Hi Red, thanks for the advice. I have attended cbt on a one to one and also group basis. Mindfulness techniques get better with practice i agree. I just find it really difficult sometimes to put into practice. I guess im at the end of my tether with it, but life goes on, i keep telling myself it wont last forever. This is a great forum to sound off, im always grateful for tips and advice Xx
    • jayneejay
      jayneejay jackied68

      Posted

      Its pants isnt it 

      still ongoing 😢 at times 

      jay x

  • red67
    red67 jackied68

    Posted

    Whoa... it might not be another 12 years!  You may think this is splitting hairs, and if you've tried CBT already that it's all a bit much of a muchness, but the theory that the Sleep School programme is based on is actually Acceptance Behaviour Therapy which differs quite a bit from CBT - i won't go into it here, as you can look it up if you are interested in finding out more. I have never got on with CBT myself, and this approach just seems more effective for me, but of course it's a very personal thing so you have to decide what suits you and what route you want to take. I do think there are many other options rather than sleeping pills but i'd never criticise anyone who resorts to using them, as insomnia is such a crappy thing to have to live with. Try hard not to lose a sense of humour - more difficult than it sounds!
  • anetta94863
    anetta94863 jackied68

    Posted

    I am turning 50 this nonth. Insomnia hit 2 months ago, severe deression, suicidal thoughts. Cant take sleeping pills. I cant take it. How are you doing Jackie?
  • tracey_85255
    tracey_85255 jackied68

    Posted

    Hi Jackie,  I note your last post was a long time ago so not sure if you are still on this forum . Well here goes . I have had problems with insomnia at different stages in my life . It's always around hormones ,monthly cycle , pregnancy , after child birth (postnatal depression) and now peri Menopause. I too have digestive problems (constipation, this happens when the insomnia kicks in at times when I sleep I think is better. I can't take HRT as had breast cancer last year . At first I thought the insomnia and low mood was because of that but I can get weeks o for wing find then it starts again .I am 52 very erratic periods , usually when I get spotting my insomnia is at its whorst. Did you find anything that helped you ? I am so limited o no what I can take but the anxiety and sleepnessness Is driving me crazy . There are so many things I can cant ask after breast cancer now this I feel like a really boring , no fun person now , it's so notme . Any advice gratefully received. Thank you . Tracey xxx

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