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[Annies]

Hi all, am new to this forum so apologies if this is covering old ground! I'm in a big dilemma over whether starting hrt  in a couple of weeks (when due...) is the right thing to do or not😐. I'm 43, still having periods, though had unexplained fertility issues mid 30s, which resulted in triplets (treatment worked a little too well!) and suffer constantly from v wakeful sleep and the accompanying moods/depression thst causes . Bloods have indicated I've been peri for past 6 years or so and the further down that line I've trodden the worse my insomnia has become. So..as a last resort i recently asked my gp for hrt thinking that was the way forward. I was prescribed femoston as I asked for one with least "bad" progesterone side effects and read on here that one might be worth trying. With period just round the corner however I'm getting cold feet and wondering how likely it is to make a difference to my insomnia so wanted to ask you ladies here whst your sleep experiences have been on hrt- femoston in psrticular?? Any feedback gratefully received!

[Lizab]

Hi and welcome! For me, and I'm fairly new on hrt, it hasn't helped my inability to fall asleep (aside from my 10 days of separate progesterone), but it has improved my quality of sleep. Once I am asleep, the sounds of every person in the house breathing, coughing, rolling over, etc. aren't waking me anymore. I'm sure someone on the femoston will be along with their experiences.

[Annies]

Hi Lizab thanks for your reply. That's encouraging to hear it helps with sleep quality as that's what I suffer with most.  I go off to sleep fine (as usually pretty exhausted!) but wake continuously every hour or so from about 1am until the morning. Some days it leaves me feeling absolutely wretched - nights when I take a sleeping pill are slightly better but that's clearly not a long term option. I would be soooooo happy if hrt could help with this as it feels quite life limiting at the mo. That plus mood swings is turning me into quite a big monster 😱

[Annies]

Lizab- sorry i forgot to ask- is it during the oestrogen or the oestrogen + progesterone part of your cycle that sleep is better? Just trying to understand which hormone is the culprit..??

[Dancinggirl]

Hi and welcome to MM Annies
Femoston is a good one to try and at your age some HRT will improve quality of life and protect your heart and bones in the long term - you are far too young to be oestrogen deficient.  I would definitely try this HRT and I think you may be surprised how well you are sleeping after a week or so - it makes a big difference for me.
Coping with triplets must be exhausting!!!!  Keep us posted.  DG x

[Hurdity]

Hi Annies

  from me too.

How regular are your periods and how have you been diagnosed as peri-menopausal for 6 years - has it been through regular FSH blood tests or what?

Are you having flushes and is it night sweats that are keeping you awake?

I agree you definitley need to repalce oestrogen if this is lacking and Femoston is a good one to try!

Good luck and let us know how you get on

Hurdity x

[Annies]

Thank you both so much for your replies.
DG- that sounds positive on the sleep front. I know we all respond differently to meds but I'm really hopefull this will help. After another restless night last night I'm feeling pretty down and tearful  today - mega mood swings etc.😂
It's v hard to separate out what causes what with insomnia & mood isn't it- chicken & egg thing.
Hurdity- yes fsh levels have flown about (ranged from 15-50 or so) . Last test didn't check oestrogen. ...think I should ask for that? They seem to dismiss these levels as too volatile to be useful but I'd have thought pretty central to an appropriate hrt recommendation? ?
Periods still happening (usu quite light always have been) but swinging from 21-28 days ish.
At nights I get sweaty esp towards period but not hot flushes as such. Been on citalopram long term which might be controlling these?
Thanks again for your support ladies - I hope one day if/when I'm an hrt veteran I can do the same.☺

[Sooby]

Hi Annies,

             I find I am now falling asleep early and very deep. While on the estrogen ( I take a different HRT from you but am peri menopausal) I dont have the early morning anxiety attacks but am still waking about 5 am but a feeling calm. I'm just trying a new treatment so I dont know if this will remain the case when I move into the progesterone phase.

             I think its worth trying HRT and see what you think. You may find that it helps with symptoms that you hadnt concidered.

Good luck. x

[Lizab]

I wasn't clear with my first response. I seem to have better quality sleep throughout both the estrogen only and estrogen+progesterone parts. I still have a hard time falling asleep when I go to bed in the estrogen only part. My mind just won't shut off.  I fall asleep right away when taking the progesterone.

[Annies]

Lizab- well that sounds like the best scenario, getting better  quality sleep during both parts of the cycle rather than just one. Think I'm worrying I'll find the oestrogen part too energising but  guess I'll have to just suck it and see. Pit of interest what regime are you on?
Sooby- I'm glad it's helped you with your sleep too. Waking early is frustrating but at least if you're falling asleep earlier & deeper that hopefully compensates. I'd take quality over quantity any day I think!

[elsie001]

I only have the mirena coil but found it improved my sleep a lot pretty much straight away - had a nightmare time with insomnia for 2 years prior to this.  I was also prescribed oestrogen gel and started on minimum dose but had to stop after a week as my insomnia returned with a vengance!

Trial and error I think, but hopefully it will help you.

[DebsMK]

One of the reasons I went onto HRT was the constant waking at 3am and not being able to go back to sleep.  I was completely ragged especially as I have to get up at 6am to get kids to school.  I started on Femoston 1/10 which worked almost immediately, lovely nights sleep and only woken by alarm.  This worked like a dream for about a year when I started waking at 3am again!  I also got the return of other meno symptoms, so I asked to up the Femosoton to 2/10 and am now sleeping well again.

[anna123]

Hi annies
I'm 41 and been on Femoston 2/10 for 2 years after trying patches which I had problems with. The Femoston has worked wonders for me until recently where I have had to stop taking it. since stopping 4 weeks ago all my physical and emotional symptoms have returned and I can't  sleep either. I think it really will help your sleep issues and other issues you may not have realized were meno related Counting the days till I can go back on it too!

[Annies]

Annas thank you- that's v encouraging to hear. The past week has been emotional hell and now definitely keen to get started after hearing such positive experiences from you ladies. I hope you are able to resume your treatment soon and get back on an even keel....