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[Gingat]

Hi everyone!  I've been stalking these forums for a few years now and thought it was time I finally joined to partake, introduce myself and get some advice off you wonderful ladies 

I'm 47 years old and was diagnosed as peri when I was 42 after a horrific 2 months of heavy bleeding and a camera up my foof that ruled out cancer.  I soldiered on for another couple of years but the the periods got so bad, the doc ordered a mirena coil and started me on patches.  I threw the patches away after 2 weeks because they were affecting my sleep and and I get wild anxiety when I can't sleep, which turns into a huge vicious circle.  Anyhoo, the mirena seemed to sort me out for 18 months or so until I stopped sleeping 2 years ago and had huge anxiety.  At this point the doc put me on 2 pumps of oestrogen gel and said that my mirena was sufficient for the progesterone aspect.  It was not!!!!  The oestrogen sent me loopy!!  I had anxiety like I had never known before and sleep completely went out of the window.  I managed to persuade my doc to let me have 100mcg Ugesterone also and that seemed to settle things down.  I carried on happily for 2 years, increasing my gel to 3 pumps after another little wobble.

Until 3 weeks ago!  I swear it's ALWAYS October when these weird things happen to me!  Again, stopped sleeping and decided to add another half pump to my gel.  Same effect - huge anxiety and no sleep.  Doc has now increased my Ugesterone to 200mcg and literally overnight, I felt calmer.  However, now I am stressing that the Ugesterone may end up being too much.  I feel dizzy, spaced and twitchy but my sleep and anxiety have improved.  I only upped the dose last week so is it too early to tell and do I just need to let this play out?  I've been on a continuous regime throughout.

I take a whole raft of supplements - magnesium, ashwanganda, lemon balm, L-theanine, chamomile, valerian root, CBD oil, multi vit at bedtime (to support sleep mainly) and Thyroxine (underactive thyroid), seaweed supplement and cod liver oil in the morning

I am active, eat healthily, don't drink alcohol or caffeine and generally look after myself.  I was diagnosed with gastric neuro-endocrine tumours 4 years ago but these are managed by surveillance for now.  I'm also a busy mum to 3 young kids with a full time hectic job to boot.

This quest to find balance in my mind and body is all consuming and exhausting.  I hate not feeling like me.  Anyone else?

[Dierdre]

Hi Gingat and welcome to the forum.
You take a lot of stuff!  I get side effects and can't sleep after taking one multivitamin, there's obviously something in it that keeps me awake but who knows what.
Are you sure your supplements aren't interacting with the HRT and might need tweeking to compensate too.
I'm assuming the doctor is aware of your supplements especially the Thyroxine

[VioletAquarius]

I agree with Dierdre, does your doctor/pharmacist know you are taking all these supplements? They could be interfering with your thyroxine medication or hrt.

Do you take any of the supplements within 2 hours of your thyroxine? If you do, they could be reducing its effectiveness.

[Gingat]

Thanks for your replies ladies :-)  The doc is aware of most of them but I've only just started the Ashwangada and seaweed so I will speak to my doc about next week when I have a follow up.  My thyroid is tested regularly and all seems to be ok on that front also.  I'm so terrified of not sleeping, hence the bedtime herbal concoction!  I'm hoping to reduce the valerian root if the increase in ugesterone helps my sleep.  I'm terrified of not sleeping!!!  It brings on such anxiety and then I get caught in a loop of not sleeping/anxiety so I'm taking the valerian root to try and combat that.

[Dierdre]

Perhaps leave off the Ashwangada and seaweed until you see the doctor as you've just started it.
It's sometimes difficult to isolate what's not suiting you when you start or change medication or supplements at the same time. Better to try one thing at a time so you know that's the cause if there's a problem.
Sounds like you lead a very busy active life and sometimes although the body is tired the brain doesn't want to stop. Worrying about this will probably not help and keep you awake even more. Like you say it's a vicious circle. When I'm suffering from anxiety things just go round and round in my head and I can't sleep. I'm retired though so it's not a problem, I can lie in or have an afternoon nap.
Have you tried any meditation techniques, I don't know much about these but they do help some people.

[CLKD]

Cut out the alternatives, give the prescribed, tested medications time to work. After a while, when hormones begin to rise and fall dramatically, the benefit of any 'supplements' may be lost anyway.  R U aware that none should be used whilst taking prescription meds and no longer than in 3 month runs when a break should be considered?  Because there is little/no research into the long term effects of many of these supplements. 

Why seaweed?  The best way for this is by eating 'lava' bread, manufactured in Wales.     . 

It is known that thyroid function may go AWOL during peri-menopause ..........

Which symptom would U like to ease first? 

[Gingat]

Thanks for your replies :-)  Just realised I put terrified of not sleeping twice in my last post ha!  It's not so much the not sleeping I hate, more the feeling like rubbish the next day.

I've stopped the seaweed and ashwangada until I see the doc next week.  My MIL bought me some Dr Seaweed supplements she'd seen on QVC, supposed to be amazing for sleep and anxiety.

I'd like to not feel anxious (never suffered with anxiety at all until peri) and sleep.

I feel like I'm a jigsaw puzzle and I want all the pieces to fit!  I like being in control so not being fully in control of this is overwhelming.

[Dierdre]

I can relate to the not being in control, it's very frustrating but also makes it harder to unwind and relax and stop the overthinking of everything.