Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Sarai on April 26, 2015, 07:12:50 PM
-
Anybody got any ideas what I can do? My sleep is rubbish, I'm waking every hour, for no reason, not sweats. My neck, shoulders are stiff and killing and I have had daily headache for over a week. I'm a headache sufferer who's headaches had gone. Paracetamol won't touch them, but I gave up ibuprofen on account of warfarin, plus I'm afraid of most pills as I react badly. I am so so tired I'm a walking zombie. I can't understand what's happened to my sleep. I know all sleep hygiene stuff, no caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, no computers, tv, lavender spray, cool dark quiet room etc
-
It's very likely to be your hormones I'm afraid.
Insomnia, and poor sleep is one of the classic symptoms of peri menopause. I had always been an excellent sleeper until 16 months ago. Then I started with random anxiety. Very soon afterwards I experienced my first entirely sleepless night. Horrendous. Since then the quality of my sleep has often been poor. I also suffer with early waking. Up until 16 months ago my alarm always woke me at 7.30am. But since I started with peri symptoms I am always awake before 6am, often feeling anxious for no reason.
Like you I don't suffer with hot sweats.
I have just started HRT and my sleep seems to be improving. I am dropping off to sleep much easier. And once or twice in the last week I have woken before 6am, but have managed to drop back off to sleep!!! This is unheard of!!!
-
sarai, thank goodness iam not alone, i have not had a full nights sleep for around 6 weeks, once in bed i go straight to sleep for about 2 hours and wake every 2 hours all night i too have tried almost everything but i have terrible reactions to medication and iam also very frightened of tablets because of these reactions, for the last week i have been trying kalms but the last few days i have felt sick and dizzy and have been told that its a side effect from them, they didnt seem to be helping anyway, iam absolutely exhausted, cant keep my eyes open but afraid to doze off in case my sleep is even worse at night i feel at the end of my tether, so your not alone :)
-
GypsyRose!ee, I do get sweats but mostly in the morning and they are not bad enough for me to complain about.
I keep thinking of HRT but not sure I can due to blood disorder plus I don't know where I am or how long I've got. I'm 53 had per for ages.
-
gipsyRoseLee, thats exactly how i wake, full of anxiety, stomach churning terrible, but i havent had a period for 8 years and thought i was through this, i cant have hrt because of high blood pressure and unfortunately i still smoke and cant give up at the moment as i feel so anxious already :'(
-
kerrieann it really is a nightmare. I daren't fall during the day either. I'm so tired it's like when you just have a new born. The headache and neck pain is shocking, that makes sleeping harder too. I don't really want HRT, I don't want more things messing me up. I take hours to fall asleep then 1 hour later awake and again and again.
I was supposed to be going away, but anxiety put me off now, if I'm not sleeping either there's just no point. I don't feel well enough to even pack contemplate packing let alone the travel. It's so not fair.
-
Kerriane I have high blood pressure ,controlled by tablets,and I smoke unfortunately,but trying to stop by using ecigs,and have been on hrt for 5 years so it is possible.
Having a trying time finding a new regime as the old one stopped working and couldn't sleep for about 4 months now on mirtazapine 10mg and thank goodness now sleep well . Once Im sure this latest trial regime works will start to reduce these and hope sleep patterns return.
-
I've never been a good sleeper and wake up every fifty minutes or so but do go back to sleep straight away now that I'm back on a low dose HRT. Five hours is my maximum "in bed asleep" time at the moment. I am trying to extend it a bit at a time so now I go to bed at 12.30 and get up at 6.00 whereas it was always 1 a.m. before I went to bed.
Some information here about insomnia and why it happens http://www.bupa-intl.com/health/health-information/factsheets/i/insomnia
Melatonin is supposed to be good but I know you wont be able to take that due to being on Warfarin. :-\
I found that HRT was the only thing that helped with my even worse sleeping pattern when meno symptoms hit. Then it really was impossible to sleep.
Taz x
-
I don't think we can even get melatonin in the UK. I might be able to have it if it's just a matter of its effect on INR. I self test and am used to monitoring drugs effect on it.
How can I tell if I'm in meno symptoms? Does a year have to pass to know its meno
-
I think it's only available to over 55's for some reason on NHS prescription.
When you have had a year without periods you are post meno. Peri-meno usually lasts around 8 to 10 years so usually begins in your early forties. This is from the drop down menu http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/menopause.php
Taz x
-
oh dazned that is good to hear that you are able to get hrt, its given me hope i will make a docs appointment and see what he says thanks
-
I see, I'm 53 so a bit to wait then. I'm considering asking about sleep clincs as I've had trouble getting off for years and had too many loo visits. Tried the pills could not get on with them, had scans ect. But some nights now I need to wee about 10 times. Maybe a doc will take pity on me.
-
The lack of sleep is awful! I go through phases of it & it's so draining. Tried various herbal remedies, which only work short term plus my tummy doesn't like the Valerian in them. I end up very nauseous.
My GP gave me tablets a while back, Zopiclone, but only allowed for 2 weeks. Again fine for a while, but the sleepless nights returned soon after stopping.
Some GPs suggest Antihistamine tablets to aid sleep, problem is so many are non-drowsy these days.
-
Why do you think that HRT 'will mess you up' Sarai?
Surely if it cures your insomnia and helps restore a good sleep pattern then it will be doing the opposite of messing you up?
-
I'm not sleeping well either, mostly due to sweats but before that I was waking 2 or 3 times. I find listening to music with my headphones in can lull me off again though.
-
CubaGirl - one of my sons has been given antihistamine to help him sleep. It's working well. I can't remember what the name is now though but definitely it's one of the drowsy ones ;D
Taz x
-
Since starting HRT, I do sleep better. However, I do get disturbed by my lovely DH. I don't know whether he gets more restless now he is older or whether I sleep more lightly from the middle of the night. I usually sleep well the first half of the night. When I was very poorly last year, my DH started going to sleep in the spare room after getting up to go to the loo. So we start the night together. This suits him as well as me. However, when we have guests or go away, there is no comfy bed to escape to if need be. I volunteered to be the one to go elsewhere.......the settee in the lounge, but by the time I got here, I was so wide awake! No chance of further sleep! I shall have to think how to approach this for the next few nights. But the good news is my son has come to stay!
-
Taz ;D
-
oh dear had an awfull night again waking every 2 hours, then at half 5 full of anxiety, i keep trying to ask myself what iam am anxious about and i really dont know :'( a question that i want to ask but dont know if anyone will have an answer is how do i know if its hormones or anxiety and depression, dont know wether to ask doc for anti depressants oe hormones :-\ help anyone kerrie
-
Kerrieann - the anxiety could be hormonal. The Dr confirmed to me this morning that anxiety can be hormonal at menopause. In my case, I had panic attacks in my twenties and thirties and resolved them with yoga and meditation practice. However the Dr told me that if you have a history of panic attacks, it makes one more susceptible to them occurring at menopause.
I had had no problems with panic attacks for years (I'm 51) but over the last few months my anxiety sky rocketed. However I put it down to the stress of an impending move to another country (which fell through when all this happened) and I didn't realise that there was an underlying medical reason for the way I felt - I really wish I had known as I just put it down to the stress I was under in organising a move and taking on another college course.
If you can, I would go and see if you can get some medical checks with a Dr. And I keep my fingers crossed that your Dr is a good one.
When I can't sleep, I play a relaxation CD - a guided body scan meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn - it helps enormously. I also do loving kindness (metta) meditation for every part of my body. I start with my little toe and I silently say "may my little toe be safe and well, may my little toe be peaceful and happy" - and I do this for every single body part I can think of and then go on to muscles, bones, nerves, organs etc - it really helps me mentally.
Traditionally loving kindness meditation was taught by the Buddha as an antidote to fear and I've found it very helpful - it gives my mind something to do/focus on other than ruminate and make me feel worse. I also focus on my breath - I say calm as I breathe in and relax as I breathe out (silently to myself) - basically I think it's about trying to find ways to bring one's attention to body sensations as opposed to allowing the mind to go over and over and get caught up in thoughts.
Sending hugs xx
Also, just to add, my sleep was profoundly affected by hot sweats and when I went on HRT it has improved a bit which has helped - that said, I think the progesterone I was given in Nuvelle Continuous was too high for me as it has, at times, made me hyper alert and I've had difficult falling asleep. But I'm changing medications tomorrow and keeping my fingers crossed.
-
Kerrianne I had terrible insomnia,panick attacks,palpitations,annxiety through the roof 4 years ago, started hrt and it all stopped !
It started to return about november last year and struggling to find new regime to suit. Getting there slowly and mirtazapine has helped with all that too as I said elsewhere. Many on here use both hrt and ADs hope you get settled soon.
-
Lack of sleep has to be my worst meno symptom. As you say, it's draining and I find no routine with it. I can just about sleep fine for a couple of nights, and so I try to follow exactly the same pattern (like wearing lucky knickers to an exam!) but to no avail. I've tried different herbal things which make not a bean of difference; one night I might have a cup of tea later in the evening than I should and I have the best of sleeps.
I'm aware that I constantly fidget which makes me feel guilty for disturbing my husband although having said that, he sleeps as soon as his head touches the pillow! He also snores which I've realised has woken me at night.
AAAAgh! All I want to do is sleep at night!
-
HI, I can identify with so many of the ladies here. I have not slept well for years. I wake between 3am and 5.30am everyday. I have been zombie like and unable to focus or speak without slurring. Dark circles under the eyes , clumsy and nauseous. I didn't realise it when it started but it's the peri menopause.
It appears to have improved somewhat on HRT . I think it is one of the worst symptoms as it is so difficult to function when you are sleep deprived. xx
-
Oh ladies, I could have written your posts over the last few years, word for word. Taking ages to go to sleep then waking every 90 minutes, sometimes being awake for an hour or two. I got so tired I couldn't function some days. I would get episodes that lasted for a couple of months then it would come right and I would sigh with relief only for it to start up again a few months later. I though that was my life now.
I can honestly say that since the start of this year it has improved. I go to sleep quite quickly, I wake up around 1am and 5am but go back to sleep within a few minutes. On rare occasions I get 6 hours unbroken and if my husband is being snorey I go in the spare room.
I know it won't help how you are feeling now and I got so depressed with the lack of sleep but it does seem to improve. I am 58 now.