Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: rferdi on January 19, 2025, 10:38:17 PM
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I've been on cyclical HRT for less than a year (and still adjusting), and when I'm on the 14 days of the 200mg of oral progesterone I sleep very well. That was the very first immediate benefit I noticed from P. But then during the following 14 days off P I don't sleep well at all again, so I've been taking several different types of herbs such as Valerian, as well as magnesium glycinate to help me at least get a few hours of decent sleep for those 2 weeks.
I recently stumbled upon this supplement called PEA (Palmitoilethanolamide) which is meant to help reduce inflammation in the body, however I read how it could also help with sleep. I bought it and took 200mg the first night and didn't notice much of an effect, however when I took 400mg that was a different story. I slept through the night, a good 7 hours straight with no interruption, not even to get up and pee (same as when I take 200mg of Utrogestan). And the sedative, calming feeling is very similar as well.
So far I've used it for a week and haven't seen improvements in inflammation I think, things like reducing aches and pains in the joints etc. though I've read that takes longer to begin to notice an improvement. I've not experienced any bad side effects either, at least for now.
I've been reading a bit and it seems that PEA increases levels of allopregnanolone in the body, (and so does oral progesterone), which affects GABA A receptors which has to do with the sedative effect that may happen. I'm writing this post so maybe this can help other people who have a hard time getting some sleep during the 2 weeks off progesterone, PEA may be something to consider.
I'm going to keep looking into this as I've been wondering for a while if this allopregnanolone increase (whether from PEA or oral progesterone) could potentially somewhat cause dependency if taken for an extended period of time?
Does anybody else use PEA and has any experiences to share?
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I haven't heard of this supplement but I am sure it will be of interest to others.
I just wanted to say that if you are getting clinical benefits of taking progesterone eg improved sleep which are missed when you don't take it, there is no medical reason why you can't take it every night.
It is a personal choice whether to prioritise bleed pattern above other important determinants of quality of life such as sleep, and in fact the belief that cyclical HRT universally produces regular withdrawal bleeding is theoretical rather than evidence based, as is the belief that bleed pattern is the only or most important treatment outcome for most women.
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Thanks for pointing that out that bombsh3ll. My current gynae actually suggested I continue with the 200mg for the 14 days but also to take 100mg on the other 14, since it helps me so much with sleep. I haven't decided on doing this yet, because I've been listening to different theories from other menopause specialists which also make sense to me, but my opinion on all this is evolving constantly, the more information I get.
I'm still in perimenopause and having my own cycle, and since naturally we have this rhythm of progesterone which rises only during certain days it seems to make sense to me not to take it daily, at least not the same amount. I may go for the 100mg P for the first 14 days at some point though.