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[sn00py]

Hi!
I just joined today. I am 53 and I've been going through peri since December 2013. It started with a bang with high anxiety, nausea, insomnia and various infections. I lost 6 kilos in 4 months. I had no idea it was peri till my periods got irregular after 4 months. My blood work showed extremely high levels of estrogen and almost non existent Progesterone. I didn't have hot flashes, so doctors refused to believe it was all hormonal. I was put on Mirtazapine and Lorazepam to control insomnia and anxiety. Over 5 months i weaned myself out of Lorazepam.
The past 3 1/2 years have been an odyssey of short periods, heavy long ones, once every 20 days to once every 3 months and everything in between. I put on 8 kilos while on Mirtazapine and never lost it. And the whole time i have been suffering from insomnia. The anxiety has reduced a lot unless i don't sleep for several nights in a row.
Now, i am period free for 111 days.... who's counting? But this year, again i went through several upper respiratory infections all through spring. For the first time i am getting very light hot flushes. I had reduced Mirtazapine to 2 ml in the night. But the last few weeks, my insomnia got worse and worse and finally after a year i have upped my Mirtazapine dose. Because i was taking way too many Lorazepam. For me Mirtazapine makes me very depressed. In the beginning i was on 22.5 mg, but it gave me very dark depression.
I don't understand why the insomnia has worsened. Am I going into late perimenopause before menopause? My Gynae prescribed me Estreva gel and Femenesta 200 mg a month ago. I still haven't taken it as i am so scared of the side effects. Two years ago i was prescribed 100 mg Progestan, which i took for a month and then stopped as i was constantly crying for no reason. At that time they did not give me any Estrogen as mine was sky high.
If anyone has gone through similar experiences, i'd love to hear from you. Has anyone gone through insomnia and is now doing better? I'm right now very discouraged and depressed. It is good to be here with fellow travelers.

[CLKD]

   .........    R U State-side?

Browse round.  Make notes.  There is a useful search button so that you can find appropriate threads to see how others have managed.

I have taken anti-depressant medication since 1988 and a beta-blocka since 2002 plus an emergency drug 4 when the anxiety floors me.  It took a while to find an AD which worked  .

Do read the threads on vaginal atrophy which can present like urine infection-type symptoms but is due to the general dryness of the body, nostrils, deep in the ears, skin - lack of oestrogen can cause laxity of muscles too = aches and pains  . 

Cortisol is the wake-up hormone which can cause anxiety in the early morning apparently.  I was advised to eat every 3 hours to stop the risk of sudden anxiety surges; that is every 3 hours 24/7, etc. etc. etc..  Even in the night  .  Don't let the body get hungry.

When I was unable to sleep in the 1990s I had the radio by the bed with gentle music, these nights I read or watch TV. 

[sn00py]

Hi CLKD,

I live in Germany.

Yes, i have been through aches and pains and ran to the orthopedic a lot. He diagnosed a lot of things for each of my joint and said it is all because of depression. Right now i have left hip pain and walking is sometimes difficult. All other pains have disappeared, thank God. I quit going to orthopedics.

Yes, dryness is a big one for me sometimes. But not always. I guess the estrogen abundance takes care of that.

I need to eat often i guess, which i don't. I'll try to. Last night struggled again to fall asleep and then got up at 3:30 and struggled again. Finally fell asleep with weird dreams. The past few weeks i am getting up with anxiety again and thudding heart beats.

I feel like i have finally found people who speak the same language as me here and I am not alone trying to bottle up everything thinking others won't understand. Thank You for sharing the struggles so openly. 

[CLKD]

Eating regularly may ease anxiety surges.  Keeping hydrated is important.  If the body is hungry it may impact on lack of sleep.

Browse round.