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[dulciana]

I have a kit by my bedside, which consists of: magnesium spray, a glass of water with drops of Rescue Remedy in it, a lavender bag, a little bottle of perfume-y stuff called Seascape for dabbing on to my temples and under my nose and an eye mask for these light mornings.  Wouldn't be without it.

[yorkshirerose]

sleep is a distant memory, GP has suggested anti depressants but not sure,  have bought some camomile tea so might try this first......

[Bazzy]

I am really struggling at the moment with insomnia. I have always slept like a baby until about a year ago. I had an ovary out for a cyst Oct 2015 and was perimenopausal at the time I think. Since then I have been full blown menopausal - hot flushes, poor memory, permanently tired and zero sex drive. I think the lack of sleep is the worst thing. I have tried OTC sleep tablets, avoiding caffeine, amitriptyline, open window, fan - I still wake up 1, 2 or 3am, and then stay awake tossing, turning and hot flushing for a few hours. I tried HRT prempak c but it did not seem to help and made me put on weight and itch. I dont recall it helping the hot flushes either. Admitted I did not stay on it more than a couple of months. I feel a bit of a wrek - any advice welcomed

[Janice68]

I know how you feel Bazzy lack of sleep chronic insomnia. I tried everything including prempak c and like you didn't help hot flushes!! I've been on sleeping pills tried things from chemist etc. I don't take hrt either. I'm on citalopram 20mg for the anxiety and panic attacks. My doc has now put me on 15mg of mirtazapine to help with my sleep. It has helped a bit by getting me of to sleep but dosent keep me a sleep for long but it's still early days.
Maybe see doc about mirtazapine ad if you are interested? I trust this better than amitriptyline route I don't get on with that drug.
Worth a try maybe?
Take care janx

[Hurdity]

Hi Bazzy

 

Sorry to hear you are having problems with insomnia mainly due to hot flushes.

Unfortunately the only thing that can really help with this is HRT. Your doc should not prescrire anti-depressants as first line of treatment for menopause.

As you suggested you didn't take HRT for long enough - HRT should be tried for a minimum of 3 months to allow your body to acclimatise to it. Prempak is actually one of the old-fashioned types of HRT and the oestrogen is made from horse urine so contains oestrogens that are foreign to human beings. There are plenty of other HRT types to try.

Perhaps you could introduce yourself in the new members section and let us know where you are in menopause in terms of periods, and how old you are, so more people will be able to answer?

Hurdity x

[nothappybun]

I agree insomnia starts well before, it was the first symptom I suffered and didn't relate it till now, it started 4 years ago when I was PM, on those days I couldn't sleep, no hot flashes no sweats just woke up for no reason and started worrying irrationally about anything and couldn't sleep. Magnesium and vitamin B group supplements helped for some time. Went on BCP and slept like a baby now been put on hrt and back with the whole lot, insomnia, hot flashes, mood swings, anxiety and vaginal discomfort and dryness at least the sweats are at stake!

[Charlotte ...]

Being driven batty by lack of sleep this  week and utter utter exhaustion all day, some weeks I get to 4.30pm but this week 2.00am, ugh, just whining, ignore me, I had hoped that HRT would make  a difference as it was the one thing I was going to take it for.

[Louise KMS]

I have been struggling with sleep issues for about 4 months now, & not because of night sweats. Most of the time, I'm not going to bed unduly stressed, but I lie there, exhausted & just can't go asleep. I've used some zopiclone 3.75 for a few nights, which worked well, but I felt hungover the next morning, & in a ny case, I didn't want to get addicted to them. Then I tried some nytol, which do the same thing. But I've just stopped taking them, as the drug they contain (diphenhydramine) has recently been linked with memory loss & dementia. So I'm now thinking about some herbal remedies & wondering if anyone on here has tried any? I didn't sleep at all last night, & most nights I only get 4-5 hrs sleep. This is leading to me feeling like I'm going a bit mad, bouts of anxiety, aches & pains everywhere  & I think depression. I've just started taking Estradiol 1mg a month ago (I also have a Mirena coil).

[Hurdity]

Hi Louise KMS

Sorry your post got missed up here! 

If you have a Mirena it is difficult to say where you are in menopause because I presume your periods stopped? Then it becomes hard to know when menopausal symptoms appear. You haven't said how old you are - but there are other women who have had sleep problems too. Maybe post again in the new members section or the All Things Menopause where more women look and you may get some more answers?

It is a good sign that you do not get night sweats. Hopefully the estradiol tablets will help generally but sounds like you are still suffering. How long have you had the Mirena and have you considered whether you are having a reaction to this?

As well as HRT, it is important at this stage in your life to look at all aspects of your health, diet and lifestyle to make sure you are in the best possible shape to cope with these unpleasant symptoms. Also get plenty of exercise  if you can, so that you are physically tired when you go to bed and might sleep for longer.

Hurdity x

[Kathleen]

Hello  Louise KMS and welcome to the forum.

Disturbed sleep is a classic meno problem unfortunately and Hurdity has given you some good advice.

 There are many of us struggling with the same issues so perhaps you could post elsewhere on the forum so other ladies will see your comments and respond.

Take care.

K.

[Susan MacKenzie]

Hi, I,m new to this site, but I have been reading many of the posts and thought I would give my experience  to the forum.
I had been taking Elleste  Duet 1mg  for about 6 years when my doctor stopped my prescription abruptly. Within a week, the anxiety and  panic attacks returned  but worse than thy had been initially. I was put back onto the Elleste  duet  immediately and things settled down after a couple of weeks. Move forward to July last year, when the doctor changed me to Evorel patches. Three months on, I was told I had a torn rotator cuff and referred for physio! I also had some anxiety so was referred to phycologist.  Light bulb moment, these symptoms were menopausal. The insomnia, panic attacks, anxiety,loss of appetite , hot and cold flushes, tremors and irrational thoughts all hit at the same time in October. Since then, I have not been in my  bed, as I don,t sleep, some nights not even for an hour. The doctors have changed my hrt five times in five months and would you believe have now put me back  on to the Elleste Duet 1mg, which, until they interfered, I had o problem with, I was aware of any risks and accepted them. My life as I knew it, has gone. I can barley interact with anyone, can,t feel any emotions, am totally introverted and have spent many nights pacing in the garden, in the middle of winter, for goodness sake! I have tried many different supplements, medications, self help solutions and coping mechanisms with varied  results. Currently I am using Magnesium Night oil and have also taken a dose of Magnesium Citrate this morning to see if this helps. When I was prescribed Elleste duet, the doctor suggested I took the joint estrogen and progesterone tablet to start with so today I have gone on to the estrogen only so I guess I will see what happens.  Oh to have a nights sleep! There is lot more I could add, such as having to have an internal scan and biopsy during this whole mess, but suffice to say, I have absolutely no faith in my doctors.

[Menomale]

Hi Susan,

Welcome!
I'm sorry I can't give you many info today, feeling very low... just want to reassure you that faith in doctors is so rare these days... you should keep looking for new ones until you find a decent and knowledgeable one.
Hope things settle soon!
xxx

[Smalltownok]

I have always been a champion sleeper! LOL... I could go to bed at 9:00pm and get up at 9:00am and never blink an eye.  Then came menopause....  I have been on HRT for 7 years and am having "breakthrough" issues with waking up at 3 am, like clockwork, each morning.  I wake up, flush/feel a hot flash, cool myself off and then either stay up or go back to sleep.  If I take a night time Tylenol or Melatonin, sometimes that will help and I'll sleep through the night - but it doesn't seem to work but one night and the next I'm back to waking up.  It's like it works one night and the next night it doesn't.  All this while continuing my HRT - so I am wondering if I need to increase something in my meds? ...  Anyway, I'm just here to see what I can learn...   Thanks to you all for sharing your experiences!

[samweller161]

Not read all the posts yet but have always been a champion sleeper ie, 10 hours each night at the weekends or if the alarm is not on to wake me for work.  I took Elleste Duet 1mg for 2 years which was fine and then back end of last year I started having a few more night sweats so went up to 2mg.  This has sorted the sweats and am dropping off to sleep without a problem but then wake around 2.30 and again 5.30 - I wear earplugs so don't think its noise and we have a large bed so don't think its husband moving!  Am keeping a food diary as per one of the ladies suggested (I think it's CKLD) but I think I eat very well and healthily and do zumba once a week.  Am thinking the trick is not to look at the clock so then I don't worry how early it is?

It's very frustrating !! 

[dulciana]

.......Am thinking the trick is not to look at the clock so then I don't worry how early it is?

Definitely, SP, especially if you've got something important the next day.  That's my strategy.