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[GypsyRoseLee]

I think the early episodes of insomnia I had were possibly the worst part of peri menopause.

I have always been able to sleep no matter what. For that to suddenly change was frankly terrifying. I don't know about others but actual 'fear' was a very real part of my insomnia. Fear of what was happening, fear of why it was happening, fear if how wretched I would feel the next day.

If I had to use one adjective to comprehensively describe my peri menopause experience I think it would be 'fear'.

[Dana]

GypsyRoseLee - your description of missing a nights sleep was exactly how I felt when meno symptoms kicked in. I could barely function for months and was truly awful. I now sleep with hrt but am 57 and worried as doctor murmuring about coming off!!!!

That was exactly the description of my insomnia, except mine was multiplied by 3 nights of totally no sleep. HRT was my saviour as well, and I also now have my backups of the occasional dose of doxylamine or Endep (amitriptyline AD) to help out with those odd nights when sleep just won't come.

I have a morbid fear of what will happen when/if I have to come off HRT too. I'm 56, and my doctor is pretty lenient about HRT, but I'm not sure that I want to stay on it for the rest of my life anyway. Continuous progesterone is an issue for me, so even just the thought of periods for the next 10-20 odd years is troubling.

I have recently tried to cut a small amount of my patch to see if I could at least get down to a low dose, and it didn't go well, so I think that for the time being I will have to stay on a medium HRT. Maybe I'll try again when I'm closer to 60. Maybe by then my body will have adapted to menopause a little better.

[meno lesley]

Hi Dana

I had nights with no sleep and felt it was like torture, however tired I was my brain seemed wired up. Do still have odd nights with disturbed sleep but nothing like it was, like you I'm hoping my body will adjust as I go towards 60 - here's hoping!

Lesley