Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Gill1959]

Hi,

Im new here.  I am a 63 year old woman in the UK, been in menopause for 11 years and have not taken HRT.  The hot flushes are a lot less, but the main problem I had from day 1 is lack of sleep.  I also have Fibromyalgia, which can cause sleep problems, but was on Amitriptyline 5mg a night, which did the trick.  The moment menopause hit, it wasn't working, they increased me to 60mg a night, still no sleep (Im now weaning off them).  My Libido went out the window, I have suffered frequent urinary tract infections and dryness since menopause - but I can live with all that apart from the huge lack of sleep, its affecting my quality of life so badly now, impacting on my job, my relationships everything, Ive almost felt like ending living!

My GP says Im too old to have HRT now, yet Ive just been speaking to my acupuncturist who is also a nurse, and she has two clients that have just been put on tablet combo HRT for sleep problems aged 70 & 75 years old!  It's changed their life and they are now sleeping fully.   I do have a family history of heart disease, but this lack of sleep must surely be contributing to health problems (I am also a type 2 diabetic on tablets).

I have an appointment with a female GP tomorrow morning, I really want to try hrt tablet combo as these other two older females have (different GP surgery) - I cant go on like this much longer.  Do you have any information I can use to help me at this appointment, I dont know what to say or how to convince them.  They recently put me on a Mirtazapine, to help with sleep, it did nothing, they increased dose to 45mg at night, still no sleep - then they introduced Promethazine (its in Night Nurse) and again nothing but felt like a zombie in day then.

Any help or advice gratefully received for my appointment early morning tomorrow.

Thank you
Gill

[Dotty]

Hi welcome to the forum. 

You're not too old to go onto hrt.  I have a friend who has just started hrt at the age of 68.

Transdermal HRT is generally thought to be safer than the oral form, so you may be better on the gel or a patch. x

[jaypo]

I completely agree with Dotty,you are NOT too old, I would mention to your Dr that you have been on this site and you know you CAN have it,unless of course there are reasons you can't
Good luck

[Gill1959]

Hi,

Thanks for your replies.  I had my GP appointment this morning and she said I can have HRT, but suggested just oestrogen, not a combination with progesterone.  She said this was due to me having a hysterectomy 22 years ago for endometriosis, although I kept my ovaries.  I wanted to know reasons behind this as from my brief research, its the progesterone that helps with the sleep issues Im experiencing, or lack of, severely!  She did not seem to be able to answer that and said she would speak with another GP and get back to me next week.

Gill

[Dotty]

Hi it is low oestrogen that causes insomnia. If you’ve had a hysterectomy then you don’t need progesterone but I believe that progesterone is sometimes prescribed if you’ve had endometriosis. x

[Marchlove]

A lot of women in the states take progesterone even though they’ve had a hysterectomy to help with sleep

Docs a bit the times  with these things, I expect they’d rather give you sleeping tablets!

You might be able to persuade them to give you some, if the estrogen alone doesn’t solve the sleep issue, by saying your concerned about your previous endometriosis.

I’d start with just the estrogen first, go low and slow to begin with as your body has to adjust to the increase in estrogen after such a long time.

M x

[discogirl]

HI Gill1959

I'm glad things are moving forward for you.

From what I've learnt on this forum low estrogen can certainly cause sleep issues.

I've just posted something regarding it actually.

Hope you're okay anyway xx