Not many symptoms but grateful for advice for sleep and dry eyes.

[jewel1968]

In some ways I am lucky in that I don't think my symptoms are too bad. In some ways things are better for me as I used to get dreadful brain fog leading up to periods and that has largely stopped since entering peri menopause.

However there are two areas I could do with some help with. Dry eyes and poor sleep. Can't be sure they are menopause related as I was diagnosed with dry eye syndrome 20 years ago and sleep has always been a challenge. My GP has referred me to eye hospital as dry eyes getting worse and I will ask there about menopause and HRT etc...

Grateful for any suggestions for sleep. I have no problem going to sleep but keep waking up. I do have long standing back problems which wake me up. I exercise regularly.

Dry eyes u can buy (or ask gp) for drops and sprays... sleep is tough... I love one Bad Yogi who does a good 10/12 minute sleep flow on you tube. Simple stretches to wind down. I am a dreadful insomniac but I remember seeing Joan Collins interviewed once about her insomnia and she said “rest is almost as good as sleep so just go with it and relax” it helped me anyway...
Good luck

I know 3 people with dry eyes problems. The two who cope best swear by misting their face & eye drops (one of them wears the drops around her neck on a string, she has vision problems, too).

I guess there's nothing you can do about the back woes?

Thanks. I have tried every drop and spray known to mankind and little improvement. That's why doc refering me to hospital. I think I was hoping someone might recommend a product I hadn't heard of or a supplement. I have tried taking hylraunic supplements that someone suggested here which didn't really help.

I swim for my back and I do wonder if chlorine is a problem even though I invested in excellent goggles that are watertight.

Not even sure if it is menopause related but it could be. Will ask at hospital.

Evening primrose oil might be helping my dry eyes some (or it might be a coincidence).

Could be meibomian gland dysfunction- google it.
I developed it few years back (50 now) and peri menopause. Great relief from heat pack to eyes (Boots sell them specially for eyes) then you massage upper and lower eyelids to unblock the oil glands, again optician or online will show you. I also dip a cotton bud in eyewash each morning and clean gently the inner eye rims. Only need to do the heat treatment v occasionally now and eyes feel sooo much better. It was really debilitating at its worst. Ask GP for optive plus eye drops on prescription for day use and carbomer gel at night. Hope this all helps!

Ps I was referred to hospital too, ophthalmology nurse specialist recommended above treatment and the drops

Jewel I'm over 2 years into the menopause and have escaped relatively unscathed so far, except for the same sleep problems as you, sleeping lightly and waking up in the night without being able to get back to sleep.I started a magnesium cure over a week ago and am now sleeping much better, I wake up to go to the loo and get back to sleep without a problem. I feel so much better. Might be worth a try for you?

Thanks all. meibomian gland dysfunction certainly sounds a contender. I have tried those heated pad things and I thought they helped a bit but I have not done the other things you suggest. I am starting to feel hopeful. Will look ok into evening primrose.

Off to Google magnesium cure....

Strong fish oils in capsules really help my dry eyes. Magnesium spray at night helps with the sleep

I found HRT massively helped both my dry eyes and sleep. I’ve recently come off it, to see if the treatment is masking something else that’s going on, and have noticed both symptoms have returned, so I’ll be back on it as I’m soon as I can.

Davina did you have dry eyes before menopause. My reluctance to go on HRT is partly because some of my PMT symptoms were dreadful and have now virtually disappeared. And I have had dry eyes for 20 years. Something to discuss at hospital I guess.

I’ve always been susceptible to dry eyes but they were horrendous in the lead up to going on HRT. Once I was on it, they were much better. And now I’m off it again they’ve gone back to being horrendous

Movingissues - thanks. One to discuss with docs.