Insomnia and HRT

[fatgirlswims]

TLDR: Hoping someone who know more than me can help me here. I’m 45 have irregular periods, insomnia and night sweats. Would HRT help? what else could help instead?
thanks

I’m 45. Over a year ago (march time I was 44) I went to the GP with peri menopause symptoms: mainly aching limbs and insomnia and night sweats also irregular periods and brains fog. She did some tests and spoke to the hospital who said that I could have HRT. However she did not want to prescribe it so she gave me clonidine. She said I was quite young to suffer with menopause symptoms. All of this took w few months to sort out.

I also have a chronic back pain and at the time I took amytripliline.
At the time I was having a pain flare up and she prescribed tramadol stating that back pain is debilitating and probably why I feel unwell. Back pain also causes insomnia.

after a few days of clonidine it made me feel like I wanted to die and stopped taking it. I don’t know why she would not give me HRT. I became disillusioned and frustrated and couldn’t be bothered to go back. The night sweats stopped.

Fast forward now. The night sweats are back, my back pain is awful I’ve had awful Covid annd post viral fatigue and I do not feel like my self. I have lost 3 stone (on MJ). I now take ER TRAMADOL for my back. Sorry so long!

Definitely peri menopause. HRT helped me loads with insomnia, night sweats, racing heart. I started at 44. You need a different GP or private clinic to prescribe.

Thanks - I’ve made another appointment and asked if there was a specialist GP and there is! 20th August.

Can I ask what you take? Is it oral or transdermal?

Hi

Your doc is acting against NICE guidelines. First treatment should always be HRT for these symptoms and not clonidine or any type of antidepressant. She is woefully uneducated to current information.

HRT can be taken alongside any antidepressant/pain relief already being taken.

You should ideally be offered trans-dermal HRT.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23

www.balance-menopause.com/

@cleowasmycat I was also offered antidepressant!

That link is super helpful I don’t know why I haven’t checked the NICE guideline yet

This Facebook group has a huge amount of info

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16gW5ZXSg4/?mibextid=wwXIfr

@fatgirlswimsI use 2 pumps of transdermal Oestrogen + 2 weeks of oral progesterone (Utrogestan) and on/off vaginal oestrogen
I also use Magnesium glycinate tablets + magnesium cream for better sleep

Basically I don't think they like to give HRT under 45. But at 45 or above they seem to offer it more. So go back.

Thanks @BumblingBananai have got an appointment with the GP and asked if there was a specialist menopause GP and there is. Unfortunately referred to as the “lady doctor” - I don’t know why, but it offends me so much.

Under 45 the GP should offer blood tests for estrodial and SHBG possibly alongside things like b12, d and thyroid to rule those out then offer HRT.

Over 45 HRT should be prescribed on symptoms only.