Would hormone replacement therapy help sleep better?

Question

Hi doctor,

My 52-year-old wife has been dealing with terrible insomnia for the past 18 months, and it is destroying our family life. She went through menopause two years ago and has not slept more than three to four hours per night since then. The hot flashes wake her up drenched in sweat, and then she cannot fall back asleep because her mind starts racing. She tried Ambien (Zolpidem tartrate), which worked for a few weeks, but then stopped being effective, and the doctor would not prescribe more. Melatonin, valerian root, and chamomile tea do not help at all. She also tried trazodone, but it made her groggy the next day.

The lack of sleep is making her irritable and forgetful. She missed an important work deadline last week because she could not concentrate. Her blood pressure went up to 145/90 mm Hg, which the cardiologist thinks is from chronic sleep deprivation. We barely talk anymore because she is so exhausted and moody all the time. Can severe insomnia during menopause cause permanent health damage? Would hormone replacement therapy help her sleep better?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

The menopause is when you stop having your periods. It happens when your ovaries stop releasing eggs or when your ovaries have been removed, and the amount of estrogen hormone in your body falls. Most women have their menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 years, with the average age being 51 years. Menopause can occur earlier in some women. If it occurs before the age of 40 years, it is known as premature menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency. The time before your last period, when your estrogen levels are falling, is called the perimenopause. This can last from a few months to several years. Around half of all women notice physical or emotional symptoms during this time. The most common symptoms are hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, low mood, feeling anxious, joint and muscle pain, and loss of interest in having sex.

Every woman experiences the menopause differently. Some experience one or two symptoms, which may be mild, while others have more severe and distressing symptoms. Some women choose to go through the menopause without treatment, while others prefer some form of treatment to manage their symptoms, by using either hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or an alternative treatment.

I will advise you to start using hormone replacement therapy. You should consult a consultant or an obstetrician and a gynecologist, and start tablet Osteocare D3 (vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and zinc) once daily for six months, tablet Cholecalciferol one tablet every 15 days for one year, tablet Primolute-N (Norethisterone) thrice daily continuously. After using this tablet, you will start to have a menstrual cycle.

I hope this information will help you.

Thanks.