HRT and sleep problems

[tonia]

Hello,
I'm on anti-androgens for more than a year and on estrogen for about four months. My sleep quality was never good, I was always a light sleeper but now things got worst since I added estrogens.... I wake up in the middle of the night and I cannot fall asleep again, I feel like I slept enough and in the morning I'm deadly tired and my eyes are really bad....
My endo says that my brain has to get used to the hormone changes so this affects my sleep quality. I asked him if I can try melatonin and he says that it does not interact with HRT but it might not help my problem. I found that a high melatonin dosage (I don't think I ca :(n post mg's) helps me to avoid waking up and loosing my sleep, but I also found after some days of constant use that my libido and masturbation craving returns somehow.... So I stopped it and I'm back to my bad sleeping pattern.
Has anyone such experience with melatonin? Is it true what my endo says, that my brain has got to get used to hormone changes? I also tried herbals like valerian but nothing...

[Robert Scott]

Why don't you ask your endo for a sleeping pill?

[JennX]

Well at just around 3 months on both E & Spiro... my sleep has greatly improved. I used to get up at the slightest sound, and was a very light sleeper. Now, I pretty much sleep throughout the night, and it takes 2 alarm clocks to get me up. HRT has GREATLY improved my sleep. Much better all around than before. I also now have much more energy overall too.

[long.897]

I take melatonin alongside Ambien nightly for sleep.  I don't really have much of a sex drive, but taking it hasn't caused any increase.  If you don't want to go the prescription route, you could try diphenhydramine, sold OTC as Benadryl.  It doesn't have any reactions to HRT drugs; are you taking anything else?

[tonia]

I do take MSM, biotin and vit C in the morning cause it's good for hair and skin and it makes my hair grow almost 2x faster. But with these supplements alone, I did not felt any reaction with HRT. I red a lot of people having better sleep with HRT, I do not take spiro through but androcur. I tried both estrogen patches and pills (that's what I take right now) and I did not see a difference on my sleep pattern.

I'm gonna see an urologist this week that my endo advised me cause since I started HRT I have night trips in the bathroom, every night! So if I fix this problem, it might help with my sleep.

[Aidan_]

I do take MSM, biotin and vit C in the morning cause it's good for hair and skin and it makes my hair grow almost 2x faster. But with these supplements alone, I did not felt any reaction with HRT. I red a lot of people having better sleep with HRT, I do not take spiro through but androcur. I tried both estrogen patches and pills (that's what I take right now) and I did not see a difference on my sleep pattern.

I'm gonna see an urologist this week that my endo advised me cause since I started HRT I have night trips in the bathroom, every night! So if I fix this problem, it might help with my sleep.

I share the pain, and I'm not even on HRT. The basic things are avoiding diuretics or kidney/bladder irritants a good while before bedtime. A few of them are chocolate, caffiene, sugar (including aspartame), strawberries, tomatoes, vinegar and citrus (or citric acid). You can also try having some blueberries with your dinner. Oh and of course, don't drink anything a good hour or so before you plan to sleep.

Hopefully it's nothing serious! Good luck

[westminstersub]

I guess hormones affect each one a little different.

I didn't heard this problem before... but then again... we are all different.

I just started on E... so I will let you know... but I am anticipating that excitement is going to not let me sleep well for a few days!