Menu

Will progesterone help with insomnia?

At age 30, I had a hysterectomy (20 years ago). Although my ovaries were not removed, within 2 years all my estrogen was depleted and I started menopause. I have now been on Premarin (only) for almost 20 years.

The only side affect I have ever experienced is chronic insomnia. Now I have read that lack of progesterone might be the reason for this. My Dr. has always said that I do not need progesterone because I do not have a uterus. Has anyone else experienced this?

Comments for Will progesterone help with insomnia?

Click here to add your own comments

Jan 05, 2009
 Will progesterone help with insomnia?
by: Wray

Oestrogen does cause insomnia. It always amazes me to hear we don't need progesterone once in menopause, but we do need oestrogen! Why, surely the reverse could also be argued?

There are many studies showing how beneficial progesterone is for ageing, especially ageing nerves and skin. It protects against lipid peroxidation, against atherosclerosis, even Alzheimer's where they've found levels of protective neurosteroids such as progesterone are low.

HRT is increasingly found to cause adverse side affects, please read the following papers:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/571032?src=mp
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/571252?src=mp&spon=16&uac=45383CX
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408175248.htm
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/168/8/861
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/po/news/2006-07/apr/19.shtml
http://www2.georgetown.edu/gumc/update/34459.html
http://www.canceractive.com/page.php?n=1579#20
Take care Wray
Jun 02, 2009
 Progesterone helping sleep
by: Anonymous

Twenty-three years ago I had a hysterectomy with both ovaries removed. I was put on Premarin, then Vivelle Dot. I have suffered from severe insomnia and taken practically every type of prescription and over-the-counter sleep medication. Effectiveness of these products lasts for only a few weeks. Out of options, I've stopped the estrogen patch and now use a progesterone cream (about three weeks). I've begun to sleep better. Hopefully, the improvement will continue.
Nov 15, 2011
 Progesterone
by: Anonymous

My bio-identical hormone doctor increased my progesterone from 100 mg to 200 mg taken at bedtime. She feels it will help me sleep and alleviate symptoms from being estrogen dominant. She also did a saliva test to test my estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, DHEA, Cortisol, Vitamin D. My estrogen is in the normal range for postmenopausal women but she wanted that improved a bit. My testosterone was fine, my progesterone had tanked, as well as my DHEA, Cortisol, and Vitamin D. All these work together to balance hormones. She put me on a low dose bi-estrogen/testosterone cream, 100 mg progesterone at bestime to help with sleep, as well as a DHEA capsule, Cortisol pellets, and Vitamin D. I have had fatigue, irritability, anxiety, depression, insomnia, mood swings, to name a few. She is now stopping the estrogen/testosterone cream and increasing my dose of progesterone to 200 mg at bedtime and believes it will help with sleep. I am estrogen dominant and progesterone deficient. She feels that I should see a difference in a few days. She feels the progesterone will help so well that she wants me to stop my 10 mg Amitriptyline at night. I hope it works.
Dec 12, 2011
 Severe Insomnia and anxiety
by: maggie

I'm new here and not sure how to get around on this site. I placed my story on a page maggie L and don't know how to access any help comments made regrading it. Could someone help me. This is the only thing I could think to do. I'[m not so good at this so please excuse my ignorance.

Hi Maggie I have answered you and the link is here. But unless you click on the 'Notify me when others leave comments' you won't get the answer, including this one. Take care Wray

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Progesterone Therapy Home.

Share this page:
Find this page helpful? Please tell others. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Search over 8,400 pages on this site...