Zoladex- no sleep?

[Kittykat8989]

HELP!

I’ve gone from 8-10 hours a night to 4-6. I just cannot switch off it’s like my brain had forgotten what to do x

[NoEndoInSight]

Hello Kittykat8989, me again.

In the same way that it impacts upon you body's ability to maintain the levels of your "happy hormones" (dopamine and serotonin) Zoladex also impacts upon your brain's ability to regulate sleep (the metabolism of serotonin into melatonin and consequently the maintenance of your natural circadian rhythms). So when on Zoladex it can indeed sort of feel like your brain "forgets" how to sleep properly. However, hopefully things should improve once you finish your course Zoladex works its way out of your system.

In the meantime things like limiting late-night screen time, relaxing warm baths, blackout blinds (to help keep your room dark at night), and any kind of pre-bedtime routine you find relaxing like camomile tea and lavender tea (or pillow scent spray) is worth a try. I'm not a herbal tea fan, but personally found camomile and lavender quite comforting when I had the same problem. Upping the amount of foods rich in Tryptophan like nuts, turkey, cheese, yoghurt, oats etc... in your diet can also help too. Your body metabolises tryptophan first into serotonin then melatonin, so these foods can help lift your mood as well as help improve your sleep. Their impact is subtle rather than a quick fix, but every little helps...

Hope you feel a better soon, x X x