Has anyone experienced insomnia with Provera?

[Caramel-cookie]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has experienced insomnia with provera. If yes, then please let me know how you've dealt with this condition. I have endometriosis and have been on provera for over two decades and have had severe insomnia. I was only left with 2/3 hours of sleep at night. But when I started taking an antidepressant my sleep improved, but now I have really severe bloating with a lot of anxiety. I want to come off the antidepressant. I have tried various herbal teas but none have helped with my sleep. I'm even following a strict gluten-free and plant based diet. What kind of diet helps with endometriosis. If any dietary or lifestyle changes have helped you with the severe symptoms of endometriosis then please help.

[Sunset-lady]

Hi, I'm not a specialist obviously but I'm on provera at the moment. From what I've read provera shouldn't affect your sleep - it actually should relax you despite also causing mood swings in some people. It's estrogen that mainly affects your sleep and not having enough of it. Could your hormones need balancing? Obviously you'll be dropping in estrogen as you age. Also sugar (and I only recently read this) stops the body using estrogen correctly. So if you've been indulging like I have over Christmas then you'll possibly have even less in your system than normal. I hope that helps x

[Caramel-cookie in reply to Sunset-lady]

Hi, thanks for taking your time out and replying. I've always suffered from insomnia since I've been on provera. Perhaps it has declined my estrogen level. Do you know any specific diet that could help balance the hormones. I'm trying to eat anti-inflammatory food and have cut down on sugar.

[Cocoacupid]

I have had the depo and it made me ill to be honest as I put on a lot of weight think I only ended up having for a couple months as preferred the coil . Also antidepressants and antipsychotics can make you put on weight too . One med I had made me feel hungry all the time and I mean all the time couldn’t stop eating . Luckily I was allergic to it as came out in rash so am on something different but it doesn’t make the restless legs any better has actually made them worse never mind x

[Caramel-cookie in reply to Cocoacupid]

Thanks for replying. I had zoladex in past and had really bad side effects. I didn't put on any weight but I went mad as I completely lost sleep. I have heard that antidepressants make you gain weight but in fact I haven't put on any weight, I wish I could gain some weight as I'm quite under weight. I believe its the insomnia that doesn't allow me to gain weight. I hope your symptoms get better x

[Cocoacupid in reply to Caramel-cookie]

Thanks hun I used to be so underweight with anorexia in the past all through teens and again in my twenties now I’m in my thirties it is quite bad where I have gained to much as I was put on that martizipine as I could hardly sleep still can’t properly am awake a lot of the night with restless legs and pain but I had to come off that as was allergic to it like I am too anything morphine based it helps take the pain away but violently sick so if I took those sort of meds wouldn’t be able to work at all. I still struggle at work though I’m not gonna lie xx hopefully after my bowel op and on the future a hysterectomy hopefully then some of my severe pain will subside 😘

[Caramel-cookie in reply to Cocoacupid]

Best of luck!

[EmB18]

Hi, I found an anti-inflammatory diet really helped with my endo symptoms, so adding in more anti-inflammatory fruit and veg. I also found that wheat and sugar were triggers for me, so reducing these helped. Working on stress levels is also really important too as that can make pain worse. Try and do something relaxing every day whether that's a soak in the bath or a gentle walk or some stretches. Good luck.

[Caramel-cookie in reply to EmB18]

Thanks for your help. I am following an anti-inflammatory diet, which is gluten-free and plant based. But nothing helps with my sleep. In fact when I tried incorporating healthy fats such as olive oil or avocado oil in my diet I had the opposite effect. I slept for first two hours and then stayed up for the rest of the night and had really bad acid reflux. So I really don't understand that why my body reacts to a good change.

[Sunset-lady]

This sounds awful. You are doing everything I would suggest. Do you exercise? I know running helps my sleep and obviously no alcohol. I can't think of anything other than an antihistamine I sometimes take which helps x

[Caramel-cookie in reply to Sunset-lady]

I do go out for a walk every other day and at home I try to keep myself busy doing house chores. I take mirtazapine to help me with my sleep but still I struggle with sleep. I've noticed that food directly impacts upon my sleep, whenever I try eating something different my sleep gets disturbed xx

[Sunset-lady]

What about melatonin? The proper stuff not the gummies. My acupuncturist swears by it.

[Caramel-cookie in reply to Sunset-lady]

Yes, I've even tried melatonin, but instead it gave me heart palpitations and made me stay up the whole night. So I ended up throwing the whole bottle in the bin. I really appreciate for your concern and all your good advice. I believe that you're also on provera. If you don't mind me asking, have you made any dietary changes to your diet, such as switching to a plant-based diet or do you also have meat/chicken etc?

[Sunset-lady]

Hi I'm off provera now and on zoladex with utrogestan and estrogen gel. Provera made me retain water - a lot! I put on 15 pounds in 3 months and I felt awful. I saw a very good endometriosis consultant who said I shouldn't be on it as it was making my fibroids. Adenomyosis and endometriosis worse. So now I'm trying zoladex. I'm so fed up with it all. Provera put me in a pseudo pregnancy state and now zoladex is putting me into chemical menopause. My poor body is all over the place and so is my mental health. I've changed my diet because my blood sugar is high. I've started fasting and going low carb. I've cut out gluten and sugar but not dairy so I'll have to see how it goes. Good luck x

[Caramel-cookie in reply to Sunset-lady]

Hi, sorry to hear that you have it so bad. Sadly there seems to be no solution to this hormonal condition. I've had zoladex in past but I couldn't bear its side effects. Have you tried yarrow tea? they say its good for endometriosis. I have started drinking it hope that it helps. I hope things improve for you soon x

[Sunset-lady]

No I haven't but I'll look into it. Have you read "Endometriosis: A key to healing through nutrition" it's quite old but still very relevant and it has a large section on which vitamins to take - there's a whole section on sleep and melatonin and estrogen. It's very informative. Good luck x

[Caramel-cookie in reply to Sunset-lady]

No I haven't read it but I'll try to grab hold a copy of it. Thanks x