u/Happy-Nose-111 — reddlx

Hello Everyone,

I was lurking here on so many sleepless and hopeless nights - but now I d like to share my story with you, in case it can be useful for even just one person.

A few months ago, I suddenly experienced what I think was trauma induced perimenopause. I moved back to my home country after living abroad for 20 years, and everything that could go wrong went really wrong. I spiraled down very quickly. i have been through some very shitty things in my life before and I never went so deep. there was a biological aspect this time.

I suddenly couldn’t sleep anymore, I was full of rage, and I had debilitating anxiety, very high pulse rate and crazy palpitations that made me think my heart will jump out of my body. I also had a weird burning sensation in the middle of my palms, which was apparently anxiety induced as well, I ve gain a lot of weight and somehow my rounded ass transferred into a big ball on my stomach, leaving my ass flat while I looked pregnant... My mental health deteriorated very quickly, and after being in this state and not sleeping for months ( ZERO to 4 hours max on a “good day” but never one shot ) by january, the first time in my life I was very close to walk into a psychiatric ward.

I tried antidepressants, but it made things worse and i was a zombie; I didnt want my daughter to see me in that state, so I stopped. I got progesterone, but it didnt work for me at all, I felt completely hopeless. I ve became so depressed that I have felt no joy to anything I have ever loved, and I couldnt even imagine that I ll ever feel joy ever again.

It’a not very important but like many of you, I am an high functioning woman, I was very successful and I just finished my second BA in university in my early 40s 2 years ago. But suddenly, I became dumb, and even though i managed a company, I couldnt do basic tasks, everything was overwhelming, I started negotiations to sell my company but I considered just ahutting it down too.

my self confidence ( already unstable ) deepdived, i felt ashamed and I planned to hide from society and be miserable forever, my life was basically over.

Things started to get better for me when I tried CBD oil, and for the first time in 7 months I ve slept more than 6 hours. The effect of CBD didn‘t last though. I finally got convinced to try Zoely as a form of HRT, and with a lot of supplement / routine I now sleep a solid 7 hours every day.

I have night sweats, im rather cold during the evenings, and I dont have my energy fully back, but I am mentally stable, I enjoy things again and I can function well again, not only can I work again just fine, I am actually INSPIRED!!!!

The key in my sleeping routine seems to be antihistamine - Levocetirizine dihydrochloride 5 mg before sleeping. Yes it dries your mucus, but I prefer that over being insane…

I also take at bedtime:

- 400 mg magnesium gycinate

- 5 gr Glycine

- 400 mg of l-theanine

- zoely 2.5 / 1.5

- 1.9 gr melatonin

- 3000 mg of DHA ( of omega 3 )

I hope this helps to at least one person.