After ten years of being menopausal one would think I would quit having these awful symptoms.
The worst symptoms are not being able to sleep at night and the intense hot flashes I get.
I become so exhausted during the day and by afternoon I end up falling asleep for an hour or
more.
Although I go to bed by midnight, I usually lie there for hours tossing and turning. Then the
vicious cycle repeats itself. I go from one bed in the house to another trying to get
comfortable or cool enough to sleep. My feet can be as cold as ice, but my inner temperature
will be boiling hot. Sometimes I take a sleeping pill. It took me years to get a doctor to give me
some Ambien. The sleep doctors said I have a bad case of apnea, but the sleep machine made
me feel so claustrophobic and I knew I would not use the machine. For many months I had
restless leg syndrome. I took Mirapex for several months and that helped. Side effects could be
excessive libido or uncontrollable urges to shop or gamble. I thought the increased libido would
be interesting, but I got no side effects.
So tonight I will watch television until I feel like I cannot keep my eyes open and then I will toss
and turn for an hour or so. After I fall asleep I will suddenly awaken and feel very hungry.
I will make my way to the pantry and get a teaspoon of peanut butter. Who am I trying to fool?
I will get up and have a TABLESPOON of peanut butter and drink a bottle of water or a glass of
tomato juice and take a sleeping pill. BY four o'clock I will pass out. At six o'clock John will kiss
me goodbye and I will probably call him later and ask if I was dreaming, or did he really tell me
goodbye.
