Turns out peri was not the cause of the insomnia

[Anonymous]

I have been struggling with sleep issues since my early 40s, and I will turn 48 in December. I assumed it was related to perimenopause. I have tried over-the-counter sleep medications and briefly used prescription medications, but I stopped due to weight gain. Recently, it worsened to the point where even with OTC sleep meds, I couldn't stay asleep, and there were a few nights when I was completely sleepless—it was a nightmare.

I started taking an MS medication called Rituxan, which caused severe anemia as a side effect for me. I have dealt with anemia in the past, with varying severity, and my doctors only recommended taking Vitron C to manage it. However, this time, because of the medication, my anemia was so severe that I required weekly iron infusions for five weeks.

Since about week four of the treatment, I have been sleeping soundly every night—full nights of rest. I had no idea that my anemia was causing my insomnia all along. What's even more concerning is that not a single doctor suggested that anemia might be the root cause of my sleep issues.

If you are having sleepless nights, I suggest getting bloodwork done; anemia, rather than peri, may be the cause.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for this post! My dr just said take ambien. But the np I’m seeing for menopause things thinks my iron levels are the root cause. She said if levels come out funky again, she can prescribe iron infusions.just had my bloodwork done today. I’m trying everything for sleep and nothing works!

[Anonymous]

Thank you, OP. I will ask for full bloodwork at my next appointment. I too suffer from insomnia at 45, which I thought was related to my hormonal cycle. Sometimes I can't sleep at all.

[Anonymous]

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Thank you for sharing! This is also useful for me. One basic question, I’m assuming your doctor prescribed iron infusions because over the counter iron supplements weren’t strong enough? Or is there another reason?

[Anonymous]

Interesting! After menopause I stopped taking the vitamin that included iron because I assumed I no longer needed it, and my sleep is the worst it has ever been. I can usually fall asleep but wake up many times through the night, like every hour or even more.

Thanks for sharing this.

[Anonymous]

There is a FB page called the Iron Protocol you may want to check out.