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Cheryl--It's pretty common in the US for ob-gyns to prescribe low dose anti-depressants to (peri-)menopausal women who are struggling with insomnia issues, including precisely the problem of waking up after about three hours and being unable to get back to sleep. Often the anti-depression drugs are used together with low-dose hormone replacement therapy, but it varies. I've been doing the combo for two years now and must say that it has made a vast difference in both my hot flashes and my menopause-linked sleep problems. I have no idea whether there is any particular reason that an anti-depressant would help with your insomnia, nor do I even know whether I would have met the criteria for depression at the time I started the meds. I know for sure I was exhausted and cranky--as tends to be the case with people who cannot sleep! Right now I am weaning myself off the anti-depressant; so far, so good. But right now I am also living in the south of France rather than the US midwest, so it may just be the sheer joy of escaping winter. At any rate, scattered post, obviously. Sorry. I am wrapping my mind around the sad news from Birgitta. I hope you are well. Barbara
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