Hi,
Not sure if this is the right place to post, it concerns my wife but as the guys on the pharma thread were really helpful with questions I had about myself so got me thinking there may be some people over her knowledgeable on the female side of things.
She is 38 years old and is constantly tired and trouble falling asleep (for as long as she can remembers), in our earlier twenties we did a fair amount of recreational substances but haven’t touched anything for around 15 years as now grown up with kids etc…
She wasn’t exercising but has started recently (just fitness DVD’s but once she gets into habit gonna get her hit gym with me and do some compound lifts etc…), also got her to start consuming more protein in smoothie in morning etc…
She is quiet petite and doesn’t gain weight easily, although has put on a small amount since coming of POP birth control last March but she still is between US 4-6 (UK 8-10). She had been on the POP in various guises since the birth of our youngest child who is 8 in June and when she went on that her libido went down also. Initially she went on it for breast feeding but then as she gets visual migraines and her age they didn’t want to put her back on combined birth control. I believe her libido was slightly better on the combined birth control but she was still tired / trouble sleeping as long as we have been together (15 years).
I am also not just measuring her libido in regards to me as obviously in LTR that can declines somewhat (although we are still intimate a couple of times a week and once going she enjoys it and always reaches the finishing line so to speak… sorry if too much info).
I just don’t think the libido is there in a general sense about anyone, this isn’t the primary concern however I was considering it as an additional symptom of any hormone deficiencies.
As I have recently sent off some bloods for my baselines got her a test too, to check the levels of her hormones. It checks for FSH, LH, Test, SHBG, FAI, Oestradiol, Prolactin a bummer that it doesn’t include DHEA-S, as mine did for same price, but can order this separately.
So that’s a bit of background what I was wondering is would it be worth ordering the DHEA-S prior to doing the other bloods as she can’t do that for another 10 days or so as has to be day 3 of her cycle and assume DHEA-S can be anytime although might be wrong.
I was also thinking that the separate DHEA-S test could indicate irregularities with the adrenal glands and that could lead to the fatigue / sleeping issues (possibly by the recreational drugs use at an earlier age).
The SHBG will be interesting as she was on birth control since probably 16 years old and I’ve seen research where at even a year after stopping levels of SHBG are elevated compared to non birth control users to modification of liver enzymes, thus reducing free testosterone which could effect things.
If nothing out of the norm comes back with these then I suppose the thyroids would be next to check but would there be something that would cause her to be constantly tired and not sleep well but not put loads of weight?
She’s using diphenhydramine hydrochloride sleeping tablets every night to help her get to sleep which can’t be good as only meant for short term use. She’s tried melatonin in past which worked but gave her headaches in morning. Is 5-HTP worth a try?
Again sorry if this is off-topic for this forum just want to try and help her as she has struggled with this for so long but she’s not the type to go to doctors but will do at least if the bloods show something.