Hormones after total hysterectomy

[sippy]

Hello,
I was wondering if any of you all have been put on hormones after a total hysterectomy.  My doctor says there are too many risks and I don't need them...I am 38. I don't know what to expect here 2 weeks after surgery, I keep waiting for a hotflash or something weird to happen. :) What can happen if I don't take them? I've had nightmares of growing hair on my face or my voice getting manly. Are my fears real?  Can anyone share their experience or knowledge about hormones?

Thanks,
Sippy

[Gerry040]

Dear Mary.  I am 40. I initially came to this sight in order to accumulate different thought on full hysterectomy's in solution to what has been a nightmare life of periods and cycles. From the age of 15 I have been bent in two with debilitating cramps. Once a month I heave, throw up and clot badly. I get a huge surge of pain and then pass out, come to in further fits of excruciating pain... and this goes on until i have nothing but stomach acids coming up. eventually after about eight hours it subsides.  I have four days in my cycle where I am not bloated.  And by bloated I do not mean your usual bloating.  I go up sometimes two bras sizes and deviate between an access of 10-15 pounds.  I am exhausted all the time. I feel like I need to shut myself away in order to keep control of my emotions the last two and half weeks of my cycle.  I feel brain fuzzy all the time.  In the last three years the top of my spine has started to collaps forward.  I have joint and muscular pain that has increased with age.  All of symptoms are getting worse with age.  I have been hospitalized during cramp fits several times (once I passed out in the streets and was brought in to the emergency by a complete stranger. Had no recollection of getting into the car)  THey have never found anything wrong.  Nothing has ever been done to help me.  I keep going to doctors and am so tired of hearing that it is in my head.  Something is not right about my hormonal cycle.  I am desperate at this point.  I realize after reading these posts that eliminating my organs and therefore my hormonal system is not the answer.  Do you think that it is possible I have a way lower the average progesterone level?  thanks you for your guidance.  

[ljohnson1123]

I had a hystrectomy almost 7 years ago at age 26 almost 27 I had several problrms since age 14 due to Endometriosis. I was told I would never have kids and if I did I would never have problems again well I had 2 kids and still had problems after my first one, after my second I had my tubes tied and needless to say wish I had not done that. A year later I had an ablation done and was told I would not experience any other problems SUPER WRONG I started my cycle 3 weeks after my ablation and in a year I maybe had 5 weeks that I did not have a cycle that was total time not all at once. Well I had another problem with the Endometriosis went to ER where I stayed 12 hrs for them to tell me they found Cancer cells and recommended me to a Gynocologist and  we both agreed that a hystrecomy would be best...ok so my point to explation is this question do I need to find a hormone I am almost 34 and am pretty sure I am experiencing menopause, he had left my left ovary due to my age and I am almost completely convinced it has shut down or is shutting down. I have been having mood swings for a while I have hot flashes but they last for more than just a flash, and let's not even talk about the childish like acne and weight gain...so I am sure I need hormones and want to know if I am correct and if so what would be recommended?

[libbylooner]

I had a total hysterectomy about 4 years ago, I have not been taking any type of hormones, I have not grown facial hair nor has my voice become manly.  I think those are just old wives tales maybe.  Since having my hysterectomy I have never felt better.  I hope this helps

[Jules037]

Hi all, I have been reading all of the posts and I am now more scared than ever to have a total hysterectomy at the end of the month. I have had problems for years with endometriosis and fibroids. Several years ago they did a laparoscopy and discovered it all because the ultrasound did not show it. They cleaned me up and told me that eventually it would come back and most likely I would have to have it removed. I am 37 and my periods are normal and not too bad, but my uterus is the size of a 3 1/2 month pregnancy and I have pain but not so bad that I cannot tolerate it. I have had my last two gyn's tell me that surgery was the next option. I mainly am contemplating the surgery because I have horrible PMS from ovulation on and do not feel normal and very irritable. I have tried to see if there is just a hormonal imbalance but feel that it goes unaddressed. I need to know that I will be alright after the surgery and that the mood swings and irritability will not get worse. I am torn on what to do and want to have this done in hopes that I will feel better but it just sounds like it could get worse. I already have hair growth in places that I shouldn't. Any suggestions?

[brendak61]

Yes you do need HRT but I would only go with bio-identical hormones. I had a radical hysterectomy in June 2000 at age 38. I chose not to take Premarin because of the chance of breast cancer associated with it. I actually had a friend that was on it for 2 years after her hysterectomy and she got cancer in both breasts. So I didn't use anything and 2 years ago, at age 49 I was told I have osteoporosis in the spine and hip. I did take calcium for most of the years since the surgery. I have been researching so much and I now use the bio-identical hormones cream. I have read most of Suzanne Somers books and I do believe she is right about the bio-identical hormones. I realize your post was 7 years ago so I hope by now you are doing well. As for the hot flashes, when I wasn't on the BHRT, I still had them. Not as bad as right after the surgery but I have also gained 50 pounds since surgery (but after changing eating habits, I lost 20).  I hike quite a bit and run on a treadmill but nothing seems to take off the weight. I am from a very small family; no one in my family weighs near as much as I do. I currently weigh 155 but my weight at age 38 before surgery was 125. My mother and sister have never weighed over 120 (even when they were pregnant). This weight will not come off. I recently started the bio hormones and I am hoping this helps with the osteoporosis and with the weight. Hysterectomies are done way to much and I was told by the surgeon that he would not let me keep the ovaries. My cervical cancer was the size of a pen dot and had not gone deep. I think they should have only taken a small piece of my cervix where the cancer was but I was not given a choice and I was scared. When I asked my doctor why I needed to take Premarin, he said "you just need to because you have had a hysterectomy and you will need to take them the rest of your life." but he didn't explain what the ovary function was and why I would need it. Women need to be better informed before surgery. If I had to do over again, I would try to find a different surgeon however my insurance company dictates what doctors I can see. Anyway, best of luck to all of the women posting here. Hope this helps in some way.

[KDTeach87]

I will be 48 this month, I had a total Hy, 3 years ago.  I am on the V -dot patch,  I was wondering can I stop using this or will I have to always use this?