Mood swings other symptoms after hysterectomy

I had a hysterectomy on 7/31/07. I was able to keep both ovaries and the Dr. told me I would be okay for a few more years, (I'm 48), and then I would start going through actual menopause.

I was recovering just fine and then, last week, I started having terrible nighmares. I would wake up trembling violently and would feel very cold. Now I seem to go from feeling just fine to feeling cranky, and irritable to crying and weeping. Today has been the worse day of all, I'm feeling very depressed and lethargic, anxious and paranoid.

I'm either cold and trembling, or hot. I can't think straight or concentrate. I feel like I'm loosing my mind. Is this just temporary? If my ovaries are still in tact, wouldn't they still be producing the proper hormones so I wouldn't be experiencing symptoms like this?

[Machelle Seibel, MD]

At 48, the majority of women are experiencing some of the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Eventually, the ovaries stop working or begin to produce lower estrogen and when the estrogen levels reach a certain point, that is when the symptoms begin.

Talk about your symptoms with your doctor. Ask him/her to draw a blood test for FSH. If it is getting elevated, it is a clue that you are approaching menopause. Your doctor can also check your thyroid hormone levels and fasting blood sugar levels as well. If you are approaching menopause, talk with your doctor about treatment options. If you improve on one of those, you'll know the cause was menopause related. If treatment does not help, you can work with your doctor to search for other causes of your symptoms.
Machelle M. Seibel, MD