could it be menopause

[neasie]

I had a partial hysterectomy (i still have my ovaries because of the age at the time)when I was 28 because of cervical cancer. I'm now 41 and I've been having sharp pains in my left ovary that occasionally has woke me up because of the intensity. It feels like someone's pulling on it or it's shrinking and it has left me soar and bloated for couple of days afterwards. I have had several cysts that my gyno has kept a close eye on, but there's been nothing serious. I think I've also been experiencing the dreaded change with heat sensations that wake me up just drenched.I'm not sure if maybe my ovaries are shriveling up or if this may be a cyst bursting....?? I've also had an excessive weight gain as well as migrains at least twice a month..not sure if any of this could be a sign of menopause..a penny for your thoughts..

[Machelle Seibel, MD]

A. It’s always a little confusing when menopause comes for women who have had a hysterectomy because they cannot see how their periods have changed.  At 41 it could be menopause, but it also could be something else.  Ask your doctor to examine you and to get an ultrasound of your ovaries to be sure there isn’t a cyst there.  You can also ask for a blood test for FSH. The blood work that doctors use is called FSH (follicle stimulating hormone).  It is the hormone that causes an egg and the cyst around it (the follicle) to develop each month.  When there are few remaining eggs, FSH levels must increase to cause on of the last eggs to develop because the remaining eggs are often more and more resistant to the hormone.  There is no absolute value that defines menopause; just an elevated level that slowly gets increasingly higher.

The migraines might be due to hormone changes.  They often occur in women around menopause but they can be caused by other things as well.  First have a gyn exam and ultrasound and then a blood test and it will help to figure this out.
Machelle M. Seibel, MD