Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: charliegirl on February 19, 2016, 08:31:48 PM
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Hi all, Charliegirl here, not been on her for a while. Last year my gyne stopped HRT as he said it caused bleeding, I have tried another but still having bleeding problems and period pains. My gyne said this will continue whatever pills I am on,and has reccomended a hysterectomy. I know this is drastic but am sick of pains bleeding etc. what do others think. I am 63 . What side effects can I expext long term? Cheers!
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I am considering having a hysterectomy myself. Not because of bleeding, but because of my intolerance to all forms of synthetic progesterone and to a lesser extent, Utrogestan. I am 54 and intend to take HRT for life so I don't want to have to face years of periods and progesterone. Professor Studd recommended I have one and the only thing stopping me at the member is work commitments. It is a lot to face but if you can face it, I think it is a good option for many women. It is a big operation but I have never personally met a woman who has had a hysterectomy and regretted it, they have all remarked on how much better they feel.
Others will come along with other opinions but I am definitely going to have one eventually, it is just a matter of when not if.
Do you know what type you will have i.e. vaginally with epidural or the conventional type?
Professor Studd has written about it on his website which you might want to look at.
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Sorry I hope you don't mind me asking but I've been told by Studd and Annie Evans that a hysterectomy is the best way forward for me also due to being prog intolerant. Besides it being a drastic move one of the things that is/was putting me off is the thought of being put to sleep 😳 So is it possible to have it done with an epidural?
I'm also really scared it will make my moods worse being left with no hormones of my own at all?
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Like MaryG I don't know any woman who has regretted having one. My Mum had one at 43 due to fibroids and excessive bleeding. But she's also been battling dreadful anxiety and mood swings since she'd been 38, too. Although she didn't realise these were hormonal at the time.
But within a week, after her hysterectomy, she felt like a different woman. The awful mood swings and anxiety disappeared, never to return.
A hysterectomy is something I will definitely consider if Annie Evans can't stabilize these dreadful mood swings and anxiety I keep getting. Though I wasn't too bad on Utro last year.
I would definitely opt for a GA though. I want to be totally unaware, thanks. I've had 2 epidurals before and hated the procedure of getting the needle into my spine. Yuck.
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I had hysterectomy in my mid 30s as I was in pain 24/7 & bled most of the time. Turned out I had fibroids & cysts. Never looked back.
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Chi chi, if I remember rightly, you and I are in a similar situation i.e. taking very little Utrogestan and being severely intolerant to synthetic progesterone.
Yes, you definitely can have a vaginal hysterectomy using an epidural and apparently the recovery time is faster. BUPA have details of it and I phoned and asked about it a while ago.
There is no way the NHS will pay for me to have a hysterectomy because I haven't got anything wrong with me but I am thinking of having it done privately in Spain and making a kind of holiday out of it. It costs much less there are you get to stay in a nice hotel with a balcony near the beach! I had better start saving up.
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Professor Studd told me they can do it by key hole surgery now? Ive not looked at the detail yet but he's recommended for me in the future too like Mary owing to prog intolerance. I'm 41 now and have 2 little boys 2 and 7 so can't right now plus it feels drastic but think it's the way to go id have to do private I wouldn't get on the nhs. A good friend had one for various reasons and she has ostrogen implants and testosterone and feels great x
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I had a partial hysterectomy nearly 3 months ago. It was done vaginally, along with a posterior repair, which is what I mainly went in for. I had to give permission for the hysterectomy beforehand if deemed necessary ( prolapse) They took into consideration that my womb lining was thickened and that I am sensitive to progesterone. I was thinking I would have to come off HRT. I was given the choice of a general anaesthetic or epidural. I opted for a general. I didn't want to know what was going on! I would advise waiting if you have young children, if you can. Lifting heavy weights is out of the question and I am still tired, though I am over 60. I've not been able to look after my heavy 3 year old grandson on my own as he required lifting onto the loo. However, he has learnt how to do it......just for me though!
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Sorry I hope you don't mind me asking but I've been told by Studd and Annie Evans that a hysterectomy is the best way forward for me also due to being prog intolerant. Besides it being a drastic move one of the things that is/was putting me off is the thought of being put to sleep 😳 So is it possible to have it done with an epidural?
I'm also really scared it will make my moods worse being left with no hormones of my own at all?
Chi chi - if you have a hytserectomy but keep your ovaries then you will continue to produce oestrogen and testosterone - it's if they are removed too that gives most women problems with trying to find the right dose to feel well.
Hurdity x
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It's an operation I would have avoided if at all possible. Mine was done because I had a prolapsed uterus which was uncomfortable and would eventually have dropped out of the vagina resulting in emergency surgery :o. I am 62 and had mine eighteen months ago. It took at least a year before I returned to anywhere near my pre-hyster energy levels - a problem which seems to happen to a lot of women who have this op at an older age. I still can't use a large supermarket trolley due to overstressing the now weakened pelvic floor or overfill the bags.
Before you decide, Charliegirl, I would say that you do need to find out how much longer you will be allowed to use HRT. It would be a shame to put your body through major surgery only to find that the main cause of your bleeding, HRT, was denied you anyway. Most women are now able to use HRT up to 70 if they have an understanding gynae or GP. Mine was against any woman over 60 using it and was most annoyed when I disagreed with his decision.
Just want to also say that although keyhole surgery is good - I had a vaginal hyster - and you don't have outside wounds you atill have major surgery inside which still needs to heal. I couldn't drive for eight weeks and was off work for twelve. It is easy to overdue it and as Ju Ju says it can make you pretty tired. I can see that for women who have really horrible, debilitating periods each month then this op will make them feel 100% better but it is quite a drastic step to take unless absolutely necessary and can cause more problems than it cures.
Taz x :)
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Hi ladies, many thanks for your replies. The gyne said he will give me estrogen after the op. It was the prog causing the trouble, apparently. Taz2 you have voiced my fears that it will take a while to recover. I do alot of yoga and pilates and drive alot, i have to think about the effect it will have. However I am having a bleed at the moment with period pains and just want it taken away!😥.
Who would be a woman!!
Thanks Charliegirl.
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Taz2, the thought of not being able to drive for 1 day is worrying enough but not being able to drive for 8 weeks is positively terrifying. I can't imagine what it must feel like to sit in a car knowing you cannot take over and drive if something suddenly happened to the driver. Also, I would feel dreadful looking at our car on the drive knowing I cannot drive it. Scary stuff.
The recovery time is the only stumbling block for me. Is it always 8 weeks before you can drive? Also, is it always about the same time before you can lift heavy objects, something I do virtually everyday.
Oh dear, I really can't burden my poor partner for that length of time, I need to pull my weight and if he was to break his leg or get ill, we would be stuck because we run our own business and both need to drive - we share the driving about 50/50.
I had been hoping to only be out of action for a month at the most. This is rather worrying.
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Hi ladies, many thanks for your replies. The gyne said he will give me estrogen after the op. It was the prog causing the trouble, apparently. Taz2 you have voiced my fears that it will take a while to recover. I do alot of yoga and pilates and drive alot, i have to think about the effect it will have. However I am having a bleed at the moment with period pains and just want it taken away!😥.
Who would be a woman!!
Thanks Charliegirl.
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Taz2, the thought of not being able to drive for 1 day is worrying enough but not being able to drive for 8 weeks is positively terrifying. I can't imagine what it must feel like to sit in a car knowing you cannot take over and drive if something suddenly happened to the driver. Also, I would feel dreadful looking at our car on the drive knowing I cannot drive it. Scary stuff.
The recovery time is the only stumbling block for me. Is it always 8 weeks before you can drive? Also, is it always about the same time before you can lift heavy objects, something I do virtually everyday.
Oh dear, I really can't burden my poor partner for that length of time, I need to pull my weight and if he was to break his leg or get ill, we would be stuck because we run our own business and both need to drive - we share the driving about 50/50.
I had been hoping to only be out of action for a month at the most. This is rather worrying.
You do need to read up on it as much as possible Mary. The insurance company were adamant that it would be eight weeks before I could drive but some say 6 weeks. As for being in the car and not being able to take over I didn't go out much in the car until the six week mark anyway. It was too uncomfy to sit for long in an upright position. It could be that mine was due to prolapse so I was acutely aware that once the uterus is removed there is nothing holding up the vaginal walls so a vaginal vault prolapse can happen if you do too much too soon. These are the guidelines from the UK Hysterectomy site which may sound a bit drastic but are worth following http://gallery.mailchimp.com/a5692c6457e86f0e2182630fa/files/sbs_recovery.pdf?utm_source=Free+Hysterectomy+Booklet&utm_campaign=30c61c525a-Booklet-14&utm_medium=email Without an external scar it is easy to overdo things and, as my gynae said, you only have one chance to heal properly. Lifting heavy objects does have to be approached with caution even a long time after due to the prolapse possibility. If you have strong vaginal and pelvic tissues then you will be much better at returning to pre-operation activities.
If you really need this op then your partner will cope - it will be a nuisance - it was for me - but you will get through it. I was surprised at how long it took me to recover. You also have to give a thought to the sexual side of things - that can change quite drastically orgasm wise.
You are right in that you can have a spinal block - the recovery time being quicker only relates to the amount of time in hospital of course not the overall recovery time. I had mine under general anaesthestic on a monday lunchtime and came home on the wednesday. I did still have a catheter in though as my bladder had gone to sleep (quite usual after a vaginal hyster) and I had that removed a week later.
charliegirl - I know this sounds absolutely daft but I still get quite strong period pains without a uterus and I don't know why. I have found out it is quite common but maybe what I thought were period pains were actually the bowel being stimulated?
Taz x
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Thanks Taz, I will have to give this some serious thought. I don't know what my pelvic floor is like, I don't know much about it.
I am sure it has been worthwhile for you though, with a prolapse, there is no real alternative. I suppose the recovery time must vary up to a point but it does seem pretty long for everyone.
If only someone could come up with a womb disabling mechanism so that progesterone was no longer necessary.
Food for thought.
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Thanks Mary. Yes that would be a good idea although I'm disappointed that I was looking forward to oestrogen only HRT but now discover that I feel the same as I did with the progesterone added in!
Yes I had no choice really other than a ring to hold things up but the very real possibility that as I got older the whole lot would fall out. Now, of course, there is still the worry of vault prolapse due to the weak tissues. The gynae explained to me that the vagina can turn inside out like a sock - he looked quite cheery as he said it but I can't quite get that image out of my mind!
Taz x :o
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I'm relieved that I no longer need progesterone. But I still have the problem of incomplete evacuation which was supposed to have been caused by a rectocele. I will be having my post op follow up on Thursday. We shall see. I too find the big shopping trolley too much. I went shopping on Saturday, picked a small trolley and got carried away. Oh dear... Back to online shopping. I'm my own worst enemy. I didn't want to drive for several weeks. I couldn't bear to even be in my smart car for a long time as the suspension is not the best. I could only sit in my DH's jalopy. The house needs a good clean, but I haven't the energy to do that much. DH looked after me, but it is frustrating. Try explaining how to do the simplest housekeeping tasks! It was easier to let things go, apart from essentials.
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You've probably seen it already, but the site Hyster Sisters might be of interest if you're considering having a hysterectomy.
Wasn't there one member whose consultant shut down her ovaries so she could see how her body would respond t a hysterectomy? Can't remember who it was?
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Yes if you are being considered for a hysterectomy because of PMT problems then the usual thing is to shut down your ovaries with a course of, maybe, Zoladex to see how your body behaves.
Hyster Sisters are good although the medical treatment can vary between America and here http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/ and also the Uk site https://www.hysterectomy-association.org.uk/
Taz x
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Never looked back after my (vaginal) hysterectomy 12 years ago as part of a repair op due to bad prolapses.
The advantage was that I was able to just have oestrogen HRT ( never got on with progesterone) and because there is now no womb or cervix I don't need smears and can use Vagifem for ever if I wish. And I do wish.
You do need to follow the instructions post op, but it was well worth it for me.
No regrets whatever. :)
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Oh God! No orgasms Taz?? Why is that? Now a really worried, anyone else have this problem?😟
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Oh God! No orgasms Taz?? Why is that? Now a really worried, anyone else have this problem?😟
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It's not "no orgasms" but a difference. Not all women feel this. Your orgasms will become clitoral only - not the deeper ones felt as the womb contracts. It makes sense really - no womb no womb contractions. Quite often this is something that isn't discussed at consultations before your hysterectomy but, in younger women especially, this can be really upsetting. Obviously in older women it isn't always such a problem as orgasmic intensity tends to diminish or disappear altogether as women age. I appreciate that this isn't the golden rule of course but those intense waves of orgasm are felt because the womb is a really strong muscle. There are some posts here about it http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/showthread.php't=466495
Taz x
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Thanks for that Taz! Just read the posts on Hystersisters and am very upset. At the moment I am with a fairly new partner and sex is a big part of our relationship, Its the way I express myself, I would be gutted if I didnt feel anything😞 no idea what to do now!!
Love Charliegirl.
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Sorry to sound so negative but it's important to have all of the relevant info as I found that consultants often only deal with their part and as long as the op goes well and the patient goes home ok then they have done their bit!
Have you tried a sequi HRT which should only give you a withdrawal bleed once a month rather than bleeding at unexpected times? My withdrawal bleeds were only about three days in length and not painful after the initial two months. I did try conti HRT but had bleeding all of the time which I got fed up with!
To have a hysterectomy in order to keep using HRT does seem to be rather drastic at your age - I'm a year behind you - as you don't know how long you will be able to continue with HRT anyway?
You do have to look at all of the pros and cons. It is a major operation. Things can go wrong as happened to another member on here during hers - but it depends on how debilitating your current symptoms are as to whether it would be a good thing to do. The other thing to consider is the shortening of the vagina which happens if you don't retain your cervix. Lots to consider! PM me if you want.
Taz x
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Thanks Taz! To be honest I dont ever want any bleeding again, along with the pain tiredness and backache! Just want to be rid of it really, thats why gyne suggested it. He said Im just unlucky amd anything he gives me will not alter what my body is doing. Will ask about retaining cervix. I suppose I am concerned about losing any hormones left in my body as he is taking the overies as well. He did say there will be estrogen supplements tho, so it may be ok? just want to feel ok.
PS dont know how to PM sorry😕😕
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You can click on my name and it will bring up a Send Personal Message option and away you go.
Taz x
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Taz, did you get PM?
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Yes - did you get my reply? :D
Taz x