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[Hurdity]

hello.
im mandy and new to this forum. i had a full hysterectomy when i was 44 (im 49 now) i had sever pmt and terrible periods. thought i had endo but i had adenomyosis.
been on estradot patches from the start but recently had to change to ellest solo due to supply problems. im ok on these too. i think hrt agrees with me.
only worry i have is they said at 51 im to come off hrt and go to a natural menopause, this terrifies me. stupidly i keep thinking that my pmt will come back. i cant go back. i was almost having suicidal thoughts towards the end. it almost destroyed me.
i heard that mood swings are part of menopause??
can i stay on HRT or will they make me come off it?

Hi mandyw

 

Yes I am in my 60's and still on HRT! They cannot make you come off if there is no medical reason why you should not stay on it! You haven't said whether you kept your ovaries but presumably not as you just said full hysterectomy but not BSO too? This is different from surgical menopause - which is when the lot (womb, cervix and ovaries or just womb and ovaries) are removed before you have reached natural menopause, plunging you into menopause straight away.

The outcome of coming off the HRT will be slightly different depending on whether you have a surgical menopause or not. If you still have ovaries then they will still be functioning and you may well still experience some mood swings and pms until they fail (depending on when you would reach natural menopause). If you've had a total hyster and BSO then you won't experience the same mood swings - because you have no ovaries but your hormone levels will just fall and can give you low mood/anxiety/depression as well as flushes and sweats.

Stay on it for as long as you want to - and if necessary ask for a referral to a menopause clinic. I am sure they cannot make you stop anyway!

Hurdity x

[Tempest]

You are correct, Hurdity! My Consultant said that at any time I'm asked to stop HRT by a GP, I am to ask to be re-referred back to her (assuming that I'm not at that time still under her care). The situation for surgical menopause is different - I'm assuming here that Mandy is BSO but I may be wrong.

Can I just also confirm that mood swings are very much a feature of very low estrogen in surgical menopause when not on HRT - this is caused by the knock on effect this has on neurotransmitters so I know a lot of ladies are confused and wonder how they can possibly be having mood swings when their hormones are no longer fluctuating. This is a very widely reported phenomena - and why my Consultant often counsel's ladies who have BSO who cannot take HRT that an SSRI or SNRI may be an important addition (of course these AD's can help with vasomotor symptoms too). Women who also receive surgery for BRCA pre menopause are often advised to commence an SSRI or SNRI at the clinic too prior to surgery for this reason until their HRT is stabilised post surgery.

[coldethyl]

I wonder if my improved mood swings post BSO are because I was already close to meno as my periods were erratic and I'd gone several months without on many occasions? I've noticed odd things since my surgery though. I still feel like I'm getting a cycle of sorts as breasts swell and I get period like cramps though no womb!!!

[Tempest]

Maybe, Coldethyl! By the way, how did the last chemo. session go? I was so pleased to hear about your blood test!

I had sore swollen breasts periodically for up to 6 to 8 months after my surgery, and then it stopped completely. This was of course when I wasn't using any HRT. My best guess is that this is fluctuations in the fall of your stored estrogen and /or fluctuations in adrenal hormone production - it can take a good while for your stores to become depleted. I hit 'the wall' with very low estrogen symptoms roughly about the 9 month post surgery mark. Some ladies do, some ladies don't and some hit rock bottom very quickly after surgery. There is much written about this over at Hystersisters - expect the unexpected in surgical menopause! xxxxx

[Yorkshire Girl]

hello.
im mandy and new to this forum. i had a full hysterectomy when i was 44 (im 49 now) i had sever pmt and terrible periods. thought i had endo but i had adenomyosis.
been on estradot patches from the start but recently had to change to ellest solo due to supply problems. im ok on these too. i think hrt agrees with me.
only worry i have is they said at 51 im to come off hrt and go to a natural menopause, this terrifies me. stupidly i keep thinking that my pmt will come back. i cant go back. i was almost having suicidal thoughts towards the end. it almost destroyed me.
i heard that mood swings are part of menopause??
can i stay on HRT or will they make me come off it?

Hi Mandy,
It's nice to meet someone else who had a hysterectomy with BSO due to severe PMS, I also had the suicidal thoughts & it is destroying. Had mine Dec 2016 age 44 HRT is agreeing with me at the moment hope it continues. My doc was also talking about taking me off HRT once I reach 50, which also worries me. Surely they can't make you come off it, you definitely don't want the mood swings etc that come with a natural menopause. Hope it all works out for you x

[coldethyl]

Long day as I had to be at unit at 8.30 for retest and left just after 4.30. Chemo ok  - ache all over but I expect that now. Don't think it helps having had chemo so soon after two major ops as I think nothing has healed inside as well as it might yet.
I do worry I'll hit a brick wall and HRT not an option but I'll face it if it happens. I am just thankful I not rushing to a and e every week with " heart attacks" or wanting to curl up and not wake up as I was Christmas of 2016. Bizarrely the cancer has been a distraction from the anxiety ! X

[Tempest]

Bless your heart, Coldethyl! It is such a long day - we have a lassie a couple of streets away who is picked up for her chemo sessions by patient ambulance. Because they have to pick up other patients, she's leaving the house at 6.45 and then has to go around the doors on the way home as they drop off other patients.....she's shattered! I really think they should send a car for her, but they've made major cut backs to patient transport now.....

I must admit, my symptoms were less after the surgery if that helps! When I 'hit the wall' what I noticed was that I was very, very tired and joints ached, and boobs were very 'empty' - my mood was low, but I didn't have the 'crazies' that I had in peri! The only time the 'crazies' returned for me was when I was on estrogen only HRT - and then I had really bad mood swings. It was like permanent PMT and not pleasant at all! I'm thinking that you may very well be ok, as you will still be producing hormones from the adrenals and fat (I'm not going to go into the technicalities as you probably know how that works anyway by now)! The anxiety has only really kicked off since all of this faffing trying different types/doses of HRT - I sometimes wonder what the hell I've put myself through this for (apart from the supposed heart/bone benefits, it's nearly driven me insane).

Nothing is a 'given' with this journey though - I was over at the Ovacome forum the other day and there is a lady there who hasn't used HRT following her diagnosis, surgery and treatment and since then she has written 2 successful Billboard chart songs and 2 children's books. One thing that IS a given is that women are remarkable.......And you have achieved a remarkable milestone today with your last session! We're always here for you to help you forward. Much love. xxxxx

[Tempest]

P.S.......Here's the lady's story I mentioned above, as well as other totally positive reports from other ladies who have gone the no HRT route after their diagnosis/surgery/treatment. I thought you might like to see (their stories are in comments in response to the original poster)........xxxxx

https://healthunlocked.com/ovacome/posts/130943572/question-about-hrt-for-36yo-after-oophorectomy

(Don't worry, there are no mentions of prognosis, just positive no HRT reports)!

[coldethyl]

Thanks will check out later on . My brain is starting to go mushy now. Chemo is amazing stuff but boy does it screw every bit of you up.
I do hope we all find some equilibrium either with or without HRT. Women are indeed amazing. X

[Mandyw]

thank you ladies great advice.
and as for the question yes i had a full monty, the whole lot gone, overies ,womb you name it and anything else they decided to take was welcoming relief.
yorkshire girl isnt it the best operation ever, my quality of life has improved so much i hardly recognise myself!! (can i ask what BSO is. lots of abbreviations on here and i dont know what they mean yet?)
thank you hurdity im going to keep your advice in mind and be firm that i dont want to come off hrt...............
if only they could come up with a HRT that will reduce the size of my bum. i asked my doctor why HRT causes weight gain and he said if i knew the answer id develop a Patch make you all slim and become a millionaire over night!

[Yorkshire Girl]

Hi Mandy
It certainly is best op, no more feeling like it's the end of the world constantly. BSO is bilateral salpingo oophorectomy - overy & fallopian tube removal!!

[donnacrichton]

Did either of you ladies try getting your ovaries shut down before removal?  They have tried that for me but not great results not convinced they areally fully shut down. I feel like removal is the right option x

[Mandyw]

Kindle only gives me 6words then blocked

[Mandyw]

Anybody else have this problem

[Mandyw]

Try again.
I had injections for six months to shut