It's not worth having a hysterectomy for heavy periods in my late 40's is it?

[elliejjtiny]

I have heavy periods which have got heavier and less painful with each pregnancy. I've had all the tests and there is nothing wrong, except my womb is now like a deflated balloon. I was offered a hysterectomy aged 32 but I'd just had a traumatic birth and had children with disabilities so I wanted to wait until the dc were older and don't need lifting.

I made the mistake of asking my mil what it's like as she has had one and ever since she has been nagging me to have one. I'm now 43, not having to lift the dc much anymore but feeling like it's not worth the pain of having a hysterectomy when my periods will stop a few years later anyway. Realistically I will be close to 50 when I get to the top of the waiting list.

Whereas I know 3 friends who’ve had ectopic pregnancies due to Merina and other complications. I’m very scarred post childbirth (32 stitches) so the it fitting in my cervix is a concern. You’re blasé comments speak of someone who has luckily had straightforward experiences but that’s not the case for us all.

I had a hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy at 46. I had tried mirena - didn't work and bled constantly and heavily for the 9 months (other than about 10 days in total).
I was initially offered an ablation but as I also had severe PMDD and was often ending up in A&E suicidal each month an ablation wouldn't have solved that. I was on the waiting list for 1 year to see the surgeon and then had 3 monthly injections of a menopause creating drug to see if they helped. They did - no periods from then. So then I had the surgery 4 months after seeing the surgeon.
The hysterectomy was done with keyhole surgery. I had to stay in overnight as there were minor complications but otherwise I could have gone home the same day. I was signed off work for 9 weeks afterwards. Best thing I ever did. PMDD aside, not having to sit on a toilet for several hours a month as nothing could contain the flow and clots at the beginning of a period is amazing.

I think this might be a generational thing. There were no alternatives like ablation or Mirena. (A bit like people having all their teeth out and living with false ones in the past).

Same here, mirena stopped my very heavy periods.

I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy at 40, life changing and recovery is a couple of days

Laser Ablation - me too, and it transformed my life! Fixed the anaemia, fixed the ridiculous bleeding and needing to be within reach of a toilet at v.short notice for ten days of every single month etc etc

Mirena, best thing ever for me, wished I'd had it years earlier. Now used as part of HRT, so saves taking another poxy pill.

However, it is different for everyone but maybe worth a try here, rather than major surgery. Definitely get something done as being fit in your 40s sets you up to be fitter later and losing blood all the time isn't good for your iron stores, not to mention the cost and inconvenience.

At 55 I had an ablation to stop very heavy and extremely painful periods (Adenomyosis). I didn't realise that I'd still be left with Adenomysis and scarring and wish they had suggested a full hysterectomy. Periods came back for a while as well. However, not something to be undertaken lightly.

The Mirena coil was my saving grace from extremely heavy, debilitating periods. I had been sterilised 20 years earlier so obviously didn’t need contraception, but neither did I want a major operation if I could at all avoid it.

I didn't hit menopause until I was 58. Do it! Or at least have an ablation and see how you go!

I can assure you it is worth having. Hugely enhanced my quality of life.

Yes it is! You most likely have endometriosis which when you have a hysterectomy and they remove a load of that is life changing!!! You can’t tell until they operate what is exactly going on and my uterus also had adenymyosis which explained the heavy periods and once I got rid of it all my life was amazingly much better and soo much more energy! We get used to being wiped out and in pain so once it’s gone it’s amazing! It’s also not painful having a hysterectomy unless you do something you shouldn’t like have sex within a few months of the op or lift or do chores etc. I felt like a weight had been lifted off me when I had mine and the relief in my back and also my iron levels went up!

I’m 41 and if my endo flares again I’m having a hysterectomy
for now I’ve had excision and a mirena (no periods, life changing) but if it comes back they can have the lot

You could have more than ten years of periods ahead of you, and there's a risk of anemia or an emergency operation hanging over you all the time.

I know someone who had this done at 43 - she said the beat medical advice she ever got was the advice from her doctor to get it done. It made a huge difference to her life.

It was a godsend for me at 48. Truly life-enhancing. As a PP said, there’s heavy and there’s heavy.

hysterectomy is a very simple op these days, done from the inside (usually), no scar and not much pain just take it a bit easy for a few days afterwards. Talk to your gp or practise nurse if you are worried about it, but not a big deal these days.

Another one here who had endometrial ablation (and my tubes tied at the same time). My debilitatingly heavy periods stopped altogether, instantly. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.

Have you tried the Mirena coil, @elliejjtiny? I had it and it completely stopped my periods, which were heavy, though not as heavy as yours.

I'm 46, heavy bleeder and big womb like you @elliejjtiny . I take tranexamic acid during my period every month so I don't have to sit on the toilet because I just bled through everything. Am also constantly iron deficient even though I take iron pills every day. It's exhausting. But if you want to reduce the bleeding significantly so that you can live a normal life talk to your GP/gyn . Info:

Tranexamic acid is a medication used to treat or prevent excessive blood loss from major trauma, postpartum bleeding, surgery, tooth removal, nosebleeds, and heavy menstruation.

Nothing like having all your teeth removed, more like a quick filling! You just get rid of something you are not using any more once you are past child bearing age, there are no visible scars and it's a simple procedure, in and out of hospital in a day or maybe an overnight stay and a quick recovery. People remember the old horror stories but it's nothing like that any more.

I guess it might depend how done. My mum was thrilled with hers, it was one done where they remove it vaginally and it was straightforward.

Yes that's the way it's usually done now, it's a really minor day case op these days.

Agree. I had mine at 45. Well worth it.

Hysterectomy increases the likelihood of vaginal or pelvic organ prolapse because you are removing the support for the bladder, bowel and top of your vagina, potentially replacing one lifestyle limitation with another. Menopause is a risk factor itself for prolapse.

I have endo and very heavy periods (as heavy as many described here) but I don’t plan on ever having a hysterectomy. The Mirena has been really good for me even though I don’t need contraception as my tubes were diseased and removed. My uterus/cervix anatomy is very distorted (stuck with adhesions) but they were okay to place one.

I am in my mid 50s. A number of my friends have had hysterectomies in the last few years. It’s a big operation, but it’s the management of the resulting surgically induced menopause that seems to be the bigger, ongoing issue. One friend is still having problems with getting her HRT balance right nearly 2 years later, and has not been right for any of that time really. This seems to take much longer than the surgical recovery. If there are alternatives - ablation, mirena - maybe consider them first.