Problems after hysterectomy

[Deggymags75]

14 months post op full hysterectomy didn’t feel good bleed 6 weeks after intercourse really hurt! Was scared to be examined but was said they could still see stitches that hadn’t dissolved... months went by I felt awful getting confused tired feeling sick struggling to look after 2 children and myself!! Feb took really bad in hospital with sepsis it’s like a shadow of death 💀 glooming around you! 6 lots of antibiotics and said I had drug infused liver damage?? Due to antibiotics!! Liver enzymes 300s inflammatory markers 600s I should have been in a coma!! Anyway discharged then his fall from a wardrobe unto a chair fell funny but didn’t get checked out!! Then got shingles felt like my kidneys were biting me started getting slower bowel movement and water retention then a urine infection I ended up feeling just the same as before sepsis so I asked my gp for the same antibiotics that I was discharged from the hospital with I’ve had them they worked and unblocked my system but I’m back there feeling sick pains pelvic abdominal and back and also have lots of rib/chest pains. I’m currently waiting for thorax ct scan results and heart echo? I think I have infection from the hysterectomy and I need the Gynecologist to bring me back into theatre and find out what’s wrong with me????

You’ve had a terrible time of it! I’m so sorry and while I’m not sure I can help since I know a lot more about autoimmune than gynae, it’s never a bad idea to get ideas from all over.

First of all, the sepsis is concerning to me. I’m surprised they weren’t checking you for a specific site the infection was coming from at that point, as opposed to just putting you on strong antibiotics. While I’m very glad they worked, that’s sort of treating a symptom without treating the root? Infections are pretty common with hysterectomies (rate of about 10% for abdominal hysterectomy, 13% for vaginal hysterectomy, and slightly lower for laparoscopic - I’m happy to send you the source for this, if you want to take it to your doctor to strengthen your advocacy). Did they say anything about what your blood counts were or are now? I would think maybe the red and white cell counts should show pretty quickly what’s happening in your body (ie if you have an infection raging). It’s one of the reasons the first thing they do in serious A&E visits is a complete blood count.

When you say you’re starting to “feel like the sepsis again,” that really worries me. You mention you’re waiting for an echo and thorax CT. I understand why they’re doing this - sounds like maybe they’re concerned about your heart and lungs. But I’m not sure why they’re not doing an abdominal CT to take a look at the area of your hysterectomy, unless they did one previously and it was clear.

Now, with ALL that said, I’m sure some doctor may be looking at these things individually, because, for example, shingles and sepsis can both be absolute miseries and really do a number on your immune system so they may be concerned that you’re just struggling from the after-effects of both. And it’s not uncommon to not feel yourself for quite a while after sepsis, much longer than you might think.

So. That would be my path, if I were you. Ask about the blood counts, and regardless of what they show, I might push for the abdominal CT or maybe MRI, to check for the infection source and to rule out retained surgical instruments.

I truly hope you feel better soon and have a during what I’m sure is a very hard waiting-for-something-to-happen period.

Thanku
I had a abdominal mrcp scan and abdominal scan whilst admitted in feb that 1 gastric doctor referred to as a pelvic collection then when a Gynecologist finally seen me on the ward she referred to it as pelvic inflammation that’s when antibiotics were changed again to metrodizanole and doxycycline 2 weeks course were given and sent home the next day!!!! I had an outpatient appointment in the pipeline to see gyne when I attended I said I still didn’t feel good he examined me proscribed hrt gel and discharged me again!!! That was just before the shingles came so then I’ve just gone round the houses to different departments breast clinic gastro endoscopy coming up 3 Oct but yesterday I had a bit of a melt down and my gp has written/emailed gyne extraditing me back so hopefully I’ll been seen within the next week??? I want in pelvic abdominal ct scan or mri or both I would consent to surgery right now I’m that convinced the infection lies where surgery took place!!!! Thanku for your reply it’s gone on too long I can’t take it much longer!!! I’ll keep you posted!!!

Oh, I am truly sorry - it just sounds so tough. I know how difficult surgical complications can be, and it’s just enough to do your head in, trying to explain that you don’t feel “right.” However, doctors should be trained by now to take that seriously - sometimes not feeling right in a way you can’t describe IS the biggest symptom (though it does sound like you have lots of other symptoms, too).

I’m surprised by a doctor prescribing HRT gel. While obviously this can help with some symptoms after a hysterectomy, in my opinion, they’re not the symptoms you’re describing (things that would be be signs of a really “rough” transition into menopause post-hysterectomy, though that transition is always rough, admittedly).

Interesting about calling it “pelvic inflammation.” Two weeks of the specific antibiotics you mention is standard treatment for pelvic inflammatory disease. In most cases, this is caused by sexually transmitted infections (75 to 90 percent of cases) BUT the fact that you’ve had trouble since your surgery would indicate to me that you’re one of the 10-25% who have it caused by another bacterium or micro-organism, something like staph-B maybe, in which case you may need a different antibiotic to completely kill it (the antibiotics you were given would take care of it if it was caused by something like chlamydia, but I think it’s safe to say you do NOT have that). It would be very, very, VERY unlikely for you to get an STI/STD from cross-contamination from all the times you’ve been in hospital, but it’s not 100% impossible, and it’s maybe one more thing to rule out. It might also be helpful to have a clean STI/STD screen because then the next time someone says it’s pelvic inflammation, you can show them those results and demand it not just be sort of ignored as an STI/STD. If they assumed it was pelvic inflammatory disease, gave you those two antibiotics, and never screened you to figure out exactly what the infection was, that’s an unfortunate oversight, and I really hope your new gynae appointment comes soon! Please do keep me informed and I’m sending all my best thoughts with you.

Thanku for your feedback you’ve raised certain things I’ve not been able to make sense of like the fact I had sepsis and they never got to the root of where infection was, and I’ve never had pelvic inflammation or pelvic inflammatory disease?? So why now after surgery ? At last gyne app surgeon said he would say yes sometimes 6 months post hysterectomy they may still be some inflammation!! I don’t think he cares to be honest!! Hospitals are busy and I feel like it’s all a rush in out care that I’ve received??? My body temp on waking yesterday was 34.2 taken under arm pit I felt like I was on the beach 🏖 sweating 😓 but shivering at the same time this has been going on for as long as I can remember and it’s causing exhaustion because I constantly have broken sleep and my bodies battling something??? If I’m well enough I will go to our local sexual health clinic and get reswabbed and I’ve failed to mention after having intercourse 6 was post op and bleeding I went to gp who refused to examine me the following day I went back and demanded to be examined I was but was very tense 😬 he couldn’t put the tool inside fully but he could see undisolved stitches and inflammation on 1 side!!! Then a couple of weeks later I was still in discomfort I attended the local gum clinic and was swabbed and checked again and the same was said still see stitches and inflammation??? But no infection found!! Since my hysterectomy I have split with my partner we last had intercourse in Oct 17. Since then I have had intercourse with one ☝️ other person that was in jan 18 just before sepsis and it hurt like pain you don’t want to have like being stabbed!! So sex is a no no currently I wouldn’t dream of doing it!! But the last time was the month before sepsis...I was swabbed in hospital but no infection found??!! I feel like sex could of triggered sepsis as the pain was unrealistic and maybe it’s possible that it disturbed infection??? I was constipated at the time of last intercourse too!! I’m sorry 😐 to say all these personal yucky things but it’s good to speak to you as you know you’re stuff!! My daughter is attending with me on next gyne app and hopefully if he doesn’t listen to me he will listen to her, she’s a clever girl who’s seen me go down hill since the hysterectomy and she’s had enough of me being fobbed off by doctors! Thanku very much for your advice and feedback 😇🙏

Woke today temp 35.4 bit better than yesterday!! 🤒😕

Yes, unfortunately, some doctors will ignore temperatures that are lower than normal, because they’re just so focused on “fever = infection.” But there are a host of things that can cause a low temperature, including trauma and hormonal changes in women, so it’s possible that your hormones are not stabilized yet, post-hysterectomy, in addition to other issues.

It does sound like you’ve had several swabs and they’re all saying there’s no sign of an infection? But, pardon the image, a swab can only reach so far. It’s possible that there’s still infection somewhere in your system but a swab isn’t showing it, so possibly a blood count might?

As for the constipation, it’s hard to say, but good bacteria in your gut is responsible for keeping you “regular,” so if you have an infection, it could cause an imbalance in the bacteria. Even just the stress of going through surgery can upset that “good” balance.

I do think sometimes gynae problems can be ignored or blown off, so I think it will definitely help having your daughter come with you to your appointment because that’s another person telling the doctors something is very clearly wrong. Good luck, and I hope the appointment goes well!

Thank you I hope 🤞 so too

I hope you’ve been able to see the doctor by now and get some answers or at least on the right track!

Hi I've seen gyne I'm currently waiting for abdominal/pelvic ct scan and should have a follow up in 7 weeks I'm praying the scan shows the problem?? I'm just trying to monitor my sick self daily but feel shocking most of the time! Bowels playing havoc I have considered private scans and wonder are mri's more accurate/better than ct scans ?? My gp did make a comment in regards to the amount of scans I've had and the radiation isn't good but in my case the scans are necessary. To be honest I'd have any scan in the world if it would find the problem. Thanku

Ps I've changed my username

No scan appointment yet??!!!