Ovaries removal age 51, what happens next?

[Behooven]

As my dsis died of ovarian cancer 5 years ago I've been going for yearly screening since.
I'm still regular as clockwork, no menopause symptoms but the dr said it's something I might want to consider. What would happen after the op?

I can't answer you but would be interested in finding out....similar situation

Yes, it's just I'm struggling to find the information I need to make the decision. The dr was more or less a) you're 51 so you don't need them now b)yes, immediate menopause but it's coming to you soon anyway.

you might like to a) re-post in the menopause forum here, b) join Menopause Matters (website)forum and c) google surgical menopause.

I'm sorry to hear about your sister. I don't have a huge amount of experience with this but am pretty clued up on meno etc.

You would have an immediate menopause. This is going to be very different to a gradual decline over a number of years- your dr is being 'typically male' I'd say in his rather blase attitude to this.

Although you don't have any symptoms yet, they may well come. Short term they include hot flushes and night sweats, moods, bladder problems and lack of energy. Longer term you need to prevent osteoporosis and heart disease caused by loss of oestrogen.

Even post-meno the ovaries continue to produce some oestrogen for life. Has your dr not told you this? Are they are gynaecologist or is this a GP?

If you do have the op then you'd need HRT or your symptoms from what I have read would be pretty unpleasant. Your options presumably include an annual scan and the C125 blood test?

Thanks, I don't like the sound of that, I think what I took from the doc (gynae, I already get the scan and blood test yearly from him) that oestrogen would stop but it's possible that I misunderstood. I would never rule out HRT but I thought it was linked with breast cancer, I need to do more research for sure.

some of these dr annoy me. As a man, would he be happy to have his balls chopped off and a dr tell him 'oh don't worry...you won't suffer too much'.

Do some research; the risks from HRT and breast cancer are very small.

Crikey, PF, men feel a lot more in their testicles than women can ever feel in ovaries.

Neighbour I chat with, had ovaries removed about age 49 because she had a dodgy gene & family history. She had a load of problems afterwards. Still better than cancer & she's never said she regrets the removal. BUT, it wasn't an easy ride, the sudden shock of menopause did hit her hard & I think her big symptom was a lot of scarring side effects from the operation (something that couldn't be predicted). Had a lot of time off work.

I wasn't talking about the sensations I was talking about the organs that produce our sex hormones and the effects of removing them. If a man was plunged into a 'male menopause' by removal of his testosterone - by whatever means- then I think he's sharp complain, especially if it was a preventative measure for something that might never happen.

odds are OP doesn't want to be on HRT forever, so barring death, menopause will happen to her.

1. Gradually coming off HRT may well be an easier ride.
2. My consultant says I can stay on it forever, barring any new adverse research or change in my personal health.

ragged - a man wouldn't have to feel anything in his testicles any more if he had them removed. Internal scarring from having your ovaries removed is highly predictable - everyone gets it to a certain extent.

I had my ovaries out at 41after years of pain with endometriosis.I went straight into menopause and given HRT immediately to protect my bones.However 1st mammogram at 47 revealed breast cancer.Now Im not saying this was caused by HRT who knows but I had to stop taking it there and then.

I had no issues with the operation and i was told that your body does still produce small amounts of oestrogen even after they had been removed.

If I could turn back time would I have done anything different?.probably not as was still young and wanted HRT to help with symptoms of meno. Having said that I'm now 51 and have been on tamoxifen which totally removes all oestrogen from your body for 3 years now and it is bearable.

Oh dear god, you're not selling it to me
I've been put forward for the genetic test too, although there's no guarantee I'll be accepted for it apparently. Whatever that outcome is will also have a bearing on how I'll go forward.
My poor dsis was 'treated' for 2 years for IBS, then died 12weeks after being admitted to hospital with severe stomach pains

I've just had a total hysterectomy (9 weeks ago) because of ovarian cancer and I'm not having HRT because it was cancer. Hot flushes started immediately and over time have subsided in length and frequency. I haven't had any noticeable mood swings.
The doctor told me to include more soya in my diet which does help with the hot flushes. So far, it's not been as bad as I was expecting, but I may just be lucky?

Sorry to hear that sparkly, hope everything continues to improve for you

Thanks behooven. I'm so sorry about your poor DSis, it's so hard that the symptoms are so easy to misdiagnose. In my case, I have ulcerative colitis so I put the symptoms down to that. I was 'lucky' that the tumour ruptured before it got to an advanced stage. I recently got the all clear. I am 43 and wasn't peri-menopausal before this happened.
I just wanted to say that I'm quietly relieved that for me the menopause may well be manageable without HRT.