Can anyone tell me how your hormones work after an hysterectomy?

[LookBackInAnger]

I've posted for recovery stories before, and that was very helpful. I've dithered for several months longer, but have now been told I can no longer take the tablets that were helping me contain the bleeding a little. Blood clot risk (suddenly, with a new birthday?!).

Anyway, one of the things I"m wondering is, do you still get cyclical symptoms, if you always had PMT etc. Presumably if you're keeping your ovaries you do?!

Weird question I suppose, and I"m just stalling more.. But it feels like such a big deal.

Many thanks.

Hi, I had a hysterectomy, (well in 2 operations!) It was for chronic pain caused by a serious infection after a botched endometrial ablation some years earlier.

As I was only 38 they decided to leave the ovaries and just remove the womb. All went ok but I was still having lots of lower abdo pain and a scan revealed one ovary was full of cysts so it was arranged to have that out. (I was 39) The surgeon came to see me just before the op and I asked him if he would take both ovaries, just be done with it! I used to get terrible PMT and mood swings.

Anyway, the year when I had my ovaries but no womb, I cannot really remember if I still had the same PMT symptoms, I was in pain constantly which did not help my mood at all!

Once everything had gone, I was put on an oestrogen patch which I still have now, I am 46 and its been great. I have no PMT, no mood swings, no ups and down throughout the month, the ops took some getting over but it was worth it.

Oh Hyacinth that sounds terrible! Also the scare story about the ablation was unfortunate as I've just been given that as an interim/alternative option.

I think i need to go back to the gynae. Although it seems odd to expect a man to know the nuances. .no uterus, no opinion!

oooooh, don't mean to scare anyone about the albation! I think that I was just very unfortunate. As I understand it the standard way is to cut the lining of uterus away and antibiotics are given as standard but in my case the surgeon wanted to use the microwave technique to burn away the lining, he said antibiotics were not required! I was in for the day case procedure but when i awoke I was in terrible pain, I was only home for 12 hours when I was re-admitted with a very high temperature, rigours, abdo pain. I had an infection. My temperature was sky high for days, I was on 2 different IV antibiotics, nothing seemed to be working, it was a very scary time for me. After about a week, the temperature improved and I was discharged with oral antibiotics. I have never felt so ill. This lead to scarring, my uterus sealed up and parts were still bleeding every month and this developed into a haemotoma that had to be drained and Mirena coil was put in for a year. As I was still in pain I then went on to have hysterectomy.

i just think i was v unlucky

Hello. I had a sub total hysterectomy last year. I've never been sure about my hormonal cycle since mostly because I've enjoyed not having to do counting for dates etc. But I do get the odd mood swing, achey pain and bloated feeling which I happily put down to hormones rather just being crotchety, old or pigging out the day before! What came as a surprise to me was a teeny tiny bit of blood most months which my gynae said was normal - just my cervix shedding a bit. But it's so minuscule I usually forget about it.

I have to say, and obviously this won't be the same for everyone, I'm delighted to have had the operation. I love not having periods. And, even though I massively health and medical phobic, I often have happy memory daydreams about my days in hospital and being looked after afterwards!!

I had a total hysterectomy nearly 2 years ago (47). Tried to go cold turkey with gopher all hrt, lasted about 2 months. Now on hrt patches and doing great. Tried to stop using the, last month, lasted 2 weeks !! No mood swings, no pmt, no periods.

I had a hysterectomy at 35... I'm 48 now. Kept my ovaries.

It's been fab I do get a hormonal surge every now and then... sore breasts that last about a month, like my body is trying to have a period but can't. I imagine I must be menopausal or post menopausal by now as they said it would come earlier, but tbh I haven't noticed a thing..except a glorious lack of periods and dragging prolapse discomfort that was spoiling life.

It's a big op..no doubt about it, but for me (prolapses back and front and horrible period pain as a result) it transformed my daily life.. no regrets!

I had a hysterectomy last year at the age of 31. My cervix was removed but the consultant left my ovaries so that I hopefully wouldn't experience an early menopause.

I am still very aware of having a monthly hormone cycle. My boobs hurt sometimes and I still have a few days every month when I am more tearful than usual or my DH only has to look at me the wrong way to get his head bitten off! However it is a lot "milder" than it was before the op and I now realise that a lot of the symptoms of rage and hysterical crying that I put down to my hormones were actually caused by how much I was struggling to cope with the pain and flooding every month.

I welcome the awareness of the monthly cycle - I find it strangely comforting to know that things are still working as I want them to and I'm not menopausal.