Surgical menopause

Timeforaswim · 2024-02-27T22:47:55+00:00

I'm due to have a hysterectomy in April and want to be mentally prepared. How soon after having womb and ovaries removed can I expect to have symptoms? Are they likely to be bad immediately or creep up on me in the following weeks/months. I've read that it's immediate but does that literally mean you wake up with them after the op? Unfortunately HRT isn't an option. Would love to hear any experiences.

YoureTheOneBeepingTheHornOverACheeseBurger · 28/02/2024 07:47

I had my first hot flush the evening I’d had my op. For some reason my instructions were to not start HRT until 4 weeks post op. My symptoms during those weeks weren’t horrendous at all, just the occasional flush. I was already peri pre op so the HRT did make my moods/anxiety/emotional state a lot better once I’d started it but the physical symptoms weren’t as bad as I’d feared.

My best piece of advice was to walk every day once home. Just 5 minutes a day for the first week then adding 5 minutes each new week so that, by week 6, you are walking for 30 minutes. Do your pelvic floor exercises as soon as you can and do them daily, and do any physio suggested. The walking, even when I didn’t feel like it, really helped my recovery.

Put the little things you will need in hospital (lip balm, ear plugs, mints or whatever) in a little tie handle food bag, it means when you are in bed you can just lift the bag to you to take out what you need, rather than twisting and rummaging in your locker.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

WhichPage · 28/02/2024 08:09

I had total hysterectomy and no option of hrt.

It was over the first few days that the hot flushes and night sweats started for me. They were unpleasant but took a while
to become frequent but (I had to have chemo soon after too so my experience might not be entirely hormone related).

Over time I discovered that pangs of anxiety (eg have I left the iron on/struck in traffic and late for an appointment sort of things lead to an immediate hot flush which was a proper pain when I started a new job and was learning the ropes and meeting new people. For this reason I started citalopram which I think dulled this response a bit. I kept going and did not let them stop me but it was uncomfortable. I was known for cardigan and small fan on off on off on off when it was bad.
i just make a joke of it when noticed by others.

I didn’t notice any other significant immediate meno symptoms but the anxiety could well have been one of course.

Over the years the night sweats first then the daytime hot flushes stepped down and five years later are 99% gone.

TupperJen · 28/02/2024 08:20

Will your hysterectomy include removal of ovaries? Because many don't.

I had removal of ovaries and got menopause symptoms within week... But we're not terrible. And my perimenopausal friends have it much worse as everything stops and starts.

Best of luck.

CaptainMyCaptain · 28/02/2024 08:34

I was put straight on HRT. A few weeks after I felt tired and weepy (although there could have been external reasons for that) they doubled my dose and I was fine. After 10 years I very gradually reduced the dosage to nothing and pretty much escaped the menopause altogether.

YoureTheOneBeepingTheHornOverACheeseBurger · 28/02/2024 09:26

@TupperJen the op 2nd line ‘How soon after having womb and ovaries removed…’ so I imagine op is also having oophorectomy.

welshweasel · 28/02/2024 10:39

I got symptoms within a few days, but was thankfully able to start HRT immediately. I'm sure you have checked but there are very few absolute contraindications to HRT these days, oestrogen dependent breast cancer being the main one.

Original poster

Timeforaswim · 28/02/2024 20:40

YoureTheOneBeepingTheHornOverACheeseBurger · 28/02/2024 07:47

I had my first hot flush the evening I’d had my op. For some reason my instructions were to not start HRT until 4 weeks post op. My symptoms during those weeks weren’t horrendous at all, just the occasional flush. I was already peri pre op so the HRT did make my moods/anxiety/emotional state a lot better once I’d started it but the physical symptoms weren’t as bad as I’d feared.

My best piece of advice was to walk every day once home. Just 5 minutes a day for the first week then adding 5 minutes each new week so that, by week 6, you are walking for 30 minutes. Do your pelvic floor exercises as soon as you can and do them daily, and do any physio suggested. The walking, even when I didn’t feel like it, really helped my recovery.

Put the little things you will need in hospital (lip balm, ear plugs, mints or whatever) in a little tie handle food bag, it means when you are in bed you can just lift the bag to you to take out what you need, rather than twisting and rummaging in your locker.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Thank you so much. Really helpful

OP posts:

Original poster

Timeforaswim · 28/02/2024 20:40

welshweasel · 28/02/2024 10:39

I got symptoms within a few days, but was thankfully able to start HRT immediately. I'm sure you have checked but there are very few absolute contraindications to HRT these days, oestrogen dependent breast cancer being the main one.

Unfortunately that's the one!

OP posts:

Original poster

Timeforaswim · 28/02/2024 20:43

WhichPage · 28/02/2024 08:09

I had total hysterectomy and no option of hrt.

It was over the first few days that the hot flushes and night sweats started for me. They were unpleasant but took a while
to become frequent but (I had to have chemo soon after too so my experience might not be entirely hormone related).

Over time I discovered that pangs of anxiety (eg have I left the iron on/struck in traffic and late for an appointment sort of things lead to an immediate hot flush which was a proper pain when I started a new job and was learning the ropes and meeting new people. For this reason I started citalopram which I think dulled this response a bit. I kept going and did not let them stop me but it was uncomfortable. I was known for cardigan and small fan on off on off on off when it was bad.
i just make a joke of it when noticed by others.

I didn’t notice any other significant immediate meno symptoms but the anxiety could well have been one of course.

Over the years the night sweats first then the daytime hot flushes stepped down and five years later are 99% gone.

Sounds like you had a nightmare. Poor you and thank you re citalopram will keep that in mind as an option to ask for should it come to that

OP posts:

Eileenb13 · 05/10/2024 12:39

@Timeforaswim how are you after The op with not having the HRT option.

How was recovery? Hope your doing well

I'm waiting my op and also won't be able to have HRT....

Original poster

Timeforaswim · 06/10/2024 18:51

I feel great!
So much better than before and little to no menopause symptoms.
I have been v v lucky and am just relieved that I had it done.
The actual op was fine too. Up and walking the next day...out of hospital on second day post op.
It was painful but all completely doable.
It probably was the full six weeks before I felt completely recovered snd I remember at about two weeks feeling a bit fed up that I wasn't progressing v fast...
Let me know if you've got any questions at all and really good luck with it

OP posts:

Eileenb13 · 06/10/2024 18:59

@Timeforaswim aww that's so good to hear am so pleased for you ❤️! This brings me hope ha!

Can I ask another one! What type of hysterectomy was it I.e abdominal or laparoscopic etc. it's all new to me this.

I'm 41 with 2 young kids and widow. Slightly dreading it! Gearing all my friends and family I have to support me 🙈

Original poster

Timeforaswim · 06/10/2024 19:32

I was cut open... if you csn have it done keyhole I believe the recovery is easier.
That wasn't an option for me as I had a lot of fibroids and it would have been complicated.
One thing I will say is they wanted to cut me from head to toe vertically. I think again because my womb was so big. But I begged for horizontal over my c section scar and they did do that in the end. Again an easier recovery and not as unsightly. So worth asking for.
Trying to think if there's anything else that might be helpful to know.
I really was v lucky. I work from home on my computer freelance and was fine to do non urgent work by day five.
But I really did take it slowly with physical stuff. I walked every day but v slowly and only with my husband holding onto me. I remember feeling v vulnerable and nervous about falling over as you do feel v delicate and that if you tripped you'd rip apart!
If you want to chat on the phone and ask any questions just DM me. A friend and my sister had both had one slightly before me and I found chatting to them v reassuring so v happy to help in any way I can

OP posts: