Hysterectomy, ovaries in tact. Anyone else?

[tobee]

Sure I'm not the only one wondering how their menopause is going.

I'm 50. But no idea where I am on the menopause trajectory. Sometimes I think "oh, maybe I'd be having a period right now?" But it's so vague. I don't know if it really matters if I don't have bad symptoms. But maybe that's wrong?

I had a hysterectomy at 39 - uterus and cervix out but ovaries left.

I am 47 now and having some symptoms - temperature all over the place, tired, aches joints, vaginal atrophy etc which I have been am putting down to menopause for the last three years or so. I would love to actually have a test to confirm it though as without periods, I cannot tell for definite if that is what it is. GP says it must be so no point doing blood tests. However, I am struggling with tiredness etc and would really like a definite confirmation that, it is that.

Is there a way to check what your ovaries are doing?

Hello!

I've got no idea about testing ovaries. I've not spoken to my gp about where I am because I thought I might in the future if I had problems.

I always feel hotter than anyone else atm. I have runs of days when I need to wee much more frequently which I think I used to have coinciding with my period. My dd (23), who lives at home, and I used to be in sync so I guess we still could be.

My dm had a late menopause and my older dsis had the same operation as me 6 months before me. She thinks she's had her menopause.

I hated my periods and am glad they are gone. But they were often a tool for keeping track of stuff!

The sort of b tests available to GPs are not helpful and so are no longer done in your case.
Diagnosis of menopause is clinical ie are you over 45 with symptoms in which case you are most likely at the menopause.blodd tests are taken for younger women but they are often very inconclusive.

Me. Had a radical hysterectomy at 31, now 44 and wondering what would be going on. I’ve had episodes of hot sweats but think it’s probably a bit early. I had it in mind that even with ovaries in tact, post hysterectomy women start menopause earlier. Probably made that up though 😳

Yeah I heard that too.

No one is going to do any tests on a 50 yr old woman on the NHS. (no money!)

The only tests are for young women having early menopause or ovarian failure in their 20s or 30s. You can have an ovarian reserve test in those cases if you want to have children.

NICE won't allow drs to test women over 45 who are heading into menopause. Tests are unreliable anyway and pointless- treat symptoms if any is the advice.

Just wait and see OP and if you feel the need for HRT for symptoms, that's the time to see your GP.

I'm in your boat. I am having hot flushes and night sweats, so am well into the menopause. I'm 53 and its 20 years since I had my hysterectomy. I was told that even though they left my ovaries, I would likely hit menopause within 6 months of the op. Late menopause runs on the female side of my family, so I am assuming that this, in part, is why I have only hit it in the last year.

I had brain fog, joint issues and emotional symptoms long before hot flushes. I had a partial hysterectomy, like you. Using Evorel patches and am back on form mentally and physically now.

Sugar is an issue for me - makes me v emotional these days if I eat more than a small amount. And exercise really helps.

I'm not looking to test @QueenoftheNights . It's just weird to have this guesswork.

When I was having periods it was certainly useful if I was feeling a bit emotional, absent minded etc you knew when it was down to pmt. Now I'm thinking I could be post menopausal and had the easiest time ever or no where near and fun times are still to come!

I've just wanted to reach out to others in this odd situation.

I'm 59, and my last period was last October (I had a terrible few years of awful flooding, for 6 weeks at a time. Endless biopsies, scans, smears, blood tests).

Now, I'm not on anything (until last October I'd been on Provera to stop my periods, which didn't always work).

I now have the odd hot flush and night sweat, but my brain/memory is a bit foggy. I don't know how long it'll all last, but I'm SO glad to not have periods at last

I made the point about testing for the other poster.

The average age for meno is 51. They say a hyster brings it forward by about 2-3 years. But everyone is different.

I had very few symptoms till my last period at around 53. (still had uterus so not the same as you.)

I had a hysterectomy last June (retained ovaries) and started on HRT in the September as I was having terrible night sweats.i think my ovaries were on their way out anyway.

They have been like a miracle drug - my mood is better, joints don't ache as much and sweat/flashes have gone.

I have no idea where I am in my cycle.

I'll be 50in February

That's very interesting to know, @BG2015

This is me too, my operation was at 44 and I am now approaching 50 and have no idea where I’m at.

I am hotter than I used to be including at night but I am overweight and unfit so I am waiting for winter to see if they are night flushes.

My joints ache but they always did, and I have some arthritis and as before I am overweight and unfit.

As for brain fog, my short term memory has had a few lapses but generally I feel as sharp as normal.

As for tiredness I now seem to survive on 6 hours sleep more than needing 8 hours.

Part of my problem is I was unwell for a long period before my op and ended up with 3 major op s in a 18 month period, removing the broken parts of me so I was actually a lot better health wise.

I know there is no test but I really wish there was

Deathly, women who are overweight tend to suffer more with flushes and the weight will be causing your joint problems. If you can lose some weight and start some exercise you will feel better. Exercise helps osteoarthritis- if you don't exercise your body will get worse and you will in time need hip replacements and more. Can you start with a brisk daily walk for half an hour? What changes can you make to your diet?

@queen thank you for the lifestyle advice, if it was just that simple I would be cured.

I walk daily and do Pilates but I would still class myself as unfit. But as a comparison before I had my op I could walk for about 30 minutes but then needed to stop to pee, after the op I couldn’t make it to the end of the drive. Today I walked for 2 hours.

My hips are OK it is my knees that will need replacing but my consultant is happy with the damage currently.

Can I ask those of you who kept your ovaries why you chose to do that? I understand going through the menopause in your 30's wouldn't be ideal but would it be worse than in your early 50's?
Were you advised by your doctor to not have your ovaries removed?

deathly I'm sorry to hear of the issues with weeing; I do understand having had a condition for 30 years (controlled by diet mainly.)

okpedro Are you undergoing on op like this yourself?
Women who lose estrogen either through early natural menopause or surgical meno, well before 50 ish, are at a huge increased risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, possibly dementia, and other illnesses (Parkinsons disease.) They need to use HRT up to early 50s at least and maybe for ever, which is fine-no real risks with estrogen only.
They also might need testosterone as the ovaries continue to produce this after menopause, and it's harder to find the right dose / can have nasty side effects.

I had a hysterectomy at 44 and the doctor left ovaries intact. She said there was no reason to take them unless I had a family history of ovarian cancer. She took my uterus, fallopian tubes and cervix.

My body certainly struggled to adjust, the first three months I had spots like a teenager again. I have had hot flushes but I'm now 46 and would probably be having them anyway. My hysterectomy was done to deal with a huge fibroid which was making me bleed so much I was ill with anaemia, so anything's an improvement on that.

My surgeon wanted to remove my ovaries. He said I might need further surgery to remove them at a later date - why would I?

But I wanted to keep them as I didn't fancy being plunged into a surgical menopause- but, I've ended up with menopausal symptoms anyway.

Also, I have no real way of knowing if my ovaries are still in there? I presume they are but unless I had a scan I will never know. It just seemed very strange that within 2 months after my operation I was having full on symptoms.

Thanks for your replies

Hysterectomy with retained ovaries nearly 4 years ago.
I'm 46, I get so unbelievably tired, ideally I'd have an afternoon nap everyday and definitely have brain fog! I'm very slim and always on the chilly side so perhaps not a candidate for hot flushes?
Not having periods is great but it makes tracking menopause hard. I'm also definitely much more prone to emotional 'episodes' and get very down, which is not like me