Struggling with menopause after hysterectomy

[Redandbluespots]

Following a full hysterectomy 2 months ago. My gp can't see me until next week for hrt.
The symptoms are brutal. My anxiety is terrible and my mood is low. My eye sight is deteriorating and they are blurry /dry. My boobs are so sore, worse than pregnancy. The palms of my hands and feet are itchy and scorching hot. My skin is itchy. I am forgetting everything, to the point I feel I've got dementia. Sleep is poor. To top it off I've started a new job and my confidence is zero. I just hope my symptoms improve with hrt.
It would be lovely to hear from others that have gone through the same x

Are you saying you weren't put straight on it after your hysterectomy? I don't know if it is the norm to be on hrt straight after as I was on it prior to my hysterectomy, but I would have thought with having everything removed then you would be.
My symptoms were the opposite of yours as I wasn't told to stop taking the pills and just use the gel. I did wonder why I was having really bad pmt symptoms😬
Is your appointment this coming week? If so, then I'd take antihistamines to try and help with the itching, maybe try Twinings menopausal tea which I read on another thread has helped with sleeping. If it's the following week, then can you ask to be seen sooner? It's really unfair you have been left to suffer like this for two months and I hope you get some help very soon💐

I can’t believe you didn’t wake up from surgery with an oestrogen patch on.
I’d second the antihistamine for the itching, take the one a day dose everyday.
Then high strength magnesium glycinate & high strength cbd spray for sleep.

I recommend these

Thank you for your kind messages and useful recommendations. I'll definitely start the anti-histamine.
You can't have hrt for 6 weeks after, due to the blood clot risk. My gp couldn't fit me in until this week. I feel like I've been hit by a bus 🥺

Who told you that?? That's just not true about the 'blood clot risk' and not being able to have HRT for 6 weeks. Any (tiny) risk is mitigated by pressure cuffs on the legs post-op, Clexane injections for 5-10 days, and the use of transdermal oestrogen.

The consultant said that as hrt can cause tissue to grow, I couldn't have it for 6 weeks. I wore stockings for 2 weeks and injected myself for 10 days.
I was so poorly before the surgery, I just felt so grateful to have it done and wasn't thinking straight. I'm suffering now though :(

I was given HRT at the hospital straight after and then had the dose increased 6 weeks later as it wasn't enough. This was 23 years ago.

Maybe you have a specific clotting issue that the doctor was trying to avoid?

That's incorrect @Redandbluespots

Transdermal estrogen has no risk of clots and even opens up the arteries!

You've had poor treatment from someone who is way behind the times.

Is this your GP or a consultant who did the surgery?

what did you inject yourself with and why?

was this to shrink a fibroid?

It's all illogical.

first the clotting risk doesn't apply- see other posters' experiences- and if estrogen made tissue 'grow' which tissue and why would it not grow after 6 weeks?

why did you have the operation and do you have specific risks for something?

I had Heparin injections after to prevent a blood clot.
I just took the consultant at her word. I didn't even think to query it.
I had the op for fibroids.

I don't have any risk factors.

OK in the meantime, as per pp, get a high strength magnesium glycinate - I buy New Leaf off amazon. You need 300-400mg of elemental mag a day in meno.

It's like a beautiful sleeping tablet, but natural.

Sleep in vest and pants so if you have night sweats there isn't much to change.

I take two antihistamines a day, morning and night. I do this for my excema as advised by a derm consultant, but it stops the itching.

Lots of water, minimal alcohol, get to bed early.

And go hard on oestrogen when you can and make sure you don't leave without a prescription for vaginal oestrogen cream to go with the patches/gel.

Good luck!

It's awful that you've been left in this position, OP. Sympathies.

I find both Fexofenadine and Piriton excellent for itching, btw. And you could try the other suggestions too from pp - have you got a Holland & Barrett or similar near you? They should be open on a Sunday.

I'd send you some oestrogen gel myself if it were allowed.

I didn't mean to sound aggressive or bombard you with questions @Redandbluespots but I've never heard of women like you having been denied hrt for weeks.

The surgical stockings are normal for any pelvic surgery but injecting yourself with blood thinners after a hysterectomy- never heard of it.

I'd be thinking of asking a lot of questions about all of this, including the 'tissue can grow' when you had fibroids removed. I thought perhaps it was endometriosis which can be an issue of women use hrt, but that's not you.

It would also usually be the consultant's role to issue you with the hrt prescription, after having discussed types and doses with you before surgery- rather than expect you to somehow get to your GP for it.

Are you discharged from her now or will you have any more contact?

It never ceases to amaze me just how much medical professionals expect women to have to put up with.

You will feel amazing once the hrt has been prescribed and it kicks in. I had a full hysterectomy and waited 13 months… it was so worth it when I got prescribed the gel.

The surgical stockings are normal for any pelvic surgery but injecting yourself with blood thinners after a hysterectomy- never heard of it.

I had all the gubbins after a BSO TH, but yes I imagine it might be pretty uncommon - in my case it was specifically because I had previous history with a DVT / PE. So I guess that's the protocol if a surgeon is concerned, in discussion with the patient. I had the socks, the post-surgery compression devices on my calves, and the injections.

And I was still allowed to go on transdermal oestrogen immediately, again after discussions to establish the DVT had been an acute episode with no underlying thrombophilia. I monitor my blood pressure at home.

Hi, sorry to hear you are having a tough time. I had a full hysterectomy with both ovaries also removed last May, I am unable to have any hrt at all due to it the reason being due to cancer. Surgical menopause without hrt is hard and tough going, I have similiar symptoms to you and they do tend to come and go. I found things that helped improve symptoms overall were to have a bit of an overhaul of my diet, night sweats and hot flushes have been helped by being a bit stricter with sugar and alcohol intake - it seriously sucks that I love red wine and after 3 sips I’m hot flush central 😭.

i would second antihistamines for the itching.. sleep wise if it’s because you’re having hot sweats try swapping to cotton pjs, someone also recommended bamboo T-shirts to me that you can get.

i would also recommend, if you’re on Facebook, looking up two groups: surgical menopause uk support group and young hysterectomy / menopause sisters …. So many lovely ladies in there that offer help and advice.. there are a plenty who are able to take hrt on these groups too and when you get the ball rolling with your gp that’s going to take time in terms of getting the dosage correct so it’s useful to see what other people are on and it may open up alternatives for you to ask for more info about. From what I have read it seems hrt is not a one size fits all and it takes a bit of trial and error with different types of medication. Goodluck and if you ever want to talk about how crappy it is please feel free to send a pm :)

You sound like you're having a really hard time. Hope the GP is helpful when the appointment comes round.

I can only comment on the itching, others have already recommended antihistamines which help so much. I also use Aveeno Skin Relief (cream and navy bottle) to target any specific areas where the itching is bad, it helps relieve it.

@Redandbluespots so sorry you're going through this :(. I also had full hysterectomy (so both ovaries etc.) 2 months ago, but I was already on HRT gel and pessary before the surgery. My consultant advised I could continue with the gel straight after surgery, but not the pessary for 6 weeks until she cleared me. The consultant did say that for me (fibroids & adeonmyosis) this can get worse on HRT because you're "feeding" them with oestrogen. I wonder if you have endo, this would be the same, maybe that's what was meant by it causing tissue to grow ?

I have a history of clots - nothing in my blood, both had a cause, but both in the same place. Transdermal HRT was absolutely fine for me - it's the oral HRT that's the issue. At least that's my understanding.

I also had the stockings, and the injections (was supposed to be for 2 weeks but ironically had to come off them and go onto TXA because of a bleeding issue). My mum had the same with no history of clotting, so I think that just seems to be pretty standard now - 10 days of injections and stockings until you're more mobile.

I don't have any advice on how to cope until the HRT, but you do have big hugs and sympathies from me. It's rotten. I would also say go to the GP appointment armed with all your facts. Make sure you have your symptoms documented. For me the relief was really quick - within a week or 2 - hopefully it's the same for you. xx

Really sorry you're going through this
I had a full hysterectomy for endometriosis before I turned 40, but I was prescribed HRT straight away. Surgical menopause sucks with it anyway, though much less, so I can't imagine how much worse it is without it!
I found the cooling mats you can buy on Amazon very good for sleeping when I had hot flushes, you stick them in the freezer for a couple of hours before going to bed.
I came in here though because a PP mentioned Aveeno, it used to be excellent and I was buying it all the time, but they recently changed their formula and my skin gets very itchy after I apply it. I found CeraVe works much better for me now.
When you are feeling better OP, do some research and find a clinic specialising in menopause, the knowledge around women's health is very patchy and we women are too often fobbed off and expected to put up with it. Wishing you all the best, I feel for you but it will get better!

Thank you so much for all of your advice. I am taking note of everything.
I literally want to have a bath of hrt, once I get in. I'll definitely ask for the Vagifem too x

Thank you so much for your post. I really appreciate all of your advice. You have really been through it.
I'm not on sm but might have to set up an account xx

Thank you for your kind post. You offering to send me hrt if allowed, made me cry. In a good way. It really touched me xx