I have been suffering with menopause since my mid 20's, my doctor asked if I would consider a hysterectomy, there is so much to explain and that I require answers for, so I am going to copy and paste what I said on another forum-a friend posted your link, I sure hope you can help-I am at wits end.Thank you so much. Sorry for the long post.

Post 1-response to another:

why am I just noticing this thread now...my gawd I have been through he** with menopause..when I was about 25 or 26 I was sweating extremely, have hot flashes, etc..I thought there was something wrong with me...at that age you aren't thinking menopause. My doctor at the time said sleep with the window open...well I was sleeping with a fan blasting on me...it was terrible...then my doctor went away to a different town and there as a temp doctor..so I told "her" my symptoms and she sent me for blood tests....yep..I was perimenopausal.....and I have been suffering with it since...and not lighty...I have them reallly bad...I sleep with 2 fans on me in the winter...now fast forward to today...I am now postmenopausal and have been for about 5 yrs now...hurray..no more monthly visits from Aunt Flo!!!..but I still suffer with they symptoms..sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, headaches, loss of libido, pain with you know what...its really really bad...doctor put me oh HRT a while back but it made my migraines worse so after two months I went off those...I tried other things...alese..I think was the name of one..and another and it did nothing for me...now going back a little ways..a couple of years back I had blood tests and my doctor said my hormones were really messed up and sent me to an endocrinologist and I was went for more tests and was told I had a pituatary tumour and went for the mri for that..nothing showed..but the doctor told me it might be there and so small it was hard to detect...also my prolactin level was normal...now whether or not I have this tumour I do not know...I never went back to the endo..but I did do some research and one of the meds I was on at the time ampitryptiline( sorry wrong spelling I know) was know to cause pituatary tumours so I stopped taking it....ok and at this same time..I was told my androstedioines( sp?) were high and it was possible I had a tumour on my ovaries or adrenal glands...I was scheduled for 2 ultra sounds the first showed nothing..I never went back for the second and have never been back to see..ok sorry getting off track...so now again fast forward to present day...I am sleeping with the air conditioning on and a fan and my bf is sleeping on th floor because he is freezing( I have no bed or couch)...and I am expalining to him why I am not in the mood to do it and I even bookmark a site for him to read....I go to the doctors last week and he says have you considered a hysterctomy and I say ..no...he said we will put you on hrt again and see how that goes..now he asks me questions...and they are sounding familiar..any breast cancer in your family?..you are 3-4 times more likely to get breast cancer then someone not taking this...ok so I am desperate...I thank him take the prescription and get it filled and it turns out to be the exact same med I was on a couple years back that caused me so many problems....but I am willing to try again...even with the risks involved...ok so I do some searches on hysterectomies and I find abslolutely nothing about post menopause being a reason to have the operation nor anything saying it will cure my symptoms...I find the complete opposite that it may cause the symptoms of menopause...it is called "sudden or surgical" menopause...so now I am thinking why am I beingf asked to consider this operation if it is not going to benifit me...I checked out numerous sites including webmd and mayoclinic, I even asked my mom and a friend why they had their hysterectomies done.


Post 2-my post about hysterectomy-a friend replied with your website:

I see by searching on the internet that this procedure is done for many reasons, I have however been able to find anything that says- Hysterectomies are done for people with severe menopause symptoms(please see my post under-Perimenopause at 28) nor do I see anything saying the symptoms will go away-actually seeing quite the opposite.
Can anyone verify if this operation is known to cure the symptoms.
I have been searching and researching for weeks now.Thank you

Thank You.WJ

Hi WJP,
How old are you now?
From a quick glance it looks as if you have suffered premature menopause and your doctors do not know why. The sudden loss of oestrogen at your age will give you devastating symptoms. They tend to last much longer than those of an older lady who is experiencing menopause at the correct time.
I can understand why your doctors might want to give you HRT but I can see no reason for a hysterectomy.
Your symptoms are being caused by the lack of oestrogen not your poor uterus.
I do think that you need the help of a really good reproductive endocrinologist because these problems are so complex. Do you suffer with acne? Have you been checked for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Sometimes the reason for POF (Premature Ovarian Failure) remains unclear.
At your age, you really do need help with the dry vagina problem because it could ruin your relationship if your vagina dries out badly. You also need protection from osteoporosis.
I really do not think that you can muscle through this one on your own. Be aware that HRT in any form can cause many problems but you just need to experiment with the help of a committed doctor to try and get the type and dose right to make you more comfortable. I really would want a reason as to why a hysterectomy is indicated.
I suffered very badly with migraine so I completely understand your reluctance to take medications that appear to cause them. I can tell you that it was my falling oestrogens that caused my migraines.
If you feel that you just cannot tolerate HRT, I understand but it sounds as if you did not give it much time. Perhaps you could just use an oestrogen cream for the vagina.
I also wonder if you have been looked after in a psychological sense. It must be horrific to go into menopause so young and I think that anyone who has done so will need a great deal of help to get their head round it.
I think that you have suffered enough and I shudder to think of you going through the trauma of hysterectomy unless it is really necessary.


Take Care,


XIII

I should of mentioned I am 45 now( as of June), I have been on the HRT since the begining of this month -symptoms are not letting up but I don't beleive enough time has passed. I have migraines-severly-I use to count every year-I stopped couting in 2008-by October of that year I had 85. I went to a pain clinic and they want to do nerve block treatments on me for my migraines-it is too far for me to travel every week -I am seeing a nuerologist (3rd time) here in my home town in August to perhaps start the treatments -hopefully an end to the migraines.
I never realized menopause had so many symptoms-I suffered an anxiety attack a few years back-that was terrible-I suffered a few more after that-honestly if I had to choose between an anxiety attack and a migraine -I would choose the migraine. What a horrible thing for anyone to have to go through.
As for seeing a psychologist- I am suffering with severe menopause symtpoms- do they even want to bother, after all I am going through what many woman are going through.
I do not suffer with acne and have never been checked for POS.
I am going to my doctor next week and I am going to ask him "why the hysterectomy?"
It is very hard for me to discuss anyything in detail with my doctor as he is not "really" my family doctor, my actual doctor has his office in another city and comes here once a week on a thursday night to a walk-in clinic and it is virtually impossible to see him as the hours are 4-6pm, however the doctor of the office he uses also runs walk in hours after his regular office hours 3 days a week, I have asked him many times to be my family doctor.He says I already have a doctor but to come see him anyways-I have been seeing him regular for 4 or 5 years now. I am allowed to discuss 2 things with him per visit.
I wonder if I should mention going back to the endo?
Thanks for the repsonse XIII

I think you should follow up with a neurologist about the pituitary issue. I had a pituitary tumor removed in my late 30s, and it actually wasn't all that bad. And it stopped so many of my problems. I never did get normal periods back after it, but it helped with my headaches, vision problems and constant dizziness. I'm not sure if it would help with hot flashes I wasn't having those at the time.
But it's not something to fool around with, they sent me to Mayo Clinic to have it taken care of. I have to have an MRI every 5 years or so to make sure it hasn't come back. I'm not sure how a hysterectomy would help you at this point, there must be some hormonal issue.

I am seeing a nuerologist on Aug 7, I will mention the pituitary issue to him, I was told he is a very good doctor by my sil. Thank You 4dogkids.

I think you should find a new doctor! What kind of doctor only does walk ins for two hours once a week?

A hysterectomy isn't going to solve your issues necessarily. It could improve them but it could also make everything ten times worse with the sudden loss of hormones. You need to seek treatment in the way of hormone replacement first before making such a radical decision. Once they take out your girly parts, you can't get them back! I had the cervix and uterus removed but opted to keep my ovaries. You will stay healthier for much longer if you leave your ovaries where they are, no matter how bad you feel at the moment. There are other choices besides surgery!

Please only get a Hyster if medically ness. I had 1 5yrs ago severe symptoms started 2yrs later with severe anxiety, flash,s crying not myself cont yhe same to this dat THINK TWICE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!