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[Zaza]

I had a hysterectomy / oophorectomy 2 and half years ago and I am still struggling. I'm now 53 and have been very unlucky in the fact that my symptoms are severe. I've tried everything and been everywhere as forms of self help but I can't find my old self, it's a if I have been replaced by someone else. Six months after surgery I used Sandrena gel for a year and a bit but needed 2mg to control up to 15-20 severe sweats, nausea, headaches and other symptoms. I stopped using it 5 months ago as it was making me feel rubbish, it had also stopped working, that was a mistake as fast forward to now and my symptoms returned with a vengeance, sweat literally running out of every orifice of my body and changing a minimum of 5 times a night.....so tired.

I went back to menopause clinic a physical wreck and they started me on elleste solo 1mg 10 days ago. So far I am not seeing any massive improvements, it's so tough. I am currently signed off work. Can anyone tell me if I'm normal and when will theses tablets kick in, I don't want a higher dose as I'm scared of HRT. I also find they make me breathless. I'm in the middle of a nightmare.
Thanks, Zaza

[CLKD]

Oh have a    I'm sure that someone will be along with some advice.  We have drop down menus to browse …...

[lancashirelass]

What about an.implant mainly only.available.privately.know.but work the best.for surgical meno.ladies in my view as i have had full hyst too

[CLKD]

However, someone else here had implants without benefit. 

[CLKD]

Nope, not always  - because each lady is different; each person reacts differently to medication; it depends on where in the cycle/manopause journey she is …… which makes it hard to treat but once a solution is found, the sufferer can work round it.

Have you had any adverse reactions to your current prescription?  HRT can take a while for the body to 'take up' if that makes sense: most ladies using HRT recommend using the product at least 3/4 months if possible.  Keeping a food/mood diary can help too, as when we feel OK we tend to forget how we felt when symptoms are present.

When do you go back for a review?

[Taz2]

Hi Zaza - welcome to the forum. You will find lots of advice and help on here.

It can take a few tries to find the right HRT for you so don't despair. I'm no sure how long pills take to work but patches can control hot sweats within twenty four to forty eight hours from using the first one.

You will have had a tough journey so far as your body was plunged straight into surgical  menopause instead of a slower drop in your oestrogen levels so it's no wonder you feel as you do. I would say continue with the Elleste for at least three months but if you then feel no better then go back and either ask to be put onto the 2mg dose or to change to a different form of HRT. I appreciate that you are worried about taking it but if you read posts on this site and the advice in the drop down menu you will see that the risks are small and don't really begin to kick in until 60.

I'd just like to say that I had a vaginal hysterectomy (ovaries kept though) last summer and it is only now that I am beginning to feel more like my real self. The consultant was adamant that everything would be fine within six months but so many women I have spoken to says it takes at least a year and sometimes two to properly recover. You have also had to contend with the removal of your ovaries and a sudden cessation of your oestrogen production so it's no wonder you are still feeling off kilter.

Taz x 

[CLKD]

HRT relieves current symptoms.  Some ladies like to stop after a few years to see 'where' they might be in the meno journey.  Others carry on because symptoms have improved enough.  It is a personal choice.

If you are breathless I would speak with my GP or a Pharmacist for advice.  I found that I felt bloated and breathless before my period probably due to extra fluid? once the bleed began that feeling went. 

You can reply to us in 1 go:    name: then comment  : 

[lancashirelass]

The lady who did.not.react to implants has her ovaries, much harder to.get a.good.response off.implants.that way.  For surgical ladies with no.ovaries implants work well nick panay and joan pitkin two of.the top meno.experts.highly recommend.them as they also give good bone protection. 

What are the benefits of hormone implants? The benefits of hormone implants are that they are: •effective in relieving menopausal symptoms in women who only respond to higher doses of HRT or in those who have had a surgical menopause,  because the implants achieve higher levels of hormone in the circulation •effective at preventing osteoporosis •convenient as there is no need to remember to take tablets or change patches

[Hurdity]

Hi Zara

  from me too!

To answer your question if you had everything removed including ovaries then you have "gone through menopause" surgically so you won't go through it again. You are now in menopause or post-menopausal. It is impossible to say how long your symptoms will last - the range is huge from a couple of years up to 14 years - surveys have shown!

As the others have said the symptoms of sudden oestrogen deficiency are much more sudden and drastic in your case (after surgery) and most women like yourself seem to need a much higher dose of oestrogen, but I can see this is difficult if you are over-sensitive.

If you don't like taking "medication" (although taking oestrogen is just replacing deficient hormones) then I would definitely look at an alternative method of delivery such as a patch or gel (or maybe implants as lancashire lass suggests) - because the oestrogen gets straight into your system without having to be digested and go through the liver. This means that smaller doses can be used to have the same effect (and to achieve the same estradiol levels in the body).

The other thing is that your testosterone levels will also have dropped and this deficiency can also give rise to undesirable symptoms. There is more written about this here:

http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/aftermeno.php
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/testosterone.php

Hurdity x

[Limpy]

Hi Zara

Another Welcome!   

I can understand you being reluctant to take medication. As Hurdity suggests, patches or gel might be worth considering. The hormone gets straight into your system not needing stomach or liver processing.  Given you've had a hysterectomy you can take the oestrogen alone without having to use progesterone which many ladies don't get on with.

Do you have another appointment at the menopause clinic arranged or is your GP up to speed on meno linked issues?

[Dancinggirl]

Hi Zaza
Hurdity has done a wonderful post - I do hope it helps as she has a science background and gives some very sound advice.
Please don't be frightened of taking oestrogen - at your age it will be doing you more good than harm!!!  All the scares about HRT related to the older style combined HRTs and in fact it is now known that 5 years of HRT in our 50s will help prevent osteoporosis, heart disease, vaginal atrophy and bladder problems in the long term - there is also a protective element against bowel cancer if HRT is used. I believe you actually reduce your chance of getting breast cancer if you use oestrogen alone following a full hysterectomy. I have used Oestrogel for many years and found it great - my problems are with progesterone which luckily you don't have to take because of the hyster (I do envy you).  I doubt that the Sandrena was making you feel rubbish - what exactly made you think it was the oestrogen making you feel bad?  I suspect other things were going on? 
The low dose pill you have been given will probably take longer to work and I suspect you may need a higher dose. You could do better on a patch or Oestrogel as suggested by others. Keep posting.  DG x

[CLKD]

  ….. lancashirelass

[CLKD]

You ramble away  that's what we are here for - the kettle is always on!

This is 'the change of Life' so you are unlikely to get back to how you were, one has to adjust as hormone levels dip and raise - if 2mg initially helped why not take that for 2 weeks then revert to the 1mg and see how you feel?  It really can be Trial and Error.

 

[CLKD]

Ouch 

[Limpy]

I suspect you haven't been through the symptoms of severe surgical menopause CLKD or you would understand.

 

CLKD may have been trying to offer support.........