I'm 46 and had a total hysterectomy 10 years ago. I understand about the sweats 24/7, but I have had enough. Premarin doesn't work, compounding pharmacy products don't work. Does anyone have any good suggestions before I lose my mind? Something has to work. Please help me.
Now I'm gaining weight, not a little either. I look like I swallowed a basketball and I don't eat much.
By cissie from Gaston, SC
I have not had a hysterectomy but when I was going through early menopause I found Black Cohosh (squaw root) was really effective and had no side effects at all.
I think it is from America originally and was used down the centuries by native Americans, hopefully it will be easy for you to find!
I used Black Cohosh too, with excellent results. I highly recommend it for hot flashes.
I had a partial hysterectomy when I was 35. I learned to stay away from chocolate, nicotine ( I smoked at the time) and caffeine. This will give you hot flashes like no other. I didn't have a problem with weight when I had my surgery.
I had a hysterectomy about 10 years ago also. The hot flashes were a lot at first but have now decreased. I still have some but I try to stay as cool as possible. AT night I wear a gown with spaghetti straps and during the day I wear light clothes, no long sleeves on anything. As far as gaining weight you need to have the doctor check your thyroid. It may be low like mine was and I gained weight lots of weight. I now take medicine for it.
Have your thyroid function tested this can be the cause of your problems.
If you have high blood pressure, don't use this product. It causes your blood pressure to skyrocket. I wish that I had researched this stuff before taking it!! I was on Premarin for 17 years. My surgeon told me to stop taking it and to try Black Cohosh.
I used Black Cohosh Root too. I call it the "real chill pill". :-) It said take it 3 times a day, however, since my hot flashes weren't bad, I only took it when I was having the one and it helped "cool" me down right away.
I 2nd the suggestion for the thyroid functions. I had about 2 weeks of mild hot flashes when going through menopause, did not use anything except we kept tabs on the TSH (thyroid) and kept that adjusted very tightly. Every so many months TSH and FHS (hormone level telling you it is meno pause) were done. If your TSH, etc is in order, you pass through without issues. The body is telling you something is out of whack with symptoms. We don't have to have 'replacement' therapy, if we watch what levels our body has for 'natural'.
Had a friend that made it through this period by using yam cream. Stay away from caffeine. Drink plenty of water. Stay as stress free as possible. Yoga may help. Also cooling showers are wonderful.
One of my friends suggested soy milk (other soy such as edamame and tofu help too). It helped me and I have heard that it has helped others as well. Get the kind with the least amount of added sugar and such. I drink about a cup a day for it to help. Others say two cups. Spread it out over the day.
I use Vivelle Dot Patches, transdermal hormone replacement therapy b/c I couldn't take anything oral. I did the compounding pharmacy too; no luck.
These are prescription and are really easy to use. peel off the backing and stick them on your skin where your ovaries used to be. next time you change them, you put them on the other side of your body where your ovaries used to be. You and your doc will work out how many you need per week, etc.
A word on herbs-
Please, please remember that herbs are medicine. They are powerful and have side effects, etc. My chinese doc made this clear as crystal to be when he found out that i was 'medicating' myself with herbs.
I'd check out a real Asian doctor; not a western person who studied in China; who was taught by an Asian person; but a real Asian acupuncturist.
The mind set between someone raised in the east is completely different that one raised in the west. I made that mistake also by going to an American doc who trained in China. I was so messed up physically for so long it wasn't funny.
Weight gain. what can i tell you that hasn't already been written here. check out The Rice Diet; it's really old but it works. Too much to go into here, I'm sorry, but that's the name of the book.
going to the endocrinologist is an excellent suggestion; I found out I had thyroid disease while they were trying to figure out the hormone meds.
God Bless you dear one. I know how miserable I was. I had my surgery, they took everything, in 2001 and I still get hot flashes. But the patches work the best for me; i get less flashes as time goes on.
Wear only natural fibre clothing; silk, cotton. I keep a tiny travel size deodorant with me all the time. Always have a clip for my hair, and wear men's t shirts that have a scoop neck and no sleeves. be comfortable. Travel with scented baby wipes. a small bottle or sample of perfume.
Watch the soy products if you're taking them. I'm a vegetarian and found my thyroid symptoms got worse when i had a steady diet of it.
Oh I so feel for you! I stopped taking premarin last January and I'm having exactly the same problems as you are. i don't know if i could take 10 years of this! I've tried black cohosh, soya stuff and soya pills and nothing works so far. I'm going to try sage next to see if that will help. I would really love to know if you find something that works. I can't take this much longer either. I haven't had a good nights sleep since my doctor took me off the premarin and I'm seriously considering going back to them. I'm sure if I look around, I will find a doctor who will prescribe them for me. Yes, they aren't the best thing in the world to take but my quality of life is so bad right now, what's the point of trying to prevent disease if I'm so miserable living the life I have now?
Try magnesium supplementation, too.
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I had a "complete Hysterectomy" at age 39 and that was 35 years ago. I took Premarin 1.25 from the day after surgery until three years ago in 2007 when I was hospitalized with Pneumonia. I had a litre of fluid removed from my left lung and had developed a small blood clot in my right lung. I was immediately taken off the Premarin and have suffered continuously since with the "head sweats" = trust me they are not the normal "hot flashes". I have tried nearly everything including Estroven Extra Strength. Nothing seems to work and I am seriously considering asking my (now) doctor if he will prescribe Premarin for me again. The head sweats come with absolutely no warning and are extremely embarassing. I carry headbands with me at all times - not too attractive. Maybe I shouldn't care but I'm only 2 months from being 74 and I do care.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
After my hysterectomy 6 yrs ago (I'm 55 yrs old now), my doctor put me on HRT since I had very bad night sweats and hot flashes. It was great and I had no problems at all. I now have a new doctor who is adamant that after 6 yrs I have to stop the HRT and try the less potent herbal stuff. Its been a nightmare!
I haven't had a good nights sleep for 3 months and the hot flashes are driving me crazy! Does anyone know of a good herbal remedy that I can try? The soya extract I've been taking doesn't work. I don't live in the U.S. so specific brands are no good to me, general ingredients are better. I'm going crazy here, why do I have to have such a mean doctor?
By cettina
I take a liquid calcium, magnesium & vitamin D and mix a tablespoon in a glass of water. Along with that I take two capsules of Valerian Root which I purchase at a vitamin store. It knocks me right out and I haven't had any problem with sleeping.
Try searching on welltellme.net. A great group of mostly ladies and mamas on there that are all about the herbal remedies! Betsy
If you have a pharmacists who does compounds in your area see if you can have a consultation with them and get them to make you up a compound that is a cream with progesterone in it. It will have to be approved by your doc, but it does help. Regards, Debbie
Ask for a second opinion from a different doctor unless you can change your doctor if you're not happy with him.
In the UK you could ask your nearest FHSA to recommend one for you. Good luck. Monique :)
Research the Sweet Potato / Yams creams and pills. Lots of potential help there, Mayo Clinic research has had some great results with it. Check local health food stores. Also check into DHEA at the health food store.
Thank you all so much! I've changed doctors twice and they both wont give me back my HRT! but you all have given me so many suggestions. I will try them out one by one till I find something that does work! I really appreciate your help and advice. Thanks again.
Large quantities of Oil of Evening Primrose worked for me. Experiment to determine a dose for you. Sweating now is preferable to cancer later.
My doctor put me on evening primrose oil years ago for PMS and I still take it (had a hysterectomy 5 years ago) as well as black cohash. I have never taken HRT and I never have night sweats unless I run out and can't get to the store. I hope this helps you!
Hot flashes & all the rest is estrogen dominance. I think. You probably need to increase the progesterone amount.
Black Cohosh is available in health food stores and some grocery ones. It really works, has almost no side effects. I took it for a couple of years, and then didn't need it any more at all.
Those new doctors are not being mean, they are looking out for your best interest, and it's a darn good thing you aren't seeing your old doctor anymore!
Hormone Replacement Therapy Studies have shown 'definite' increases in strokes, heart attacks, blood clots, cardio vascular disease, breast cancer and Alzheimer's Disease because of those synthetic hormones :-(
I am not positive but seems common sense to me, and is most likely, you are still having to deal with those night sweats because the hormones simply delayed them while temporarily relieving them :-( I refused Hormone Replacement Therapy and my night sweats, along with other menopause symptoms, were gone in under two years. I am 56 and my night sweats symptoms started at just about the age you had a hysterectomy. Here's what helped me:
For Night Sweats:
Avoid any foods, alcohol, caffeine, exercise, hot liquids or smoking within 3 hours of going to bed. Drop the evening thermostat by about two or three degrees without adding more covers. Wear light bed clothing. If you feel stressed out from daily work or family events, take at least an hour before bedtime for some relaxing activity.
For Daytime Hot Flashes:
Try to avoid strong emotions, caffeine, alcohol, cayenne, synthetic clothing (wear cotton instead), heat. Exercise: walk, swim, dance or bicycle every day for 30 or more minutes but not within 3 hours of bedtime as mentioned above.
I hope I've been helpful.
Foot reflexology will get rid of the menopause problems. Working around the ankles is the general area as well as all the gland areas.
Learning some relaxation therapy might help too. When I 1st started having hot flashes a few years ago, I realized that if I got upset or emotional, they would get worse. I learned that when I felt one coming on, I could take deep relaxing breathes, relax my muscles & they would not be as bad. Of course this doesn't help with night sweats, but taking melatonin helped me sleep better.
Summer is the pits, I couldn't stay dry! I finally got smart & thought of those small, hand held, battery operated fans Walmart sells for $1. Kept 1 in the car,1 by my chair & 1 in my purse - HUGE, HUGE difference to blow it on my face & back of neck,cooled me right off in seconds!
They seemed to ease up a year ago, but 6 months ago were back with a vengeance, at least 3-5 an hour. Routine testing during my physical 2 months ago showed me to be diabetic & getting that under control has ended the hot flashes except maybe a couple of times a day. I just turned 48 & tests show me to be post-menopausal now.I never had to take any hormones.
When I was in my early 20s,I worked with a woman going through menopause. Every time she had a hot flash, the whole place knew about it because she would get so upset & emotional (nearly hysterical). I was horrified that I would have to go through that myself, but by the time I reached that age, I realized that it is just a fact of life & no use getting hysterical over. I don't know if my attitude helped make it so easy or if I was just lucky? My poor mom went through menopause in her late 30s, at 46 she had a serious head/brain injury & had to go through the whole thing again - only it was worse the 2nd time around!
My doctor recommended Black Cohash. Get the box that is a.m. and p.m. It will have a strip of white tablets and a strip of red ones. The red ones are for nighttime. They work great. The red ones have a strong smell but just hold your breath and swallow, they work wonderfully.
Thank you all so much. I knew I could depend on ThriftyFun to help me out! I'm going to try everything you all suggested to me one by one to see which one works the best for me. My daughter is going to pick up some black cohosh capsules from the pharmacy near her office. I've checked about it online and it seems a lot of women found relief with that so I'll start with that and see how it goes.
My mother was put on low dose birth control pills for controlling her sypmtoms. This was many years ago. You might want to ask your Dr. about doing that.
I have adenomyosis that has been getting worse over the years. My doctor told me I needed a hysterectomy. I am fine with that. I am terrified that I am going to gain a ton of weight on top of my already heavy frame. Do you gain a ton of weight with a Hysterectomy? What are some ways to avoid the weight gain? I do not want to be in pain anymore, but do not want to be as big as a house either. I have no room for more added weight.
By wacky camper from Westland, MI
I had to get a hysterectomy after i suffered from a lot of pain because my uterus had dropped completely and was causing me to have serious problems with my bladder. I had a Vaginal hysterectomy which took 8 hours to complete due to so many non cancerous fibroid tumors needing being removed. I kept my ovaries so i did not have to be on hormone replacement medicines. For me it was a blessing because I felt so much better and had more energy afterwards so I done more and moved about more which help me loose weight instead of gain. Most everyone I have talk to having any kind of hysterectomy said the same thing they felt better and thus exercised more afterwards. Good Luck on yours, you will not regret it I think.
According to the "Oklahoma" chapter of the new book THE H WORD, the average weight gain in the first year after hysterectomy is 25 pounds. I'm not sure what theseamstress is talking about, but most of the women I've talked with said hysterectomy was a nightmare for them. The HERS Foundation lists on their website what most women report after the surgery. THE H WORD tells it all...and it includes an anatomy lesson, so you understand the anatomical facts of why there are such sudden changes when the uterus is removed. I got my copy of the book on Amazon.
Please. I am already nervous about this whole thing. Unless you or a friend has had this surgery, please do not respond to this thread with post of things in books or newspapers. I want real life experience. Thank you.
I have many friends & family members who have had hysterectomies & none of the 7 women I know have gained any extra weight in the many years afterward (but I must say that these women had no weight problems to begin with). All of my friends & family are very happy that they got a hysterectomy! Some were in pain for years, & some had excess bleeding for years & the hysterectomy let them live a full, normal & happy life again! One thing I have heard is that some women will not have orgasms as good at before the operation & some have trouble having orgasms afterward (this is because your uterus also contracts when you have an orgasm).
About the actual operation: The safest way is usually through the tummy & not vaginally because the doctor can then see what he or she is doing. Also they can keep your cervix intact. If you don't have your ovaries taken out your hormones won't change. It's the change in hormones that usually make us gain weight. A warning, It's very rare but some women are "aggressive healers" which means they tend to make extra scar tissue & get adhesions. This happened to a friend of mine after her C-sections, she then needed a hysterectomy & 2 more surgeries (to remove the scar tissue) all the while she built up more scar tissue with each surgery. This is very rare.
A close friend of mine is now living a normal pain free life since her hysterectomy & she's happier than ever! If you don't have your ovaries removed & you're not on painkiller meds for very long or bedridden for very long, I bet you'll not gain much if any extra weight. Take Benefiber (&/or Activa yogurt) for 2 weeks before your operation & every day thereafter so you can easily go to the bathroom because constipation can also make you gain weight.
I hope I've helped, I know only one person who gained weight after her hysterectomy, but she had other problems that caused the weight gain, it wasn't the hysterectomy. If it were me & I was in pain, I'd opt for the hysterectomy because just being in pain can stop you from moving about & exercising anyway. Also, pain can make you want to eat more too. I think it's a tradeoff. Take Care, I wish you well!
I had endometriosis also and had a hysterectomy. I was able to keep my ovaries so I haven't had to take any hormones. I haven't gained any weight at all. The best advice someone gave me, was to listen to your body after the surgery. If you are tired then rest but don't just lay still to be lazy! You will get stiff and be more sore. I had a low bikini cut and it was sore for awhile. About a week after the surgery I thought I would mop my kitchen floor on my hands and knees. Big mistake. Had to end up taking a pain pill. It is the best thing I have ever done for myself in having the surgery.
I too suffered from Adenomyosis for years and was told I had to have a hysterectomy. I was fortunate to have a vaginal removal - which meant no pain or discomfort - minimal down time (3 days max) - and wonderful results. My only issue was with constipation due to anesthesia. I got to keep my ovaries and have had no weight gain - in fact due to me not being anemic every month I have become more active and have lost weight. My hair has started to regrow on my head and the color of my skin is healthy. I would do all your homework, but if you are tired of just surviving every month then I would listen to your doctor and save yourself the hassle. It gave me a new lease on life.
I think personnel experiences are what the wackycamper wanted to hear about with hysterectomies not someone who never had one and drawled conclusions from a study. Everyone is different when you go through a hysterectomy due to your age and what other health issues you had prior or medicines you were on which also will alter your body in how it does. I looked at the study the other poster showed and for me none of those things applied to having the hysterectomy. Maybe from other medicines I was on or health issues I also had which had nothing to do with the hysterectomy (like underactive thyroid) and being a bit tired but that was from my thyroid.
I am overweight so I know how it done me after the surgery and as I said I felt better with no more pain and exercised more and lost 25 pounds after wards and have kept it off. As far as the vaginal hysterectomy goes My doctor suggested that way verse the bikini type for lots of reasons (each person is different and your doctor will have studied and discussed with you the best type for you) mine was because since I was over weight healing time is faster due to not incisions made. I dis agree that they can see better not doing the vaginal surgery. Test were done before my surgery for any cancers and after wards from mass and none were present and with today's technology what she could not see or reach with her hands cameras and sophisticated tools can.
I will say to the wackycamper though that my doctor said that most vaginal hysterectomies take only 2 hours as do the incision type but because I had so many fibroid tumors mine took longer which would of taken the same amount of time the other way as well. So I am glad that if I was going to be laying there for 8 hours that I was not cut during that time to have lost more blood. We can only tell you about our own personnel experience with either surgery and for me I am glad I had it done. I too heard all the stories both good & bad and really fought with the decision to even have the surgery.
Stories like mood swings needing to get on hormone pills or nerve pills and the loss of sexual desire or the results of being intimate with your husband. And for me that a big worry but those studies did not apply toward me. If anything it is better. I am 49 yrs old and had the surgery 6 years ago. And for ME it gave me the freedom of knowing I do not have to use protection unless I want to from the other wise mess and cleanup a lady has to do afterward. And everything else that goes with the desire was still just fine.
It's just a body part that if its causing you pain and will feel better after removed will help you. And your husband does not see you any different than before. I did keep my ovaries so I do not know the studies of women afterward that did not and any changes they went through in the hormone balances with medicines. I think if you have had your children and know you did not plan on having more that the decision on that stand point is an easy one to make. For studies I read prior to say that women felt barren or empty knowing they could not have kids. But for me that was not a concern already having my child.
Both my sister and my mom had the bikini cut hysterectomy and they too both kept there ovaries and both had to have the surgery due to allot of bleeding prior too so they were already low iron count and felt tired prior too but afterward and taking iron supplements to rebuild there body they also felt better and had more energy. My mom was very over weight prior too and she lost and kept off 35 pounds.
My son in laws mom(my best friend) was skinny and had the same health issue with herself that you do and she had the bikini cut hysterectomy and she had some scar tissue but they said that was expected with that and she too feels better and put on no weight. I honestly think it depends allot too on each persons life style and emotional life style prior too either surgery. If you were someone who just sit all the time or was a person who just eats all the time your either going to continue that lifestyle or not. Having a positive outlook on anything before & afterward can alter the path things take. And so in closing for me it was for the best. I talked to my doctor allot prior to about any and every concern I had and then made my decision.
She told me after the surgery in the hospital & at home to get up asap and start walking around which will help you heal faster and gets circulation into your legs and body and even though you may be sore do so because its true it really helped with healing time. As with any surgery afterward go slow with your everyday routine and watch lifting etc. I do take a daily vitamin with extra calcium for my bones which the doctor suggested but I would of done anyway because of my age and my thyroid condition. Good luck with yours what ever it maybe. :-)
Thank you.
I had the "Big H" a year and a half ago, because they found a fibroid 'about the size of a newborn's head. Well, 1) It was the best thing I ever did, no more periods, no more odors or yeast infections.
2) I lost 4 pounds in the hospital then I felt so much better, I started losing weight because I was more active, like one other member mentioned, 'listen to your body', I was in the hospital 3 days, but the day after I came home, I did dishes, straitened up some, and took a little walk around our building, when you're "up" go for it, when you're tired, rest.
Yes, I know several women who have at least doubled in size since their hysterectomies, but they also just "laid around watching soaps, and eating bon-bons"! My sister-in-law is still just as skinny, shapely and pretty as before hers.
The only thing someone can tell you is how they did during their hysterectomy. Everyone is different. Some people gain weight some don't.Some people it takes longer to get over the surgery some recover fast. I had mind about 9 years ago. I had a complete hysterectomy and I do not take hormone replacement medicines. Never felt better in my life.
