Sudden Menopause

I am 47. My biggest concern is going into the sudden menopause. I have the option of not removing my ovaries but I do have a small cyst on one and I can't help thinking in a way I may be better off without those hormones (I will not be taking HRT because I have have DVT in my left leg). My mother did not go through menopause until mid-50's and had breast cancer at 66. Can't help thinking that those extra years of estrogen (instead of going through menopause in her 40's) may have contributed to her cancer. I've already had a breast cyst drained so I am concerned about breast cancer and have planned on having my ovaries removed. But the sudden menopause really scares me and I'm not sure if I would be better off leaving them in and risking the extra years of estrogen.

Hmmm I understand your concerns. I'm 37 and had the rt ovary & tube removed 5 years ago due to a dermoid cyst. Apparently I don't ovulate regularly. I have severe PMS most months. My dr. wants to save my one ovary so I don't go into menopause yet. But --- I wonder if I'll just be putting off the inevitable for another surgery later. I've researched HRT and other natural supplements so I have some direction in case my ovary does need to be removed on Wednesday too.

I have the same concerns about menopause, but don't have any choice in the matter...and my doc says she will not be putting me on HRT because of the cancer, and also doesn't recommend any phytoestrogen products. I'm afraid I am going to turn into someone I won't like.

TAH/BSO endometrial adenocarcinoma (currently 1a1...)

Hi,

I'll turn 47 next month, had everything out last April
and so I did go into the sudden menopause
I obviously don't know how things will go for
you, I just can tell you my experience.
I feel perfectly well, my only problem are
hot flashes, but I can bear them, I want no HRT, just take natural supplements.
I'm really glad I had this surgery and
I don't regret it at all.

I wish you luck!

Marili

I just had my pre-op yesterday. My doctor says it is up to me whether I keep my ovaries or not, but he reccomends I don't. He says the short time I would have any benefit from them would not out weigh the risk of ovarian cancer!! I am leaning towards having them taken too but reserved my choice until the day of surgery. He did tell me he would give me a shot to get me through the first month post surgery in order to avoid the immediate side effects of menopause. He also did a biopsy yesterday (surprise) so that a cancer doctor can be present if needed! I was a bit scared, but then again, better to be well prepared. I am 46 and have huge fribroids, one is 15cmX15cm.
Like my mother said, you are going to go through it anyway, why not now!! Good luck with your decision, I am praying about mine.

Hi tman,

Surgical menopause is more severe than natural menopause. Our ovaries continue to produce hormones for the rest of our lives, just in amounts too small to cause ovulation. It is true that some women do well with no HRT, but some women don't do well and there is not any way to know for sure which way you will go.

Did your Dr tell you what kind of a cyst you have? It is normal for one ovary to develop a cyst each month. That is part of ovulation.

Estrogen does more than just affect your ability to ovulate. Here is a quote I took from the following link

	Quote:
Adrenal glands, thyroid, hair loss/growth, energy, weight gain/loss, bone loss, heart conditions, blood concerns and more....are things that can go quirky without the ovaries... making the replacement of HRT a hard thing to balance.-

HRT? No HRT?

IMHO, I would want to know what kind of a cyst it is, and what your risks really are of getting cancer before removing what may be healthy well-working ovaries. Even on HRT, it can take years to find a balance and even then it will not be as good as what you would get with healthy ovaries.

Remember hormones are not bad - think thyroid and insulin which are both hormones. Estrogen is part of a bigger endocrine system which all operates to maintain a balance of hormones. If you remove one, our bodies struggle to find that balance again and can throw all the others off in the process. Hormones help our bodies work right.

Please don't make this decision lightly. Get an opinion from a Dr who is knowledgeable about hormone needs and surgical menopause. If you remove them, and wish you hadn't, you won't be able to go back and put them in again.

Learn as much as you can so you can make the best decision for you.

,
Kay

I totally agree with kay m. This is not a small matter. Doctors work on very simple rules. As long as the ovaries are healthy and there is no cancer, under 40 keep them, over 50 lose them. I was 45 so my doctor said he wasnt sure with me but would say lose them. NO WAY and i told him that too. It is all too easy for them to casually make this decision for you but they dont have to live with the consequences. I researched this thoroughly and came accross some very interesting info. Your ovaries do not stop working after menopause. They continue to produce hormones and antigens that help maintain your physical health. Without them you greatly increase your risk of heart disease and will also suffer bone loss. There were all sorts of things mentioned which made me realise that I would not just be losing a few years benefit but a whole lifetime. If you think surgical menopause is not too bad go and poke around in the post op boards and see what many of the sisters are suffering. I have found it quite shocking and am so glad I kept mine. Also, when they say removing your ovaries means you will not get ovarian cancer they fail to mention that for some reason the removal of the uterus actually changes your odds from 1 in 80 to 1 in 300 chance of developing ovarian cancer. Also the older you are the less likely you are to develop it anyway.

Seriously ladies research this on the internet and then make your decision. IMHO you should have an overpowering reason to remove your ovaries just as you should have an overpowering reason to remove your uterus or any other organ in your body. They are all there for a reason. Its bad enough that we dont know exactly what impact removing the uterus has as the doctors freely admit they dont actually know what role it plays aside from having babies and causing us trouble. But we do know the impact of removing the ovaries and the information is all out there if you look.

Think very long and hard about this one. As Kay M says - you cant have them put back in.

Oh and one other consideration. Removing the ovaries doesnt actually guarantee 100% that you wont get ovarian cancer just like removing the cervix doesnt guarantee you wont get cervical cancer.

Hi Tman,

*Ditto* what Giskard and Kay M said. Just really give it a lot of thought before removing your ovaries.

I was 46 when I had my hyst and I decided to keep my healthy ovaries after talks with my Dr. As previously posted, one or both ovaries secrete very important hormones that benefit our general health. And the hormones are *free*. Also, newer studies are showing that the ovaries secrete hormones well into menopause. And from what my Dr. told me in pre-op - ovarian cancer runs in approx. 5% or less of women. And as Giskard mentioned, it decreases after a hyst. That was good odds for me. I thought why remove my healthy ovaries to ~prevent~ something that might ~never~ happen??

Today - at 49 - my ovaries are still working great.

Sending best wishes~

Mary