Hysterectomy with MS?

Hello My name is BONsue and I have been going crazy with what the best outcome will best suit my life style. I belive that I would so benefit with a hyster, but I was told by my Dr. that having my overies taken out will most likley start the M.S back again. I have been in remission for the last 5 years, and it is not any where I want to revisit again. Leaving my overies in is not what they normaly do with women over 45. I have a fybroid the size of 12.3 and is causing me alot of discomfort along with all that other bloody stuff that follows. Anyone out there with M.S that had simular problems or have a good road to follow. Thanks ladies

Hi BONsue,

I have never heard of the "rule" that women over 45 must have ovary removal. I'm sure some drs. figure that if a woman is close to menopause, why not take the ovaries to avoid any future risk of cancer.

But I think the actual risk of ovarian cancer, if your ovaries are normal, you have no family history, and you CA125 blood test is normal, is pretty low. As a matter of fact, I know many women that age and over that still kept the ovaries.

You should discuss this with your neurologist. If keeping your ovaries buys you time before menopause, halting the progression of MS, you should discuss this with your gyno and at least get a second opinion. If you have no risk of ovarian cancer and your ovaries are not diseased, why do they want to take them??

Hi bonsue
Welcome to Hystersisters!
I can appreciate your concern about stirring up your MS. I have MS too, and I'm also pretty much in remission. I had my hysterectomy when I was 51 and my dr assumed in the beginning that he would take the ovaries as well as my uterus, just as a precaution. I started reading and found there is no reason to take them if they are healthy and you don't have a history of cancer and aren't dealing with endometriosis, which are common reasons to remove them.

I didn't have a big problem with fibroids and I'm unsure what your hormone risk is there. I believe they are also estrogen fed. Maybe there are some members who have had their surgeries because of fibroids who can share more information on this.

I told my dr I wanted to keep my ovaries and he was fine with that. I have been happy with that decision for many reasons. I'm entering natural menopause and haven't had to deal with losing my hormone supply suddenly in surgery. I know it has been less of a shock to my body. My understanding of risk with MS, which has always been true, is that stress is one of my main enemies. It seems to trigger numbness and tingling and I sometimes wonder about memory problems, but with menopause issues anyway, it's often hard to distinguish what you're dealing with.

I'm curious about what kind of dr told you that about your MS? I was never told that, which doesn't mean it couldn't be true, but I tend to agree with (((ccl1968))) that you should ask your neurologist. S/he should be able to give you the most accurate information.

In my situation my body was already under severe strain from bleeding/anemia and pain. I was faced with quality of life issues and the hysterectomy offered me answers. I think every woman has to look at her own situation and weigh the possible negatives with what she hopes to gain. No surgery is without risks and it's best to go in with full knowledge of the possibilities. You are wise to ask your questions now and get as much information as you can. I wish you well in your decision making. For what it's worth I have no regrets. Having my hyst was the best decision I could have made. It didn't seem to affect my MS to any significant degree.
Rita

my first dr had the rule of "45 and over, everything is removed". i left his practice since i felt that was a completely ridiculous way to think. you do not "have" to have your ovaries removed if you dont want them to be. let your dr know your wishes if you want to keep them and if he insists on it, you have lots of options with other dr's. good luck!

hi bonsue,
I have ms too wich is just about under control, but every day is diiferent, I told my neurologist that i was having a hysterectomy and he did not mention anything about the hormones. did you find anything out yet? I go on dec 29th so let me know what you found out.