Is it possible?

I would try to gyno first but you could also go to an endocrinologist since they also deal with hormonal issues. If you want to try an endocrinologist you could always call the office first and ask them if they deal with this type of hormonal issues. I just called a neurologist for my back and before making the appt checked to see if he does the shots because not all neurologists do them. Hope this helps. Talk to you soon.

Thanks Nanette!

Hi rodswife!

Bio-identical hormones don't have to be expensive. There are many bio-identical options which are made by the pharmaceutical companies and of course there is the compounded bio-identical type. You can read more about both in articles #10 and 11 in this link to the Hormone Article List.

Some doctors will insist on testing while others will go on symptoms alone, or will go by symptoms along with testing. You're not all that far into your recovery, relatively speaking, so it's not at all unusual for things to not be sorted out yet. Sometimes something as changing the timing of when you take your pill can make a world of difference but sometimes it's the hormone that isn't right--whether in the method of delivery, dose, or type of estrogen. It can get confusing in a hurry!

It may be that your surgeon isn't the best person to prescribe your hormones. Not everyone is good at all things. You might want to call your general practice doctor and ask if he/she is familiar with prescribing hormones.

If you are looking for a doctor to precribe your hormones, you may want to try what has worked for a lot of women. Call a compounding pharmacy and ask which doctors use their services. There is a free locator link you can use on this site: www.iacprx.org. You won't necessarily end up using all compounded hormones. I use a combination of bio-identicals from the pharmaceutical companies (Vivelle Dot and Vagifem) along with compounded progesterone and testosterone creams which I get from my compounding pharmacy.

I hope this helps you!

s

	Quote:
Originally Posted by rodswife I called a bio-identical dr in Fort Worth and it costs an arm and a leg to go there and be tested and see the dr.

IMHO you are way too early post op to think about testing hormones. Your body is still going thru many changes. What your levels are today may not be what they are 3 months from now. It can take the body longer than 6-8 weeks to settle down hormonally, it is not unusual at all to have symptoms of imbalance this early in recovery. I would definetly give it more time before considering doing any testing of your levels.

Ok! Thanks for the advice! Another question. I have been in menopause since October because of the Zolodex shots I was taking before my surgery. Does this have any impact on my hormone levels? I have had severe hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and insomnia since October.

Thanks again! Elizabeth

Elizabeth,
IMHO once the ovaries are removed it is a whole new ballgame. I have read where some women were already in natural menopause, been through all the symptoms but were fairly symptom free at the time of their hyst w/ovaries removed also and were hit with symtoms of menopause full force. One would think they would have minimal symptoms as their ovaries probably weren't doing much, but that is not always the case. One thing to keep in mind when it comes to hormones and menopause is that everyone is different. Some women take their hrt and have no symptoms, others are hit with it full force.

in there.

This may not be the case for you at all, but I did notice you are on prempro, which contains Premarin along with Provera, a synthetic form of progestin. I know for me synthetic progestins make me extremely nauseated. I was on Norethindrone as an addback when I did Lupron (similar to Zolodex) and I was deathly sick. I couldn't stand more than one week on it. I also got sick on Depo Provera which has the same form of synthetic progestin as Prempro. Even natural progesterone makes me nauseated but to a much lesser degree than the synthetic progestin. Just a thought. I do agree though that you are pretty early in recovery and may just want to wait things out a bit if they are tolerable. I do feel for you. I have a very sensitive stomach and have suffered chronic nausea off and on since my hysterectomy. Even hot flashes will bring it on. Good luck to you and I hope you feel better soon!

I agree with naturebound, and too much estrogen makes me very sick. Progestin can make you feel depressed or flat. I was on Activella before my hyst, and I got to where I didn't want to see anybody, and couldn't stand the sight of my husband, was really weird, it was a gradual process and I didn't realize that it was happening, and I didn't think of it as depression, just flat, I guess, and it was funny how I
couldn't stand my husband, because we had always been so close. I can't remember why I stop taking it
but it definitely made a difference, I had not realized how it was affecting me.