Surgical menopause vs. natural menopause question

When we come to the time in our life, let's say (50's), about the time we might go into natural menopause, are surgical menopause women to take a) nothing for the rest of their life, b) take lowest dosage possible, or c) take hrt based on individual symptoms at that time or d) none of the above.

The reason I ask is that I am just about there.

Women that go through natural menopause will have some estrogen at least till they are 80 I have heard. Would it be wise to have nothing at all even if you had no symptoms?

I am currently on vivelle dot. The doctor at this time says okay to take for now since I just had surgery.

Are we women left with this decision on our own since the hormone testing that is going on is still very unclear. The poor doctors want to do the right thing, but I think they are just as confused and it is a wait and see thing.

Have any of you had to deal with this yet?

s

Hi Suzy --

I haven't had to deal with this particular issue yet but I know it's coming. I'm 48, was 45 when I had my hyst. Last year at my annual physical my doc said it's okay to stay on my hrt (.625 Premarin) for a few more years but then we're going to have to talk about gradually lowering the dosage or taking something else. Meanwhile I'm sitting there thinking.................you'll have to pry my Premarin out of my very tightly clasped fingers to get it away from me!! I haven't really done much thinking about it but I know that eventually she is going to tell me it's time for a change.

If I didn't have any symptoms right now I probably wouldn't take anything, but I do have symptoms and my Premarin sure makes life a lot more enjoyable (and my dh would probably agree!)

Personally when the time comes I plan on discussing it with my doc. She has also had a hyst and also uses Premarin and is right about my age,and so far she hasn't panicked over the media blitz about Premarin and other hrt's. Hopefully when that time comes we can reach a decision that will work for me.

One of my friends who is older than I am had been on Premarin for many years. Just last year her doc had her cut her dosage in half for a while, and then take it every other day, and then stop taking it completely. She suffered for months with major hot flashes and is still having some discomfort. Her doc never tested her hormone levels or anything.......just said because of her age this was the thing to do. I would have discussed it further but she said he'd been her doc for years and she trusted him. I guess everybody has to make their own choice when the time comes.

Take care --

Ann
TAH/BSO 1/5/01

Hi suzy,

you ask some good questions. I am 48, one year from surgery, and plan to stay on estrogen into my early fifties, with my doctor's OK. I think the answer to your questions depends on an individual woman's personal and family history and risk factors for various illnesses and symptoms when cutting back on HRT/ERT and also, hopefully, more and better research.

I, like Peachybabe, like my estrogen and am not looking forward to cutting it down!

My understanding is that the ovaries produce very minimal amounts of hormones after menopause, so my expectation is that I will taper off my estrogen and go without. I do have some bone density issues, so my doctor says that we will consider switching me to something else like raloxifene if repeated bone density scans show that is warranted.

My doctor also was quite negative about the WHI study and had serious criticisms of how it was conducted and how the results were publicized. But he did go over various other health issues and risks with me: I don't smoke, I'm not obese, I get plenty of exercise and eat well, and my cholesterol is excellent. So far, so good!

With all the media hype over all this, it's most important to have an experienced doctor you trust, I feel.

best wishes...

I will never give up my v dot!!! I do not want brittle bones, wrinkles, and to become old before my time... thank goodness for bio identical hormones...for me no headache nausea, just no sex drive and a yearning for ice cream beyone belief...at least I partially have my health right? Whats a few hundred pills every day?