The bottom dropped out.......

I had a LATVH with a anterior repair and a TVT on April 14 then turned around and had the reamining ovary removed on May8th sue to a very large cyst. I began HRT on May 10th.
I was feeling so good!! I thought that surgical menopause wan't to darn bad afterall. THEN.... the MondayI had to return back to work, my mother ends up in the hospital with heart problems. She must have a pace-maker put in the day I had toreturn to work after being off 6 full weeks with pay. All of a sudden, the crying began, the irritablity began...... Hormone rage had begun!!!
I called my doctor and she recommended Serefem. So, here I am on a anti-depressant (she said that a woman's seretonin level drops during menopause). I still sweat alot, and have alot of joint, muscle aches. My skin is awlful....zis at 38 years old again!!!!
What is going on???
I joined Curves this week. I want to lose 50 lbs. and I am scared to death that becuse of the estrodial that i am taking I won't lose a pound. I hate wearing a 16 now!! Haven't been this big even when I was pregnant!!!!!!!
Any suggestions out there for me??? I would appreciate anything!!!

Dear jimnlin,

Hi friend! So sorry you are having such a hard time! I hope your mother is recovering nicely! It is hard to cope with any added stress when our hormones are not balanced. Eachday I hope we will be a little closer to that balance. Curves sounds like fun! Remember to concentrate on your health, and make that your goal. Then in time the weight will hopfully follow.

syllie

Hi Linda! Have you talked with your DR yet about the recent symptoms? A couple of things could be going on. One is that our bodies typically have some stored estrogen around when we have our surgery, and it can take a few weeks for that to get depleted. At that point, the stored estrogen is no longer available to help with symptoms so the HRT we're taking may not be enough by itself, and we start having symptoms. Also, it sounds like you've experienced a significant increase in stress level, and that increases your estrogen requirements.

I would talk with your DR about this increase in symptoms and see if maybe a change in your dosage might be in order.

Also, remember that hormone levels can fluctuate a lot in the first six weeks up to even six months post op, so even if you find yourself feeling pretty good at one point in time, things can change as time goes along. Rest assured, though, that as you get further out from your surgery, things tend to level out.

Hang in there!
S,
-Linda

There is a really good book: "Women, Weight, and Hormones". I loved this book before my surgery, it has lots of great advice and pointers about our situation with weight and hormones. It has great stuff in it.

On that note, I also consulted with a compounding pharmacist who said while the book is great, the author, and MD is not a proponent of progesterone, and said progesterone IS needed even if you don't have a uterus, to balance estrogen levels and he felt progesterone helps for an even more natural HRT than just plain estrogen.

I am not a professional, but I am following both the book advice, and the advice of my compounder. I am on Vivelle Dot .1 and 3% progesterone cream (and progesterone definately helps ME sleep better!) since 24 hours post op, and I am doing even better than I'd ever even hoped for.

As far as weight, I was 182 pre surg, am now 163...and follow the diet advice in the book. I haven't yet been able to exercise, but cannot wait to see what happens when I do start my walking/jogging. (Yes, I did have a tummy tuck, but two days post op, I had only lost about four pounds).

I have always been in the 148-155 at 5'71/2 (and muscular/trim) range all my life, except for gaining ALOT with each pregnancy (my compounder said certain types of women who gain alot during pregnancy respond well to a well balanced hormone HRT!). I gained like more than 50 lbs with EACH of my four pregnancies. I had always been able to diet and exercise back into a slim size 10, down to under 160 with all four pregnancies. WELL, when I hit 42-43, and perimenopause struck, I ballooned up from 160 in 2000 to 188 in March 2003! The compounding pharmacist and the book BOTH confirmed the increase in my weight is due to the fact my ovaries were beginning to make less estrogen, and a woman's body fat increases to make estrogen to replace that made from the ovaries. I have also notice a striking difference in my carbo cravings. The compounder said that declining estrogen causes changes in your insulin (the hormone that effects sugar uptake to cells) interactions, and that a decline in ovary estrogen will cause you to crave carbohydrates to enable your body to make more fat, and increased fat makes increased estrone (a weak estrogen) - so a hormone inbalance does cause fatness. He said that it isn't the estrogen, but an imbalance of ALL the female hormones is what causes the fat around the tummy of midlife women.

Well, I am now surgically in menopause, replacing my hormones, and I have LOST in about one month, nearly 20 lbs! My libido is getting back to what it was before 42 also...my libido had just nearly disappeared! I was seriously getting upset watching myself "hatch" into some routund middle aged, sexless feeling woman!

Now, I am no doctor, and yes, I am on a pretty tight diet, but a good diet - but I am a believer now that it was what I thought it always was - and that was a hormone imbalance of midlife that caused me to gain all that weight after 42.

This is just my experience, but if you want to know more, the book would be a great place to start. It has worked for me. AND NO I have no income from the book! I wish I did, as it is a good book for this hormone stuff!