removal of one ovary??

Hi, I am booked for TAH and removal of one ovary on Aug 20.

I wonder if anyone can tell me if I will experience hormonal changes with the removal of one ovary.

Thanx for the site and the chance to ask away without feeling dumb.


God Bless

Jillie

I had TVH with removal of both ovaries on 7/24. I am 36. So far, no problems. I am taking Premarin. Maybe it is too soon to know. But I am doing great!
Good luck,
Becky

Jillie,
I had my hysterectomy about 4 years ago. I do have one ovary. In my case I have had a lot of hormone problems with it. My doctor did not think I would need any estrogen since I still had one ovary, but boy was he wrong. After 3 months of night sweats, anxiety, and finally a depressed mood that would not go away, I finally got the doctor to do an estradiol test. It confimed what my body already knew. Very low estrogen, I needed replacement. I was told try premarin, this was horrible. I tried estrace 1mg at this point, still had the problems. Then I tried the patch .05 Climara. All of these did not relieve my symptoms. I decided to change doctors and I was finally put on a higher dose of estrace. That made a world of difference, but I noticed I felt great when I first took it, but by night time I was getting a withdrawl feeling. I then started splitting the dose and this made a world of difference. After several years my breast starting hurting so bad, so I changed to the vivelle dot 1.0. I really do like this because it small, and I noticed the breast tenderness is barely there. The only problem I have with this is it does not last the full 3 days for me so I have to change my patch more often. I sure hope this helps you. I feel when your young, one ovary will not make up for the other and you start to go into early menopause. Luckily there are good bio-identical hormone replacemnets on the market for us. I would suggest ask your doctor about replacement options if needed before surgery. Also have your estrogen, progestrone, and testosterone all tested before surgery and then again a few days after surgery to see what replacement might be needed. Best of luck!

3/16/2001 I had TAH with one ovary removed. I had some hormone changes. But I had very high estrogen to begin with. I also am 44 and was already experiencing symptoms of perimenopause night sweats moderately. Well my one ovary is putting out plenty of estrogen. I have a lack of progestrone though which caused estogen dominance all the time. This grew large fibroids that caused me to have a hysterectomy. Now I take Remifin and progestrone cream to allieviate perimenopause symptoms. The only difference is with one ovary is when my hormones vary I notice it more without the second ovary you have less compensation ability! This is what I have noticed in my situation. I am glad I kept my ovary and would rather go through a non surgical menopause.
Progestrone cream some doctors feel have no use once you have no uterus. I saw a hormone specialist
in altenative medicine who worked with my doctor to explain to my doctor. That in a estrogen dominance situation as mine I already started 4 1/2 months after hysterectomy to get cysts around my ovary!
The problem was not addressed so it has returned! If the problem would have been addressed in the first place I may not have had the need for the hysterectomy.

We are treating the problem not the symptom now. Dr. John Lee M.D. wrote a book you may obtain at your local library called What Your Doctor May not Tell You! This explains about hormones and he also has a cassette tape available addressing Progestrone.

Good luck it is a hormone jungle out there! But with
determination you and your doctor will be able to figure what your needs are! Research the hormone jungle website and ask
lots of questions to your doctor. If your not satisfied with the answers you get. Find a second or third opinion until you get
satisfactory help. Listen to your body it will guide you!

In theory one ovary is supposed to take over the work that both did. However I've been around here long enough to know that often that is not the case. Consider this, we alternate ovulation, one side one month, the other the next, however both ovaries produce estradiol and testosterone even if it's not the side that ovulates. Take one away and you have two possible scenarios, the lone ovary tries to ovulate every month instead of every second. A BIG ASK! it also has to try and produce enough estrogen, progesterone and testosterone on it's own. ANOTHER BIG ASK! Presuming it does this effectively then you will be using up the egg stocks in that ovary twice as fast as you would have, so the very least you can expect is an earlier menopause. If the ovary is healthy then it's going to buy you a lot of years without HRT and THAT's GOOD!
But......sometimes that ovary may be struggling a little anyway, cos the other ovary wasn't too good to start with.
I, in no way advocate taking ovaries without good cause, such as family history of ov. cancer etc. , because even struggling ones can lower your need or dosage for HRT should they quit.
But, the old idea of one taking up the slack for the job of two isn't really as simple as it sounds.
If you are lucky it will be fine, many women are, at the very least you may need some progesterone cream, at the most you may need estrogen supplementation. It really all depends on your hormonal status before surgery, your age,your history of cysts (excising cysts and taking some ovarian tissue with them in the past can speed up the menopause process anyway) and one of the biggest factors is the age which your mother and sisters etc. experienced menopause.
hope this extra info helps.