Night Sweats

Hello Ladies,

It has been some time since my last post... over a year?!

Had my surgery a year and a half ago. My recovery was perfect. I was one of the lucky ones. I went back to work earlier than recommended and felt good, sex has been great (no loss of sensation), and I have actually lost weight since my surgery. (Who's better than me?)

Now I'm having a problem, however, I'm not sure if this is hormone related? Here's the scoop...

I had some hot flashes the first few months following my surgery, but they stopped about a year ago and I haven't had them since.

Over the past month I have been waking up just about every night with terrible night sweats. And I mean terrible. Every stitch of clothing on my body is drenched, my hair is wet, the sheets are soaked and my hubby is damp. The thing is... I'm not hot. I don't feel as though I'm having "hot flashes". I just wake up cold, wet and shivering.

I did go back to the doctor for my post-op visit... however, I haven't been back since. I'm just not a doctor person and I've been feeling great. At my post-op visit my doctor did not mention HRT... I assumed that it was because I kept both ovaries and I had just turned 30.

Now I'm wondering if these night sweats mean I may need some sort of hormone supplement? I'll be 32 in 4 months.

I did break down and make an appointment today--- I have an appointment on May 1st to see my doctor... but that's two weeks away and I'm getting a little concerned.

Anyone else experience night sweats so long after surgery?

Steffie,
I didn't keep my ovaries so I don't have alot of experience in that area, but night sweats could indicate a hormonal imbalance. You can read more about symptoms here www.hormonejungle.com/toomuch.php

There is a test that you do at home to see how the ovaries are functioning. You'll find the directions here www.hormonejungle.com/work.php

I'm glad you called the doctor. Do let us know what he/she says.

Steffie, It does sound as if you are suffering from an estrogen imbalance. Yes, night sweats are usually not associated with a feeling of being hot. Rather the opposite is true, you feel cold and clammy. I did experience this a few times myself before I started NHRT. I have one ovary and am 36 yrs. old.
Here is an article on Night Sweats that gives a good defininition and lists possible causes other than and along with menopause.
http://sleepdisorders.about.com/libr.../aa073000a.htm

Age really has nothing to do with whether or not your ovary may go into a menopausal state following surgery. Just the shear trauma alone of surgery can bring this on. It is also not unusual for this to happen to women a year or more following surgery. There is a 50% chance of this occuring within the first 5 years following surgery. There is a very good article explaining this at http://www.hysterectomy-association....meno/meno.htm.

Your doctor can check your hormone levels to get some indication of whether or not this is happening to you. Just know that it sometimes takes more than one blood level to get a good indicator. The factor of no longer menstruating makes it hard to know where you are in your cycle. Some women have found they have better diagnostics when their levels are checked every week for 4 weeks. I hope you get some answers and that maybe this has helped some. Do keep us posted. s!